[Schu]

Ok, I know from all of your photos that you must all have some little tricks up your sleeves on cleaning your machines and keeping them clean.
@eddie recently shared his secret to keeping his exhaust looking shiny and new and I will say it worked great. Let's share some more tips and tricks.
My dental hygienist thinks I floss every couple hours because I always ask for several extra spools of the heavily waxed dental tape. My spokes always have a nicely waxed appearance and at times they smell minty fresh. The dental tape works much better than the string type floss. Shreds less and let's you get inside those nooks and crannies.

 

[SCRBen]

Ok, I know from all of your photos that you must all have some little tricks up your sleeves on cleaning your machines and keeping them clean.
@eddie recently shared his secret to keeping his exhaust looking shiny and new and I will say it worked great. Let's share some more tips and tricks.
My dental hygienist thinks I floss every couple hours because I always ask for several extra spools of the heavily waxed dental tape. My spokes always have a nicely waxed appearance and at times they smell minty fresh. The dental tape works much better than the string type floss. Shreds less and let's you get inside those nooks and crannies.

Conversely, I use this between my teeth. Very little rust.....
Ben

 

[Schu]

Conversely, I use this between my teeth. Very little rust.....
Ben

See now..... I never knew there was something like that on the market.

 

[jobirobi]

This is my workhorse: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006FUT0CS

I don't have a proper driveway or garage or anything, so I have to wash my bike in the street, and not needing a hose is clutch.

 

[srinath]

S100 is supposed to strip the wax off … so do I avoid it ? and if I don't, does it clean like its cracked up to be ?
And what wax after the stripping off the way.

 

[SCRBen]

S100 is supposed to strip the wax off … so do I avoid it ? and if I don't, does it clean like its cracked up to be ?
And what wax after the stripping off the way.

You mean SDOC100? I never thought it was all it was cracked up to be....
Ben

 

[eddie]

This is a recent something I've been experimenting with using a degree of caution.
Keeping spoked rims clean is a bear sometimes.
So, I will wash and dry the bike then treat a microfiber cloth with a good shot of
WD-40 silicone spray lube and wipe the rims down thoroughly, buffing with the cloth as I go.
The silicone protects the surface and acts as a non-stick coating for road dust & gunk.
Cleaning the wheels next time is a snap!
The caution is to resist spraying the rims directly unless you are SUPER careful not to get any on the tires or brake rotors.
Stick to the rag spray & wipe method if you try this, please.


My SCR has the US-spec silver rims.
The Super Tenere has black rims with red, 1/4" reflective pinstriping along the bead sides.
Treating the 6 year old rims this way has made them look better than new!

 

[eddie]

You mean SDOC100? I never thought it was all it was cracked up to be....
Ben

S100's strong stuff and does a good job. I wouldn't use it every time, though. Maybe get some mild auto washing soap for the regular cleanings.
Just be sure to rinse everything really well.
S100 can stain or even etch alloy parts.

What wax afterward, Srinath?
Mother's, Mequires, Zymol...all make fine products.

-eddie

 

[srinath]

OK I have a life time supply of S100 then, cos I aint using that crap on anything that doesn't come covered in goop - which I have of late stopped buying. So I'll stay with my meguiars purple bottle stuff that seems to do nothing at the dilution I use it in, and wax it with zymol after.
WTF is in S100 ? Battery acid ?

 

[SCRBen]

This is a recent something I've been experimenting with using a degree of caution.
Keeping spoked rims clean is a bear sometimes.
So, I will wash and dry the bike then treat a microfiber cloth with a good shot of
WD-40 silicone spray lube and wipe the rims down thoroughly, buffing with the cloth as I go.
The silicone protects the surface and acts as a non-stick coating for road dust & gunk.
Cleaning the wheels next time is a snap!
The caution is to resist spraying the rims directly unless you are SUPER careful not to get any on the tires or brake rotors.
Stick to the rag spray & wipe method if you try this, please.


My SCR has the US-spec silver rims.
The Super Tenere has black rims with red, 1/4" reflective pinstriping along the bead sides.
Treating the 6 year old rims this way has made them look better than new!

I’ve been doing exactly this routine for years, but using GT85 instead, as it contains PTFE. In addition to the rims and spokes, I wipe down the forks (excluding the ‘sliding area’), headlamp etc, as well as dousing the entire underside of the bike with it, the pedals etc. Not only does it protect it, but disperses the water after I’ve washed the bike too (much like WD). I go thru the stuff like water, but it’s only a couple of quid a can.
Ben

 

[SCRBen]

S100's strong stuff and does a good job. I wouldn't use it every time, though. Maybe get some mild auto washing soap for the regular cleanings.
Just be sure to rinse everything really well.
S100 can stain or even etch alloy parts.

What wax afterward, Srinath?
Mother's, Mequires, Zymol...all make fine products.

-eddie

We might be talking about two different products here, but the logos look suspiciously similar..... This stuff wins all the plaudits in reviews over here. Very expensive tho.
Ben

 

[eddie]

We might be talking about two different products here, but the logos look suspiciously similar..... This stuff wins all the plaudits in reviews over here. Very expensive tho.
Ben

S100 is a pricey here, too. For a while, and I don't know if they still do, Honda sold a Hondabrite-branded product that was just S100 rebadged. Same product - better price, oddly enough.

 

[Silvax]

My bike spends a lot of time outside, so I wash it every weekend. I rinse with water, spray the bike down with Simple Green (3 parts water, 1 part Simple Green), rinse again, then dry with an old t-shirt.

 

[eddie]

My bike spends a lot of time outside, so I wash it every weekend. I rinse with water, spray the bike down with Simple Green (3 parts water, 1 part Simple Green), rinse again, then dry with an old t-shirt.

Be cautious with Simple Green on your wheels. It can find it's way in and around the spoke nipple holes and do scary things to rim aluminum inside, as can most strong soaps. At 3:1, that's a pretty strong solution.

 

[srinath]

I hate any cleaner that takes off wax. Its officially too caustic to be used on bare metal IMHO.

 

[Schu]

Be cautious with Simple Green on your wheels. It can find it's way in and around the spoke nipple holes and do scary things to rim aluminum inside, as can most strong soaps. At 3:1, that's a pretty strong solution.

Heh-heh-heh! Eddie said nipple holes. Heh-heh-heh.

 

[eddie]

Heh-heh-heh! Eddie said nipple holes. Heh-heh-heh.

Petcock
Blowby
Jugs
Skidmarks

and other terms guaranteed to make the 12 year in the room snicker to follow.:laugh:

 

[Silvax]

Be cautious with Simple Green on your wheels. It can find it's way in and around the spoke nipple holes and do scary things to rim aluminum inside, as can most strong soaps. At 3:1, that's a pretty strong solution.

Thanks for the tip!