Just got first real bike and need andvice on cleaning and basic care products, any suggestions?

 

Mr Clean Spotless cleaning system. Keyword there is spotless. Excellent!

Turtle Wax ICE. Great Wax.

Microfiber towels are a must.

You'll also want a spry detailer for in between washes. Turtle wax makes an ICE detailer, but I haven't tried it yet. Currently I'm using mquires detailer.

 

Good thing you didn't open a can of worms with this one.......

You're probably going to get a thousand different responses to this one, and probably all are good.

My personal cleaning method now, wash bike, dry with chamois and/or microfiber cloth (I use Meguiars car wash mix). Because it's the hot season now in Arizona, it's rare I can get the bike dry before any spotting (at least now without scratching the fairing), so I let it spot, pull it into my garage, and go over it with some stuff called The Bom (and a chamois type cloth, and a microfiber cloth for drying). This gives it a nice shine, and polishes out any water spots. Then I take Meguiars Scratch-X (not every time, but on occasion), and then use the Meguiars yellow wax (using foam applicators, and again different microfiber cloths to polish it). In between full washes (ie to clear up dust), I'll just use The Bom for a quick 15 minute shine.

I've gotten alot more comments on the shine since I've switched to that method (started it about 6 months ago, had the Glide about a year).

 

Elbow Grease!

 

Lots of ideas in the detailing section of this forum. As said before, get some micro fiber cloths. I've found you can get an 8 pack at Walmart for under $10. I rinse well first, then clean the windshield. I rinse it off well, and then pull it off, dry it, and set aside. Then I do the same with the saddle bags, take them off, wash the backside too, rinse, dry them and set aside. Now I go after the scoot. Top to bottom. I do the painted surfaces first, followed by a good rinse. Then i do the tires and wheels. I spray some simple green on the wheels and tires before I go after them. I also have a set of rollers which makes doing the whitewalls much easier. Rinse, rinse, rinse. Then I fog the motor with simple green, do all the areas the mit will reach and rinse, rinse, rinse. Then I do an overall rinse just before I'm done. Then I take out the leaf blower and blow it all down top to bottom. Roll it in the garage and micro-fiber it dry.

Works for me..... and keeps it like new..........

After each ride I use a spray detailer and a micrfiber. I've tried several and my favorite spray detailer is mothers... but the turtle wax platinum worked nice too.

 

Totally agree. I like Mr. Clean system so far.

 

I agree! However, I don't like to do a full wash unless you really need to. A good wipe down with a spray detailer wax works well.
Heard too many electrical problem stories after a full wash.

 

ive washed mine every week for the last 18 months with a pressure washer, i just staw away from the dash area, no probles so far!

 

Mr. Clean wash system is a must! Microfiber cloths. For cleaning and polishing I use Bom and Protect All. If you have whitewall tires Mr. Clean erasers work good for keeping them white.