cleaning chrome items such as exhaust that get hot??

[dannylightning]

i usually wax the hell out of any thing chrome. if i wax the pipes when they are cold and wipe it all off. will the little bit of wax coating the pipes burn and make my pipes look lousy. if so what do you use the shine those pipes up when they get dirty.

im a strong believer that you should thoroughly clean your ride at least once a week. and im a stong beleiver that wax works wonders on chrome. for example my buddy had a chrome car muffler and it was coroded pretty bad. i waxed that thing for him and with every cote of wax it took a little of the crap off the muffler. after about the 10th coat of wax it had a brilliant shine and the thing looked brand new again. plus it makes every thing nice and slippery, a lot easier to polish when trying to get finger prints and such off the chrome.

but if the wax is a big no no ill get something else to clean them.

[Sarris]

Real Chrome Polish. Not wax for paint.

:)

[alanmcorcoran]

I have a related question... Is there such a thing as a "car wash" for motorcycles? I am not as into keeping mine shiny, but every once in a while I feel like getting it cleaned. Not that interested in doing it myself though... And there is the issue of all that hot, hot chrome if you ride it somewhere.

[dhgeyer]

I clean my bikes every couple of months or so whether they need it or not. :jawdrop:

We have a power washer, which I find helps a lot. You just have to be careful about using a lot of pressure around certain areas, like electricals, carbs, fuel injectors, radiators. A little common sense goes a long way.

[dannylightning]

i think a pressure washer is a bad idea, as mentioned above electrical carbs and such, seems to me it would be easy to get a lot of water in a place you dont want it. just a garden hose on a light mist type setting is all i would want to use. and washing the bike hot is not exactly a good idea. probably not likely but hot metal sprayed with cold weather can crack and you don't want that to happen.

[dhgeyer]

Water hitting hot pipes won't hurt anything. If you do any riding in the rain (motorcycles are designed to do that), water hits hot pipes every time you ride through a puddle after the rain, or the beginning of a downpour. Smells funny for a little while.

You can do damage to a bike with a power washer. On the other hand, I've been using one for years and never hurt a thing. Like I said, a little judgment about which nozzle to use where. And they do save a lot of work. I'd rather be riding.

[Dupo]

This is all i use on my entire bike. I can clean & wax in about 10 minutes....

http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=50 ... UC_53-0608 (http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=5007&L2=33&L3=716&L4=&item=TUC_53-0608)

[Dupo]

This is all i use on my entire bike. I can clean & wax in about 10 minutes....

http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=50 ... UC_53-0608 (http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=5007&L2=33&L3=716&L4=&item=TUC_53-0608)

http://www.cyclegear.com/images/oil/Maxima%20Spray%20&%20Shine_310x310.jpg

[alanmcorcoran]

Thanks Dupo... course my bike is a lot bigger than yours, might take a lot longer ;) . Actually, no one has answered my original question - are there places or people that will shine it all up for you? I'm lazy -- it takes every ounce of ambition I have just to put gas in the thing (which I gotta do far too often.) I got leather hard luggage, there's probably something I should be putting on those too to keep them from drying out and cracking. Maybe at the dealer?

[Easy Rider]

Real Chrome Polish. Not wax for paint.

:)

:plus1:

And since I'm a firm believer in washing/cleaning a bike twice a year......whether it needs it or not, I will stop there. :whistle:

[alantf]

are there places or people that will shine it all up for you?

Won't the Boy Scouts still do it? :roll:

[Sarris]

My local Harley dealer offers a bike wash and dry for $10 (plus tip of course) and will wash both the HD and the GZ. A full blown detail & wax is $65.

Cool, huh?

:2tup:

[dannylightning]

Thanks Dupo... course my bike is a lot bigger than yours, might take a lot longer ;) . Actually, no one has answered my original question - are there places or people that will shine it all up for you? I'm lazy -- it takes every ounce of ambition I have just to put gas in the thing (which I gotta do far too often.) I got leather hard luggage, there's probably something I should be putting on those too to keep them from drying out and cracking. Maybe at the dealer?

those little girls that stand on the side of the road with the car wash signs will do it, well probably not them but the other kids in the parking lot will when i drive by on my bike they point and yell at me but i never stop. i like to do it my self.



to the people that don't wash your bike often, remember this. the cleaner it is when you wash it the eaiser it is to get the dirt off. if i do the bike once a week it takes me about 2 min to wash and rince the bike when the dirt cakes on its hard to get off.

[alanmcorcoran]

My local Harley dealer offers a bike wash and dry for $10 (plus tip of course) and will wash both the HD and the GZ. A full blown detail & wax is $65.

Cool, huh?

:2tup:

I figured dealers would probably do it. I'll keep an eye out. Re, girls by the side of the road, I'd be worried about them burning themselves or effing up the bike.

[dannylightning]

well i got some chrome polish and shined the thing up real good like..

