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How to remove bugs stain from the window and also the body of. my AT

10869 Views 53 Replies 21 Participants Last post by  bdalameda, 
Bigster
Hi guys,


I've been driving in the Picos da Europa last week and my AT was attacked by bugs in Spain.
I've washed already with shampoo and a pressure hose, have tried bug cleaning spray and nothing.
The stains continue to appear in the body of my AT and it looks ugly as hell.
My AT is black and with the stains if looks almost camouflaged.

Any ideas on how can i remove the stains from the bugs carnage?

Cheers,
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rustynut2
I wash, but if the bug stays on it is a clean bug now...... Pledge after a wash will shine the plastics up and help the next time around.
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xesf
Bigster said:
Hi guys,


I've been driving in the Picos da Europa last week and my AT was attacked by bugs in Spain.
I've washed already with shampoo and a pressure hose, have tried bug cleaning spray and nothing.
The stains continue to appear in the body of my AT and it looks ugly as hell.
My AT is black and with the stains if looks almost camouflaged.

Any ideas on how can i remove the stains from the bugs carnage?

Cheers,
Click to expand...
Hey Bigster,

I have been using the wd-40 limpeza total
wd40.pt

WD-40 Specialist Moto Limpeza Total

Limpa a moto e elimina a sujidade de todos os materiais de forma fácil e rápida com WD-40 Specialist Moto Limpeza Total .
wd40.pt wd40.pt

It is quite expensive, 500ml around 12 eur, but it is a great product.
I use it both to take out the bugs or stain by spray on it, but as well when cleaning the bike with pressure washer.

Cheers,
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DoubleThumper
xesf said:
Hey Bigster,

I have been using the wd-40 limpeza total
wd40.pt

WD-40 Specialist Moto Limpeza Total

Limpa a moto e elimina a sujidade de todos os materiais de forma fácil e rápida com WD-40 Specialist Moto Limpeza Total .
wd40.pt wd40.pt

It is quite expensive, 500ml around 12 eur, but it is a great product.
I use it both to take out the bugs or stain by spray on it, but as well when cleaning the bike with pressure washer.

Cheers,
Click to expand...
Hey - welcome to the Forum @xesf.

Feel free to introduce yourself at the New Member Introductions area of the Forum.
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xesf
Thanks @DoubleThumper, will do. Cheers
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Cuchulainn
cfr said:
Looking for similar help. I rode through a nasty section of "Mormon crickets" and my bike is a mess. I was just researching this morning and found a product called bugslide that looks interesting.

Miles and miles of bugs on the road.

View attachment 72523
Click to expand...
Bugslide is good stuff. Not the least expensive bug remover product out there. But it works well and helps to prevent bugs from sticking as well after treatment.

Sent from my SM-S908U1 using Tapatalk
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Bill J
Bigster said:
Hi guys,


I've been driving in the Picos da Europa last week and my AT was attacked by bugs in Spain.
I've washed already with shampoo and a pressure hose, have tried bug cleaning spray and nothing.
The stains continue to appear in the body of my AT and it looks ugly as hell.
My AT is black and with the stains if looks almost camouflaged.

Any ideas on how can i remove the stains from the bugs carnage?

Cheers,
Click to expand...
A short ride in light rain at highway speeds does wonders. As good or better than some pressure washers. The bike still needs to be cleaned after but usually the bug debris is gone.
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Cuchulainn
Soaking a towel with warm water and a little dish soap and laying it across the windscreen for a bit until they soften up also does well :)
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DoubleThumper
Cuchulainn said:
Soaking a towel with warm water and a little dish soap and laying it across the windscreen for a bit until they soften up also does well :)
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Seems like a deja vu statement, but it remains true.
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Hood
DoubleThumper said:
Seems like a deja vu statement, but it remains true.
Click to expand...
And here was me thinking you had a stutter.
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Cuchulainn
Sorry if I missed it in an earlier post. Carrying on two text conversations and an email conversation while posting here. The thread doesn't have my full attention lol.

