Washing a VERY dirty bike. Any product recommendations?

[W800]

Lemon Pledge (or automotive spray wax) for paint, rubber, black plastic and chrome.

WD-40 for chain grease and to brighten black engines.

I also try to keep paste wax on painted parts.

I don't really wash the bike. Rather I just go over with the above on a weekly basis. It will remove rain grime.

Another way to remove rain grime is to dry bike when you park it. It comes off easily.

 

[Busy Little Shop]

What might it stain?

I've witnessed Simple Green stain aluminum and paint when the owner applied it in direct sunlight and allowed to dry... better to apply it in the shade and keep it wet...

 

[Busy Little Shop]

because no one has yet to say it :

a) rain,

b) rainy season,

wash your bike ? what is that concept?

I don't rain ride my prize for it is tantamount to bike abuse because it promotes
corrosion in all the little nooks and crannies hidden from view... but if you rain
ride the concept that is missed is 100% drying of all the parts to arrest the
harmful affects of corrosion...

 

[W800]

S100 seemed to work great minus a few spots of really stuck on grease.

I truly appreciate the recommendations everyone.

That S100 looks like good stuff! I checked out their website and found the ingredients. Most of them look like what you would find in shampoo, so it's definitely safe!

purified water, (7732-18-5), solvent; sodium cumene sulfonate, (15763-76-5), surfactant; tea-lauraminopropionate, (14171-00-7), surfactant; C12-14 pareth-7, (68439-50-9), surfactant; peg-10 oleamine, (26635-93-8), surfactant; propylene glycol, (57-55-6), solvent; butoxydiglycol, (112-34-5), solvent; phosphoric acid, (7664-38-2), cleaning agent; trideceth 8, (69011-36-5), surfactant; propylene glycol butyl ether, (5131-66-8), solvent; benzotriazole, (95-14-7), chelating agent; colorant, (95153-83-2); benzisothiazolinone, (2634-33-5), preservative; methylisothiazolinone, (2682-20-4), preservative;

https://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/sodium-cumenesulfonate
http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/rw1367951.html
https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/717196-C12-14_PARETH-7/

etc. . .

 

[PorradaVFR]

Was really irritated to find that my can of S100 while still about half full would NOT spray - cleaned out the “button” but it seems the actual nozzle from the can was clogged beyond hope. That’ll teach me to let it marinade for months unused.

 

[W800]

Was really irritated to find that my can of S100 while still about half full would NOT spray - cleaned out the “button” but it seems the actual nozzle from the can was clogged beyond hope. That’ll teach me to let it marinade for months unused.

Uh oh!

Sometimes running the sprayer under hot water will clear it out. Can also transfer to another old spray bottle if you rinse the second spray bottle really well. Sometimes you can also just use a different trigger sprayer from another bottle. If dip tube is too long, cut tip at 45 degree angle so you don't get cavitation.

Source: developed spray wax product I sell on Amazon.

 

[kuksul08]

Plenty... no pressure washers because of corrison... no simple green because it may stain...

Examples of corrosion... mainly due to hitting your prize with
a garden hose... this act promotes corrosion in all the little
nooks and crannies hidden from view... The pitfall is that
metal is etched for life...

***************************************************

Busy Little Shop's no garden hose 3 step method of bike cleaning:

1) At the end of days ride soak a wash cloth in HOT water and remove bugs
and road grime... repeat as necessary...

2) Add plastic polish fairings and gas tank and buff to a shine...

3) Add a little Gasoline to the corner of the rag and degrease
wheels chain... plastic polish wheels to add a nice luster...

This works if you only ever ride in pristine clean and dry conditions.

 

[W800]

This works if you only ever ride in pristine clean and dry conditions.

Also - gasoline is not the best thing to put on a rag!

WD-40 is good for removing grease. Actually, motor oil is as well. I even think that olive oil might remove some types of grease.

 

[gixxerjeff]

This works if you only ever ride in pristine clean and dry conditions and own nothing but garage queens..

ftfy

 

[DefyInertia]

Yeah I thought we were talking about really dirty bikes?

I’ve actually never used a power washer on a street bike but I wash my dirt bikes with a power washer every single time. I’m not sure there is really any other way to wash a dirt bike that is caked in mud. Obviously you need to be careful how you use it, around seals etc., but using your head goes a long way.

 

[Busy Little Shop]

This works if you only ever ride in pristine clean and dry conditions.

Negative... this works in any condition...

 

[dtrides]

I use the hose foam cannon and their off road wash. I follow up with Mike's bike spirits, aka honda polish.

oh, the foam cannon is for the bikes....are you sure?
Damn, now i need to order a second one.
DT