[burkbuilds]

Last Friday afternoon I rode by "Hog Wild Cycles" and they had this tall, curvy girl in high heels and skimpy black leather outside washing bikes, and the parking lot was full! I don't know what she was charging or how good a job she was doing, but there are obviously a lot of bikers that prefer to have someone else wash their bike as long as they get to watch! :biggrin:

Oh, yeah almost forgot. I prefer chrome polish for cleaning up the grime off my chrome, but then I do put a coat of something like McGuire's Deep Luster over the chrome when I'm done cleaning it.

[dannylightning]

Last Friday afternoon I rode by "Hog Wild Cycles" and they had this tall, curvy girl in high heels and skimpy black leather outside washing bikes, and the parking lot was full! I don't know what she was charging or how good a job she was doing, but there are obviously a lot of bikers that prefer to have someone else wash their bike as long as they get to watch!

was she in a bikini?? O_o

[burkbuilds]

I'm not sure if that was technically a bikini, but it didn't have a lot of material to it!

[dannylightning]

I'm not sure if that was technically a bikini, but it didn't have a lot of material to it!

I dont think i would stop :roll:

[burkbuilds]

Judging from the crowd in their parking lot, I think you (and I) would be in the minority. I'll have to admit I nearly drove off the road when I went by. But I had places to go and people to see, so I washed my bike by myself the next day.

[dannylightning]

Judging from the crowd in their parking lot, I think you (and I) would be in the minority. I'll have to admit I nearly drove off the road when I went by. But I had places to go and people to see, so I washed my bike by myself the next day.

i probably would have drove off the road also, but after i picked my bike up out of the ditch i would have kept on going. i cant see spending money just to stare at half naked women. and i would probably get a better wash job if i were to do it my self.

[diffluere]

i washed my bike in my bikini the other day. i forgot there were construction workers down the street, they all were staring at me. next time i'll pull it into the back yard first. =P

[burkbuilds]

Post pictures!

[Easy Rider]

Post pictures!

Hahaha......good luck with that !! :popcorn:

You trade in your bike for a boat yet ?? :cry:

[burkbuilds]

Right now I need an Amphibious vehicle in the Metro Atlanta area!

[dannylightning]

Right now I need an Amphibious vehicle in the Metro Atlanta area!


well you could tire some of those big blue plastic barrels to your bike and ride it around in the watter :lol:

[burkbuilds]

So far I've been pretty lucky, the highest water I've personally been through was barely over the floor boards but others in the region have been hit extremely hard with the flooding.

[mrlmd1]

Is Lake Lanier filled up again now so you can allow more water to flow down to FL?

[dannylightning]

is it flooding why you need a amphibious vehicle??? i hardley ever watch tv so i don't keep up on that kind of thing

[burkbuilds]

Yeah Danny, it is flooding in the Metro Atlanta area, really bad in places. Earlier in the week parts of I-285, I-85, I-75, I-20,. . . were under water. Lots' of homes destroyed, and at least 8 people killed in the flood waters that I heard about. There are entire schools and neighborhoods completely underwater. I don't know about Lake Lanier, but I drove across Allatoona Lake at I-75 coming home last night and from what I can see it is more than full. Parts of the surrounding area got as much as 20" of rain over the 3 day weekend last weekend. It had already been raining almost every day before the big deluge hit over the weekend. My home is about 120 miles North of Atlanta and my workshop was flooded at least 4 separate times. The ground is so saturated that every downpour just stays on the surface and runs across the yards and up against and over anything in it's path. Part of the problem was that the storm systems just sat in place for days, dumping enormous amounts of rain constantly. I've seen it rain that hard plenty of times, but it's usually over in a few hours at the most sometimes just 20-30 minutes, but these storms just dumped rain for days non stop. The president declared North Georgia a disaster area and Vice President Joe Biden flew in to Marietta (1st big city North of Atlanta, often referred to as a suburb of Atlanta) today and made a speech. I think Easy Rider has a kid in the Atlanta area, hope they are okay.

[dannylightning]

Yeah Danny, it is flooding in the Metro Atlanta area, really bad in places. Earlier in the week parts of I-285, I-85, I-75, I-20,. . . were under water. Lots' of homes destroyed, and at least 8 people killed in the flood waters that I heard about. There are entire schools and neighborhoods completely underwater. I don't know about Lake Lanier, but I drove across Allatoona Lake at I-75 coming home last night and from what I can see it is more than full. Parts of the surrounding area got as much as 20" of rain over the 3 day weekend last weekend. It had already been raining almost every day before the big deluge hit over the weekend. My home is about 120 miles North of Atlanta and my workshop was flooded at least 4 separate times. The ground is so saturated that every downpour just stays on the surface and runs across the yards and up against and over anything in it's path. Part of the problem was that the storm systems just sat in place for days, dumping enormous amounts of rain constantly. I've seen it rain that hard plenty of times, but it's usually over in a few hours at the most sometimes just 20-30 minutes, but these storms just dumped rain for days non stop. The president declared North Georgia a disaster area and Vice President Joe Biden flew in to Marietta (1st big city North of Atlanta, often referred to as a suburb of Atlanta) today and made a speech. I think Easy Rider has a kid in the Atlanta area, hope they are okay.

