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CVO Technical => Cleaning/Detailing => Topic started by: Retired Navy Chief on December 10, 2012, 10:22:33 PM
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I would like to get some kind of pre soak (like the $.25 car wash). Any suggestions /recommendations? Thanks, David
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A buddy of mine says he heard that Shout (comes in spray bottle) is a great pre-soak for getting all the caked on bugs off the front of your bike ... supposedly u can almost just spray them right off after a short soak without scrubbing & isn't supposed to hurt anything. I personally don't know if its true cause I never tried it & not sure if he did either. Not sure if it would strip wax like we all know dishsoap does.
I never took a hose or soap to my bike since I bought it & still looks great. I pull mine in the garage, let it cool off & use damp microfiber towels to wipe it down & follow up with a dry one. That works great for me since I always keep a nice coat of wax on it. One of these days I will give the motor a good douche, but even that still looks good. Plain old water works wonders if u keep it waxed nice.
BTW ... not sure if its actually Shout laundry detergent or the stain remover in the spray bottle. What I do with plain water & microfiber towels always worked great for me.
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I just wet mine down really well before washing with a microfiber mitt and Griot's Garage car wash. If bugs are really stuck on the fairing, I might take a wet towel and put it on the fairing for a few minutes to soak the bugs. Between wet washes, I use Griot's Garage Spray Wash or Speed Shine and their microfiber towels.
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S100
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S-100 full strength after rinsing of the heavy dust... by the time I get around the entire bike, I make up a bucket with just enough S-100 to create a little foam and wash it down with micro fiber. Most of the time though, the pre-soak and a rinse is all it takes. 8)
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S100
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Best pre-soak... damp to wet soft towel laying on the surface that normal soap & water won't clean. Bugs are water solubile, just let the towel lay there until the bugs soften, they will wash right off. No need for a harsh pre-soak (and they have to be harsh to some extent, or they wouldn't work.)
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X4 on the S100, have been told that the Honda wash is the same stuff and is a little cheaper. I have also had great results with with Capt Morgans "The Bomb"
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Best pre-soak... damp to wet soft towel laying on the surface that normal soap & water won't clean. Bugs are water solubile, just let the towel lay there until the bugs soften, they will wash right off. No need for a harsh pre-soak (and they have to be harsh to some extent, or they wouldn't work.)
While that works fine on the front fairing and other realtivesly smooth finishes, this doesn't work for beans on the engine or anything else.
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While that works fine on the front fairing and other realtivesly smooth finishes, this doesn't work for beans on the engine or anything else.
WTF? Did someone eat a Burrito REALLY close to you or something? ;)
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Yeah. I'm lazy.
Hate when I run out of S100.
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S 100 always on hand.
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another vote for s100
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WTF? Did someone eat a Burrito REALLY close to you or something? ;)
Funny dude. Yup, when the beans get flying, S100 still works wonders.
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S-100 full strength after rinsing of the heavy dust... by the time I get around the entire bike, I make up a bucket with just enough S-100 to create a little foam and wash it down with micro fiber. Most of the time though, the pre-soak and a rinse is all it takes. 8)
X2
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I use hydrogen peroxide to pre soak the bugs. It will not hurt paint or remove wax.
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I use hydrogen peroxide to pre soak the bugs. It will not hurt paint or remove wax.
Never heard of this one. Interesting...
I'm with the guys who pre-soak with a warm wet towel, then carefully take the bugs off later. I may even take a small bucket of hot water and an old towel out with me and pre soak several areas with it if the bugs were bad enough. They usually come off easily enough after that, but I've had a few here in Arkansas that I was really glad they hit my bike rather than me, and they may take a little more work to remove! :'(
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We don't have the number of bugs you have here in Colorado, but we do have these giant grass hoppers that could be called birds, they leave these great big splatters that get into places that I can't soak, but the peroxide gets it all.
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Occasionally, while pressure washing other items, when the bike is particularly bugged-up, I'll 'mist' the bike repeatedly from about 20 '...seem to loosen everything up.
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I usually just run the hose over it a few minutes and then wipe with a microfiber rag with Armor-All carnuba soap then rinse. It gets all but the biggest of the bugs off. The big ones usually soak with Plexus cleaner and wipe with microfiber cloth. Easiest cleaning I've ever had was mornings up in the mountains after dew sits on the windshield all night. Bugs come right off with just a soft cloth.
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I have had several painters tell me to stay away from S100. Why I have no idea. I have used Bike BritE spray wash cleaner and degreaser. Have been using it the last 4 years and no problems. Does a great job for me
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The key is not to let them dry long. As soon as I pull in the garage I use a detail spray and micro fiber towels. Never a problem. Also look for Pimp Sticks. Great for those hard to reach places.
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I think "The Ball & Chain" uses water, car wash soap, and microfiber rags, I'll have to ask her... :nixweiss:
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Car wash soap and water with a sponge as the rest of the bike is being washed for me. I have no idea why you would pre-soak but it you do, buy a regular pre-soak foaming product from AutoGeek.com or someone similar. They have a hose end deal that siphons the soap and foams the bike or car gently and safely. I have never had ANYTHING get dirty enough to use something like this but I have a buddy who spends big bucks to pre-soak and wash his Corvette this way, I see no improvement in quality of his washes but he is one of those people who is always looking for a better mousetrap, probably owns 50 bottles of some kind of new-age wax that didn't work etc. but was supposed to go on easier and last longer but didn't.
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Depends on whether the bike is all-over dirty (like riding in rain) or just "front-dirty" from regular riding with typical bug catching.
For all-over wash, I put the hose sprayer on the "mist" position and mist the entire bike, let it sit for 5-10 minutes to soften things up, then sparay off the loose stuff. Then spray S100 everywhere and let sit for 5-10. Brush the heavy dirt and grease areas, then power rinse and blow dry.
If it's just the frontal areas that need cleaning, I use a generic lemon furniture polish (wife found one at Dollar Store which has a high concentration of oily solvent). Spray the buggy areas, let it soak 5-10 minutes, then wipe off all the bugs with a micro-fiber cloth. Turn cloth to a clean area and rub in the left-over polish. Done.
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I have had several painters tell me to stay away from S100. Why I have no idea. I have used Bike BritE spray wash cleaner and degreaser. Have been using it the last 4 years and no problems. Does a great job for me
Would really like to know the reason. 1 person, could be personal preference......more than 1, gotta be a reason why. Anybody else been told this???
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I also have had a problem with s100 in the early 1992 it discolored the motor on a dyna Daytona. Never used it again use bike brite or simple green.....
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I quit using s100 in 2001. My fault over spraying to remove the s100, but I had electrical gremlins till everything dried up with fairing off and fans blowing on all the (opened) connectors I could find. 2001 Ultra. Everything worked normal after two days of drying out. Gave it away and saved a bunch just using some water now and car wash.
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I use Spectro XL1 cycle wash, buy it in 5 gallon pail at a time. IMO works much better than S100.
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Bugslide works very well. Spray it on, let soak for a few and wipe away with microfiber. It goes with me at all times. Works on windshields, paint, chrome, helmet face shields and helmets. Comes in bulk to refill smaller spray bottle.
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S100 here, used it for a while now.
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Simple Green 50/50...cheap and works great.
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I have been using VERY HOT water and Norwex cloths. One to wash, one to buff / dry. No soap. I do small areas at a time, wash it then buff it dry right away. Has been working well, I use very little water, no soap. I re-wax the bike about once a month if it needs it or not, that helps keep the bugs & road gunk from sticking too hard to the paint / windscreen.
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Another vote for S-100 in the shade and after the bike cools off.
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I just wet mine down really well before washing with a microfiber mitt and Griot's Garage car wash. If bugs are really stuck on the fairing, I might take a wet towel and put it on the fairing for a few minutes to soak the bugs. Between wet washes, I use Griot's Garage Spray Wash or Speed Shine and their microfiber towels.
Just some good, hot water to soften it all up. A good car wash detergent should do the rest. Sometimes, on the wheels, I spray a de- greaser then hose off.