How to Wash your Motorcycle
I worked as a grunge boy at a motorcycle shop for a while. One of my favorite duties was making a dirty bike clean, or a clean bike immaculate. I was even responsible to detailing bikes that belonged to celebrities. Here's how I did it.
1. WashTo start out make sure you are in a shady, cool area. Make sure the engine and exhaust pipes aren't hot- you can lightly mist down the bike to cool it down if they are. Once the bike is cool, I would use one of two products: S100 or Muck-Off. Spray the entire bike down with the stuff, focusing on dirty areas, such as wheels. Let it sit for 3 minutes, and then with the jet setting on your hose, spray it all off until there is no slippery residue left.
2. DryAfter, use compressed air to blow out all the switch housings, relays, and gauges as well as engine fins and spark plugs. Take a microfiber drying cloth can wipe down the body work while you let the bike idle- this helps evaporate a lot of the water.
3. DetailOnce you're done drying, use a spray polish/cleaner (I swear by Plexus) to do the more detail oriented cleaning. On body work, spray a film of Plexus on, rub, and buff out (Only use micro-fiber!) For the wheels, do the same thing. Be very light to the touch on windscreens. Make sure to use a dry micro-fiber cloth to buff out the mirrors all the way to the edges.
Using silicone spray (or something like Armoral) and a rag will give you awesome results on any black plastic items or on any black engine components. Just spray on a generous portion, and wipe off.
4. PolishPut some polish (I recommend Papa Wheelies or Mothers) on a micro-fiber and also put a few evenly spaced dabs on the paint. Do one section at a time (tank, fender, fairing, etc.) Make an even, swirly coat over the entire painted surface, let dry to a have, and buff out with the dry side of the cloth. On areas with surface scratches or defects, massage the area applying pressure when needed.
5. WaxOnce again I recommend Papa Wheelies or Mothers. In the same way as the polish, wax the entire bike and let it dry for about 15 minutes. Buff out with the clean side of the rag.
A few concerns:-Do not use silicone spray on exhausts- it will smoke and burn.-Only use Plexus on chrome that will not get super hot. Exhausts are fine as long as they have heat shielding. Most of the time chrome can be polished using only a polishing cloth.