here i thought it was just wanting a boat, and im making jokes about putting floaters on the motorcycle, sorry, hope all is well

[Krazy Kraut]

Hi guy's!
Well, i have a questions, some what like the others. I have been riding my bike very little (due to my kids), but there are heat marks on my pipes in the front, by the engine. Is that normal? Sorry, but i'm still learning and i do not think (it's soposed to get that hot in the front), that after 117 miles on a NEW bike, this should be happening.
Any feedback welcome
See ya
Krazy Kraut Rider :??: :??:

[alantf]

there are heat marks on my pipes in the front, by the engine. Is that normal?

I've got nearly 14,000 km (8,500 miles?) on my bike, with no discolouration, but several folk in America have said that theirs are discoloured. The only (?) difference is that my European GZ is set up (from the factory) slightly richer than the American Bikes. Can anybody who's done a carb mod confirm or deny that this might be a factor contributing towards no discolouration? :??:

[Water Warrior 2]

Alantf, I think you are on to something. North American bikes do run quite lean so the result would be more heat. Heat is the determining factor in discoloration of pipes. Now all we need is some one to rejet a brand new N.A. bike and ride it fairly hard to see if the pipes discolor. I will do the testing if some one gives me a new bike. :whistle:

[Easy Rider]

there are heat marks on my pipes in the front, by the engine. Is that normal?

Yes. Or more properly, it is not ABnormal.
A lot of things can cause it: Too lean, too rich and a lot of low speed riding in very hot weather.
In most cases it is nothing to worry about......as long as the bike is running good.

[dannylightning]

Hi guy's!
Well, i have a questions, some what like the others. I have been riding my bike very little (due to my kids), but there are heat marks on my pipes in the front, by the engine. Is that normal? Sorry, but i'm still learning and i do not think (it's soposed to get that hot in the front), that after 117 miles on a NEW bike, this should be happening.
Any feedback welcome
See ya
Krazy Kraut Rider :??: :??:


if the bike is brand new and only has 117 miles on it i cant possibly imagine that the pipes would already start to blue. heat is the cause of blue pipes but it usually takes quite some time for pipes to blue. if your mixture is lean the bike will run hot and if you leave a bike set at idle for long periods of time, i hear that can also make the pipes blue since there is less air flow going threw the bike at idle.

[Krazy Kraut]

Thanks everybody!
Yeah, i have to idle it for 5-10 min, before i leave to get on the streets. And i'm from Germany originally (just came here 8 1/2 yrs ago) so i might not be used to the discoloration happening so quickly. I won't worry about it, until parts fall off (Like on a Harley Davidson LOL), just kidding! Thanks again for all the help and info, greetings to my european biker friend in Spain!!! OLE!!
(I'm half italian)
Krazy Kraut Rider :ride:

[dannylightning]

Thanks everybody!
Yeah, i have to idle it for 5-10 min, before i leave to get on the streets. And i'm from Germany originally (just came here 8 1/2 yrs ago) so i might not be used to the discoloration happening so quickly. I won't worry about it, until parts fall off (Like on a Harley Davidson LOL), just kidding! Thanks again for all the help and info, greetings to my european biker friend in Spain!!! OLE!!
(I'm half italian)
Krazy Kraut Rider :ride:

i would always warm it up for about 5 min and than ride with the choke on a little bit. bye the time i got 2 or 3 blocks away it was warmed up all the way. when i got to a stop sign i would just turn the choke off or i would just turn it off while riding. not sure how long is too long to let the bike set and idle but 10 min is pretty normal warm up time.

[Easy Rider]

Yeah, i have to idle it for 5-10 min, before i leave to get on the streets.

WAY too long to warm up. That may be the cause of the blue-ing.

You CAN ride with the choke still on a bit, you know ??
You are using the choke to start it, right?

After only about 2 minutes, it should be warm enough that you can have the choke about all the way OFF and then it should be OK to ride.

If you REALLY MUST let it warm up that much before you can ride it without stumbling, you should have the dealer look at it. That's not right; they tend to be "cold blooded" but not THAT much.

[diffluere]

I hardly ever use the choke. Usually my bike is already warmed up from the 90 degree weather here. Sometimes in the morning when it's only in the 70s I'll turn it on for a minute, then ride down my driveway and turn it off before I turn onto the street.

[dannylightning]

I hardly ever use the choke. Usually my bike is already warmed up from the 90 degree weather here. Sometimes in the morning when it's only in the 70s I'll turn it on for a minute, then ride down my driveway and turn it off before I turn onto the street.

on a hot day i never needed to use the choke either, cranked it up and it was ready to go. that was one thing i really liked about the gz.

[alantf]

I hardly ever use the choke.

I can beat you on that one :haha2: I NEVER need the choke :yes: