Hey everyone,

So I got my 2012 Iron 883 (or rather, my wife bought it for me ), and was wondering if all of you use official H-D cleaning and care products to wash your bikes. Specifically those with the matte black denim paint job. Or are there other cheaper, but just as capable products out there?

Thanks!

 

H-D recommended Windex as the preferred cleaning product, before they came out with their own brand of denim cleaner.
Whatever you do, don't buff the paint. It'll ruin the finish.
S100 is an option for cleaning the engine. Just don't get it on paint. H-D sell usually sells it.

 

I use Harley Gloss on everything on my bike and I only wash it twice a year max. When I wash it, I just spray it down with simple green w/out diluting it. Without washing the simple green off, I wash the whole bike with a microfiber cloth in a bucket of dawn dish soap super bubbly. I start from the top and work my way down to the lower parts of the bike. I don't spray the paint with simple green though. Then I hose it off and dry. Then go over the pain with harley gloss and a microfiber towel. Takes about 20 minutes unless I let the simple green soak on the wheels and engine.

 

haven't washed mine since i brought it home on 7/12/2008 and you'd never know it. honda spray detailer is the best stuff on earth.

 

thanks for the replies, guys.

so with windex or honda spray detailer, just shoot it all over and rinse off?

 

no rinse off.....dry soft cloth and rub it in really good. the whole point here is no water bro.

 

I would not recommend rubbing any thing real good on denim paint unless you want a shine that will never come off...

 

^^well you certainly dont rinse this stuff off. you rub it in.

 

I usually just spray it with windex and rub it off with a towell, however if it gets really dirty I will hit it with a hose, dry it than apply windex ... almost had a heart attack yesterday because I went to apply windex on a towell only top realize my dad had used my moto towel to armorall the car ! I just hit it with the hose real quick and i Think all is good, however a frackin squirrel starting dropping **** on my bike, in th eend I figured those are enough bad signs to ot ride the bike that day hahaha

 

I just use a microfiber cloth wet with warm water.

Anything on the paint will come off with warm water, even bugs and such. Tree sap is the exception, and since you can't use a detailer's clay on this paint, I would have no idea how to get that off.