How far is too far?

[Spidey]

I have no idea what too far is anymore.

I never used to wash my bike, and I looked down my nose at people who washed their bikes as Ducati nancies who shoulda spent that time riding.   After a while, I'd wash it every coupla months.  But it still wasn't a priority and I still thought bike washers were tools.  Washing time was time wasted not riding.  Then I started racing.  I got into the habit of cleaning it at the end of each day and eventually at the end of each session.  It made it easy to see problems before they became *real* problems.  'course, that still didn't stop my bike from falling apart every other race, but at least it was clean.   

Then I got the M1000ss. I'd be bummed if it were covered in grime all the time.  So now I clean my bike once a week or so, along with a tire pressure check and other minor maintenance.  5-10 mins at most with some Honda polish.  It keeps it from getting too greasy/dirty.  I think of it as preventative cleaning.  It means that I don't have to do a half-day detail to get it clean.  Every month or two--depending on whether it's rainy season--it gets the full S100 treatment (30 mins) along with more involved maintenance. 

[redxblack]

I ride in the rain - does that count as washing it?

[sroberts152]

I once washed my old Honda CB550 and it caused some dirty nasty clogged oil to come lose and the bike started leaking.  It kinda turned me off to washing.

Actually, i really don't care if it's dirty.  I ride too much and have better things to do than spend hours cleaning.  Every once in a while I will grab some soap and clean off the plastics and call it done - but that takes all of 20 minutes.

Bugs are a badge of honor.

[DucMouse the Mighty]

i never washed my 620, NEVER the only time it got washed was when i was in the rain i was to busy riding..

but now with my s2r i give him a little more care, i'll wipe him down often, can air the the clutch ( cause of my dust bowel i live in) when i clean the chain i just go ahead and use PJ1 cleaner and thats about it, a real quick session...

if the weather is bad i'll do a whole day cleaning, but that rarely happens here, i just ride...

[Special K]

I clean and lube the chain about every third week but I've only washed it 4 times in 6000 miles. I sometimes use some spray-and-wipe when the wheels get dirty with brake dust and road grime. After all that I still have some corrosion from this winter on the underside of my motor so, apparently, not enough.

[El Matador]

For all the people that said that they would rather ride than clean, I totally get it. I'm actually the same way; I've put a thousand miles for every month my bike has been running on it, so it gets used daily. Throw in 3-4 long moto trips a year, the miles rack up pretty quick.

Honestly, I think a lot of it has to do with how much you've put into a bike. If you've actually taken the time to mod it yourself and invested effort into it, you will ultimately want to take as much care of it as possible.

[El Matador]

No you're just aspiring to be like Hiero.

Such a thing is not possible. one can try but will ultimately fail. I've never seen cleaner machines.

[Holden]

I ritualistically spend about 5–10 minutes cleaning after every ride. Never any build-up that way.

But then I've been known to dismantle and clean my guns when they haven't even been used since the last cleaning...

It's bonding time with your machine. Just like riding.

[swampduc]

I wash 'em about once a month. Takes about 30-45 minutes each, but then I don't disassemble the bike and scrub the individual bolts like Matador 
What can I say, one of my favorite things about most Ducs is how beautiful they are. I like 'em clean.

[Monster Dave]

You could always take the route like this one:

[somegirl]

During the dry season, I'll do a quick wash when I clean/lube my chain.

During the rainy season, I don't bother, it's gonna get filthy in the first few seconds of riding.

[dbran1949]

Once a month, 4 hours. I get out the old toothbrushes and go over everything. Usually do the chain wax ritual twice a month just after getting back from a ride.

I also have a 10 year old 328I that looks pretty good, about twice a year I pull each wheel and tire so I can clean the inside of  the rims

[scooby]

My critter on a typical NW ride; a hosing down might occur, but then again a little dirt adds character... [moto]



I keep im tidy only to notice potential leaks; none yet noticed...

[psycledelic]

If you bolt on enough carbon fiber, you can't even tell where the carbon stops and the dirt starts. 

[Grug]

It's winter now and I was smart enough to perform my tail chop in the lead up to it...  So washing it is a bit of a lost cause at the moment.

That said, pretty soon I won't even need to buy El Matador's Cafe Seat Cowl, I'll just mold the muck on the back of my seat into shape!