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Winter Bike Cleaning
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EmptySea Offline
Lives On Two Wheels

Chicagoland, USA
Posts: 7,004
Joined: Jun 2013
Post: #1
Winter Bike Cleaning
I like to ride in the winter. This means that it's cold and salty when I ride sometimes. I do not have a drain in my garage which, incidentally, is not heated. I would like to get some of the salt and grime off of my bike, but using water seems to me to be cumbersome at best. Any suggestions? Special cleaning products? Techniques? I'd love to hear them!

MTC

"If you can’t go home again, at least you can enjoy the ride” — Peter Egan


2013 CB1100 non-abs
2013 CB1100 abs
01-13-2018 09:13 PM
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The ferret Offline
Forum Moderator

Ohio
Posts: 31,277
Joined: Apr 2013
Post: #2
RE: Winter Bike Cleaning
I dont wash mine until spring, but I did ride in the rain the other day which washed off some of it

.
Defender of the Realm
2014 DLX (the pleasure horse)
2021 NC750X DCT (Angry Bird)
01-13-2018 09:15 PM
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LongRanger Offline
Been There

Evergreen, CO
Posts: 4,220
Joined: Aug 2015
Post: #3
RE: Winter Bike Cleaning
I don't have a drain in my unheated garage either but that doesn't stop me from washing my cars and bikes in the garage with the door closed. The floor has a slight slope towards the driveway. When I'm done, I crack the door open and allow the water to find its way out. The garage is warm enough (40's) that any leftover puddles don't freeze. No biggie.

Ride more. Worry less. Tongue
‘12 BMW R1200R Classic
'15 BMW R1200RT
(This post was last modified: 01-13-2018 10:02 PM by LongRanger.)
01-13-2018 10:00 PM
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736cc Offline
Running Like a Top

NY
Posts: 322
Joined: Aug 2013
Post: #4
RE: Winter Bike Cleaning
Its impossible to hose off a car or motorcycle if the machine is frozen; water sprayed onto it will freeze, so the bike or car has to be in a warmed space before bringing outside to wash in winter. Ifyou have an attached or heated garage and outside isn’t in the 20’s or lower or windy, and your hose isn’t frozen because you drained it last time, it’s doable if you work quick. Bring the not frozen bike outside, close the door, spray S100 over 100% of the bike, hose it off and bring inside to dry. Maybe have a space heater or inside door open. Use a shop vac in reverse to blow it off. Later on bring bike outside to idle it to dry it some more.
Another tip is to attach hose to hot water at your washing machine if your hose reaches.
Riding on salted roads will ruin the finish prematurely if not addressed right away. I don’t ride much when temps below freezing, and never on salted roads.
If you have a big enough garage but no floor drain, park your bike in an inflatable kiddie pool to catch the water runoff and suck it up with a wet dry shop vac. The pro car detailers use inflatable rectangular car wash mats to contain runoff while washing inside or outside in strict water usage states.
A sloppy sponge bath with Optimum No Rinse is doable but the bike or car has to be above freezing.
Dry ragging with WD40 another technique but really salty muddy bikes need a water hose down.


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(This post was last modified: 01-14-2018 07:14 AM by 736cc.)
01-14-2018 06:57 AM
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Nortoon Offline
High Mileage

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,409
Joined: Jan 2015
Post: #5
RE: Winter Bike Cleaning
I know white vinegar (5% acetic acid) will remove salt from car mats. But the mats will smell like a chip wagon until shampooed. Also great for cleaning sulphated metal terminals on battery powered items like flashlights.

We park our car in the garage in the winter so it doesn't gather snow and allows the snow blower to clean our driveway. Unfortunately the car will drag in a lot of slush in the wheel wells which makes the concrete floor a rear mess. I took advantage of the recent January thaw to clean the floor with a container of windshield washing fluid and a broom. It melts the slush down so it can be swept out the door. The windshield wiper fluid will dry even in cold weather. If the garage faces the sun, leaving the door open will speed up the drying process.

