IMO I Find if you wipe it down after a run you will scratch it. I give it a blow job LOL with the air compressor. I wash and polish once a week usually sundays. Also after a really good polish job and im not going to use the bike for a few days or so i cover it with a bed sheet it keeps the dust off from the garage. A bike cover gets it dirty again but a cotton sheet does the trick...Mike

 

Small California Duster, then Maguires Quick Detailer. But - I just used Pledge last weekend and I'm pretty impressed. Might start using that instead of the Quick detailer?
A couple times a year I'll wax with Maguires Cleaner Wax.
You'll get 990 diferent methods out of 1000 guys here.

 

Then after 2 months I decided that I would wash it twice a month. Then after 4 months I decided I would wash it once a month. Then after 8 months I decided I would wash it when it started bothering me. Now after several years I may wash it after people start telling me it's starting to look like ****.

 

In south Texas, we can ride about 10 months out of the year, longer if January and February are mild. No time to clean, so I clean both of mine at the end of the season whether they need it or not. You may have heard the expression "ridden hard and put up wet" an old cow hand expression for how some hands treat their horses; it applies to motorcycles as well. Anyone tells me my bike looks like **** and I immediately as them if they want to find out which is faster, my nasty dirty bike or their shiny chromey polished bike; I don't know why but that usually changes the subject.

 

Crash69,
I 'll have to try the comrpessed air. I know wiping down a dusty paint will scratch and there are enough of them on my bike already (PO). I just started using Mequiars scratch x and Tech 2 wax. So far pleased with the look but the heavier swirl marks are still in the paint. But I don't think there is anything I can do about it know.

I heard someone on this forum say something about scratch filler for black ? Is this true?

 

I bought it to ride, not clean. I will give it a quick detail once a week, and a good wash once a month, but with all the wind and dust we're having in New Mexico right now it's useless so I just ride it dirty. it rides just as good

 

I was so proud 4 months ago when I picked up my RK all shiny and new. I thought I'd always keep it that way. Now, 6K miles later, I think it might be ready for its first bath. I'll probably wax it too. (But don't bet on it.) If the weather is nice enough to be washing the bike then it's nice enough to be out riding -- riding wins every time.

 

But if you don't keep black clean and wash it every couple months your kill the paint. I had a black Ford f250 extended cab truck and didn't take care of it. Washed it every couple months and the paint looked like it was never waxed . The bike is small compaired to the truck and want to keep it clean.

 

rinse with water, blow off with air compressor . done

 

Sorry I jumped in with my opinion. My bike is actually blue .... sorry