Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: thundermax on March 01, 2013, 09:47:35 AM
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Asking for your recommendation to clean the aluminum on the c14.
My 2009 aluminum is a little dirty and kind of has a film on it that makes it look dull. The wheels have black specks on them I guess from the brakes. Tried cleaning and they did not come off easy so they are still there.
There are aluminum cleaners at the Walmart, Oreilley's, Autozone, etc. Which ones do you use? Certainly do not want to harm any of the other painted parts.
I just want to do a spring cleaning, make it look the best possible. Have not gone to the car wash yet. Recommendations on going there and working with the high pressure nozzle, and possible cleaners available though the hose like engine cleaner, tire cleaner.
Thanks. Think this post is just right in time. Everyone wants to get their bike nice looking for spring riding.
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Not everyone.
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Only a few parts are "bare" aluminum, any off the shelf aluminum cleaner should suffice.
WD 40 to clean wheels, goo-gone for the impossible gunk spots.
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Mother's aluminum polish. I like it, but I have not tried all the others.
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DO NOT USE A HIGH PRESSURE WASHER ON YOUR BIKE!
You will be VERY unhappy afterwards if you do. Don't use any of the crap they offer at the carwash either.
I've never used any aluminum specific cleaners on my bike. Just car wash, a good quality wax, and 303 Aerospace protectant (for the dull plastic bits) .
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Simple Green...spray it on let it sit for a few minutes then hose it off
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You can put wheel wax on after it is all clean to help on the next cleaning. It helps a little.
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You can put wheel wax on after it is all clean to help on the next cleaning. It helps a little.
+1
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+1
+2
I "wax" everything on the bike except the black plastic/rubber and the seat. But I use Mother's Synwax (which is a non-wax protectant)
As said above, there is very little raw aluminum on the bike... I think it is all painted except for the brake levers and tree/bars and a few doo-dads.
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I "wax" everything on the bike except the black plastic/rubber and the seat. But I use Mother's Synwax (which is a non-wax protectant)
Karate Kid - Wax on Wax off (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fULNUr0rvEc#)
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Karate Kid - Wax on Wax off
Indeed
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Karate Kid - Wax on Wax off (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fULNUr0rvEc#)
Considering all the waxing I have done over the years, I must be a Karate master by now ;D
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Cleaning the aluminum, eh? :yikes: :yikes:
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.....WD 40 to clean wheels, goo-gone for the impossible gunk spots.
+1
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Cleaning the aluminum, eh? :yikes: :yikes:
:rotflmao:
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There was post I believe on this forum where the poster bought some aluminum brightener for NAPA auto. His purpose was to clean the rad, just have to watch your painted parts.
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Karate Kid - Wax on Wax off (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fULNUr0rvEc#)
;D
No More Kings - Sweep The Leg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G5mLpUydX0#)
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LMAO @ wax on, wax off!
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/lol8.gif)
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What aluminum do you speak of?
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Simple Green...spray it on let it sit for a few minutes then hose it off
have you ever read the cautionary statements on Simple Green..... ::)
IIRC it says NOT for use on aluminum. ???
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Well I thought the wheels were aluminum and some of the parts that are silver around the pegs. Maybe they are just painted?
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There's no bare aluminum on the C-14 that I know of. Everything that looks like bare aluminum is just silver paint. In fact some of the pieces like the grab handle/luggage rack mount are plastic. Oh, and you can't beat S-100 for cleaning.
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Do NOT use Simple Green on aluminum.
Don't ask me how I know this.
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Page 2 is almost over and no one said the "Pledge" yet.
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Page 2 is almost over and no one said the "Pledge" yet.
:)
PLEDGE!!!
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There it is!!!
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It must be Lemon Pledge.
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Well I thought the wheels were aluminum and some of the parts that are silver around the pegs. Maybe they are just painted?
I'm pretty sure the wheels are aluminum.
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I'm pretty sure the wheels are aluminum.
They are. They are painted aluminum.
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They are. They are painted aluminum.
Really? The black wheels on the 2013 are certainly painted but the wheels on my 2010 do not look painted.
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Really? The black wheels on the 2013 are certainly painted but the wheels on my 2010 do not look painted.
They should be. I can't believe they are raw aluminum... that would be exceedingly rare.
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They should be. I can't believe they are raw aluminum... that would be exceedingly rare.
The wheels on my VTX were definitely raw aluminum because my buddy had the same bike and had his wheels polished. I've been thinking about having my wheels polished because they stay much cleaner. Stuff just slides off. But not if they are painted. Would have to strip the paint first.
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The wheels on my 08 are aluminum, but they have a silver powder coating on them, as does most of the other aluminum parts (grab rails,swingarm, hub, and foot peg BRACKETS), the folding pegs themselves are raw aluminum.... I think the forks are a clear anodized, with clear paint over.
I just did a quick walk around testing various parts with a "scratch test" ::)
While I recall reading "do not use on aluminum" on a bottle of Simple Green a couple years ago, it does not appear on the new bottle I have...
but it does state: "DO NOT USE ON plastic instument panels, opals, or Pearls....." it has a high Phosphous content...
I had an instance when using it on raw aluminum cast surfaces where it began to turn "black-ish", and after rinsing had to scrub with a scotchbrite pad to remove the discoloration.
as they say on the bottle...."do a test on materials in question"
409 and Fantastic still bear cautionary statements...
anyways, any stone chips or scratches in the painted surfaces will allow the substrate to come under attack, and will progress the reaction at that site over time, corrosion will occurr... :'(
just sayin....