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...Clean is the issue and waxing a bike is not hard at all. ...
I recall this discussion back a few clicks.
Some dealer on the East Coast has a very detailed article on line about how to get the job done from headlight to taillight.
Have to hustle off to a birthday party a few hundred miles from here. Will try to dig it out on return - if somebody has not found the article by then.
There is a perception within the BMW motorcycling community that anyone with a clean bike, particularly a GS, must not ride far or often, or would rather clean it than ride it. As a matter of fact, Lifetime BMW MOA member and GS rider Don Graling is often heard saying that "a clean GS is a dirty shame." Well, I am here to suggest that the two do not have to be mutually exclusive.
There are a number of advantages to periodically cleaning your bike like protecting your investment, taking pride in its appearance, or, for those attentive riders mindful of costly repairs, identifying problems before they occur. It should be considered routine maintenance, which is why I recommend doing it with the same commitment and regularity as a 3,000-mile oil change.
Coupled with ideas given to me by friends, as well as information gleaned from the Internet, marketing literature and other reading material, the following is a compilation of techniques that I've been using for years to clean my Beemers.
When I travelled through Manitoba and Saskatchewan last summer, the panniers, engine guards, windshield and even my boots were covered with grasshoppers. I did have at least one daytime rain and two overnight rains before I got home. Arrived home with no grasshoppers. That acid rain sure did the trick cleaning up my bike.Hmmmm....nobody else here just waits until it rains?
....read that in one of the "ON" mags. Your post is funny and....contains a lot of truth. I do clean my bikes now and again, but it's not a priority and I kind of appreciate "the rode hard and put up wet" look. When I do clean I spray with "Bike Bright" and rinse. That's pretty much it, with maybe a yearly wax. A bottle of Bike Bright will last a year so; if you're a rural sort buy a couple of bottles next time you are in a metropolis and you'll be good to go for a long spell!Go to a HD forum for tips on cleaning. Essentially, clean & polish 23 hours for every
hour riding. Only ride on nice days. Better yet, put the bike in the back of a truck
and drive it where-ever. Save's alot of polishing time.
Hmmmm....nobody else here just waits until it rains?
Some time back there was an article or thread somewhere that was very enlightening about bike cleaning. You should, according to it and I have found it works very well, always START by cleaning the lower portion of your bike first.
I have one bucket for the lower and another for the upper. Into the lower goes, and I just had to go to the garage to see what it is I use, goes anything from Simple Green, to Purple Power, to 407 - and sometimes its a mix of those. I use either Purple Power or BMW M/C Wheel Cleaner [~$20 at the dealer - very good stuff!] on the wheels - they work well at removing the build-up of dirt and grunge. Various brushes help do the work and a kitchen scruber with sponge on one side and soft plastic scratcher on the other can also help.
I use Purple Power or 407 on the engine and other dirty lower [unpainted] parts - rinsing all frequently. Again, different brushes and scrubber to aid in removal.
For the top/painted/windshield et al parts of the bike, a new bucket of hot sudsy water [any car wash cleaner from the local auto parts store]. Before wetting the top down I use hydrogen peroxide on the bugs - bubbles them off and doesn't harm the surface. Then I scrub the windshield first with a dedicated car mitt or sponge [last one came from wallyworld and has neat little danglies on it and is soft but cleans well.] Again rinse frequently. I use a long soft brush on the cables, lines, controls as the brush gets down in where bulker items can't.
Finally a compressor to blow off/out most of the water; towel dry with a microfiber towel and go for a ride to dry out the brakes and get the remaining water out from the hidden recesses - oh WTF - I just like to ride!
For leather I use Lexol products - also from auto parts stores or cage wash businesses.