Washing the bike

[Conrad]

I want the bike to be somewhat hot because it will dry faster.  I also want it to try and recover the battery some from the start.  With the bike already "on", I can raise and lower the windshield for washing.  And, finally, I check all the lights and such as part of the procedure to make sure everything is working.  I also get to listen to it from all angles to notice anything unusual that can't be heard with helmet on and/or when sitting on it.

Once I am done with the windshield and first rinse, I turn it off for further washing then dray, polish, buff.  But if I am doing a quick wash, I will often just leave it running the whole time (of course, the whole quick wash, rinse, and dry, in that case, is only like 10 min)

I just use my electric leaf blower to dry her off and get all the water out of the places it shouldn't be.

[Rhino]

I use warm soapy water to get the major stuff off like bugs and tar then I use this stuff with micro-fiber cloth to shine it up:  http://polyscts.com/

On road trips I keep a spray bottle of it in a side case and give the bike a "sponge bath" from time to time. It's pricey but one bottle goes a long way. I have had my bottle for about a year now and it is still more then half full.

[VirginiaJim]

My bottles don't last that long...

[Rawman]

A hose with no attachment and microfiber cloths is all I ever used.  Just rinse most areas and blast the bugs off the headlights and bags.  23,000 miles and with the exception of boot marks on the right bag and a couple scratches on the tank from my kids climbing on it in the garage, it still looks almost brand new.

[ZG]

My bottles don't last that long...

Are we talking about Vodka or Gin martini's Jim?? 

[VirginiaJim]

Take your pick...I rather like Conrad's idea with the beer but leave off the washing and it would be perfect.

[Conrad]

Take your pick...I rather like Conrad's idea with the beer but leave off the washing and it would be perfect.

That cuts down on the complexity immensely.

[ninjawarrior1400]

I have never washed any of my bikes with water!  Water is bad for the electrics on any bike...if you have soap mixed in with the water it is even worse almost impossible to remove it especially under the seat.

Honda makes a great polish cleaner..nice soft rags to prevent scratching the plastic...

I wipe down after each ride..helps to make it easier to keep it clean.....

Just my thoughts cause electronics can cause lots of problems with this bike when they get corroded and are difficult to find.

Ninja

[Rhino]

I have never washed any of my bikes with water!  Water is bad for the electrics on any bike...

I guess that's bad for me because I ride in the rain all the time.

[ZG]

Take your pick...I rather like Conrad's idea with the beer but leave off the washing and it would be perfect.

Vodka martini here please, me no like the taste of Gin... 

That cuts down on the complexity immensely.

Indeed! 

[koval68]

I just use my electric leaf blower to dry her off and get all the water out of the places it shouldn't be.

That's exactly what I do to dry her off.

[Shadowofshoe]

I use warm soapy water to get the major stuff off like bugs and tar then I use this stuff with micro-fiber cloth to shine it up:  http://polyscts.com/

On road trips I keep a spray bottle of it in a side case and give the bike a "sponge bath" from time to time. It's pricey but one bottle goes a long way. I have had my bottle for about a year now and it is still more then half full.

   It seems they are finishing already clean vehicles or does it work on dirty ones? Also no racism intended,I spent most of my life managing restaurants and 3 mexicans in ten minutes equals an hour for me

             Mike

[TRBN]

I have never washed any of my bikes with water!  Water is bad for the electrics on any bike...if you have soap mixed in with the water it is even worse almost impossible to remove it especially under the seat.

Honda makes a great polish cleaner..nice soft rags to prevent scratching the plastic...

I wipe down after each ride..helps to make it easier to keep it clean.....

Just my thoughts cause electronics can cause lots of problems with this bike when they get corroded and are difficult to find.

Ninja

This made me laugh.  I ride all weather.   The Bike gets wet.  If a stock motorcycle can't handle water and weather, then it will not be a bike that I will ride for long... 

The C14 performs wonderfully as an all weather vehicle.  I have been through downpours and even snows with no ill effects to it.  I wash it at regular intervals with nothing more than a hose, a bucket of car wash soapy water and a microfiber mitt.  Dry it off with the Stihl Leaf Blower.  28K miles and running strong!

Aaron

[atilla457]

Thanks for all the comments.

I just washed the bike after a 1800mile trip to Oregon.  Haven't started it yet but i'm not worried about it.  It looks good.

