Motorcycle Detailing Thread

[aargee]

This post & few other below made me think as why not we start a thread to discuss on Motorcycle Detailing procedure & various products available, especially when we have more expensive motorcycles (that is immaterial though) like Ninja 250/650, Duke etc.

[antz.bin]

Universal Thread Approved

MOD MESSAGE:Use this thread for any discussion related to Motorcycle Detailing.

You can also post your bike's photos here.

[Shibadip]

This post was in some other thread. But I think the products mention in the below post are more apt for this thread.
The products bought for detailing his 200 NS

Since i am in the initial stages i have not invested much but to begin with it will help me to at least keep my bike spic n span in a good way. So here is the small list of products that i will be using [both ordered / already i have in stock]:

a. Home Needs sprinkler [ordered] (Rs.295)

b. Collinite 845 [ordered] - my main waxing component (Rs.1059)

c. Turtle wax Platinum series Protective Extra gloss [bought] - To seal and protect the wax and hopefully bring out extra shine. (Rs.500)

d. Motomax dashboard polish [bought] - for polishing meter consoles, indicators and side matte plastics (Rs.99)

e. Motomax bumper black [bought] - for a deeper black front and rear mud guards (Rs.45)

f. Cyclo Engine degreaser [bought] - for cleaning the engine from tar and other kinds of sticky dirt (Rs.400 - dont exactly remember the cost)

g. 2 nos. circular foam applicators [ordered] - Rs.159 each / one each for applying the wax and protective sealant

h. 5 nos. MF cloth [ordered] - Rs.159 each / one for daily dusting / one for washing / one for drying / one for buffing the wax / one for buffing off the sealant

i. 2 nos. small hand brush [bought] Rs.49 each - one for cleaning the under belly of the engine and second one for cleaning the tires

j. 1 small bottle cleaning brush[bought] Rs.49 - for cleaning areas where normal hands cannot reach

k. 1 can of Motomax tire shine [old stock] - this one is of no use hence will be using to just finish the product and then later will go for something with a lil bit more kick

l. Amway carsh wash [500 ml bottle] [bought] - Rs.257

m. two 4 litre buckets [old stock] one for soapy water and second one for rinsing.

n. 30 feet hose [old stock]

o. 1 litre turpentine oil [Rs.60] for cleaning chain, the air filter etc.

p. SAE 90 grade oil + oil dispenser [will be used as chain lube and air filter]

q. All required tools - Allen Key set, couple T-bar spanners, a whole lot of spanners, and other required tools for opening and tightening screws

r. Digital Multimeter - for checking battery condition etc.

s. 1 paint brush [for general purpose cleaning of chains, sprockets, engines etc.]

some of the products especially the tools have been bought over a period of time.

So if anyone wants to go for the above config all at once then this should cost anywhere between 5000-6000 rs.

Sounds like overkill

[aargee]

Why pressure wash needs to be avoided
Ever since I owned a two-wheeler for over one & half decade ago, I never liked the idea of pressure wash though the outcome was OK to some extent; Reason?
1. Never liked the attitude of people at water wash no matter how many times I changed the location; either they don't open the chain guard or cause a mild dent or scratch without fail; thanks to the carelessness attitude, especially in Chennai
2. After wash, everything looks neat & tidy, but never like, vehicle out of showroom; after coming home, I'd to extra work on polish (used to think polish gives lusture; happy now sunillyo ) with tons of clothes to wipe out additional water seeping through emblems & underneath of fenner & what not?
3. The soap+Diesel mix they use at all the places acts as dust lover; even before you come home, the side walls of the tire has a brown/red tinge of mud mix
4. One another reason, least matters though, I was able to understand how quick the buck was made; say about Rs 25-30 (during the late 90's) for an half hour job; work for 10 hours & make about 15-18K (only with two-wheelers, barring cars & trucks) a month, which was quite huge at that point in time. Even if the buck making technique is justified, the job was not done properly + it seemed an easy job...atleast to me.

