i'm going to wash my bike for the first time...DO'S AND DONT'S?

[hydra]

hello all,

so i'm going to wash off all the bugs and dirt off my bike from the last couple of rides i did. which areas should i try to keep from spraying at most? i've had many MC's before but this is my first duc. the dealer told me the instrument cluster can get damaged easily if you spray enough water on it. and i know enough not to wash the chain and spray into any electrical things but please ley me know of any specific things i should be wary of.

thanks

[mstevens]

When I wanted to get the gunk off I... just washed it.

I don't use hard spray on any of my vehicles. Just an open hose works fine to get it wet. A microfiber cloth or mitt and some decent foamy soapy stuff and the bugs and tar come right off. Another run of the hose gets the soap off and a microfiber towel will get it dry in no time. Clean and wax (or lube) your chain after drying the bike and you're good to go.

It's a motorcycle. It doesn't melt in the rain.

[c_rex]

I only use a spray bottle on the painted parts and a damp cloth to wipe down everything else.  Depending on how dirty you let your bike get I can't imagine it needing much more.  WD-40 to get the grease off the wheels and other grimey parts.  /shrug

[bigiain]

Yeah, I was thinking about washing mine for the first time, but I figure it'll be it's 10th birthday in a few months, why hurry!
 

(any of the Sydney Oz Monster guys will tell you just how close to true this is!)

the dealer told me the instrument cluster can get damaged easily if you spray enough water on it. and i know enough not to wash the chain and spray into any electrical things but please ley me know of any specific things i should be wary of.

Don't hit any of it with a high pressure washer, don't worry about any of it with a hose or bucket. It not made of sugar, it's a motorcycle - I've ridden through exhaust-deep water and through rain that even Noah would think was "heavy", the bike copes just fine...

big

[55Spy]

Pretty much as others have said use water, pick a soap/detergent that is mild, don't use a pressure washer, and then dry it by your choice of methods, thers not much or any chrome/polished metal so I ride it to dry it after I dry off most of the paint to stop any spotting.

I prefer S100 as a baseline but I don't let em get very dirty to start with.

[S4ROB]

Use car soap. Never use dish soap or laundry soap, it will kill your clear coat. Same with  drying, don't use a towell thats been washed in laundry soap.

[CDawg]

Don't use a hard(forceful) sprayer
Run the engine afterwards to dry out the exhaust, open clutch, etc...


...that said, I use WD-40 and rags to clean my bike and not water...

[clubhousemotorsports]

I have seen many bikes damaged by over washing. water forced into the steering head bearings cannot get out so your bearings rust in no time.
don't wash around your gauges as ducati does not know how to seal electronics.

Here is a scenario I here often.
them: My oil pressure light is on is my bike going to blow up?
Me: did you just wash your bike?
them: yeah , it looks great!
Me : you have water in your oil pressure switch (that ducati cannot seal enough to keep water out of).

Also as stated watch out for dish soap for a cleaner I used to have a customer that kept his bike spotless. His wiring harness rotted off in a couple years from the cleansers.

a gentle hand wash seems to be the best method.

[Grappa]

I never wash my bike with soap and water.  But, I'm just a fair weather recreational rider, so it never gets really dirty.  Meguiars Quick Detailer on painted stuff, moist rag with spray of Simple Green for frame, rims, bits and pieces.  Windex on gauges, mirrors, headlight.  Washing with soap and water always seems to speed up corrosion on all the nuts and bolts and clamps and whatnot, IMO.  One thing that really helps me with the cleaning is a TALL COLD BEER!      

[hydra]

hey,

so i went and washed my bike. i've owned bikes for 25 yrs so cleaning one is nothing new. but i know different bikes have different sensitive areas. ie: the instrument gauges which the dealer and ducvet mentioned.

so i used a regular water hose with no nozzle and did the thumb trick when i needed a stronger stream. i didn't use too much and was careful near the gauges, the chain and electrical stuff. after i washed her, i took her out and went to go get gas. i saw water dripping down from the gas door. this seemed normal as it's happened to my bmw's. little crevices get water but doesn't drip out until the bike's moving and air gets in there.

normally i'm sitting on my bike while i pump the gas. but this day i had to get off the bike because my CC wouldn't swipe. i opened the gas door while i was still off the bike and i see water around the inside rim. and there was a lot. the bike was tilted on it's stand and the water was spilling over the tank and slightly into the tank. i quickly got some napkins to absorb the water.

WTF? i didn't realize the seal was that weak. maybe i need to replce the O ring for that??? anyone else have this experience? i might have to post this as a new thread to let people know...

[duc996]

I do light spray,soap it up esp underneath,i use toothbrush for hard to reach places.I cover the mufflers,open air box,the instrumentation panel...scrub the chains,sprockets.Dry it up,lube the chains done!

[duc996]

hey,

so i wne tand washed my bike. i've owned bikes for 25 yrs so cleaning one is nothing new. but i know different bikes have different sensitive areas. ie: the instrument gauges which the dealer and ducvet menntioned.

so i used a regular water hose with no nozzle and did the thump trick when i needed a stronger stream. i didn't use too much and was carful near the gauges, the chain and electrical stuff. after i wahsed i took her out and went to go get gas. i saw water dripping down from the gas door. this seemed normal as it's happened to my bmw's. little crevices get water but doesn't drip out until the bikes moving and air gets in there.

normally i'm sitting on my bike while i pump the gas. but this day i had to get off the bike because my CC wouldn't swipe. i opened the the gas door while i was still off the bike  and i see water around the inside rim. and ther was alot. the bike was tilted on it's stand and the water was spilling over the tank and slightly into the tank. i quickly got some napkins to absorb the water.

WTF? i didn't realize the seal was that weak. maybe i need to replce the O ring for that??? anyone else have this experience? i might have to post this as a new thread to let people know...

Oh man i can relate to that,happens all the time whenever i wash my bike.I got the drain cleaned up,but after a while it gets clogged up again,so what i do now is make sure after the wash i stand the bike up and do the same method you did,sucked that water off with a towel.

[CDawg]

i see water around the inside rim. and ther was alot. the bike was tilted on it's stand and the water was spilling over the tank and slightly into the tank. i quickly got some napkins to absorb the water.

WTF? i didn't realize the seal was that weak. maybe i need to replce the O ring for that??? anyone else have this experience? i might have to post this as a new thread to let people know...

Good tip.  Thanks!

[clubhousemotorsports]

There is a drain in the cap area that should allow the water out.
open your cap and look for a hole in the cap area on the left side, use a straw to try and blow through the hose if you cannot get air through your hose is probably pinched.
you should have A DRain hose exiting on the right side rear of the bike by the engine case.
 good luck

[hydra]

There is a drain in the cap area that should allow the water out.
open your cap and look for a hole in the cap area on the left side, use a straw to try and blow through the hose if you cannot get air through your hose is probably pinched.
you should have A DRain hose exiting on the right side rear of the bike by the engine case.
 good luck

thanks ducvet! i thought afterwards that there's probably a drainage clog...