Will washing bike cause problems?

Newbie question - I have never owned a motorcycle before , so keep that in mind.

Will washing any part of my Maxim cause problems because of water/dirt getting into places it shouldn't? I am talking about with the bike fully assembled.

How do you guys wash your bikes? With streams of water or just a wet sponge?

Thanks!

 

well - if you're washing it you aren't riding it... and that is a problem

You can wash it all - just don't spay the hose up around the fuses or battery... it can handle being wet (as in a rain storm) but there is no need to point the hose right at it!

Sponge her down - wash her shinny pieces and rinse.

 

Pressure from the garden hose should not be sufficient to cause any issues for you there Richard 03. Don't forget to blow it off with compressed air or the pressure side of a vaccum cleaner and wax afterwards. Shoot all of your rubber with some preservative (WD-40 works fine) and a shot of WD-40 at all of your cable ends and pivot points should round out your weekly cleaning. You really can't do too much damage with a garden hose. I would avoid a pressure washer unless you know where not to point that thing. Good luck to you!

 

I'd kindly suggest an alternative to wd40 - wd40 is more a penatrant than a lubricant. It will dry out relatively quickly.

For cables I would suggest a can of cable lube and a cable luber. I snap that on the beginning of the season and give each cable a good shot of lube - when it drips out the other end of the cable I know I've made a mess... er lubed it well

On the wax side of things - just how clean is your bike? I wax my tank a few times a year otherwise I ride it as it is... I guess this explains why my bike is evolving into a rat bike

 

Woot, for your regular preventitive maintenance, I would agree about using a cable lube specifically for that application (graphite is best), but for the after-wash spritz, Water Displacing formula #40 is up to the job. It was designed to displace that water from the cracks and such to prevent corrosion from forming. You are correct, it doesn't hang around long, it does evaporate rather readily but is an excellent preservative for rubber parts. Good discussion.

 

I appreciate the feedback. I kind of thought that water wouldn't hurt things. But after putting the rear wheel back together, and seeing that there is no real seal between the rear drum brakes and the environment, it made me think twice.

I have lately taken to spraying almost everything with WD40 that needs lubing because it not only displaces water, but it cleans crud off nicely too. I usually lube it right after the WD40 with something more substantial for a lasting effect.

Has anyone had any problems with mixing WD40 with other lubricants?

 

I think that's a good idea richard03... it certainly is good at cleaning and I don't think it would be a problem to mix with most other... of course well vented areas and no flames please!

re: drum brakes - it's no more exposed than 60mph in heavy rain so I guess it doesn't matter

 

normely i dont post on topic's but since i read this post it boggeled my mind. :roll:

that some one is using windex i hope this is not for the wind-sheld as windex can creat a ever lasting spirle effect in you wind-sheld normely noticible when riding at a 15-45 angle to the sun or right into the sun. So i guess what im wondering is how menny of you use windex on your wind sheld or if that was for the paint witch i guess isent relly bad but there are things for that

 

If not Windex on the sheild, then what? And why?
I'm glad someone said something. I just installed a new sheild and have been cleaning it with Windex.

 

I know on the Lexan windshield we had on the race car we bought some cleaner specifically for lexan/plexiglass. Have to see if I can find where I got it though...

 

Rich, Meguiars "Mirror Glaze" #10 plastic polish is the stuff (available at most bike shops). The reason that Windex scratches as it does is not because of any chemical reaction but the crud impregnated in the cloth used to polish with (assuming of course your not using a paper towel, big no-no, paper towels are like fine sandpaper). Use the proper polish for plastic windshields and a very soft cotton cloth for this purpose only, I keep mine in a separate plastic bag. There are special wipes we use in the military called "canopy wipes" that are designed for use on poly surfaces that will not scratch. The mil-spec polish is the same stuff you buy in the store (Uncle Sam just pays a lot less, it's even made by the same company). There is the skinny folks, make sure you wash with plenty of water and soap before hand with a clean cloth! Happy trails!

 

Oh yes, polycarbonate is everywhere! Even instrument panels.

 

For helmet visors I use the packet type optics cleaners you can get at most drug stores or wal-mart. Wet-naps from resturants also work great. Plus the alcohol/detergent on them removes bugs like nobodys business. Hey, they're even convenient to carry....

Ditto on the paper towels, they are the easiest way to accidentally scratch your plastics. Windex works fine if you use a terrycloth towel, and turn often.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the replies! I definitely learned a lot!

 

For My windsheild i used the same chemicl theay put on aircraft winsheilds ( it's like rain-ex) but unlike ran-ex this has a chemical bod to the windsheld unlike rain-ex that just put's a coat like wax on. This stuff is spendy but only had to apply once. Even works on harleys my dad after he saw how easy it was to clean it with just water applyed this to his windsheld and now his is easy to clean to.


As in easy when you let the watter out of a garden hose trickel over the bike to get it wet before polishing that uselly get's all the bug splatter off the windsheld and then i use a cotten cloth to dry instantly. since im on this note going to a pain shop and putting a clear coat on the paint isent a bad idea since im sure the origonal one's have long warn off

 

Stoner's Invisible Glass is what I use for my visor. It is designed to be safe for automotive tint(the film kind), so it should be fine(and so far is) for acrylic. Great cleaner, and not harsh.