The Joy of Detailing
Remember the day you picked up your brand new motorcycle, it was spotlessly clean and you were proud as a peacock as you sat high in the saddle while riding it through the busiest parts of town. The more people that saw you, the prouder you felt. But over the years the sun, wind, dirt and acid rain has taken its toll on your once pristine set of wheels. Now that riding season is in full swing, wouldn’t you like to grasp that proud feeling again of having spotless chrome and a deeply-waxed paint that glistens in the sun?
Keeping your bike in showroom condition not only makes you feel good, it will help with resale value when that day comes. I once bought a bike that was only three-years-old, but I swear, had never been washed. The aluminum engine cases and cooling fins were growing fur, and the paint was so badly faded I wasn’t sure of the exact colour. Other than the atrocious cosmetic shape it was in, mechanically it was fine and I picked that bike up for a song from a dealer that just wanted it off his lot.
With my collection of newly purchased small wire brushes for getting between the engine fins, aluminum polishes for the cases and rubbing compound and cloths for the paint, I would spend every day after work for about two weeks at the car wash, sitting on the curb and detailing every part of that bike. When I was done, the dealer where I bought it from couldn’t believe it was the same bike. That was an extreme case, but it goes to show that a little elbow grease can go a long way.
To some, cleaning, like the plague, is something that is to be avoided at all cost and some riders will only take their bike out in perfect weather on the premise that they will never get it dirty and as a result, they don’t ride as much as they should. Does that make any sense?
On the other end of the scale, there are those that enjoy washing their bike and find it a very relaxing way to spend an afternoon. You can call it a Zen ‘thing’–becoming one with your bike, some might call it bonding, while others just consider it part of the admission to the sport. Personally, I find washing my bike very relaxing, almost therapeutic. Just grab one or two of your favourite beverages, crank up your favourite tunes and go to it. Add in a few throws of the Frisbee for the dog when you need to stretch.
Not only do you end up with a clean bike, you also find out many things about your bike like stone chips, blemishes in the paint or chrome or mechanical concerns. While you are up-close-and-personal, it’s easy to check the thickness of your brake pads, tires for tread depth, cracks or damage, fork seals, oil leaks, a cracked brake flex hose or any other items you should be regularly looking for on a daily or weekly basis.
There’s no denying that instead of washing you could be out riding, but a general purpose wash shouldn’t have to take more than an hour. On a cool windy day when it isn’t perfect riding weather, take the time to perform a more thorough cleaning and get into the nooks and crannies you normally wouldn’t get to; like under the fenders, seat or engine, or behind the saddlebags.
If your bike just has minor amounts of non-gritty dirt, you might be able to get away with a spray and wipe type product that’s made for quick, on-the-spot detailing.
The Rules
Rules are simple. Rule number one—remove jewelry. Nothing can ruin your day faster than washing your bike and having a ring or a watch scrape on a painted surface leaving a mark, and in turn, more work for yourself. Personal experience will tell you that it will only happen once, but smart people learn from the mistakes or others.
Rule number two—wash your bike on clean pavement. Invariably a wet cloth or towel might touch down and you could unknowingly pick up some grit, resulting in a scratch. If you know that your towel touched the pavement, play it safe and get a clean one from your supply. If pavement isn’t an option, as in my case with a gravel driveway, use a couple of good-sized pieces of plywood for your tires and kickstand to sit on.
Rule number three—be sure to do all of the washing in the shade and only when the surface is cool to the touch. Don’t allow the soap to dry on the bike; wash, then rinse with plenty of clean water and move to the next area.
And the Tools
Cleaning doesn’t have to be as much of a chore as some make it out to be. The first thing to do is to gather high-quality cleaning and polishing products, many of which can be used over and over again so the expense is a one-time deal.
These products are better to be bought at motorcycle shops or specific motorcycle related stores or websites because the products are made to repair the punishment and abuse that a motorcycle goes through on its daily one-on-one with Mother Nature. The BOM (www.candetail.ca) has probably one of the best compilations of motorcycle cleaners and polishes available. Another common name with a full array of motorcycle products is S100 (www.s100.com). I know riders that swear by both of them. I also know people that use Mothers or Meguiars products faithfully; they are two of the most common paint care products in the mainstream auto detailing market. All of the above mentions offer quick detailing spray for when your bike isn’t really dirty. Another efficient quick detailer is Purple Slice, go to www.purpleslice.com and click on dealers to find a retailer close to you.