On a side note, this bike is the worst I had for maintenance.  I bought a kn filter (thanks to a thread about amazon deal) and had to strip the left side of the bike.  It took me 3 hours, including stripping right side looking for the filter and trying to figure out where that extra screw went after putting everything together.  It rides great though

[SimonSaysDie]

Thanks for all the comments.

I just washed the bike after a 1800mile trip to Oregon.  Haven't started it yet but i'm not worried about it.  It looks good.

On a side note, this bike is the worst I had for maintenance.  I bought a kn filter (thanks to a thread about amazon deal) and had to strip the left side of the bike.  It took me 3 hours, including stripping right side looking for the filter and trying to figure out where that extra screw went after putting everything together.  It rides great though

Take them off a couple of times for various farkles/maintenance and you'll be able to do it in minutes with your eyes closed.  Depending on what you do you may be taking them off more often than you want and there seems to be little you can do from the middle to front of the bike without stripping it down to some extent.  To what extent just depends on what you need to do.

[maxtog]

On a side note, this bike is the worst I had for maintenance.  I bought a kn filter (thanks to a thread about amazon deal) and had to strip the left side of the bike.  It took me 3 hours, including stripping right side looking for the filter and trying to figure out where that extra screw went after putting everything together.  It rides great though

Very much a change of topic but.... REALLY!!!  I mean, you have to take out multiple bolts to get to the battery???!!  When I took off all the side top/mid/bottom fairings, I thought it would never end.  I was terrified!  And they just HAD to put that damn quick rivet at the TOP of the dashboard so you have to take the WHOLE WINDSHIELD OFF just to remove that ONE rivet so you can take off the upper side fairing!  OMG!

And yes.... I ended up with not one, but TWO of those smaller fairing bolt/screws left over.  I went through it all again... I STILL cannot figure out where they go- there is nothing missing!  So I am holding them for the next disassembly.

Anyway, now that I have done it once, I am positive it will be much easier next time.

[ZG]

Thanks for all the comments.

I just washed the bike after a 1800mile trip to Oregon.  Haven't started it yet but i'm not worried about it.  It looks good.

On a side note, this bike is the worst I had for maintenance.  I bought a kn filter (thanks to a thread about amazon deal) and had to strip the left side of the bike.  It took me 3 hours, including stripping right side looking for the filter and trying to figure out where that extra screw went after putting everything together.  It rides great though

1800 miles in Oregon is as much water testing as you can get, only thing dryer would be to just ride it across the Pacific ocean... 

[B.D.F.]

C'mon, tell us how you really feel and don't hold back this time....   

Yeah, that push rivet is kind of pesky. I have found what I think is the easiest way to remove it though, I use the smallest Allen wrench from the set (long handled Bondhus type) and it is really pretty easy to coax them out. Putting them back in is relatively easy and if they fall, they fall on the floor.... unless they fall in the slots where the windshield support arms come through the fairing. 

As far as the extra fairing screws, that is one of the undocumented features of KiPass- it makes more fasteners than you lose, always keeping you in spares.

With some practice and an electric screwdriver to remove the fasteners, the side fairings can be removed in less than 5 minutes each.

Brian

Very much a change of topic but.... REALLY!!!  I mean, you have to take out multiple bolts to get to the battery???!!  When I took off all the side top/mid/bottom fairings, I thought it would never end.  I was terrified!  And they just HAD to put that damn quick rivet at the TOP of the dashboard so you have to take the WHOLE WINDSHIELD OFF just to remove that ONE rivet so you can take off the upper side fairing!  OMG!

And yes.... I ended up with not one, but TWO of those smaller fairing bolt/screws left over.  I went through it all again... I STILL cannot figure out where they go- there is nothing missing!  So I am holding them for the next disassembly.

Anyway, now that I have done it once, I am positive it will be much easier next time.

[B.D.F.]

I don't know about Oregon but 900 miles of riding in the rain through Wyoming, Montana and Idaho will wash ALL the bug carcasses off the bike that South Dakota and part of Wyoming can put on the bike.... and that's a LOT of bugs. Gives new meaning to 'wash, rinse, repeat'.

Brian

1800 miles in Oregon is as much water testing as you can get, only thing dryer would be to just ride it across the Pacific ocean... 

[SimonSaysDie]

.... unless they fall in the slots where the windshield support arms come through the fairing. 

Sounds like I'm not the only one to do that.    I really hate that feeling when you drop something and don't hear it hit the floor because you know more dis-assembly is in your immediate future.   

I agree with TRBN (since we've shared some of the same downpours)...what good is any vehicle that breaks if it gets wet?