Washing The VMAX

[thundermax]

Requesting comments on how you clean/wash your VMAX. Do you go to the car wash? How freely do you use water? Any pre-wash applications for bug splatter?

I want to have a clean bike but do not want to screw anything up by washing. I think drying afterward is important so doing it on a warm day and then riding to dry would be good?

Just do not want to short anything out, fry connections, etc.

Maybe someone will say just get a bucket of soapy water and a bucket of clean water, a rag for wash wiping and a dry rag for drying. But that does not get the dirt and dust from underneath.

Looking forward to your washing/cleaning procedures.

 

[sdt354]

A light mist is the only way I'd rince my bike off. It's bad enough getting stuck in pouring rain. But that is by chance. Things like bearings rusting concern me more than shorts.
Steve

 

[misiek93]

Use common sense and you will be fine. No special procedures here. Personally, I use a bucket with soapy water and a gargen hose. First I soak the bike with clean water (don't use high pressure) then I wash it down with soapy water and a soft sponge. For the wheels I use a harder brush and always do them last. After you get it all nice and soapy rinse it down and dry off with the towel (you don't have to do this but it gets the water spots out) I never start the bike up right after it was washed, I give it a good couple of hours to dry just in case water got into some electric connections.

Think about it this way, the bike can ride in the rain with no issues so washing it is not an issue as well just don't go puring water on it with the seat off or the faux tank cover off, lol.

 

[Lugan]

My only rules of thumb:

1./ low water pressure for whole bike, and rinse anywhere/everywhere.
2./ high water pressure allowed ONLY when spraying radiator (hot water ideal) to clear out bugs/sludge/
3./ rinse down, and let bugs etc soak for 5 min or so
4./ car or bike specific soap (nothing too strong) in a bucket with a soft mitt. Start on top areas and work your way down, using low pressure.
5./ WD40 for stubborn oil or grime, then soap those areas again.

I've never had an issue with water and biking. My first Vmax accumulated 40,000 kms in 70% rainy weather in Vancouver BC (rainforest-like precipitation). Daily rides in the rain to school/work. Never a hickup. So washing it has similarly been without issue.

6./ after it's dry, wax the painted areas, and a silicone spray on the motor etc brightens things up nicely.

 

[naughtyG]

I wash Max like every other bike I've ever had.

1. Get the gear: garden hose with spray gun nozzle, bucket of warm water with Turtle ZipWax or other car wash with wax product, big sponge or soft mitt, real chamois leather skin

2. Park the bike on center stand in the shade (never wash in direct sunlight)

3. Using hose with normal house water pressure, wet the bike all over, making sure not to insist on sensitive electricals and bar controls and such

4. Wash bike with sponge/mitt often dipped in warm water w/ detergent, making sure to be quick enough to keep everything wet at all times

5. Rinse the bike with hose again, then if needed remove any stubborn stains with sponge/mitt

6. Final rinse with clean water (hose)

7. Dry the bike starting with all painted bodywork with chamois skin, rinsing and wringing it regularly

8. Start her up and let idle for a few minutes to dry unreachable areas of motor

9. finish by using glass cleaner on windscreen (if fitted), wax paintwork if required, polish off and chrome/aluminium that needs it

10. gear up and take your shiny sparkling pride for a quick ride to allow and standing water to drain/wind dry

 

[gamorg02]

washing? whats that??

powdercoat everything flat black.

ride it everytime you think about washing it.

problem solved!

 

[KosRider]

Only thing I'd add when washing the bike is to make sure that the A/F screw holes are covered to keep / minimize any water from getting down to the A/F screws.

This helps prevent any corrosion around the threads from occuring with time. I think it's best to have some silicone grease on the A/F screw threads, but I also have plastic caps covering the holes to.

Just my 2 cents !

 

[Rhoy Carter]

I use a bucket of soapy water and the garden hose (low pressure) and blow dry the bike off. I used dielectric grease in all my connectors and my a/f scew holes are open and I regularly use a drop of 3 in one oil on the a/f screws to keep them fron seizing up.

 

[naughtyG]

I had caps on my A/F screw holes too. I bought a huge bag of them a few years ago and distributed them to just about everyone who wanted them here. I also think these are a must to keep those fine treads from seizing up.
Might be about time someone got another bag of 'em..

