HOW DO YOU WASH YOUR BIKE?
My bike needs a weekly wash at least. 600 km commuting to and from work each week plus some regular off-road riding...
How do you wash your bike??
For all the years up to getting just so busy 3 yrs ago, I did it myself. was theraputic to spend time on it, then it was just a drudge.
Washing your bike yourself gives you the opportunity to see all its bits and notice anything coming loose, worn or broken.
So I went and bought a 5l can of Prepsol for 88 rond at MIDAS. And lo n behold, at 52 years young, I learnt a trick I never knew befiore......
Bertie from Strand- who rides BMW bikes was in the next queue and commented on the Prepsol. And he says he mixes 60-40 with water and uses his compressor and spray on a lowered pressure output to spray on the bike AFTER he has used the garden hose to spray the bike and moisten all the dirt n grime.
so far, so good, we are on par.
But then Bertie sit s on a milking stool close to the bike with a paint brush (or brushes for different parts) he swabs at the entire bike and parts, dipping the brush into water every so often.
I never done that before.
Then only he sprays the bike off with water from the garden hose.
Then a clean towel while his wifes not looking he dries off the bike- squeaky sexy clean all over.
So I followed his recipe and it really is effective.
Where have I been up to now?!
Leave the prepsol water mix for a few mins to do its work in p & q and then sit comfortably and work your way around the bike dabbing and brushing into all the gaps, crannies and intricate places.
I use a range of scullery brushes.
When you spray the bike it all just rinses off and leaves the bikes cleaner than showrooms can do it.
I use less Prepsol now and then I too borrow a towel from the linen cupboard and dry the bike off.
The secret is also in the drying off.
Some of you use a high pressure water jet to clean your bikes.
You really need to use discretion with an HP water deluivery device!
Use HP water under advisement.
I boggles the mind that you spend so much money on a bike and then go squirt water under high pressure into all its bits.
Places that just do not want water eventually get overcome and water does ingress.
Forcing water under high pressure in tiny sharp jets into and under oil seals, dust covers, trim panels and decals, etcetera in the comfort of blissful ignorance, enjoying a labour-saving device is winding down the parts life of many parts at a rapid rate.
I suppose if you stand a good distance away, then the pressure is disipated consdierably- which also defeats all the object of the HP jet???!!! but I see guys getting real up-close and nasty to force a cake of mud away with the jet just millimetres from the dirt and the parts.
Be very careful with your HP hose, you could be doing more damage over time than you can ultimately afford.
use discretion.
+1 with the paint brush technique and ditto re HP H2O hoses
I used to use the hose because I did not have a Karcher. But the boys convinced me to get one. Before, after washing the bike, the pothole in my road would be deep enough to swim in. Now, there is not enough water from the washing to even reach the hole.
Yes, do not use high-pressure on the sensitive bits. Keep the hose at least 50cm from the bike. I use the attachment that also sprays shampoo, and on the high setting the pressure is lower than the usual high-pressure nozzle.
- For trials bike, clean chain by squirting with Q20 and wiping down with shop-cloth
- Hand-squirt bike cleaner (I use MotoX-Clean) onto the really grimy parts
- Use Karcher soap spray to spray 50-50 mixture of MX-Clean and car shampoo over everything
- Let it soak
- Spray it off (before using the brush so you get rid of sand particles that might scratch finishes)
- Spray more shampoo
- Brush the fiddly bits, and the spokes and rims between the spokes (you get nice brushes made for this)
- Rinse off under pressure (carefully)
- Dry with a towel (Julie has given me my own bike towel)
- Run the engine to warm everything up, and take the bike for a little spin up the road to blow water out of crevices etc.
Bear in mind I only wash about once a month, and typically line up all 3 bikes and the bakkie.
I like the bit about take the bike on the road to blow water out the crevices etc.
good tip.
Normally I end up in a rush and soon after the wash, I'm off on the ride anyway.
And yes water comes out for a while.
Good tip.
