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Cleaning Bike in Winter, Why Bother!

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  • 11-11-2019 12:11pm
    #1
    zubair
    Registered Users Posts: 2,459 ✭✭✭


    Does anyone bother with cleaning their bike in the winter. I'm using it pretty much daily and it's covered in that ugh grey coloured road crap. I can only bring myself to keep the chain clean. I just don't see the point in cleaning it knowing it will be manky again the next day and I'll have frozen my hands for 40 minutes for nothing. If the roads have been gritted I'll give it a rinse with a garden house when I get home but that's about it. Anyone else feel like this?


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    #2
    BKtje
    Registered Users Posts: 8,035 ✭✭✭BKtje


    That's pretty much me all year around. I dont really care if its dirty to look at. Gets covered in dead flys in about 5 minutes here.


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    #3
    arybvtcw0eolkf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,878 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    DIVIL's head will fucking explode!.


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    #4
    D3V!L
    Registered Users Posts: 2,923 ✭✭✭D3V!L


    Phillip Shy Telephone wrote: »
    DIVIL's head will fucking explode!.

    Me ? Well I'd clean my bike if it wasn't back in the f*cking shop again being fixed.


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    #5
    arybvtcw0eolkf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,878 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    D3V!L wrote: »
    Me ? Well I'd clean my bike if it wasn't back in the f*cking shop again being fixed.

    I couldn't remember how you were spelling your username now.

    You must be the most unfortunate bike owner I know.

    You should buy a ten year old GS :D


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    #6
    two wheels good
    Registered Users Posts: 1,996 ✭✭✭two wheels good


    Give it a good clean, ACF it, then forget it.
    (You could copper-grease a few bolts while you're at it - esp the ex manifold bolts. One of my hobby-horses.)


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    #7
    D3V!L
    Registered Users Posts: 2,923 ✭✭✭D3V!L


    Phillip Shy Telephone wrote: »
    You should buy a ten year old GS :D

    I'd be afraid it'd break down on me :(


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    #8
    Wonda-Boy
    Registered Users Posts: 10,013 ✭✭✭✭Wonda-Boy


    Even before my new machine once a week was fine for me, I like to clean the bike as it was alway how I found something wrong or wearing etc....but a coat of acf50 monthly is the key.

    Even without scrubbing it if you have a hose out the back a good rinse off every other day will get rid of alot of ****e and salt when roads are gritted.


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    #9
    mamax
    Registered Users Posts: 875 ✭✭✭mamax


    zubair wrote: »
    Does anyone bother with cleaning their bike in the winter. I'm using it pretty much daily and it's covered in that ugh grey coloured road crap. I can only bring myself to keep the chain clean. I just don't see the point in cleaning it knowing it will be manky again the next day and I'll have frozen my hands for 40 minutes for nothing. If the roads have been gritted I'll give it a rinse with a garden house when I get home but that's about it. Anyone else feel like this?

    I'm using mine daily and every fri eve I hose it down, spray on some muck off, leave it sit for 5 mins then hose it again, scott oiler looks after the chain.
    Halloween, xmas, mid term in feb and again at easter I do a bit extra, summer the young lad washes and polishes it twice a week :D


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    #10
    thos
    Registered Users Posts: 574 ✭✭✭thos


    I'll try to clean the lights every other morning, just a quick wipe down.


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    #11
    zubair
    Registered Users Posts: 2,459 ✭✭✭zubair


    mamax wrote: »
    I'm using mine daily and every fri eve I hose it down, spray on some muck off, leave it sit for 5 mins then hose it again, scott oiler looks after the chain.
    Halloween, xmas, mid term in feb and again at easter I do a bit extra, summer the young lad washes and polishes it twice a week :D

    I'm liking the no scrubbing approach here. It has crossed my mind to do this a few times.


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    #12
    arybvtcw0eolkf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,878 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    mamax wrote: »
    I'm using mine daily and every fri eve I hose it down, spray on some muck off, leave it sit for 5 mins then hose it again, scott oiler looks after the chain.
    Halloween, xmas, mid term in feb and again at easter I do a bit extra, summer the young lad washes and polishes it twice a week :D


    Watch that Muck Off around cracked paint work, lacquered suffices, weld joints etc. Its very corrosive stuff. Other than that its great.

    WD40 is a brilliant degreasant too and brings up black plastic and paint really nice.

    Since I'm on a GS these days it gets a wash when it goes into Joe Duffy's for some work and thats it :D


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    #13
    Richard tea
    Registered Users Posts: 3,597 ✭✭✭Richard tea


    As said a good clean followed by acf-50. When they are salting/gritting the roads I have a pressure pump water sprayer thingy that contains water and washing powder. Seemingly its good for dissolving the salt form the underneath of the bike. I probably clean the bike once every 6 weeks over the winter.