Those were the days where one can find one waterwash guys for every half a Km, which is highly unlikely now, atleast these days in Chennai (Tks to the water scarcity )

After a two-three years, I started doing the same at home just with household hose & the pressure from the overhead tank; which did the job to some extent, but not the outcome I expected, in the initial days. Then experimented with Kerosene, Diesel, Petrol & kept learning as how to use one & all of them effectively to keep myself satisfied.

This went on up to a point about 2-3 years ago when I learned about something called CAR DETAILING. That is also when I learned about the differences between Paint, clear coat & the very famous word "teflon coating" ROTFL Having learnt I could clearly understand as how & why the paint mars on prolonged use, how to maintain them for longer life & that is also when I learned as why a pressure wash should be avoided.

Barring the carelessness, one of the foremost reason being, water has a very good property to damage the paint on prolonged use (such as rust on metals) especially the force of water mars the paint, no matter even if it's a paint on Lambo or Bentley. That was also when I realized as why there were so many waterwash centers as the job was quite easy. When I talked with one of the car detailers, I was inquiring if one should keep away from pressure wash completely? They said two reasons...

A) POLLUTED WATER (Tks, our own riding/driving pollution takes different forms)
B) Unorganized sector, ppl using cheap ineffective methods & products that cause harm on our beloved vehicles on long runs

If pressure & unclean water are the reason to damage the paints, why not leave the vehicle under a pouring rain? (Thought I was was smart), but again was proved wrong with two things...
A) Prolonged droplets from high sky does have pressure
B) Most importantly rain water contains acidity which mars the paint even faster

Why pressure wash needs to be done
However the same detailers said that a pressure washing is also GOOD on certain occasions, the answer was quite convincing. They stated that a pressure wash should be done with controlled pressure (don't ask me the details, 'cause I don't know too) & mostly to remove the excessive soiled areas like underneath the fenner, mud flaps, bumpers & underneath of car, underneath the engine or remove excessive oil from the chain guard.

The Way Forward
So if underneath the car/bike is clean, then what to do about cleaning the other parts of the vehicle? After hearing their sweet talk, coming back home, all I could think of was...
1. Crap talk!!!
2. This cannot happen
3. WTH??? Who & why would one spend so much for maintaining a car (they were car detailers) that too for looks? (Didn't understand the word looks should ideally be termed as beauty)
4. Another way to mint money
5. This is day robbery
6. These type of business will not succeed in India
7. Steam wash? What the hell? Why no ask for Nivea cream too?
8. Germ protection - height of stupidity!!!

Fast forward to now; Hell!!! I've been spending like mad (don't know when I'll call all these crap & stop spending), the height of my stupidity currently (don't know what levels it might reach ) is contemplating if I need to buy this...


Costs Rs 7800+tax, used one & only for polishing with speed variation between 700 to 3000 RPM; ask about the maintenance of this machine, you'll go berserk

[rameshmadhavan]

@ aargee - you have gone mad

unless and until you have a garage, have all our stupid (thats what my wife calls) things dumped out there, we cannot think about having most of our DIY done.

To speak about the polishing one, I saw a jugad at one of the mech's place in Jaipur, he had the automatic hand mixer with some jugad for polishing the corners / sides of the tank etc, it was good.

Here in Jaipur also water wash is one sad part, not many u can find, even if you find one, they were using the "Tide" soap powder for car / bike wash. I had gone for service and after seeing the soap powder i had to come back

[shahbaz63]

I Used Motomox Dashboard liquid for Black part (Dashboard) shining of my bike easy & effective..