 

[tonyg-5386]

I used to be fanatical about keeping my bikes clean. I still am to a point but the only time I take a hose to them is if I get stuck in the rain and the bike gets very dirty. I live near the ocean and wipe my bikes down after every ride. It takes me 5-10 minutes to do this. All I use is a clean soft microfiber rag and room temperature water. I dip the rag, wring it out and quickly wipe the bike off. I wipe the dirtiest parts of the bike last (wheels, exhaust anything low to the ground). I then take a clean dry microfiber rag and spray either Honda polish or s100 wax onto the rag and wipe the bike down again very quickly. I used to use the hose, and soap like I was washing a car and then blow it off with my leafblower. I only do this if the bike is very dirty. It is too time consuming and not worth doing unless the bike is very dirty. And yes, on the vmax I have plastic plugs covering the a/f mixture screw holes. A nice member of this forum was kind enough to mail me 5 of the them. I also gently spray pb blaster oil in to the a/f screws 2x a year and put the caps back on.

 

[wildweasel_pt]

I just don't wash them... Water is bad for bikes... And polished parts also...

 

[Redbone]

I do a complete cleaning during the winter months (typically-but not this year) including removing exhaust and most body parts, and then suitably waxed/ polished. After the season starts it's a quick wipe down or maybe a good spray hosing to get the wedged in bugs that are pretty heavy here in June/ July. I am careful around the controls with the hose but I do get caught in the rain enough to know that a little water will not hurt it while cleaning. I use dielectric grease on electrical connections since at one point or the other I've had Redbone in pieces during the winter mod season.

 

[RaWarrior]

I don't see how water is any worse for bikes than it is for cars. Granted, Yamaha might not have done a top notch job waterproofing connectors and such, but I've gotten caught in some pretty torrential rains and the bike has never missed a beat in any way.

I use Purple Power and a pressure washer to get rid of bugs. I'm lazy, I'm not going to sit and gingerly scrub off hundreds of flies. Squirt everything down with P-P, wait a minute or so, blast it. Bugs vanish like magic leaving a spotless surface. Noting fancy needed, a cheapo electric one works great and isn't so powerful you have to worry about damaging things.

Otherwise cleaner wax wipe downs keep the bike looking great. A couple times a year I spritz the engine down with Cycle Care Formula-B, which is a black color enhancer. It dries into a semi-permanent glossy coating that makes black really pop. It seems to last a month or two.

 

[Klatuu]

Drying tip:

Use towels/chamois on what you can, but for hard-to-reach spots, use a leaf blower. In fact, after doing this a few times, I now just blow the whole thing off with the blower, then hit the little remaining droplets on paint & shiny metal with a micro fiber towel.

 

[Maxine]

Bucket of soapy water and a garden hose(low pressure).
Soft cloth/pad for the pretty parts and scrub brush/cloth for the pipes, wheels, brakes, etc...
rinse with low pressure water. repeat previous steps for tough to clean spots.
fire up leaf blower and blow dry the hard to reach spots.
shammy to minimize water spots.
wax if needed(1x per year for me)
fire bike up and go for ride

 

[thundermax]

Thanks everyone.

 

[Sonoran6]

am i the only one who uses tire shine?

 

[a113ycat]

I have the shop roust a bout pull out every bike we have here once a week and give them a good hand washing. We use a product called protect-all that we get from parts unlimited. After a good hand cleaning to remove bugs and road grime. This stuff is a spray on wipe off cleaner that also polishes and waxes all in one. Im sure everyone has their way of doing it but the overall consensus that Im reading here is NO HIGH PRESSURE I would stay away from car washes they tend to use some pretty harsh chemicals
IMHO

 

[PDWeyand]

so a dip in the pool is out too then I guess, the kids will be happy about that, no over night soaks for the max. I thought it would help with the swelling of carrying me around lol.

 

[RaWarrior]

am i the only one who uses tire shine?

Be very careful not to get any on the tread, it makes rubber extremely slippery and can take a while to wear off. The couple times I've done it I spray it into a rag, then wipe it onto the sidewalls so none gets on the tread.