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
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.
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
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!
[laugh]
(any of the Sydney Oz Monster guys will tell you just how close to true this is!)
Quote from: hydra on May 12, 2008, 06:42:36 PM
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
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.
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.
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...
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.
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! [thumbsup] [drink]
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...
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!
Quote from: hydra on May 14, 2008, 10:27:53 PM
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.
Quote from: hydra on May 14, 2008, 10:27:53 PM
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!
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
Quote from: ducvet on May 15, 2008, 07:19:35 AM
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...
Very common that when a tank gets lifted and then put back for the line to get pinched as it is a very soft line.
I use my bike as my main mode of transportation to commute to work (City Driving)when weather allows. Consequently, I usually end up washing my bike every 2 weeks.
1. Honda bright dirty parts of engine or other greasy/dirty aluminum parts
2. Quickly rinse with a hose ..no nozzle, avoid exhaust pipe outlets, or drowning your console (you can get it wet ...just don't drown it.
3. Soap-er up using soft "Clean" sponge or brush.
4. Repeat Step 2
5. Hand dry your bike using "clean" cotton rags. Make it a habit to dry the external portion of prominent electrical connections.
6. Use your desired product to polish protect the tank and other painted components if needed (You don't need to do this every wash ...depending on the product).
7. No need to apply your "your desired product" to protect carbon fiber components. Just avoid keeping it direct constant contact with UV light.
8. Use your desired product to clean protect seat, unpainted plastic, and rubber components
9. Clean break rotors ...I use a clean rag with a light coat of WD-40 and wipe them down.
10. Last but ans probably most important. Clean your chain, I prefer to use Chain Wax.
@ Massinova:
WD40 on your brake rotors?!?
I know it's more of a solvent than a lubricant; but, I personally would be worried about getting it anywhere near the swept area on the rotor, or on my pads.
My $0.02: If I suspect there's foreign schmutz of any kind on my rotors, I wipe them down with alcohol (evaporates quickly, and leaves no residue). If they're just a little rusty because they got wet, I just depend on the pads to clean 'em up.
Oh, and as for general bike washing, I'd echo the other thoughts expressed by many others earlier - no hard direct spray; use a good quality auto soap; waxing the tank can help keep tank-bag scratches at bay; and I use a 10:1 spray solution of water:Simple Green to remove the more stubborn greasy stuff on wheels, swingarm, etc.
Very basic advice:
I use a hose pipe (low pressure water). Try to keep spraying direct at the wheel/steering head bearings or electrics/behind the guages/fans/sensors/air filter intake or chain.
For the bugs, people say try to soak them off, that is keep them wet for about 10 minutes or so. Guess you can use a wet cloth layed across the windscreen.
Be careful not to get polish/oil or wax on the brake rotors or tyres.
Be aware than running the engine when wet will likely leave marks where the water drips evaporate on engine case and exhaust . ( I believe this is in the manual)
Use clean cloths for all upper paint surfaces and windscreen, otherwise any grit picked up will scar the paint or plastic screen.
You can then resue the clothes to do the wheels/engine that don't matter so much.
After washing but before drying, pick the bike off its side stand and try to lay it off to the opposite side, you will be suprised how much standing water there is caught in all the nooks and crannies of the engine.
Don't clean it and put it straight away, try to let it dry naturally outside for a while (Pick a sunny day).
Pay special attention to areas that matter, oil drain plug, suspension adjuster screws, ignition lock, suspension linkage, fork sliders etc. Consider applying a thin film of grease or WD40 to protect these areas after cleaning.
Add fabric softner (nah just kidding!!) ;D
you can use compressed air to get all the water out of the cracks, but don't do a hard direct stream it may blow water into seals
I got one of those air force blasters to dry off the water.
I had the same problem with the drain, turned out to be a blocked pipe, Ducati gave me a new Carbon tank even tho the warranty was a year out of date (the original was steel). I love Ducati [thumbsup]
After years of bike ownership I would have never thought about this... So what do most people use for soap? You guys who use WD-40, how?
Cleaning and lubing the chain... what do you guys use? how do you get the rear wheel up to rotate the chain? How often do you clean and lube the chain? After every wash?