25ml costs 90 rs

[aargee]

@ aargee - you have gone mad

Sadly...I've to agree Like I said in some other thread (I think Polish), my Wife is contended for the moment that I only have non-human mistress

unless and until you have a garage...think about having most of our DIY done

Hehe...I've large free place setup to some extent

To speak about the polishing one...of the tank etc, it was good

I'm not very surprised!!! May be the RPMs are little low, have to check

I'm actually inneed of this one...


as I can use this tool for cutting pipes occasionally as well as for wood work; I came to know there's some sort of attachment that can be done on this one to convert this into polishing machine, sort of 3 in one tool

That was until I came to know the RPM speeds This damn machine has 11000K RPM while we only need a maximum of 2K RPM for even a deep cuts for polish restoration.

they were using the "Tide" soap powder for car / bike wash

Quite dangerous for paints; detergents are very harsh on paints causing them to fade, mar or even damage them very soon. However diluting the tide (don't know the ratio) to a great extent may help. But nothing works like a car shampoo from my experience.

I Used Motomox Dashboard liquid for Black part (Dashboard) shining of my bike easy & effective

Seems you're using the right one for protection; good; pls keep us posted on the effectiveness of it's protection

BTW, why didn't you opt for Bikes dashboard and vinyl polish instead?

Full product list - Bikes Silicone Liquid Polish Manufacturers, Bike Dashboard Polish manufacturers India

Message for SunilYo
You were asking for interior protection for dashboard with UV protection; I came across this one - Protectant Spray from Motomax - Car Interior Cleaning, Dashboard Polish Cars Manufacturers

[aargee]

Pls see this video on Motomax polish; this is only a polish to provide luster & protect the paint (not sure how this is different from wax) & this doesn't seem to be the one to use for restoration with shine

Wax Liquid Polish.VOB - YouTube

[mulli84]

My cousin gave this idea of washing my car with Clinic Plus shampoo when there is too much dirt. It was good, did the job well. But washing the car after applying it needs a lot of water. Recently i washed my bike with Garnier shampoo because it was covered in mud.

I too leave my vehicle in rain to clear the dust. But it certainly removes the paint to a larger extent. My dio has lost its shine and color a lot.

[sunilyo]

My cousin gave this idea of washing my car with Clinic Plus shampoo when there is too much dirt. It was good, did the job well. But washing the car after applying it needs a lot of water. Recently i washed my bike with Garnier shampoo because it was covered in mud.

I too leave my vehicle in rain to clear the dust. But it certainly removes the paint to a larger extent. My dio has lost its shine and color a lot.

Washing the car with our human shampoo is not recommended as it has a tendency of leaving spots and degrading the clear coat giving a dull effect. Though it does the cleaning job well and as you said requires a lot of water to remove. Also note that in order to avoid the spots we have constantly use the washing cloth during the rinsing process which again leads to light scratches resulting in the paint getting dull in the long run.

This has something to do with pH level and car shampoos are pH neutral and are hence recommended for washing bikes / cars. What is pH? Even i do not know about it. i have read this in many forums.

exposing the vehicle especially a bike to the elements will have a lot of effect on the paint (resulting in dullness / water spots etc.) and metal parts ( in the form of rusting). Also note that rains in the city is a little bit acidic hence try to coverup your bike as much as possible with a good bike cover.

Using a good wax will help in greatly reducing the effects of natural elements - water, dust, sun etc. by giving a protective layer to the bike.

[sunilyo]

Rubbing compound

There are a variety of rubbing/polishing compounds available in the market.

Does anybody have any experience with these products. I am looking for a VFM product. The only product that i have access to at the moment is the Motomax 2k rubbing compound. Has anybody used this product yet if so then how is results?

[sunilyo]

Source:: autogeekonline.net

A flowchart (kind of) process on detailing your vehicle.

[sunilyo]

Did a complete wash and waxing of my NS this sunday. I think it took me almost 4 hrs to complete the entire process with another 30 minutes for a single coat of the protective hi-gloss polish.

The result was a brand new bike just out of showroom look. Couldn't take the pictures.

First time i've ever used a good brand wax product - Collinite 845 and the results are simply amazing. the next day it rained for some time and the wax coating provided excellent water beading and cleaning the surface was a breeze.

Since the NS does not have a lot of painted surface the quantity used was almost neglible. And i did 2 coats of collinite 845 with a gap of 30 minutes in between coats. Plus 1 coat of the turtle wax protective hi-gloss after a gap of 3 hours. That brought out the shine a lil bit more i think.