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    #14
    mamax
    Registered Users Posts: 875 ✭✭✭mamax


    Phillip Shy Telephone wrote: »
    Watch that Muck Off around cracked paint work, lacquered suffices, weld joints etc. Its very corrosive stuff. Other than that its great.

    After a while using it I decided to dilute it and only use it to get rid of the heavier road sh!te and hose it off after a few mins, it works good.


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    #15
    H_Lime
    Registered Users Posts: 1,673 ✭✭✭H_Lime


    mamax wrote: »
    After a while using it I decided to dilute it and only use it to get rid of the heavier road sh!te and hose it off after a few mins, it works good.
    Same as Mak, have a gallon of it on the shelf (the new formulation which is kinder supposedly) and there it will remain. Strips the finish off a bike and leaves once shiny paint/plating matt. Diabolical sh1te, just my findings.
    Wd and a paint brush on bet in grease, lube and oil, kero at a push.


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    #16
    zubair
    Registered Users Posts: 2,459 ✭✭✭zubair


    Phillip Shy Telephone wrote: »
    Watch that Muck Off around cracked paint work, lacquered suffices, weld joints etc. Its very corrosive stuff. Other than that its great.

    WD40 is a brilliant degreasant too and brings up black plastic and paint really nice.

    Since I'm on a GS these days it gets a wash when it goes into Joe Duffy's for some work and thats it :D

    Weekly so haha

    Ye, I'm always conscious of how strong pre cleaners can be. I use wd40 for cleaning too but I just can't bring myself to get that into it this time of year, probably when it needs it most haha.


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    #17
    madbev90210
    Registered Users Posts: 403 ✭✭madbev90210


    I haven't cleaned mine at all yet but was planning on starting... now I'm wondering if I also should bother! :confused:


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    #18
    zubair
    Registered Users Posts: 2,459 ✭✭✭zubair


    madbev90210 wrote: »
    I haven't cleaned mine at all yet but was planning on starting... now I'm wondering if I also should bother! :confused:

    Clean and lube the chain, that's important. I find my chain needs cleaning weekly at the moment.


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    #19
    CJhaughey
    Registered Users Posts: 14,906 ✭✭✭✭CJhaughey


    Cleaning is more than just making the bike look good, its a way of inspecting and making sure things are where they should be and aren't coming loose and causing problems.
    I have often found things to be not quite right when cleaning , and it allowed me to rectify them before they became a bigger issue and caused a breakdown or a crash.


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    #20
    zubair
    Registered Users Posts: 2,459 ✭✭✭zubair


    CJhaughey wrote: »
    Cleaning is more than just making the bike look good, its a way of inspecting and making sure things are where they should be and aren't coming loose and causing problems.
    I have often found things to be not quite right when cleaning , and it allowed me to rectify them before they became a bigger issue and caused a breakdown or a crash.

    Sure, I agree, even when not looking for something you can notice it when cleaning but I still inspect the bike very regularly even if it's not clean. I don't wait until I'm washing it.


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    #21
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I clean it whenever I can during winter. Might be once a week or every two. Depends on the weather on my day off. I use wd40 all over except the brakes obviously. It really makes the wheels look good! Acf50 every so often as well, especially around the exhaust headers and underside of the bike.


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    #22
    H_Lime
    Registered Users Posts: 1,673 ✭✭✭H_Lime


    What bikes have you guys owned whos finish weathered the winters well, and which bikes not so well?


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    #23
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,616 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    H_Lime wrote: »
    What bikes have you guys owned whos finish weathered the winters well, and which bikes not so well?

    All bikes need maintenance , if it's being stored outside. If it gets driven on salted roads it will rapidly increase deterioration.

    If it isn't it won't.

    Yes some bikes have poorer finishes but frankly it's the type of weather it's driven in and where its stored.

    Cleaning regularly and winter protections negates this impact


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    #24
    H_Lime
    Registered Users Posts: 1,673 ✭✭✭H_Lime


    listermint wrote: »
    All bikes need maintenance , if it's being stored outside. If it gets driven on salted roads it will rapidly increase deterioration.

    If it isn't it won't.

    Yes some bikes have poorer finishes but frankly it's the type of weather it's driven in and where its stored.

    Cleaning regularly and winter protections negates this impact

    ....and footballs a game of two half's ;):pac:
    Not all bikes left the factory on a level playing field in terms of durability of finish. I wanna know do you have examples that demonstrate this?