Find it extremely challenging to go and put on all the protective clothing first before taking the bike for a spin after washing though....and I know it is the clever thing to do. So far did not give in to the temptation to ride in shorts and plakkies and T-shirt only. Am I the only one struggling with this part of washing a bike?
Erhardt
'fraid I cheat a bit. Risky because a small bump on the footpeg with shorts and slip-slops hurts like the dickens. I ride 100m up and down my road which is dead-quiet.
I used to kit up and go for a 5km spin up and down the blue route, but the 200m sprint does the job just as well.
Am I the only one struggling with this part of washing a bike?
+1 
Contentious comment- think that biking especially our BMW club has become so concerned about have to have all the safety gear that money can buy! Biking is an activity that one does spurred on by your heart and soul- my head tells me its dangerous rather use your car.... Biking, in my opinion, should be done with joy in mind and a big helping of common sence. Why is it that that Leatt braces are mostly used by BMW riders? I have yet to see ANY biker in Europe ride/ commute with a brace- even Dirk at BMW Motorrad Rental Munich was curious as to what the braces were when 35 SA bikers arrived kitted to a degree of hardly being able move and turn their heads.
I am not advocating that people should not use protective clothing, but when I feel like it, I would put on shorty boots some jeans and a lightweight riding jacket and go for a ride, at times when it is nice weather and its nice and warm I would remove my jacket and ride just like that and it is extremely pleasurable to my senses! I take special care at these times to be extra alert- common sense really.
I used to ride with a Leatt brace for 4 years and have given it away and for the past year have been able to turn my head and observe ,without hinderance, the potential risks around me.
For me it is about being careful without removing the joy. I hardly ever stand on the footpegs, only when required doing gravel and technical terrain and when doing long distance riding and want to strech a bit.
I have to say that I shake my head in horror when I see this guy commuting from CT to Northen Burbs stand up whist splitting traffic! He has for good measure a Leatt brace and all the protective gear on that BMW could sell him! If he has to brake unexpectedly, he is going down and I hope for he's sake the gear and brace saves him.
Common sense riding does not mean ATGATT, so if you feel like going to the shops quickly do not make decisions based on what others shout, but rather what you want to do. Next thing, I am buying an open face helmet!!!!
So Chales go for a spin with shorts and slops if you want just lookout for the bumps and potholes
I love cleaning our bikes, I have thge radio on, watch the cars go by and find it most relaxing, beats jogging by a long way
Depending on the accumulated dirt on the bike it can take me up to a day for both bikes.
I use a Gardina car wash brush on the end of the flowing hose to wash the spokes. Drying is with compressed air and a chamois followed by some silicon spray. The stanchions I use Mr. Min. Now comes the painful part, The missed areas of the cleaning process. 
Cheesy, for me washing my bike is like rearranging my man cave, if I can make the time, I love doing it. But I hate be interrupted and leave it half done, and thats where I ended up going to a car wash.
I wonder if Bertie knows how he changed things with his comment.
Two washes later- with such excellent results, I'm making time.
However, never waste the effort by washing in fading light.
The clock will always beat you to it and washing blind in the dark is sommer dom.
Been there done it.
And aslo I never use a totally dry towel, I moisten it.
When I'm big, I'll get a chamois cloth and Annie can find her towles without stains that never go away.
You clearly have not yet assisted at a bike accident scene or attended one as a first respondent.
I thank the club regulalry for teaching me to ride with ATTGATT only.
You know, Neil Berry, upon my giving him the final bank release would not let me drive my bike off his floor.
He would not sell me the bike without I get a safety jacket.
He gave me options of all the Waterkant street bike shops.
I bought a R400 one and he sold me the bike and they even threw in a pair of GS gloves as a bonus.
I was serriously imnpressed.
I have attended a few bike accidents as frst respondent just because I was FBOS.
And I cringe when I think how some ATTGAT would have minimised the injuries that will hamper thse bikers, some just roasties and pain, others..... for the rest of their lives.
Viva Helen, Viva ATTGAT.
I know some bold bikers.
I know some old bikers.
Can't say I met any old bold bikers.
Keep your rubber side down.
sorry, now back to cleaning bikes.
No I have not been first on accident scene...
Silly Your bike you could do with it as you please, NB prob made recommendations...
Yet you practice standing up in traffic? But then you have all the ATGATT, so you should be fine
If you have had proper training, standing is safer, both in avoiding an emergency situation in the first place, and also in giving you more options and more control under emergency conditions.
Perhaps you need to attend some Country Trax training?
Clearly you have not reacted on instinct standing up
you WILL grab handfull and you WILL go Longway down and you will look even sillier that you normally do
whos to say I have not had proper traing
please enlighten me how on a trackday do they teach standing up and applying emegency braking BMW ADVANCED track training on all levels do no such thing
i know the old guard have opinions of what is good practice apparenty from county trax, foot up trails and enduro and mx( which i practiced when student) is the only place where bennefit is real over sitting down
your COG is lowered but in a real life emergency braking situation on open road doing 100km/h + is just stupid- its like having your kid stangding on back seat and stopping dead -the kid will go flying as the standing biker
got back from nine day trip yesterday.
Bike washed today as per instructions above .... drip-drying in the garage as I'm too nervous to take it for a quick spin round the neighbourhood 
.
You have proved my point.
If you had had proper off-road emergency braking training you would be skilled in not grabbing a handful in a crisis, counteracting the forward momentum of your body, controlling the fishtailing when your rear wheel locks, and being able to lock and release your front wheel without going down, even when there is low traction. All the while changing down to an appropriate gear in case you need to pull away immediately or accelerate as part of your evasive action. You will be able to out-brake ABS under most conditions.
As you said about assumption...
You will not learn these skills at a track day. This is what you learn at BMW-certified offroad training.
i get sommer the moer in when people tell me what they think i/others should wear or how i/they should ride or whatever, as far as i am concerned people will generally find out what they want/need to know without having it shoved down their throat by people who assume that certain courses are the holy grail to off road riding! (and once completed think that they now know it all) what a load of crock! if someone has to do a course then clearly the type of riding they want to do does not come naturally to them and they have to be taught the basics. only time in the saddle can improve anyones skills. as tbk said, use common sense, it is for me the best atgatt there is.
my 2 ronts worth
At the risk of adding to this hijack, I use ATTGATT when I venture further than 3 kilometers from my house, INCLUDING my neck brace.
As those that witnessed my spectacular high-speed wipe-out 3 years ago on Pete O'Hanlon's first laid back namibia tour will testify, my neck brace saved me from a life in a wheel chair. I will ALWAYS wear it.
It has never restricted my ability to observe and be aware of my surroundings to an extent that I have felt it to be a hinderance.
Andy, I think the reason they dont let clients ride their bikes off the floor, is that it's company policy to avert expensive domino effect post throttle grab by over-excited owner :)
Now lets get back to washing bikes, Tertius! We can't always plan our accidents.
Washing bikes really? Ise common sense with that also
I used a high pressure washer on every single bike I have owned
Are people stupid? Common sense would stop you from applying jet water to sensitive areas!
You MUST wear ATGATT. NEVER use a presurre washer on your bike...
CHaless pay attention I was refering to standing up in comutting traffic, if you have are able to change to lower gear when somebody unexpectedly swerve into your lane and is about to hit you then clearly you have not experience this. You swerve and apply instinctive braking. Best you don on all the safety gear, your have neck brace included because if your energency braking that you learned at CTrax teaches you to gsar down and regulate you braking then heavens help you. Dare i suggest you do road provicency coarse by BMW sponsored specialist
At the risk of adding to this hijack, I use ATTGATT when I venture further than 3 kilometers from my house, INCLUDING my neck brace.
As those that witnessed my spectacular high-speed wipe-out 3 years ago on Pete O'Hanlon's first laid back namibia tour will testify, my neck brace saved me from a life in a wheel chair. I will ALWAYS wear it.
