The CB1100 Community Forum

Yup...real deep technical.

I don't have a yard - I have a carport in an apartment complex. So I don't have a hose and a bucket-wash isn't practical.

So it's off to Mister Wash for me.



Now, the first danger here is not hosing the engine or critical parts, flaming hot. That's a no-brainer...park it in a corner and let it cool for half an hour while you work on a can of Coke, or a butt if that's your pleasure...and pick it up when things are cool enough to touch.

Gotcha.

Now...the elephant in the garage, is the CHAIN. I'm in a dusty environment. That chain is soaking it up. O-Ring chains are a new thing to me...or my awareness of them is new...I've been with shafts (BMW and GL500) and belts (Burgman 650) for some years.

The mechanical boys at the Honda dispensery, aren't very helpful on this. Now...should I just ignore it, with that powerspray wand? Water aimed at the chain will probably penetrate the seals at pivots. Okay, I get that.

Brush it off? The chain IS oily; dust seems to be turning into a sort of paste. Brush? Kerosene? Gasoline/paint thinner?

OR...should I lay on the chain lube while it is like it is?

Do I need to keep that power wand away? Or just try not to aim at the chain, and otherwise it doesn't matter?

If it were me I'd not spray the chain with the wand, but clean it with a rag sprayed with some WD40 when I got home. After cleaning I would run it around the block to warm it up, then spray on my chain lube and put it away for the night. The next morning I would take a rag and just run the chain thru it by hand to wipe off any excess chain lube and call it good to go for another 500 miles.

If you must use a car wash don't spray you ignition with the key in it, or your handlebar switches. Stand back and just mist those things and wipe them off when you are done.

Kerosene is my choice of cleaners. I never hose down this bike, I use two five gallon buckets one clear and one with mild detergent. I use kerosene first to clean the chain with a chain brush, swing-arm, center-stand, under the rear fender, rims and grime if any on the motor. Then the bike gets a sponge bath followed by Plexus and wax.

My ST and XX I would use a hose, take off the seat and cover the electrics with plastic then get in those areas by hand.

Edit: This product will cut down on cleaning::
http://www.amazon.com/DuPont-Chain-Saver...chain+lube

(04-19-2015, 09:29 PM)The ferret_imp Wrote: [ -> ]If it were me I'd not spray the chain with the wand, but clean it with a rag sprayed with some WD40 when I got home. After cleaning I would run it around the block to warm it up, then spray on my chain lube and put it away for the night. The next morning I would take a rag and just run the chain thru it by hand to wipe off any excess chain lube and call it good to go for another 500 miles.

If you must use a car wash don't spray you ignition with the key in it, or your handlebar switches. Stand back and just mist those things and wipe them off when you are done.

I like that. I'd forgotten about WD-40.

It's obvious to me, but maybe not to some readers of this, to keep the key out of locks. Things like the instrument panel are better cleaned with a little bucket of soapy water anyway. But the chain, which is naturally oily and has to be kept that way...is another matter.

I also ride in a dusty, sandy area, living along a dirt road. Chain care is important. The only chain lubes I've used that don't become an abrasive paste are the kind that leave a dry, non-sticky coating. Dupont Chain Saver works well for me. When I clean the chain, WD-40 does a good job as does kerosene. Try not to overdo the chain lubes. Most important is keeping the O ring seals grit free and just enough lube to protect from corrosion.

In using a car wash, wash down the bike with the wand on the mist setting. Spray Honda Brite cleaner on tires, body, engine. Use a soft brush to get the worst grime loosened then rinse again using the soft mist setting on the wand. Towel the bike off and take a ride to dry any remaining moisture.

I've never use a hose or a pressure washer on a bike.
I guess I'm just old fashioned and use a bucket, rag, and a low stool to work my way around getting into all the nooks and crannies as I go.
I also get to examine the bikes as I work noting anything that needs attention. It's time consuming, but I'm retired so what the hey
I'm a big fan of WD40 for cleaning chains and gunk off rims.

You definitely want to get that gritty paste off the chain. My last two O-ring chains went just over 20K miles without any cleaning. When I pulled the last one off I could see that the O-rings failed because the grit wore them away. My riding buddies kept their chains meticulously clean and were getting more the twice the mileage out of their chains, so I bit the bullet and decided to join the clean chain crowd.

It's dusty here in the desert and I notice that the grit starts to accumulate about the same time the oil needs to be changed, so now I just do both at the same time. I give the chain a good soaking with kerosene and wipe with a rag. It comes out looking like new. Follow up with a light spritz of DuPont Silicone (doesn't attract as much dirt) and she's good to go.

So..how about cleaning the chain while you're waiting for the bike to cool? I use the Honda chain cleaner and a chain brush and they recommend that you rinse it and let it dry before re-lubing it. So, after cleaning it, you rinse the cleaner off while washing the bike, dry everything including the chain, do a light lubing of the chain, ride home (chain is warm now) do another lube application and your done. Think that would work and be sufficiently time efficient?

I just hose her down with a garden hose and one of those multi spray nozzles set to the shower setting. I don't worry much about the ignition or switches, because neither does the rain when I spend a few hours riding in it. Soap it up with some car soap, rinse and towel dry. Use a rag with WD40 to get any chain oil off the wheel.

Wax the paint and chrome every few washes.

For the chain, after a ride (so that the chains warm), I put her on the center stand, use a piece of cardboard between the chain and the wheel, and spray a fair amount while spinning the wheel round. Use an old brush, run it over all the sides a few times, then use a rag to wipe up the residue. Maybe do some more WD40 if it looks to need it. Spray some chain lube on after the WD40's nice and dry, and call it a day. If the next rid there's a bunch of gunk, take note note and use less lube next time. If it looks too dry, hit her after the next ride.

I don't baby my bike like many here, don't feel bad if you don't either, after all, it's a Honda! 16,000 miles of being my only vehicle, she's doing just fine.

(04-20-2015, 12:06 AM)Rocky_imp Wrote: [ -> ]I've never use a hose or a pressure washer on a bike.
I guess I'm just old fashioned and use a bucket, rag, and a low stool to work my way around getting into all the nooks and crannies as I go.
I also get to examine the bikes as I work noting anything that needs attention. It's time consuming, but I'm retired so what the hey
I'm a big fan of WD40 for cleaning chains and gunk off rims.

It's the original idea!!

You buy a "retro" Bike, You cleaning a Retro Style!
I'M not retired ,but the Saturday wake up 2hours early to clean my toys.
After the ride, fast wash to clean the heavy dirt, and my Baby sleep clean!

Wd.40, Kerosene, polish compound,

Shoe polish etc.HAND WASH

Owners Manual recommended don't use wash machines!!


Enjoy the ride

Sorry for my English, google translate style