So it has been a really wet year this year here in Iowa and I have been caught in the rain several times this season. I am having a hard time getting the black motor black again. It always looks dirty when I get done cleaning the bike and I am running out of ideas.
I was curious as to what you guys are doing to keep the black on the motor black and not look dirty all the time.
It depends somewhat on how you clean your bike, to be honest. If you haven't already, try taking it to a Do It Yourself car wash and use their high pressure heavy detergent (don't spray directly at the air cleaner or to close to it). Once dry, if it still looks dirty, try using a product called "Pig Snot" or just WD40. This should do the trick. Many HD Dealers carry Pig Snot products.
ditto WD40 with a toothbrush. After that pat dry with cloth then spray black portion of engine and let soak in (don't touch it). It will leave a nice dark almost wet look.
WD40 Works but I've recently started using S100 Engine Bright sold at all HD dealerships. Designed specifically for restoring black engine components. This stuff is fantastic.
Pig spit, not pig snot! Wash bike wtih whatever dtergent you wnat. Dry it off. Spray the entire black pc'ed area with pig spit. Wiped own chrome. It looks new.
A buddy of mine uses furniture polish (pledge, or something similar) to clean his powdercoated engine. Looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor!