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Recommended washing techniques?

AP1

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Simple question really...

Choice 1: Wash my NC700X DCT like a car (plenty of soap and water, rinse, dry with towels as best I can, don't worry how wet everything gets during the process)?

Choice 2: Wash "dry" with good spray cleaners and towels?

Admittedly, I'm a bit concerned about how wet everything could get using the traditional car washing method (choice 1), especially since there's no way to really dry everything. Oh, and I don't want to take all day to wash my bike.

I'm interested in good advice and best practices.

Thanks in advance!
 
Choice 1 is best, although the sensitive parts like the instrument panel and switch gear should need/get very little soap and water or direct spray.

Choice 2 can lead to wiping abrasives on the surfaces with the towels because there is no water to rinse dirt away.

A pressure washer is an absolute no-no.

I figure you can ride in rain storms and you can leave a bike out in the rain, so water isn't that big of a deal.
 
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I use option #1 and DO worry about what gets wet. I wrap the handlebar controls on both sides with plastic grocery bags and cover other items like the dash, ignition and exhaust pipe with small plastic elastasized bags (they came on smoke detectors for dust shields). After towel drying I take her for a ride to blow dry what the towels missed. I then lay on the ground and detail the underside, wheels and other areas as needed. Takes me about 2 hours.
 
Choice 1 is best, although the sensitive parts like the instrument panel and switch gear should need/get very little soap and water or direct spray.

Choicer 2 can lead to wiping abrasives on the surfaces with the towels because there is no water to rinse dirt away.

A pressure washer is an absolute no-no.
I completely agree with Greg. I use a spray-on cleaner made for cleaning motorcycles called S100. It cuts grease and road grime really well and when rinsed off well with lots of water (gently sprayed!!!) it dries in all the nooks and crannies without spotting and leaving a whitish residue. I think black or grey painted engines look terrible after a while when they get water spotted. I have used regular liquid soap and automotive soaps as well as other bike cleaners but S100 works best of what I've tried.

I use an artificial chamois to dry areas and parts what I can get to. Like Searsboy I either ride it a bit to dry things out or at least let it idle ten minutes or so so heat the engine enough so after I put it away the residual heat dries water under the fairing panels and inaccessible locations.
 
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I use my leaf blower to get rid of most of the water. Especially on the to hard to reach to areas. Make sure the blower is clean first.
 
I go to the car wash a few times a year. I try to keep direct pressure off the chain,instruments and bearings though.
I use an extremely high volume dryer though, 70 mph on the way home.
 
I just wet mine with a garden hose pipe to soften and dirt and then stick a brush on the end so that it has running water going through the brush head.
I don't bother wrapping anything up and I've had no problems.
then I put some car shampoo in a small bucket and wash it down doing the wheels last.
if theres oil on the rims before I wash them I use a rag soaked in paraffin and give it a wipe chain also.
hose it down again. roll the bike back away from the wet ground and put the bike on its side stand.
the rag that I used I just chuck that in the bin(old cotton bedding sheet)
then I use a clean micro cloth to dry the bike down and thats it.
I always done it that way on all my bikes and the still look good the day they come out of the shop.
and polishing ,I just use furniture polish like mr sheen etc.
dont wast your money on all these fancy wax's.
 
I tend to agree with John. I recently looked at the price of a 5 litre can of "Muc Off". It is a well known motorcycle cleaner over here and it cost almost €40.00. That is a ridiculous price for such a product. By comparison I purchased a 5 litre can of Holts car shampoo for €6.00 in a sale at Halfords. It works almost as well and there is no risk of corrosion on bare metal parts.

I always spray a small amount of WD40 on all seals at wheels, suspension linkages, lever pivot points etc etc, before washing. For the greasy parts around the chain and rear wheel I use an engine degreaser called Gunk. It largely consists of diesel. It works well. I do not use a high pressure washer. If putting the bike away for more than a week, my drying process is to ride it down a dry road for a few miles until it achieves operating temperature, and then home. If it will be used again on the day following I simply allow it to dry naturally on the side stand.
 
For me, I'd be spending more time cleaning than riding, if I tried to clean my bike after every spin in the mud and bushes...

Talk about an exercise in futility, lol. "Yaay, my bike is spotlessly clean!" ...as I aim for the mud bog :eek:

Not to mention the whole weird feeling of shampooing and detailing your flat black V8 Interceptor, just before trying to fight off a gang of post apocalyptic mutant homicidal bikers trying to kill you, hahaha

I have a different aesthetic with this bike than I did with my BMW's waxed to a mirror finish toothbrushed nook and cranny fear of a dust mote landing on it's untrammeled surface, ownership. ;)
 
I put my bike on the main stand, wet it down with nozzle water hose; very lightly in instrument/handle bar area and more pressure everywhere else.
Rag/round bristle brush bike and foam degreaser on rear, rinse, wipe down and ride to finish drying out crevices/hard to reach areas. Total time is about 10 minutes.
 
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