    Ill start the ball rolling. Blackbird are said to be exceptionally finished. Not so in the engine paint department where jimmy san lazily pointed the gun in the general direction of the block while leafing through a mag of pigtailed youngwans in school uniforms.
    Aprilia falcos engine finish weathers exceptionally well imo.


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    #25
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,616 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    H_Lime wrote: »
    ....and footballs a game of two half's ;):pac:
    Not all bikes left the factory on a level playing field in terms of durability of finish. I wanna know do you have examples that demonstrate this?

    Ill start the ball rolling. Blackbird are said to be exceptionally finished. Not so in the engine paint department where jimmy san lazily pointed the gun in the general direction of the block while leafing through a mag of pigtailed youngwans in school uniforms.
    Aprilia falcos engine finish weathers exceptionally well imo.

    But you'd need to then ask when people drive. How much maintenance they do . Where they store it. Yearly mileage.

    It's pretty useless asking how the bike faired if they didn't look after it. I've seen plenty of similar bikes to my own in bits. Stored under damp covers out the front.

    So many variables..it would be good to get a wider clearer picture of the bike and it's use of the owner is going to give it a fair assessment.


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    #26
    H_Lime
    Registered Users Posts: 1,673 ✭✭✭H_Lime


    listermint wrote: »
    But you'd need to then ask when people drive. How much maintenance they do . Where they store it. Yearly mileage.

    It's pretty useless asking how the bike faired if they didn't look after it. I've seen plenty of similar bikes to my own in bits. Stored under damp covers out the front.

    So many variables..it would be good to get a wider clearer picture of the bike and it's use of the owner is going to give it a fair assessment.

    Ah jesus man yer hard work hahaha:lol::p you were the the kid who always ran off with the ball!
    Some bikes fizz like disprins in coke and some don't. Loosely speaking this is referred to "build" and "finish". So rather than running off with the ball like a 6yr old red head answer the question:) or dont.

    I'll keep the ball rolling....i had a gen1 busa who fairing paint had the thinnest lacquer of any bike I've owned, used in gritty weather and you could hear it dissolve.
    I had a bmwk100rs that was built like a tank (well it was a tank) and shrugged weather off like a goodun. Plating and paint was lush.


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    #27
    H_Lime
    Registered Users Posts: 1,673 ✭✭✭H_Lime


    Any bandit v hornet owners comment?
    Gsxr v blade?
    Duke v aprilia?
    Cagiva v mv lol?


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    #28
    D3V!L
    Registered Users Posts: 2,923 ✭✭✭D3V!L


    I have two Harleys, you can't drive them in the winter according to the owners manual. :(


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    #29
    H_Lime
    Registered Users Posts: 1,673 ✭✭✭H_Lime


    D3V!L wrote: »
    I have two Harleys, you can't drive them in the winter according to the owners manual. :(
    Get the f£€k, your joking right;) ? Please say you're joking?
    If you're not joking do me a favour and take a photo of the page in the owners manual, would love to see it:eek:
    Any joy on the coolants bid for freedom? Ya get her back?


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    #30
    galwaytt
    Registered Users Posts: 12,761 ✭✭✭✭galwaytt


    D3V!L wrote: »
    I have two Harleys, you can't drive them in the winter according to the owners manual. :(

    Balls. I've driven mine for 12 winters and I wash it 2x a year. Maybe. Paint, chrome etc on a different level compared to mainstream stuff.

    One thing I do notice though: factory chrome is very good. Aftermarket stuff though is not. Rusts whilst looking at it. All those chrome farkles people buy (racks, brackets, mirrors, pegs etc) are all the ones that go first.

    Ode To The Motorist

    “And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, generates funds to the exchequer. You don't want to acknowledge that as truth because, deep down in places you don't talk about at the Green Party, you want me on that road, you need me on that road. We use words like freedom, enjoyment, sport and community. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent instilling those values in our families and loved ones. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the tax revenue and the very freedom to spend it that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a bus pass and get the ********* ********* off the road” 



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    #31
    D3V!L
    Registered Users Posts: 2,923 ✭✭✭D3V!L


    galwaytt wrote: »
    Balls. I've driven mine for 12 winters and I wash it 2x a year. Maybe. Paint, chrome etc on a different level compared to mainstream stuff.

    One thing I do notice though: factory chrome is very good. Aftermarket stuff though is not. Rusts whilst looking at it. All those chrome farkles people buy (racks, brackets, mirrors, pegs etc) are all the ones that go first.

    It's in the manual right after the page where it says you can't wave at beamer drivers ;)


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