Quote from: Clickjack on September 13, 2008, 02:14:05 PM
After years of bike ownership I would have never thought about this... So what do most people use for soap? You guys who use WD-40, how?
When I do wash my bike I use S 100 whatever soap I have on hand. WD-40 is a good solvent for grease and tar. Spray or wipe on. Wipe off. Since it is also a lubricant do not get it on tires or brakes.
Cleaning and lubing the chain... what do you guys use? how do you get the rear wheel up to rotate the chain? How often do you clean and lube the chain? After every wash?
How to clean a chain:
http://www.ducatitech.com/info/chain.html
Chris Kelley is one of our sponsors and a star in the Ducati community. I do my chain every 500 miles or so or after a long ride in the rain. My favorite product is Motorex.
The reason I ask about the soap, is several guys have said that plain old dish soap will kill your clear coat...
yeah, dish soap is no bueno, it's waaaaay to strong on the clear.
So car soap is the way to go?
What about monster 696 Darks??? they aren't cleared. Just matt black. Is there anything i should be aware of with cleaning that since i cant wax?\
thanks
getting it soooooon!!!!!
I don't bring a hose near my bike. Don't feel like it is any easier than cleaning it all by hand. I clean fenders with a wrung-out rag w/ car-wash soap, then wipe down the entire bike with a wrung-out rag w/ water followed by a dry cloth. Wheels are wiped down with wet paper towels first to get rid of that nasty brake dust which turns towels into trash so quickly.
stay away from the ingintion switch.
I hosed mine down pretty good, the only problem i had was the imobilizer got messed up for a bit.
leave it outside for a while to dry out or inside put a worklamp or those shop spot lights and let it go for a while.
I don't see any reason to use a hose for a bike. Theyre not like cars where you want to spray off dirt from a large surface area. And most of the gunk in tight spots on a bike wont spray off, so there's really no point in using spray to get at places. I just take a small bucket, fill it with hot water, car soap, grab some microfiber rags, put my gloves on, and go at it. The hot water will dissolve the bugs and gunk. Thats all. And Pledge too, on some surfaces.
Don't spray cold water on your bike (engine) immediately after a ride... but if it's slightly warm it will be easier to clean.
Oh, and dry cleaning beats washing. I swear my Ducati has a label on it somewhere that says dry clean only. Well it oughta. [wine]
Spent the weekend (in between family time) cleaning the bike. The hard way!
Parts
(http://img4.werkenntwen.de/photo9/eb82f125571697d47c3d82cda92c4788/a/u/au7xs7btz2q06nu1in1v5kgvax2.jpg)
What's left of her
(http://img15.werkenntwen.de/photo9/eb82f125571697d47c3d82cda92c4788/h/z/hziyqmgmv7ck1046ksfw3eusw2m.jpg)
All together and clean
(http://img3.werkenntwen.de/photo9/eb82f125571697d47c3d82cda92c4788/u/8/u87ov2fti4utxsgy1n2rvzerl0t.jpg)
With FINALLY shortened front turn signals
(http://img6.werkenntwen.de/photo9/eb82f125571697d47c3d82cda92c4788/c/h/chdqsk4ohyf7t5ebf00q3czwt19.jpg)
After, i promptly went for a ride and got some HUGE-ass bug splatter. but all the wax made cleanup easy.
This is the best way to clean to me. I saw things like bolts that need replacing (rust) and my front fender is cracked around the top bolt mounts (warranty?)
I used a cleaning wax for all painted parts and frame. used S100 for the grime on the engine with a sponge rinse. and cleaned and lubed the chain including behind the front sprocket cover (YUCK!)
Man that's a lot of work! good job doing it though [thumbsup]
I bought this used monster and just cannot get it clean.
Simple green was first, S100 was this morning. And for the record I hated have to hose it down.
It is so dirty there are tiny little rocks stuck everywhere.
What can take an 07 and make it look cherry again?
Thanks.
Quote from: take risks on July 22, 2011, 01:37:51 PM
I bought this used monster and just cannot get it clean.
WD-40 works good as a de-greaser. the little rocks on my exhaust, I just pry some of them off with my finger nails. The ones that won't come off stay on the bike for fear or causing more harm than good.