2017 CB1100 EX
01-14-2018 09:26 AM
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RLS Offline
1st Service Completed

Memphis, TN
Posts: 117
Joined: Aug 2017
Post: #6
RE: Winter Bike Cleaning
(01-13-2018 09:13 PM)EmptySea Wrote:  I like to ride in the winter. This means that it's cold and salty when I ride sometimes. I do not have a drain in my garage which, incidentally, is not heated. I would like to get some of the salt and grime off of my bike, but using water seems to me to be cumbersome at best. Any suggestions? Special cleaning products? Techniques? I'd love to hear them!

FW1 cleaning wax. Made to be used without water.
01-14-2018 09:29 AM
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Guth Offline
Forum Founder

Portland, OR
Posts: 3,918
Joined: Apr 2013
Post: #7
RE: Winter Bike Cleaning
(01-14-2018 09:26 AM)Nortoon Wrote:  But the mats will smell like a chip wagon until shampooed.

Wait, is this supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing?

The Honda CB1100: STILL air-COOLed
Deposit placed 11/12/2012.
Received delivery 04/05/2013.
01-14-2018 10:12 AM
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greekcb Offline
1st Service Completed

SOUTHSIDE! Chicago burbs
Posts: 136
Joined: Sep 2017
Post: #8
RE: Winter Bike Cleaning
Empty this is a tough one. I've been detailing for years and a grimy machine with no water is a mess. I know there are water less wash products out there which i don't use but even with those that doesn't rinse and clean the tight places out(engine fins etc). I kinda stopped riding my bikes when snow season starts by us. It sucks and i know not an option for some but unless there is a way to clean its gonna be hard to deal with. Now if you ride and theres salt powder but not actual grime from wet roads you can use a ton of spray wax/quick detailer sprays with microfiber towels to "undust" it but if its grimy you gotta figure out way to have water on hand to get the hard grime off and from areas you cant physically reach. The S100 stuff does work great and is about as quick as you can get a bike washed without too much time assuming its not a grimy mess. You literally spray the foam on bike and hose off. Compressed air or leaf blower carefully used to blast most water off and then microfibers to dry. At that stage you can really start doing some easy polishing with the spray detailers i spoke of. They dont replace actual wax but are good quick alternatives to cleaning. Its kinda crappy but when i see the weather starting to fade here i clean the bikes real good and away they go for the season.
01-15-2018 10:57 AM
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EmptySea Offline
Lives On Two Wheels

Chicagoland, USA
Posts: 7,004
Joined: Jun 2013
Post: #9
RE: Winter Bike Cleaning
I think I'm going to try this S1000 deal. I may have to by a floor squeegee for my garage (it all collect in the middle, so I don't have the advantage of it running out the door.

It foams up? Sounds almost fun!

I may also pick up some FW1 for touch up work.

Thanks for the tips, guys!

MTC

"If you can’t go home again, at least you can enjoy the ride” — Peter Egan


2013 CB1100 non-abs
2013 CB1100 abs
01-15-2018 01:27 PM
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greekcb Offline
1st Service Completed

SOUTHSIDE! Chicago burbs
Posts: 136
Joined: Sep 2017
Post: #10
RE: Winter Bike Cleaning
(01-15-2018 01:27 PM)EmptySea Wrote:  I think I'm going to try this S1000 deal. I may have to by a floor squeegee for my garage (it all collect in the middle, so I don't have the advantage of it running out the door.

It foams up? Sounds almost fun!

I may also pick up some FW1 for touch up work.

Thanks for the tips, guys!

Yes its an aerosol can so when it comes out its a nice foam. Spray it evenly all over the place(just don't overdo) and rinse thoroughly not letting the foam dry. But in these temps you should have a few minutes im guessing before that so plenty of time to spray on and come back to rinsing. Rinse til water is totally clear with no milky appearance. Thats it! If you want an amazing quick spray detailer for after the wash/dry go to pep boys and get surf city garage speed demon. Another trick too is when you blast off the majority of water with air you can mist the bike with spray detailer and wipe it off with the leftover water. Its a time saver and combines 2 steps into one.

Forgot to add, they have 2 versions. One is a regular spray in a white bottle while the other is the foam one in a tall orange can. They both work great but i prefer the foam one because of the foam action.
(This post was last modified: 01-15-2018 03:01 PM by greekcb.)
01-15-2018 02:58 PM
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