Cleaning my CB1100

[Greg Brooks_imp]

What is the the best way to clean the gas tank? I do not want to use mild soap and have it all wash down on the engine. My plan is to use a soapy sponge and rinse. Does anyone have a better suggestion?

 

[the Ferret]

Greg, I use either of 2 motorcycle specific cleaners for the whole bike, either Bike Brite or S-100. Start with a cool bike not in direct sunlight, just spritz them all over with the cleaner, hose it off, then dry with towels. Then fire it up and go for a 10 mile ride to burn off any excess moisture. When I get home I hit the tank, side covers and fenders with some Honda Spray Polish, but you could use Lemon Pledge just as well. Windex headlight lens and mirrors if needed.

 

[Obliviontoad]

Rode home in the rain yesterday, excellent opportunity to clean up. Let it sit and cool off. I use Meguiars cleaner/wax on the tank and plastic painted bits. The rest gets cleaned and dried with water. Any polishing needed is by Nevr-dull. My tank wiped down with a chamois and was spotless. All in all, protection is as important as cleaning.

 

[HikerToo_imp]

Love a new bike.....washed mine for the first time yesterday after following a mushroom soil truck for a mile or so..had a bunch of brown specs all over me and the CB1100, I cut my ride short and headed home to the hose!
Used Turtle Wax liquid soap in the bucket, then dried with a micro-fiber towel...it has been polished earlier with Honda Pro Polish so I was good to go.
For bugs on helmet and bike windshield, I read to place a wet rag over the shield for 15 minutes, then the bugs wipe right off and clean with microfiber to get rid of smudges.

 

[SUPERCRUZ_imp]

I like the use one of the quick detailer sprays and a micro fiber towel to clean my bike. Meguiars Quick Detailer or Mothers Detail Spray works well. For the rims I use a paper shop towel and some WD 40. Removes road grime and brake dust and leaves a nice shine. On the painted surfaces, use some carnuba wax like Meguiars Mirror Glaze 26 paste or one of the other carnuba waxes for autos to protect the paint and leave a high gloss shine.

 

[Greg Brooks_imp]

I am going to use a combination of all these great suggestions. I have used WD40 in the past on chrome, I think I will stop that practice and just use it on the RIMs from now on. I like the idea of the spritz all over, and always wash bike cold out of the sun. I was planning to wax sometime in the future as it is still pretty new machine (510 miles and counting ). I will test microfibre and chamois, only because I am still not sure which I like best.

Thank you all very much!

 

[Paleodad_imp]

I may be spoiling her a bit, I have just reached 500 miles and she has been washed, waxed and chrome polished twice already.

My wife calls her my girlfriend. :heart::heart::heart:

 

[dailyrider_imp]

Dawn dishwashing liquid, Meguires cleaner/wax, Greased Lightning for really greasy areas like side stand and center stand or anywhere chain lube is flung off. I wash sometimes twice a week & wax once a week. It is my daily commuter rain or shine.

 

[HikerToo_imp]

Dawn dishwashing liquid, Meguires cleaner/wax, Greased Lightning for really greasy areas like side stand and center stand or anywhere chain lube is flung off. I wash sometimes twice a week & wax once a week. It is my daily commuter rain or shine.

Yikes, I heard dishwashing liquid cuts right through your wax....although I used it for years and have only recently switched to an auto type wash that does not cut wax.

 

[wildezt_imp]

I still use plain water , on the new paint .. water first to soak and then just water to rinse away gently...once she dries I use turtle wax ice polish (by far the best I've used) .. Some mothers mag and aluminum polish for the headers and muffler .. And some good old wd40 for under the fenders..and the splattered grease off the wheels

 

[Inline4_imp]

WD40 for chain grime. Mequiar's Deep Crystal wash solution. It leaves a brilliant shine on everything.
For touch-ups, especially on gas tanks, windscreens, face shields, I have been using Plexus for a long time. It has become rather expensive the last few years, but it is probably my favorite chemical in the garage. Its worth every penny.
Plexus

 

[Yoyodyne_imp]

+1 on Plexus, though I only use it on my Arai helmet. I use Original Bike Spirits (who actually makes the famous Honda spray polish) spray on my bike.

 

[dailyrider_imp]

Dawn dishwashing liquid, Meguires cleaner/wax, Greased Lightning for really greasy areas like side stand and center stand or anywhere chain lube is flung off. I wash sometimes twice a week & wax once a week. It is my daily commuter rain or shine.

Yikes, I heard dishwashing liquid cuts right through your wax....although I used it for years and have only recently switched to an auto type wash that does not cut wax.

Yikes, I heard dishwashing liquid cuts right through your wax....although I used it for years and have only recently switched to an auto type wash that does not cut wax.
It depends on how much you use. For general cleaning I just use a small amount. If it is really grungy I use a lot and rewax. Thirty miles on I-94 in heavy rain and heavy traffic calls for a deep cleaning. It is really grungy after a commute like that.

 

[736cc_imp]

For really dirty bikes, spray everything w/ S-100 then agitate w/ a wet paintbrush dipped in a water filled bucket. Dry w/ bath towels then blow it off w/ a shop vac reversed to blow air.
Black engines will look incredibly new by using S-100 shiny engine bright after a good washing. Let the stuff soak overnight, wipe down any excess. Will last several washings. That stuff is a high-temperature silicon.

 

[Utah1_imp]

You guys seriously wash your bikes, what a waste of time. I leave mine out when I hear a storm is coming and that gets most of the bugs off! I do hear that S100 stuff works pretty good though.

 

[Lord Popgun]

I sprayed my engine down with Spray-9 and hosed it off. Then for a time, while the engine was hot it gave off a nice smell, although I could do without that.

Does S-100 do that?

 

[wildezt_imp]

You guys seriously wash your bikes, what a waste of time. I leave mine out when I hear a storm is coming and that gets most of the bugs off! I do hear that S100 stuff works pretty good though.

Oh Boy....!

 

[dBuster_imp]

You know, I tease friends with their hardly a davidson bikes that they are polishers and not riders... Seems all they do is polish their bikes....

Me, granted I need to clean my bike, but now after reading this thread it gives me good tips to look at when I do get down to cleaning...

 

[The Spaceman_imp]

You guys seriously wash your bikes, what a waste of time. I leave mine out when I hear a storm is coming and that gets most of the bugs off! I do hear that S100 stuff works pretty good though.

Keeping your bike clean and waxed helps prevent corrosion, keeps the paint from fading, prevents the plastic from deteriorating from surface contaminants, and helps maintain its resale value. It's also a great way to spot issues like loose bolts etc. before they become a significant problem. It's common-sense maintenance, just like changing the oil.

There are several guys on the VStrom forum I used to frequent who made much of their refusal to wash their bikes. I figure it's the opposite side of the same coin the Polishing Pirates are on.

 

[dailyrider_imp]

You guys seriously wash your bikes, what a waste of time. I leave mine out when I hear a storm is coming and that gets most of the bugs off! I do hear that S100 stuff works pretty good though.

Oh Boy....!

Oh Boy....!
One of those British snow mobiles.