Not washing the surface semi regularly is not a great thing for the finish and or everything else. Contaminants that sit for any length of time will damage surfaces.

As well dish soap is not recommended for washing. A once every 2 week wash isn't too much and will keep things from deteriorating. Just don't spray high pressure and you'll be fine. I honestly don't believe anyone that says they never wash their bike.

Detail spray works great for the inbetween times but eventually you'll have to wash to get all the crevices and tight areas cleaned out. For people in areas that need to store for the Winter a wash before storage is also recommended.

 

All the time, its part of the fun, the wrench turning, the riding, and the washing.

My bikes have always kept their looks and never let me down.

I use the Total Cycle Cleaner when I've been in the rain and otherwise just use a micro cloth and detailers. I squirt the bugs and let them re-hydrate for about five minutes and they come right off. I know there is a cheaper product out there than that Total Cycle Cleaner, i just have not found it yet.

 

Oh I believe it and I know one of those people. He has an 07 Street Bob like mine except it's the denim black one. It is covered in rust and looks like hell.

 

Bike Brite and a chamois. Plus an air blower for the hard to reach areas.

 

I use the mr. clean system, then hit it with the bike dryer, and finish with some eagle one wax as you dry and micro fiber towels. Done in an hour tops and looks great.

 

I've been detailing cars since I was about 12 years old. Most of my friends joke around with me and ask how I got my bike to be dirt-proof. It's always clean.

Dawn dish soap strips wax. I'll use it on the paint before a full detail to strip old wax, but I follow up with automotive soap (Griot's Garage) to make sure I don't leave any Dawn on the paint.

Normally, I wash the wheels/brakes/lower fork legs with Dawn, because it cuts brake dust well and I don't trust aggressive chemical wheel cleaners. I use a boar's hair brush and a cone-shaped brush designed to clean inside car wheels between the spokes. Then I use a 100% cotton wash towel and the auto soap on the rest of the bike. Blow dry with electric leaf blower, finish with some quick detailer. Takes about an hour to do the whole bike.

In between washes I wipe the chrome down with Sprayaway non-ammonia glass cleaner from Costco, and quick detailer on the paint.

I wash the bike generally every 2-3 rides. I enjoy cleaning/detailing. It's a zen thing for me I guess, it wipes my mind clean of all the daily crap and I just sort of zone out. Walking/jogging and of course riding do the same for me (and shooting).

Griot's Garage chrome polish every few months, Griot's rubber cleaner for the tires every couple months keeps the tires from browning and they look good without using tire dressing. I clean the paint with 3M Hand Glaze before waxing, and every 3-4 details I'll use my 3-inch buffer with Griot's Machine Polish (just the fine stage, never need the more aggressive polishes on the bike).

I even have metal cleaner to keep the inside of the pipes carbon-free, at least the tips. Spray it on a blue paper towel (the heavy duty kind from Costco) and wipe the insides of the pipes, or at least the first few inches.

It sounds like a lot of work but really, I only spend 1-2 hours of cleaning for every 6-12 hours of riding, and the bike always looks showroom new. Plus, I do enjoy it.

A buddy of mine has a Road King with 25-26k miles on it and he's washed it... oh, 1-2 times since it was new. He wipes the paint with a wet towel every so often but takes about 3 minutes to do the whole bike. I've offered to detail the whole bike for him as a favor, but he always declines. I think he knows that his dull chrome and paint bugs me a bit, and he enjoys watching me suffer at the hands of my OCD. He's got a Custom with the white pearl paint, and man that paint would be so pretty if it was properly cleaned.... oh well! Not my bike!

 

Well that is going to do ****-all good when you get attacked by zombies.

 

Spray 50/50 Simple Green and water on, let set for a few minutes then rinse. Works great.

 

wash mine every 2-3 weeks if it needs it or not. Keeping the bike clean does two things for me. It relaxes me to do the detaiwork, and it makes sure that I look at every part of the bike for any sort of wear or loose bolts etc..

Takes me about an hour for the normal stuff, but twice a year I do a full detail and that takes from 4-8 hours depending on the condition of the bike, and how many beers I have while doing it lol. These happen prior to winter storage, and about halfway through the riding season. Rainey days are best for this as it desn't stop me from riding to clean it.

 

I wash mine all the time and yes I ride it too, 10k in the last 6 months. I like washing my bike, it gives me the opportunity to see if there is some thing thats not right. I live on a island and there is a lot of salt in the air and have scene what it does if not washed off. I like looking at all of the mechanical details (I studied to be a Machinist once), I like that I know my bike and I like having a clean bike. I get comments all the time how clean it is, it was a big expense to me so I want to take care of it, last bike I had I owned for more than 20 years and I kept it mint also.