Having a good supply of soft terry cloth towels on hand is a must. These can be reasonably purchased in bundles at places like Canadian Tire stores or just about any other automotive retailer. A selection of various sized soft and firm bristled brushes will come in handy for the tighter areas, an old toothbrush works great for the intricate spots. Be very careful to only use the softest of brushes on paint and brightwork, leaving the stiff brushes for tougher areas like under the engine and lower frame area. A water hose and a clean bucket should round out the necessary tools for the job.
If you insist on using a pressure washer, use extreme care when washing your bike. The pressure coming out of the nozzle can force its way past seals and into wheel bearings, fork seals, wire harness connectors and electronics, or even peel off paint. There is nothing wrong with using a good old-fashioned hose.
Add the recommended amount of soap (don’t use dish soap unless you have a denim finish. See more on that later) to the bucket, add lots of clean, warm water and make lots of suds. As the water gets depleted, keep filling it up. This way your towel or cloth won’t pick up the dirt that has settled on the bottom of the bucket.
Spray your bike completely with clean water to begin in order to loosen dried-on dirt and bugs. If the bugs have been baking on the bike for a few days, use a commercial ‘bug and tar’ remover, or just lay a towel on the affected area and keep completely soaked while you work on another part of the bike. This will soften the bug’s colourful internals and help them to come off easier. Work on the bottom of the frame or a dirtier spot first, but be sure to change your towel before going to the rest of the bike.
If you have an oil leak in the transmission or engine, use a spray degreaser on that area with a stiff brush and good stream of water to power off the degreaser. Then get the oil leak looked at and repaired. Be very cautious with the degreaser on the axles, sprockets and chain if the bike has them. You do not want to remove the grease from these components.
There are also many proven spray washes on the market. After wetting your bike, spray the wash liquid on and simply rinse off. These types of spray washes are generally more expensive, but are quicker and do a pretty good job.
One of the best cleaners I have ever tried I found purely by accident. The fairing on my bike was completely covered in dehydrated, sun-baked Prairie grasshoppers after about eleven days, and 4,500 km on the road. After riding all day I stopped at a motel in Lloydminster, Alberta, or was it Saskatchewan? I pulled up beside four spotless bikes with Florida plates on them. I was amazed at how clean they were. I commented to the one guy that was just finishing up wiping one of them down that he could do my bike next. He told me his secret–fabric softener sheets. You simply wet the bike, wet the fabric softener sheet and lightly rub. The bugs came of as if they just got flattened and hadn’t had time to dry. As an added bonus, they are easier to pack than a bottle of wash spray on a long trip when space is at a premium.
Now for the disclaimer, these fabric softener sheets worked for me but they do not provide claims on the packaging that the product is safe for all clearcoats, plastics etc. like regular cleaning products do. I recommend you trying it on an inconspicuous spot first to be sure you are happy with the end result.
Getting underneath the drive train, inside the fenders or cleaning tire sidewalls is made immensely easier if you can raise your bike off the ground. This doesn’t have to happen every single wash, but after riding on excessively dirty, wet roads, it should be done during your major cleaning sessions. If your bike has whitewall tires, you know how stubborn the stains can be and how hard it is to get them bright white after the black brake dust binds to them. There are cleaning products made for whitewalls but even a stiff brush and soap and water will usually do the job. Some people, including tire manufacturers, will say not to use chemicals of any kind on your tires as they could deteriorate the rubber. There are products out there that claim to be tire friendly so if you do try them, read the product labels carefully.
I don’t have a centre stand on my bike so one item I find extremely handy for cleaning tires and spokes is a simple device from Rollastand. It has two knurled rollers mounted in a frame, you simply roll a tire onto it and it allows you to easily spin the wheel by hand. Then just roll the bike off of it and repeat at the other end. There are other makes of wheel rollers available as well, ask at your local bike shop.
Applying the protective coating
Dry the area thoroughly before applying any wax or protective coating on the paint and chrome. It’s impossible to dry everything so one school of thought is to take the bike out for a quick ride before polishing to ensure all areas underneath, and all the inaccessible crevices, get dried by the rushing air. If a ride isn’t feasible, then running the engine until it warms up to operating temperature will dry the engine components. It is also a good idea to give the switchgear a shot of WD-40 to disperse the water inside of them.
Personally, I prefer to use a real chamois while others like to use the imitation chamois, it comes down to personal preference. The real ones can be a little pricey, but if looked after, they will easily last for a whole season or more.
There are many excellent products on the market for giving your paint and chromed metal a lustrous shine. Paste type wax does leave behind a thicker, protective film, but it can be a pain to remove from seams and tight corners and quite often leaves a white residue behind in those areas. If you insist on wax, carnauba wax is the best and hardest of the waxes, and is available in paste or spray form from various manufacturers. Carnauba takes about 20 minutes to set so don’t go rubbing your fingers all over the paint until it sets.
