Detailing a motorcycle...

[GoodnClean]

Okay gang, I have a guy on Sunday that wants me to detail his Mazda Protege AND his Honda Shadow Motorcycle.



I`ve never detailed a bike before. I understand the higher level of attention to detail required, and I have plenty of small tools but I`d really love it if someone could either point me in the direction of the information or just give me a quick rundown, what exactly should I do with this thing?



Thanks!

[admac]

basically it`s a lot of the same stuff. you might want to pick up s100 cleaner or honda spray polish at your local mc dealer. also, ask him if he wants treatment on the saddle and under NO CIRCUMSTANCES treat the tires with any dressing. even if he asks for it. it would be a bad liability situation for you.



you`ll likely want a lot of grease cutter/cleaner. try not to get too crazy and wet on the chain (i can`t remember if the shadow is chain drive or belt or shaft). it`s very similar to detailing an engine so hit all the hoses and black plastic parts well with your dressing. that makes a HUGE difference on bikes.

[2wheelsx2]

Shadow is shaft drive. It`s a cruiser, so there with lots of chrome. Scottwax once told me that S100 total cycle cleaner was the way to go, as admac has suggested. I wouldn`t treat the saddle no matter what he says. Big liability for you.



You`re probably going to have to get into a lot of places with a tooth brush. Other than that, nothing too different from a car, except there is no interior. :)



Be careful around the switch gear and gauges, and exhaust pipes, so that water doesn`t get into the inside of those places, and you`re pretty ok to do everything else that you do with a car.

[GoodnClean]

So you think I`d be better off with something like the Cycle cleaner than QEW?

[2wheelsx2]

Depends on the shape of the bike. I suspect that there will be lots of road grime on the chrome. QEW is probably too gentle for that. I use carwash on my bikes, but I know the dirt gets everywhere, especially if it`s been ridden in the rain. So you might have to assess it and then decide accordingly.



You can certainly use QEW for the paintwork, but there`ll be little of that on the Shadow.

[LOTA OT]

Just did a spring cleaning on my Honda VFR which aside from the fact that it has lots of plastic fairings is still the same concept as cleaning a shadow. Depending on how dirty it is will largely determine your cleaning method. If it`s pretty clean, QEW will be just fine (that`s what I used on my plastic and tank), but if it`s dirty, you`ll need to break out something stronger. Bikes are much like cleaning/detailing an engine. Use a good degreaser or APC, lots of little brushes and be careful of what you spray water on. Bikes are made to survive riding in the rain, so no need to be paranoid, but as others mentioned take care around the electrical components and guages and don`t use any high pressure water. Be carefull around the chain and try not to let cleaner sit on it.....you can give it a spray with WD40 and wipe with an old rag to clean and displace any water.



I`d definitley recommend using S100 total cycle cleaner as it works really well and won`t damage any of the aluminum that is most likely in abundance.



Treat the tank like you would paint on the car. I`ll leave the chrome to others who`d know better (I don`t have any on mine).



You can clean the seat and the tires, but I can`t stress this enough, DONT PUT ON ANY DRESSINGS unless you really don`t like the guy and want him to crash.



Let us know if you have any specific questions



Michael

[admac]

well, i`d do the dressing on black plastics like the switchgear and hoses and such. i actually like the treatment on the saddle because it makes it easier for me to slide side to side. but on a cruiser it would probably be different. a lot of the switchgear is what makes the most visual difference from the rider`s perspective. i love it when the switchgear and dash on my bikes are are cleaned up and treated with 303.

[admac]

i forgot to add, if you do treat the saddle, do NOT treat the passenger seat (pillion pad). there is usually no backrest for the passenger and if he rides with a pillion she`ll slide straight off the back. haha.

[GoodnClean]

Thank you guys for the great advice! I feel more confident about this now.



I`m gonna skip treating the seat. If he wants to do it he can after I leave, but I`m not gonna be responsible for it.

[Scottwax]

Another vote for S100 Total Cycle Cleaner. Amazing product. Just follow the directions and it will clean nearly every square inch of the bike, very little need for breaking out the small brushes in most cases.



I agree about no tire dressing, but depending on the leather dressing (something like Tanner`s Preserves) that soaks in quickly and is not slippery you can dress the seat. I would take a clean damp rag to it after about 20 minutes to make sure no residue is left. Vanilla Moose works great on chrome, so does AIO.