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What do you use for keeping your bike clean. I know there are products available that make the cleaning procress much easier, but the bike -specific ones cost quite a bit around here. There is a product at the local bike store they sell for $20.00 CDN for 750ml. CRAZY!!!. You Spray it on the bike when it is clean and it acts as a polish and protective barrier for metals and plastics. Wont hurt the graphics either. It makes a protective, but slippery , coating on all parts wich allows for dirt, mud, and grease to be sprayed off with water.
I read in earlier posts of using WD-40, does not sound like a good idea to me, it is a good solvent with a mild lubricant but corrodes metal. Where I work, in a machine shop, it is against our regulations to use it anywhere, even as a cleaner. Not only that but it seems to work well for removing stickers.
I really dont like the idea of Castrol Super Clean either as it mentions on the back of the bottle not to use on , plastics, painted surfaces, motorcycles, and aluminum.
Anybody Know of any other products????
KDX220 Phil.

I use a power washer....or plain old Dawn and a rag..... WD for the motor and chain....some Future Acrylic Floor Wax for the plastics. The WD burns off in the first few minutes of riding so I no worries. It would take a long time for WD to corrode anything wouldn't it? It's just a water displacer anyway. I don't know if they have Future Wax in Canada but they should have something similar. A friend of mine uses Pledge....

simple green

Thanks, once again Inda for all your useful advice, I will check for the other products at Wal-Mart( We do have these in Canada now, and they sell mainly American products). As for the WD, maybe it isnt so bad since it is being burned off the engine afterwards, but I wouldn't put it on any plastics or o-ring chains, it is supposed to be hard on polymers. I use Kersone on the chain, then let it soak in SAE90 overnight (When I take the chain off). There are many people who seem to use it and have had nothing but good luck, but if there is a chance for bad luck, I will get it.

I'm another supporter of Dawn or similar in warm water. If shes real dirty I use the power washer as a pre-rinse. I use silicon spray underneath the fenders to stop mud sticking and it works well. I use WD-40 on the chain to clean it and over everything (except brake rotors) after washing to displace the water.

Purple Power, comes in 1 Gallon containers from Walmart. Works like nothing else. Spray it on, let it sit for a bit and scrub/spray it off. I generally follow up with some WD on the chain and axle areas.

-Maurice

I have a hot water spigot outside connected to my garden hose

Amazing how hot water cleans off mud!

I have a pressure waher too but the hot water works so good I hardly ever lug it out

layoutd wrote:simple green

and water

I have used Pledge on the fenders in the past. It did OK as best I can remember.

On the chain, I just use a stiff, plastic bristle brush, then Wd-40, then chain lube.

Be careful with power washers. That is why my '94 has one side panel with numberplate background and one without.

I use mashed potatos and gravy, nothing sticks. Sometimes I'll use a good shampoo, then rinse repeat.

Like KAY DEE EXER said, "(except brake rotors)" You don't want anything on the pads and rotors but plain water. Some soaps are detrimental to both.

All I use is this stuff called Awsome Orange. It is like any other citrus based cleaner except it cheap and it works. I get it at the dollar store for of course a buck. I spray as much as i think it needs and let it sit for a couple of minutes. The dirt starts to breakup as soon as the solution hits it. It washes totaly clean and the bike shines like new. I hardly ever have to scrub. Then I wipe the chain clean of water and spray some chain lube on it.

Be careful of SImple Green on aluminum. You can read more on their website.

I don't know if you can get it there but in the states we can get a product called Moto-Pro bike wash. Works just as good as S-100 or Hondabrite. Spary on let sit for a few minutes and rinse. It leaves the bike spotless and doesn't harm the Aluminum. I like Moto-Pro for the fact that it cost about 1/3rd as much Hondabrite

Hondabrite is 5 to 6 dollars a quart
Moto-Pro is like 12 for a gallon :)

WD-40 everything but the brakes when done to displace water then a quick shot of contact cleaner on the brakes just to be sure.