Washing the GS...

[dorian chapman]

I was wondering, is it ok to wash the bike right after riding.  Like when the engine is hot is it ok to spray ice cold canadian hose water onto it ? Or should i let it sit for an hour before hosing 'er down ?

Also, what should i use for soap for cleaning the fenders and tank etc. ?
I have a choice of dish soap and laundry detergant !!  ha ha. I'm a starving student !

[Cal Price]

I just use a weak solution of a liquid detergent, pretty much any washing-up product. Living in a salty coastal atmosphere and salted roads in winter I tend to was down every 7-10 days. I dont thing doing it hot will cause a problem but I wash it by hand so I would'n't wash down after a 50 mile run. The handbook says don't use a preasure washer and there have been some issues on the forum about hosing but a gentle spray from a hose after a hand wash sould not cause any worries, I find a bucketful of warm soapy water does all I require of it.

[mp183]

Sorry can't help you on this one. :lol:

[scratch]

The only problem I've encountered with washing a bike after a ride, expecially with hard water, is the waterspots bake on and become very difficult to get out.

[bball14]

isnt' washing a motory w/ cold water while the motor is still hot bad for it?  this is what i have always thought?

[scratch]

It's a metal smith's old saying in that cold water will cause the surface metal to condense quicker than the interior and shatter. And, the same can almost be said for hot engines. Clearances will go out of whack and may also cause warping of gasket surfaces, which then leak.

So, it's not a good idea.

[GregoryTheriault]

DON'T Do IT


  Yes, if you wash it hot,...with cold water you can cause damage. You know how race drivers, car or bike don't stop when they win, but go around more slowly for a lap or two?  They all do it, cars, bikes, plane engines.

You never want to cool an engine to quickly, in a moving engine it's called supercooling. It's such a problem that piston engine aircraft ( like a cessna ) have a special valve called engine heat that you engage when you slow down ( drop  revs ) to keep the engine heat up so as to not allow it to cool too quickly. Now, that's from 180 to 200 degrees, down 40 or 50 degrees.

Imagine taking your 180degree engine and flushing it with 10 degree water. Hmmmm.

Don't do it man, she's got lots of life left in her treat her easy!!


AS TO SOAP...

Don't use dish soap.  Paint has a PH like everything, and the PH of dish soap and paint are way to far apart. This can damage your paint, spend the 4$ and get something, anything that says car wash on it, it's PH balanced for the paint. ( I'm partial to anything made by MOTHERS )

Cheers Guys!

[GregoryTheriault]

Use a shamie ( speling ?? sorry )

Water spots are caused by the minerals in the water that reamin on the paint after the water evaporates. If you dry it off first, you won't get any. To remove them try a scratch remover like MOTHERS, it's like a REALLY gentle rubbing compound, it should buff them off.

[Kerry]

I think it's "chamois", actually.  (See http://www.polsteins.com/em27inx17inc.html)

Weird spelling, huh?  I think it comes from the name of an actual animal (because of its hide).

Ah - here we are: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=chamois

Looks like it can be spelled "shammy", too.