Ok, not to start another "what's the best oil" war but what do you like to use to clean up you bike after a muddy weekend. I'm sure it's been talked about but I had no luck searching. I know there is no substitution for elbow grease and a stiff brush...or is there? I'm talking about aftermarket cleaners (anything from Simple Green to S100 to Motul Wash) that gets dirt off of the wheel hubs and the engine cases/fins. I'm not to concerned with cutting oil and grease it's the film of dirt in all those hard to reach metallic areas that I'm after. I could easily spend 1/2 a day disassembling and cleaning my bike so I'd like to cut that time down a bit.
Pete Petrick
175 Jackpiner
Slow but Good
I use simple green. It isn't harsh and leaves a little shine to everything. It cleans the tires real good too!
74 puch 175 SD
73 Husky 360 WR/RT
75 Penton 250
10 ktm 250xc
02 bmw r1150r
I have read about some interesting "home cleaning brews" including using Coca-Cola, diluted muriatic acid and even toilet bowl cleaners.
But I think I'll stick to over the counter bike cleaners, although I might spill some cola on the bike just to see what happens.
Pete Petrick
175 Jackpiner
Slow but Good
Some of tracks I race on regularly, the mud seems to cling to my bike like cement. So there are several things that I do to keep my cleanup to a minimum.. While the bike is clean, I spray down the hubs, chain and engine with WD-40, the night before I will use chain lube. After the race, I hose it down first to re-wet the mud and remove the big stuff. I let it set for 10 minutes or so and then spray everything down with simple green. I use an electric pressure washer.The pressure is not too high and I am careful to stay away from bearings and such. Once the bike has dripped dry, I towel down the tank, seat, fenders and such and once again it is time for WD-40
Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
74'250 hare scrambler (project)
74' 1/2 440 maico
78' 440 maico
72' cr125 Husky (project)
93' RMx 250 suzuki
Years ago, while racing the winter series in Florida,
I saw one of the Factory race teams washing some of their bikes,
and he was spraying it down and then hosing it off.
Left the bike shining nicely.
Asked him what it was and he said: Mr Clean mixed 25/75 with water.
I started using it on our white Huskys and KTMs and you could watch the dirt disolve right off.
Have used this stuff and simple green for years.
Bob Bean
1986 ISDE Italy
1987 ISDE Poland
1989 ISDE Germany
1970 125 Six Day
1973 100 Berkshire
1973 Jackpiner 175
1974 Penton 250 Harescrambler
1976 Husky 250CR
1985 Husky 400WRX
1985 Husky 400WR
S100 is the absolute best motorcycle cleaner that I have ever run across. You simply spray it on, wait 5 minutes, and hose the bike off (ok - if it's a mud run hose the mud off first).
It leaves a slight sheen to the whole bike, and makes old plastic look better. With all that said it is on the expensive side.
I have also tried all the current products available at most MC shops(pink, yellow), and they work similarly, but not nearly as well, and are cheaper.
In the old days our formula was to fill a 5 gallon bucket with HOT water, add a little mineral spirits, and a small box of Spic N Span laundry detergent. This was what we used when a customer dropped off an absolute pig sty of a bike covered with mud, grease, chain lube, and chlorophyll stains. You had to be willing to go home absolutely soaked from scrubbing every square inch of the bike with a parts brush.
Today S100 is the hot ticket - it is worth every penny if you can afford it. They also make some other neat products for detailing a show bike that work very well too. They have a small spray can (name escapes me) that mimics WD40 in making black parts black again - and it leaves no oily residue.
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"We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible, for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, that we are now qualified to do almost anything, with nothing."
1972 Penton Berkshire 100
1983 Husqvarna 250 XC
2011 Jayco 31.5 RLDS
2009 Chevy 2500 HD Duramax