It has never restricted my ability to observe and be aware of my surroundings to an extent that I have felt it to be a hinderance.
Andy, I think the reason they dont let clients ride their bikes off the floor, is that it's company policy to avert expensive domino effect post throttle grab by over-excited owner :)
Now lets get back to washing bikes, Tertius! We can't always plan our accidents.
As I started reading the posts referring to ATGATT I immediately started to think about your "off". As the first on that scene I have also praised the used of braces ever since and would never consider riding without. It certainly saved your life.
there was a light drizzle in Durbanville this morning, so no-one noticed that my bike was still wet from it's wash yesterday evening.
Wouldn't want to let the team down 
CHaless pay attention I was refering to standing up in comutting traffic, if you have are able to change to lower gear when somebody unexpectedly swerve into your lane and is about to hit you then clearly you have not experience this. You swerve and apply instinctive braking. Best you don on all the safety gear, your have neck brace included because if your energency braking that you learned at CTrax teaches you to gsar down and regulate you braking then heavens help you. Dare i suggest you do road provicency coarse by BMW sponsored specialist
Thanks for your concern - I appreciate it. The emergency braking taught by Country Trax does not sacrifice braking effectiveness for gear changing. What they do is get the braking part down pat into your instinct so that you can do other necessary things, like swerving, or gearing down, or whatever is required to keep you safer. Of course I grab a handful of brake and swerve, but am able to do so while standing, without going down, and deal with loss of traction etc as a result of the training and experience and common sense.
I must apologise if my initial response to you seemed rude - I mistook your concern and advice for somebody trying to tell me how to ride and what to wear. You must understand that the only thing that comes naturally to me is logic, mathematics and physics. Everything else I have had to learn the hard way - ask anybody who knows me.
But Chales I bet you that you will be able to stop safer and in shorter distance whilst sitting down, this now is just applying logic and mathematics....especially after washing your bike- see what I did there?
just unhijacked this posting
Someone on Facebook has started a page called "Proudly Meerkat"
for the peeps that like to stand.
Serious concerns were raised, great topic, some got lost in sore points....
hear the heart of people when they speak and not just the little Ego reactions.....
wash and be safe
Thanx for all the information shared...Its always helpful...
someone told me once the best way to wash your gear is to wear it and have someone spray you down.
So, at the end of a dirty ride, don't undress - just wash your bike and be sure to get yourself all sudsy and wet then hose yourself off along with the bike. You will sommer be all kitted up and ready for a quick blowdry on the bike also 
what Annie did on one of Geoff's Eastern Cape tours a few years ago.
Upon arrival at the guest house in Graaff Reinet she jumped into the pool, fully kitted.
I think somebody took pics to prove :)
One less person standing that I have cringe for
Hi Andyman
I have used my 'floating' body mass to absorb the kinetic energy of the sudden deceleraiton or shift in direction.
By this I understand that you hold your core with little to no weight on your arms. And grabbing a fist full is hard front braking without releasing on-off braking?
i look fwd to a training sesh with you some day.
Gavin
Gavin
at the risk of irking Andy and die Aunty- off road riding training should be done with the likes of Country Trax and road riding, where a completly different set of rules apply should be done - do track days, talk to Max Lange, John Carr and if you can do a proviciency course with BMW Rider Academy who will confirm standing in traffic is insane! Floating body mass and kinetic energy my foot! Anybody advocating this practice on a public forum is posting irresponsibly. It is even against traffic legislation, as is speeding I know!
tar is just gravel with very good traction...
So old wise one explain weight on pegs through unpaved corners? Please use terms like floating body mass COG lowering and wait for it.....kinetic energy
Well, just a few days now in the rian and my bike looks like it was not ever wahsed.
On Sunday I put its party dress on, spent some quality time cleaning the spokes and the hubs and today.........it looks like chet.
I think this once good thread has deteriorated a bit...
Nice one Stan... Is there a boss spray available too?.
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