Used motomax dashboard polish on all matte surfaces.

Also used motomax bumper black on the front and rear fenders but i did not like it. The result is pretty dark mudguard but look patchy. The stuff is similar to a liquid shoe polish in consistency and looks and works exactly like it. I think a coat of motomax dashboard polish would have brought out the real shine on it, but i did not try it this time as i was a bit exhausted and getting bored.

Now i do not know when i will be repeating this cycle next as this will depend upon the wax protection. But i think to maintain the shine a quick detailer once every week and regular dusting with an MF cloth will do the job.

I made some changes to my washing techniques by taking tips from various sources/forum including xbhp. Here are the steps that i followed for my first wash.

STEP 1 (Soaking / chain cleaning)

• Wet the bike with plain water – especially areas under the engine and mud guards, rear shocks etc. This will remove the dust and loosen the mud/grime under the mud guards and under the engine. Spray soap solution to speed up the process
• Degrease chain with Kerosene / Turpentine oil. Lightly scrub using a broad brush/.
• Clean chain with soap solution. Lightly scrub with tooth brush.
• Rinse the chain with clean water using a garden hose
• Wipe it dry using an old cloth and let it dry

STEP 2 (Tire cleaning)

• Fill bucket with 2 liters of water. Mix 1 cap Prill + 1 tsp. diluted tide powder + 1 cap car wash
• Fill a second bucket with 2 liters of clean water.
• Rinse the tire with plain water
• Spray soap solution all over the rim and tires and let it soak for a few minutes.
• Scrub the rims using a soft scotch brite sponge
• Scrub the tires using a tire brush (Black)
• Scrub hard to reach areas on the rims using the bottle cleaning brush
• Clean brake assembly with soap solution & scrub using bottle cleaning brush or small tooth brush
• Rinse the tires with clean water using a garden hose

STEP 3 (engine degreasing / cleaning)

• Now the mud / grime under the engine must have become soft
• Rinse the under belly of the engine with plain water using the garden hose.
• Remove stubborn dirt using the tooth brush.
• Clean hard to reach areas using the bottle cleaning brush
• Rinse the bike with plain water using garden hose
• Apply engine degreaser on the entire engine and leave it to soak for 15 minutes.
• While the de-greaser does its work clean small components of the bike around the engine radiators, foot pegs, side / center stand / silencer etc. by spraying the soap solution and cleaning with broad brush.
• For radiators use the small brush.
• Spray a little bit of kerosene/turpentine oil on the engine and lightly scrub the area with the broad brush.
• Then spray soap solution on the engine and wash with the scotch brite sponge
• Rinse the engine area with clean water using a garden hose

STEP 4 (Washing)

• Throw away the used water and pour 3 liters of fresh water in the washing bucket and 4 liters of fresh water in the rinse bucket. Be sure that the bucket is clean and free of any dirt. If possible wipe the buckets dry using a soft cloth
• Add 2 capfuls of car wash in the washing bucket
• Pre-soak the bike using the soapy solution for a couple of minutes
• While the bike soaks clean areas like tank cap, brake levers, console (matte areas) with the small brush and soap solution
• Gently wash the surface of the bike with a clean MF cloth
• After each wash rinse the MF cloth in the bucket of clean water and before dipping it in the soap solution again make sure that it is free of any dirt that can induce swirls or scratches on the paint
• Repeat this process for all painted areas – tank / headlight / front fender / rear cowl / console / RVM’s and handle bar.
• For rear fenders use soft orange cloth
• Rinse the entire bike with clean water using a garden hose

STEP 5 (Drying)

• Start from top to bottom
• Tilt the RVM’s so that excess water can drip away from it
• Pat dry using a fresh dry MF cloth all painted areas /perimeter frame / console / front and rear fenders / seat / radiator cowl
• For foot pegs / engine block / side / center stands / front & rear brake assembly / chain guard / tires and rims - dry them using the soft orange cloth.

