[Lupolee]

@kserz So THAT’s what an AT is supposed to look like 😂 👌🏻

 

[TheMKoi]

I use both the hose and bucket method, and the power washer with a wide angle nozzle. I use pretty much any car wash soap that is on sale and sometimes I will add a degreaser to the pressure washer for the dried on chain oil. I use a t-shirt soaked in warm soapy water and drape it over the windshield for 10mins to loosen all the bug parts that have been baked onto the front of the bike. Compressed air to help get rid of the little water pools and run the bike for a couple mins after as well. I don't go too into detailing my bikes, I just like to get the extra mud and debris off them before I go an do it again. I do not own any polish or compound waxing products. 😁

 

[Carlrf]

10-1 simple green in pump sprayer
Garden hose
Electric leaf blower and/or compressed air with microfiber cloth at same time with air. Gets water out of areas a rag doesn't get.
Ride bike a mile or two.
Wd40 and rag on chain.
Maybe touch up with clean microfiber/air hose/Windex on shiny parts and windshield.

Mild soap, bucket, brush, rags work too.
Blow dry with one hand while wiping with microfiber with other.
Ride a couple miles.
Wd40 chain, wipe with rag.

 

[Bill J]

I use a t-shirt soaked in warm soapy water and drape it over the windshield for 10mins to loosen all the bug parts that have been baked onto the front of the bike. 😁

Sometimes the easiest way to get rid of the bugs stuck to the bike is just go for a short ride in a light rain. You still have to wash the bike after. It doesn't take long for the rain to clean the bugs off and saves a bit of scrubbing.

 

[WeeWilly]

Ol' Red loves to take a bath with baby shampoo and her rubber duckie. No harsh chemicals, no hard scrubbing except behind her ears and under her tummy. The stuff works really well in breaking up greasy grime and mud.

Squeak, squeak.

 

[WeeWilly]

Sometimes the easiest way to get rid of the bugs stuck to the bike is just go for a short ride in a light rain. You still have to wash the bike after. It doesn't take long for the rain to clean the bugs off and saves a bit of scrubbing.

During Love Bug season in Florida, Ol' Red gets covered in LB goo. Hydrogen peroxide works really well to remove that stuff, even when it's caked on and hard! Just put some in a spray bottle with some regular water (50/50) and go to work.

Works great on visors too.

 

[bdalameda]

To remove bugs a mild solution of hydrogen peroxide in water does wonders.

 

[bdalameda]

I use compressed air in the same fashion as you do your pressure washer.
I have both electric and petrol washers at my disposal but there only for the MXers and odd jobs
I use mainly treated rain water. With the ph levels of 5.9.
Careful using dishwash liquids, they tend to strip finishes off everything. Not designed for the job. A long time ago I learnt the hard way.

In the US, Dawn dish soap is very mild and won't harm finishes. It also contains a clearing agent that lets the water bead up and makes drying a lot easier. You also can get an inexpensive DI (deionized)water filter treatment device that can fit on your garden hose water connection that is wonderful in removing any hard water mineralization and makes water bead off and also makes the soap lift off dirt very well. I use one on my pressure washer.

Amazon.com

 

[wcolef]

Simple Green for me. Spray the bike with water and a garden hose (or power washer if I’m feeling it) spray with SG and let sit for a few, then rinse with water… another round of SG and a damp micro fiber for the tough areas. Rinse and dry. Works every time… also a good chain cleaner too.

 

[DoubleThumper]

Simple Green for me. Spray the bike with water and a garden hose (or power washer if I’m feeling it) spray with SG and let sit for a few, then rinse with water… another round of SG and a damp micro fiber for the tough areas. Rinse and dry. Works every time… also a good chain cleaner too. View attachment 67368 View attachment 67367

Simple Green is so easy on the environment that leaves grew back on the tree after the wash.

 

[AT-Dragon]

Vast majority of the time, natures shower, a good long ride in the rain gets any chunks of mud off. Here and there a squirt off with a hose. Then maybe once a year or so I get the power washer out and get any places the rain or hose just ain’t getting. But mostly I let Mother Nature clean it when it rains..

 

[wcolef]

Simple Green is so easy on the environment that leaves grew back on the tree after the wash.

Even gave me a new tank bag too

 

[GBROWN]

My issue is primarily insect splatter.

A bucket, some water, and a clean microfiber cloth. That is it.

AGREE

 

[Warturtle]

I'm a big fan of Pro Honda spray cleaner and polish, it works great for bugs and grime. Spray out of can onto surface let sit and wipe with microfiber. No water is required and it cleans great with no scratches. It can be used on bike , helmet goggles shield etc. For MUD covered machine Muck off and rinse of with garden hose. Spray WD 40 on motor metal parts and under fender plastic and linkage. Of course DO NOT spray WD 40 on tires or brake rotors . Nice to carry small can of the pro honda spray when on trip for wind screen, fairing etc.

 

[Rscar73]

In Oz, there's a neutral truck wash called CT-18. Interim washes I'll apply watered solution with sprayer, let sit for 15-20mins, and then flush off with rainwater, that's it.

For deep cleans I'll follow up truck wash with wipe washing with car wash, rinse with rainwater. Rarely use chamois afterwards as the rain water is mostly spot free. Ive rarely ever used pressure washers on bikes, not to date on the AT, yes it's been muddy.

Maybe annually, I'll apply wax polish to tank and plastics, and Mr sheen (silicone spray) windscreen to polish out scratches.

I've always sprayed chain with WD-40 (some say better to use inox but I've gotten long life out of chains), wipe off, then when dry apply chain wax.

 

[WeeWilly]

Just curious if you guys use elbow grease or a power washer to clean the mighty beast?

Mostly elbow grease but a power washer with the high-flow nozzle (lowest pressure spray) to knock off the big chunks before I apply the brush and rag. I try hard not to aim the power wash spray directly at any bearings, pass throughs or electronic couplers, etc. Water pushed into these areas can lead to problems down the road. This is especially so where you have two different metals in contact and anything that can act like an electrolyte (road salt in water for instance). Bimetallic corrosion is the result and it's irreversible. Best to keep those areas dry if you can.

 

[cobepe]

In Oz, there's a neutral truck wash called CT-18. Interim washes I'll apply watered solution with sprayer, let sit for 15-20mins, and then flush off with rainwater, that's it.

For deep cleans I'll follow up truck wash with wipe washing with car wash, rinse with rainwater. Rarely use chamois afterwards as the rain water is mostly spot free. Ive rarely ever used pressure washers on bikes, not to date on the AT, yes it's been muddy.

Maybe annually, I'll apply wax polish to tank and plastics, and Mr sheen (silicone spray) windscreen to polish out scratches.

I've always sprayed chain with WD-40 and want to know how to clean your tricycle (some say better to use inox but I've gotten long life out of chains), wipe off, then when dry apply chain wax.

I haven't taken my trike out for a day ride till this last weekend. At the end of the ride I noticed how dirty my trike is and not sure what is the best way to clean it. What about the chain, gears and chain tube? How do I do that. I gont thing a rag will get it all clean. After I wash the chain and gears I guess I will need put some oil on them, what is good and how do you do that.

 

[Notthemama]

For me it's impossible clean bike without power washer after mud party. I must remove engine guard each time because inside +/- 2Kg. mud
Of course without fanaticism and don't warry about it.


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View attachment 67354

Now that's what the africa twin was designed for, love it