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Author Topic: Anybody wash their Convertible yet?? part I  (Read 1525 times)

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porkypig

  • The only "easy" day was yesterday........
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Anybody wash their Convertible yet?? part I
« on: February 19, 2010, 11:50:58 AM »

Warning.....this is lengthy.........5 yard penalty for delay of forum?? .........
Well, I gave the new bike its first bath last night.  What used to take me about 3 hours to do on my 05 Heritage, complete with blow drying with a small compressor and towel drying, etc. was done last night in just about 2 hours total.  This bike was created so the "extras" come off in just about 2 minutes (they don't go on that fast, however) and when it is all stripped down, it should clearly be easier to wash.  Well, I'm not sold on that just yet.  My last bike was an 05 Heritage with everything except the windshield being hard-bolted on.  Well, yesterday my new Softail Convertible became a "sand-rail" after I mistakenly took a sand-duny sort of road up a hill to see a new water tank in the area.  Think the rear wheel being as wide as it was probably helped me negotiate up the hill of sand but by the time I came down the hill and made it back out to the road, my body was very exhausted due to almost laying the bike over many times as it shifted in and out of the soft and ever-changing sand ruts.  Suffice it to say, I kept the bike upright and can now tell the tale!
So, I decided to give the bike its first wash job.  Now has 500 miles on it and is just now broke in.  Like my Heritage, I prefer to strip everything off the bike to wash it.  Wheels clean easier when the bags are removed, fenders when seats are removed, etc.  All in all, the bike was not too bad to wash.  I found a need to put some Saran-wrap around the air cleaner so it would not fill with water from the hose.  Wondered a few times if the hose was going to blow the saran wrap off, but it managed to stay on the whole time.  The front wheel, being chrome and considerably wider than my spoked Heritage wheel, seemed to be easy to clean but, as it is chrome and expected to be nice and shiny, it took a little more cleaning to remove any grime that would cast a shadow on an otherwise awesome wheel.  Front fender was a breeze as nothing but smooth surface there.  A little more difficulty cleaning in and around the shifting mechanism to get at those areas that are chromed.  More stuff under the seat around the battery compartment that I have installed that needs to get a good dry job afterwards before putting the seat back on.  Rear wheel was maybe more difficult to clean and the drivebelt pulley also, again as it is all chrome, especially the very wide rear wheel.  You do have to move the bike a couple times (without seat installed) to get all the wheel cleaned as you cant reach all the parts from one location.  I just happened to roll the bike back over my water hose, unbeknownst to me, and when I went on the right side to wash the other part of the front wheel the bike started to fall over toward the right side and I thought the kickstand had given out!  I had rolled the bike up on the hose and because of the wider rear tire it was "balanced" for the moment until I walked around the bike and it went where it wanted to go!  So, don't let it get on top of the hose!  Can't get under the license plate that sits out a little bit from the fender but not quite far enough to wash the fender underneath.  Chromed chain guards are more difficult and take more time to wash and dry as they will show water spots, and all that because they are made to be seen, versus blacked out on the Heritage.  That passenger seating area on the rear fender after removing the seat is going to be difficult to keep clean and shiny because the seat is installed during the ride.  Taking it off doesn't expose a bright shiny finished look underneath.  It exposes dirt and dust that doesn't get blown off during the ride.  Just sits there and grinds away at the 14 coats of paint put on at the factory.  My rider seat has began marring away about 7 coats of the frame paint underneath so far, I believe.  Taking off and putting on the seats is more pain than I was led to believe.  Those round white plastic disks that hold the bolts on for the rider seat are a real pain.  Putting the rider seat back on usually knocks one bolt down inside the fender and requires a couple attempts to finally get it to stay put while installing the seat.  The passenger seat still seems like it could be a little more secure when installed but guess it really can't go anywhere with the design....... Hopefully. And what were they thinking when they put that fancy little nut thing with the black plastic washer that is just begging to get lost (the whole thing, really)??? That, in iself, is where about half the time to remove/install all the convertible equipment is used up, in my opinion!  
After washing the bike I used my new Air Force Blaster and it did a beautimous  job.  Took a few minutes before I noticed the air to be heated but it flat blew the water away from the critical areas that you don't want water standing in like screws, bolt heads, crivices, battery compartment, engine fins, etc.
Next, part II.......  Porky
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