It may seem like a lot, but when I took delivery there was sand/salt and melting snow - not good at all, so it needed a wash/wax when I got it home - I think that may have been where some of the scratches came from. I also have to ride through two construction zones to get to work, so it gets pretty dirty, pretty quick.
That's a good point about how paint is applied, but all waxing directions I've ever seen say circular. I'll give it a shot. Appreciate the comments.
My number one tip: Thoroughly flush the dirty surface first with plain water to eliminate as much of the abrasive crap as possible before you start grinding it in with the sponge/rag.
While you may think the bike had no swirls or microscopic scratches when you picked it up from the dealer, odds are that they were there but were hidden by the polish/wax most places apply right before they hand you the keys. In the painting process, small flaws and dirt particles are sanded and polished. Depending on how "dirty" the operation is on any particular day, some parts may have much of the surface polished to one extent or another. If the work is done poorly or with the incorrect equipment, it will result in the obvious surface scratches you saw on that other bike in the showroom. If done properly and with correct random orbit equipment, the surface will look perfectly smooth. If you look at it under magnification, however, you will see that there are microscopic "scratches" where ever the surface has been polished. It's the nature of the beast, and nothing short of respraying will restore the virginal surface. Don't sweat it, just learn to minimize it. Flush the surface first, then wash it with a good automotive detergent solution and microfiber towel, using straight line strokes. Don't grind away at tough deposits, use the appropriate chemical to loosen stuff like tar or baked on bugs (WD-40 works well for tar, btw). Blow the surfaces and nooks/crannies dry, then follow up with a microfiber towel. Maintain a good coat of wax at all times, this will protect the surface from the minor abrasion of dirt and dust. And when the swirls become evident, use a good random orbit polishing tool to lightly polish and then rewax the surface. A good random orbit machine is much better than trying to do this stuff by hand, and will leave a much more uniform and smooth appearing surface.
Jerry
Oh, btw, while a brand new paint job may look and feel totally "dry", the actual chemical bonds that occur in that urethane clear coat take as much as a month to be completed. So the most vulnerable period is the first month after the parts are painted.
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Topic: cleaning issues (Read 2734 times)