How to wash the GS?

[calamari]

...
 no, it's not a joke.

1st time I tried to clean the bike, I ended transferring the mess of her to my own self  :kiss:

Can I spray water all over the place? is it safe to use soap? Water on tires/brakes/exhaust is good?

:dunno:

[Chris.t.Collins]

Your kidding.  :guns:

[calamari]

...

no, he's not kidding

listen to him.

[calamari]

no, he's not kidding

[knowlsey]

Your kidding.  :guns:

if he is kidding :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

if not, wash it with whatever you like, as long as it aint oil or acid

watch out for some washing up liquids though, they have salt in them.

[Roadstergal]

I use regular car wash soap (Meguiar's Gold) for regular washes.  I use biodegradable degreaser on the engine (got it at the local auto supply store).  For wax-stripping washes, I use dish soap, then dry and apply wax.  I use different sponges for body, engine, and wheels.

[RVertigo]

How to wash the GS:

1: Get a small wash rag and a small cup.
2. Place cold water in the cup.
3. Wet the wash rag.
4. Place the wet wash rag on the seat and move around until all dirt/bird-crap is gone.
5. Drink water in small cup and say, "Ah...  That was hard."
6. Wait for seat to dry (place in the sun if needed).[/list:u]

[thirdman]

.
High pressure water is bad, as it will get in where you don't want it.  Gentle spray is ok.

A leaf blower or an air compessor is a handy way to dry it off very thoroughly with very little effort.  There is an added bonus of a 'spot free shine'.

[calamari]

...
so nothing special then.  

beign my 1st bike ever and ever... I was afraid i might damage parts if I use water over the bike or something.

[RVertigo]

The real question is......

How do you get the wheels to stop looking like you dug them out of a hole?

Chain cleaner didn't work.   :lol:

Someone told me something about a citrus cleaner working, but I somehow doubt that an orange will do a better job than the countless caustic chemicals I've tried.

[stefman722]

What i do is i take the hose and rinse the bike fully, and then i use dishwash soap in a pail with warm water and wipe everything down with the sponge. Then when everything is clean, i rinse it again, then I wipe it down. After everything is dry i apply a coat of Mguires wax. My bike gets extremely shiny. Sometimes i do the windscreen with the plastix stuff when i have time. And i always shine the exhaust can plate with stuff my dad sells. Then i use WD-40 to clean the rims, and i just leave the tires as they are. Just dont get lots of water in the exhaust, some is o.k if you dont use a pressure washer, cauz there isnt enough pressure from a normal hose to go far inside the pipe. When you start the engine, it dries instantly.

[RVertigo]

How to wash the GS

I couldn't help it...  I'm wearing this shirt today:  

[pnaberhaus]

RVertigo,
Try an alloy wheel cleaner by the name of P21S. It's made in Germany. I've been using it for years on my old sports car and it has kept the white wheels of my '89 GS clean for the past 15+ years. Just spray it on, let it sit for a couple minutes, rub a little with a rag, rinse and viola.....clean shiny white rims. If your rims are are black or dark grey, the cleanliness just wouldn't be as obvious. This wheel cleaner doesn't harm the painted rims on my bike nor the natural finish on the cast alloys on my old Porsche or the satin finish on my GTI. P21S is the BEST wheel cleaner I've ever used.

[RVertigo]

I have light gray ones...  I'll have to try that out.

It won't mess with my new rubber will it?  

[pandy]

It won't mess with my new rubber will it?  

[JoChan23]

SOS pads + water = no more brake dust on the wheels  

- Jordan

[pnaberhaus]

RV,
As it is nigh impossible to NOT get P21S on our beloved tires in the cleaning process, I can assure you that the product is safe for rubber products. It has never hurt the white finish on my bike's wheels either. As I had posted earlier, I've been using the stuff for ages and have never had a problem with any unwanted side-effects on either cars or motorcycles. If you use it, I'd bet you'll always have a bottle of the stuff along with your other bike sustinance products.

[RVertigo]

Cool...  I was just a little worried about adding one more thing to make me fall down.

I don't need help in that department.

[Roadstergal]

Although I think most Griot's Garage stuff is way overpriced, the Wheel Cleaner is not.  Green stuff that smells nice, in a bottle.  It cleans crud off with very little rubbing, and it doesn't damage wheels.

It's a nice little roadtrip from Seattle to their HQ just north of Tacoma.

But the longer things are dirty, the harder they are to clean.

[RVertigo]

From the looks of the front wheel and the way the GS looked when I got it, I'm pretty sure the old owner never cleaned it....  Not even once.