Spring Clean Time

Time for my annual 8hr clean-a-thon.

I really have thought my cleaning to be above average for the bike. To most people it sparkles, but to me if its not mint its not clean.

I used some chrome polish last year from various outlets, it was clean, but never clean enough. But who is your fav? I considered Blue-Job until I saw the price!

Paint work is pretty solid. Clean, Polish, Wax. I have my routine for that,

Areas that I need to work on are. Engine fins, and wheels mainly. My exhaust needs a good scrub this year as well

Can't advise you on chrome cleaner as I ain't really got any on mine.  But this is my advice on engine fins & barrels - Fin Cleaning.  The polish I used (the photo has disappeared) is this stuff - HotSpot black Grate Polish - but like I said, it's messy stuff.

The shine on the casings came from this stuff - Black Spray Shine - it's expensive, but good

I have recently been using a spray can household polish on my bike, with gratifying results. I will von tine this.

My cleaning routine:

Clean all chrome/metal work with WD40 and a rag, if i see surface rust (sometimes on the rims) i use 0000 wire wool and more WD40. Once i've cleaned an area i then use a fresh microfibre cloth and rub Autosol all over it. Its a brilliant chrome/metal polish.

For plastics and paint work, Autosol is the last thing you want. I used to just get the bike all wet with a car sponge but dont do that anymore. Instead i use a wet rag or half a sponge and much less water, with a bit of car shampoo to remove dirt and dust. I then let it air dry or wipe it dry, and apply one or 2 coats of this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Meguiars-Deep-Crystal-System-Step-3-Wax-Wax-A2216-/270691443486?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f0677a31e

The price is high but man is it worth it. It leaves the paint feeling like glass and the sparkle lasts for ages. A bottle will last a long time too if you only use it on the bike. Water beads and just runs off as well.

I have always been a major believer in using wd40 as a polish, need to order another gallon as I have run out.

Well folks about clean&polish, i only use this for 12 years ago in all my bikes with microfiber cloth:
http://www.scjohnson.ro/en/nqcontentcd7d.html?a_id=5398

In UK J&J named Pronto as Pledge:
http://www.scjohnson.co.uk/nqcontent682a.html?a_id=5846

Cheap enough and always applying after removing first the dust and dirty only with the microfiber cloth.

If you don't believe, check it yourselves and let me know, ok?

This is why i love Meguiars wax, it makes the plastic panels look like metal, and Autosol turns chrome into a mirror with little effort:







After cleaning the bike with water first, the wax from last year still made the water bead, but it needed a spring time clean

WOW !!!

Shiny Shiny! 

That is mint looking.
For chrome, especially if it's a bit tarnished, I like a metal polish called PEEK.
Don't clean your teeth with it though

Good tips on here guys.

wd40's good for giving black engines and cylinder fins a bit of a sheen, I use window spray on most of my bike to clean up and give a streak free finish.

some great tips there! Think I'll invest in some Meg and some autosol although I heard its to abrasive?

Yeh - personally I'd stay off Autosol unless you have some serious shit to clear off your brightwork - use a hard-wax instead

shadycowboy wrote:

some great tips there! Think I'll invest in some Meg and some autosol although I heard its to abrasive?

Its bad on plastics, use Meg on things like the chrome coloured airbox.
Autosol for pipes and anything metal. Used it on all my bikes with no problems

Autosol is abrasive so should be used for deep cleaning when you need it only but otherwise don't. I used to use Mr Sheen a while ago but then it was free from work but I have some spray I bought for the car so will give that a go.

Fair enough all i can say is it has never damaged the chrome on any of my bikes or done any harm, anywhere, after repeated use.
Its very good at keeping rust at bay particularly on the oh so precious rims too, beads the water.

The Autosol in a tube seems more abrasive than the one in a tin can, unless I didn't shake mine up enough? 

Didn't realise Autosol did so many types of cleaners / polish check this lot out !!!!

Personally, I'd use Autosol on areas of hard chrome eg wheel rims (as Duz says) fin ends etc, but I'd steer clear on areas with an easily marked surface

katsd wrote:

Didn't realise Autosol did so many types of cleaners / polish check this lot out !!!!

Personally, I'd use Autosol on areas of hard chrome eg wheel rims (as Duz says) fin ends etc, but I'd steer clear on areas with an easily marked surface

Its the metal polish in the gold and black tube i use, lasts quite a while too.
The C800 is a pretty well made bike to be honest. It has better chrome than the Honda Shadow or Dragstar in my opinion. Vance and Hines pipes have awesome chrome too. 
Though i always use ACF50 during the winter months which might be why ive never had a rust problem.