STEP 6 (Waxing)

• After the bike has dried completely place your bike in a shady area.
• Apply Collinite 845 wax using yellow applicator on all painted surfaces as well as headlight and let it haze. Note to apply as thin as possible.
• Buff off using a clean MF cloth. Keep changing sides when buffing.
• Dust of any trapped wax in the MF cloth
• Repeat the waxing process on all painted areas
• Apply a second coat of wax using the above procedure

STEP 7 (Sealing)

• Apply Turtle Wax Hi-Gloss Protective wax (using the blue applicator) on all painted surfaces as well as headlight
• Buff off using a fresh dry MF cloth

STEP 8 (Polishing Matte areas)

• Apply dash board polish on the console / side matte plastics / RVM’s / Front fender / Shocker lower black areas / rear number plate light / indicators / brake & clutch levers / brake oil cylinders / handle bards
• Apply bumper black on the rear mud guard / cowl and chain guard
• Apply tire shine on tires and let it soak

STEP 9 (Lubrication)

• Lubricate chain, side stand and center stand using SAE 90

• Lubricate brake pedals, gear shifter, brake / clutch levers / key holes like ignition, petrol tank, rear seat with WD-40
• Try to mask waxed / polished areas with some kind of cloth
• Wipe off any excess oil using an old cloth

THINGS USED


OLD cloth (eg. old baniyan)
1 for chain & removing any excess lubrication
1 for masking component while applying WD 40

Orange cloth
1 for drying engine block areas

Toothbrush
1 for cleaning brake assembly
1 for cleaning under the engine

Paint brush
1 medium sized brush for cleaning chain
1 medium sized brush for cleaning engine block
1 small sized brush for cleaning radiators / petrol tank cover

MF Cloth
1 for washing painted areas
1 for drying painted areas
1 for buffing collinite
1 for buffing turtle wax

Sponge (Soft scotch brite)
1 for cleaning tire rims & rear fenders
1 for cleaning engine block


Spare Items
1 small paint brush
2 small soft scotch brite sponges
1 tooth brush
1 broad paint brush


WD-40


Collinite 845


Turtle Wax Protective Extra Gloss


Cyclo Engine Degreser


Water sprinker


Amway Car Wash



Motomax Dashboard polish


Motomax Bumper Black


Micro Fibre (MF) cloths (i have used 16" x 16" sizes)

[NitinGirish]

• Scrub the rims using a soft scotch brite sponge

STEP 3 (engine degreasing / cleaning)

• Apply engine degreaser on the entire engine and leave it to soak for 15 minutes.

Don't you think using Scotch Brite will cause swirls/small scratches? Those pads don't feel soft enough.

How did you find the Cyclo Engine De-greaser? Is it effective? Also, after using de-greaser did you just rinse it with clean water or did you use car shampoo and then rinse?

Sorry too many questions but I think cleaning a bike let alone detailing it is even beyond art simply because there are numerous types of surfaces.

EDIT: Which MFs are they? EUROW? Also, how do you wash MFs? Do you use Micro-restorers? Also please let me know from where you bought that water sprinkler from and its cost.

[aargee]

Don't you think using Scotch Brite will cause swirls/small scratches? Those pads don't feel soft enough

Yes, it will form scratches; currently, due to unavailability of degreaser, I spray Petrol or WD40 & then wipe with a cloth; best way is to spray Diesel, wipe away greater part of dirt, then use Petrol or WD40 & remove the Diesel stain using cloth.

but I think cleaning a bike let alone detailing it is even beyond art simply because there are numerous types of surfaces

Absolutely; so is a car, just that some parts of cars are inside & outside a car, but everything is exposed on a motorcycle

Which MFs are they? EUROW?

Do we get Eurow in India? If so, pls let me know. TIA

Also, how do you wash MFs?

Word around internet goes to hand wash MF with a warm water using mild detergent & then rinse them dry naturally under shade