There are many spray-on liquid products that do an exceptional job as well at bringing out a deep lustrous shine. Because I don’t want the spray to go everywhere, I spray a micro-fibre cloth and then apply it to the paint or chrome and then lightly buff with another clean micro-fibre cloth. Don’t forget about your windshield, but be sure to check the label to make sure the product is compatible with it. The same applies to chromed plastic.
Spokes can be one of the most intricate areas to clean and polish, but it really isn’t that hard to do a good job. Try cutting thin strips of soft towel and coating them with polish, then completely wrap around the spoke and pull both ends back and forth up and down the spoke.
Denim, Matte or Flat Paint Care
So far, this article is all about keeping your bike shiny, but the market now has a number of matte colours that require special care to keep them looking dull. I have always liked flat paint on hot rods of years past, and more recently on some of the newer motorcycles. Most of the major motorcycle manufacturers have at least one flat paint in their midst, but having never owned a vehicle with matte paint, my experience with it is nil.
The purveyor of the most matte colours hands-down is Harley-Davidson, so that’s where I went for advice. Julie Ford, Accessories Specialist at Barrie Harley-Davidson, gave me the lowdown on the special care for their denim colours. While the info here is for Harleys, it might be an idea to ask the brand dealer for specific care for that make.
For heavy dirt deposits on their denim finish, Harley recommends using grease cutting dish soap diluted with water. For light dirt, use ammonia-based glass cleaner and for final detailing, the Motor Company recommends using Harley Gloss, and nothing but Harley Gloss.
To say I don’t have experience with flat paint, that isn’t really true. Back in my younger, more foolish days, I used to wash my old pick-up truck with dish soap, not knowing any better, and it was cheap. Dish soap is very harsh on clear coat, and my truck ended up looking like it was a matte finish, stripping the gloss right out of the paint. Remember, learn from other’s mistakes.
Minor paint repair
If you have swirl marks, usually more visible on dark coloured paint, there are many products available to help remove, or hide, these marks. Harley-Davidson has some exceptional cleaning products and their swirl remover is one of the best I have found. Swirl marks, by the way, are caused by washing or applying polish with a dirty cloth, or one that its fibres are too stiff, making slight swirls in the clearcoat.
On an older bike you might have faded paint in which case some polishing compound or rubbing compound might be in order. Begin with the finest grit you can find. If that doesn’t work, move to the next strength and so on until you find a product that works. Don’t use a buffing wheel unless you know what to expect, as it’s easy to burn through the paint. A little elbow grease should do just fine.
Leather care
There are a lot of quality leather care products out there. The requirements for the fine leather in your car’s interior is far different than the requirements, and the type of punishment, than your leather saddlebags experience. Acid rain, sun and road grime all take their toll so be sure to use a high quality leather cleaner and conditioner to keep your bags in top shape. See your local bike shop for the proper products.
I know this is a no-brainer, but be careful detailing the seat. If you clean and condition it, be sure it isn’t slippery when you first get on it.
Melted plastic
For those with cruiser style motorcycles, melting your rain suit to the hot exhaust pipe is a very real hazard. Anyone who has done this knows the degree of frustration in trying to remove the ensuing blob of melted plastic from the heat shield. First thing to try is WD-40, sometimes it can work its way under the melted plastic to loosen it. I have heard, but never tried, spraying it with oven cleaner and leaving it sit. I’d recommend being very careful with this and trying it in an inconspicuous spot first. As with any harsh chemical, it might be a good idea to remove the part if possible so you don’t accidentally spray it on parts that the chemical might damage. I do know from experience, after much frustration, that you should never use a metal or plastic scouring pad, or any type of blade, as it will easily scratch the chrome.
Last words of advice.
If your bike has a chain, be sure to lube it at recommended intervals with quality chain lube, and especially after every wash.
There are as many finishes and brightwork on today’s motorcycles as there are cleaning and polishing products. Read the labels carefully to make sure of compatibility and always try a new product in an inconspicuous spot. Use good quality products and have an abundance of clean water and soft towels.
As mentioned earlier, usually the best place to buy any product for your motorcycle is at motorcycle shops. They carry products that are made to withstand the elements and punishment that your bike is going to endure on a regular basis.
Oh Yeah, one last thing. Don’t forget to clean your helmet, it likely catches as many bugs as the front of your bike does. Now, go for a ride. After that bit of detailing work, you deserve it.

Thanks for Reading
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