A power washer does a good job as well if you have one. Sorry in advance if I also missed that suggestion :)
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xesf
I guess this image is appropriate for this thread. :)
White Light Automotive lighting Automotive tire Automotive design
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Cosmo56
Little Bill Daggett said:
Check out 'Magic Eraser Sponge' on Amazon. No soap required and works on windscreen and plastic bits without scratching. Just wet the area before you wipe and don't apply too much pressure. Easy peasy.. I carry a little offcut to clean my visor. Just that and a drop of damp from my drinking water bottle does the trick. Cheap as chips. After a ride I always try to clean the insects off before their little dead bodies end up staining my lovely bike. Every day a school day I suppose? Hope this helps.... 😬 👍👨‍🎓
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Yeah, that’s the key. Remove them as quickly as possible. Bug guts are highly acidic and of course that isn’t good for any surface you want to preserve.
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Skishades
Bigster said:
Hi guys,


I've been driving in the Picos da Europa last week and my AT was attacked by bugs in Spain.
I've washed already with shampoo and a pressure hose, have tried bug cleaning spray and nothing.
The stains continue to appear in the body of my AT and it looks ugly as hell.
My AT is black and with the stains if looks almost camouflaged.

Any ideas on how can i remove the stains from the bugs carnage?

Cheers,
Click to expand...
Saw a few posts and just thought I would add my two cents…

Soak a towel, Lay it on the affected areas, wait a few minutes… and wipe. Repeat as necessary. This is the easiest and most chemical free method. Just be patient and it will clean up very easily with no scrubbing… I do usually use car soap with it.

I have used window cleaner effectively too, but know the ammonia can strip the wax making it more difficult to remove the next batch of dried bugs. Remember to reapply wax!

Wax is your friend for easy removal… but it must be applied before the ride. I like a good buffing wax but I still do touch ups every couple rides with spray on wax. Effective at helping road tar come off easy too. Preventive maintenance is the easiest… and it has the added benefit of keeping the bike clean without a lot of elbow grease.

I do discourage WD40… WD40 is a solvent; it makes plastics and other synthetics brittle with time. It will remove bugs, bcz it’s a solvent… it also strips wax, leaves an oily residue and can attract dirt to that oily residue… and that oil can make your tires slippery if you ride over it or overspray onto your tires. Water is slower, but so much safer long term.

The most expensive option is to buy a new bike than to trouble yourself with cleaning it😛

Nice looking bike!

Edit: Avoid wax on the matte pieces…or just bite the bullet and haze it up (did that for a long trip where the focus was keeping the windshield clear, not the matte finish clear)… but, painters blue tape applied to the matte pieces will protect it when waxing the rest. FYI: Spray wax should be sprayed into a microfiber cloth, not directly to the bike… go Full Danielson: WIPE ON, WIPE OFF. As far as care for matte black plastics… haven’t found anything great… good detail stuff (graphene sprays, black wax, matte finish for black plastics… all look good in the moment) but nothing that works like wax for bug removal. Just lay a wet towel/microfiber on it.
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xesf
Nice insights @Skishades, going to pay attention to those more.
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Hood
xesf said:
Nice insights @Skishades, going to pay attention to those more.
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Don't use wax or at least conventional wax polish, it will ruin your matt black.
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xesf
Hood said:
Don't use wax or at least conventional wax polish, it will ruin your matt black.
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Ah no, it was to pay more attention to the products ingredients we use.
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WeeWilly
Bigster said:
Hi guys,


I've been driving in the Picos da Europa last week and my AT was attacked by bugs in Spain.
I've washed already with shampoo and a pressure hose, have tried bug cleaning spray and nothing.
The stains continue to appear in the body of my AT and it looks ugly as hell.
My AT is black and with the stains if looks almost camouflaged.

Any ideas on how can i remove the stains from the bugs carnage?

Cheers,
Click to expand...
Dilute H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide). Spray on, set for a bit then wipe off. Works like a charm. Heavy smears (like during Love Bug season in Florida) may require a second application.

Leaf Plant Tree Woody plant Sky



Cheers
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DoubleThumper
Hood said:
Don't use wax or at least conventional wax polish, it will ruin your matt black.
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No polishing The Matt.
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Cuchulainn
An unconventional method is the "yellow jacket" system. Leave your bike parked and the yellow jackets will eat the remains of the bugs from your screen ;)
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Hood
Cuchulainn said:
An unconventional method is the "yellow jacket" system. Leave your bike parked and the yellow jackets will eat the remains of the bugs from your screen ;)
Click to expand...

Is this one?



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