Motorcycle Detailing Thread

[sunilyo]

Hi all,


I own a bike which is just 2 months old. Already there are some marks on the sides of tank where I hug with my thighs. Also I see some scratch marks. Are these different from swirl marks? Will these marks go away once waxed? No, for the marks to go away you need to use polishing compound.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]95834[/ATTACH]

If you look at the green arrow you can see a yellow spot which I think is rust. Also there is a yellow line from the tank top to bottom, indicated by red arrow. The 'stretch marks' are shown by black arrows. There are other scratches which I think were caused by my backpack when I went for a trek.

I asked at my svc for polishing and they said one polish would cost me Rs. 250. After reading this forum I've decided to try my hand on waxing.

I do use a hose which can give me a jet stream to wash my bike. I do wash it once in a fortnight or, if time allows, once a week using car shampoo.


I am thinking about polishing/waxing myself and after reading some posts in this thread am a bit confused.


Here are my queries.
1. Should I polish my bike or should I wax it or should I do both? - Both are different and fulfill a different purpose. Polishing removes is the process of removing light scratch marks / swirl marks and brings out the shine, but does not provide any protection from the elements eg- water. They are abrasive in nature and hence not suggested that you use them on a regular basis. Wax on the other hand does not remove any kind of scratch marks or swirl marks. Its main purpose is to provide a layer of protection and bring out the shine.

Do note here that there are various levels of Polishes, hence it does not mean that you can pickup any polish that is available in the market and use it on the affected area, simply because of the level and kind of abrasives used. Some are hard used for removing hard scratch marks and some are light used for removing swirl marks. Choosing the wrong polish will result in more bad than good and not to mention waste of money. Also many products that are infact waxes or used for similar purpose are sold as polish.

2. Can I use MF cloth to buff after appying wax or is it better to use cotton cloth?
An MF cloth is the standard that is recommended for a good result. Cotton cloths like the orange kitchen cloth are a strict no-no. They feel soft to touch but are the main reason of swirl marks.

I intend to use Waxpol auto polish to wax my bike. This will bring the shine but is not a polish technically.
Using Silicon polish on non metal parts seems to have served some people well.





Mayank, could you please elaborate on that last line?


And also could you please see if these are enough for the work?

MF gloves
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ilicon liquid polish - for Non-metal parts - These can be used for all purpose - washing, drying, buffing, dusting. Always a separate MF cloth / glove for each purpose i.e. do not use one cloth for washing, drying, buffing, dusting. Keep them clean by washing in warm water and light detergent and drip dry.
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Waxpol Auto polish - for metal parts - these can be used on all parts - even plastics, though they tend to be a lil oily and attract to much dust.
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This is carnuba wax best wax and will bring out the shine. Though hard to buff.
Thanks in advance dear fellows.

My replies in red above.

[evyavan]

My replies in red above.

Thank you for the wise words. But, still am a bit confused.

Shall I Polish my bike and then apply the wax as I want to remove scratches and want to have protection?

Also, how do we determine which Polish to use? Hard or soft? I have some scratches and fade marks. Someone in the local svc I asked told me that polishing won't remove the scratches, but will deal with the fade marks.

If I am to do polishing and waxing how much should I wait after polishing to wax?

[sunilyo]

[QUOTE=evyavan;925673]Thank you for the wise words. But, still am a bit confused.

Shall I Polish my bike and then apply the wax as I want to remove scratches and want to have protection? - yes that is the correct procedure

Also, how do we determine which Polish to use? Hard or soft? I have some scratches and fade marks. Someone in the local svc I asked told me that polishing won't remove the scratches, but will deal with the fade marks. - i havent used any polishes myself yet, but what ever i have read and heard, Meguairs swirlX and scratchX are the ones that will fit your bill. Do check with Meguairs via their FACEBOOK page if any doubts or if there is any local dealer of Meguairs then check with first.

Local SVC people dont know a thing. For them polishing means to bring out the shine, just like leather shoes, polish karo - brush karo - aur lo ho gai polish. You need to get in touch with a professional detailer to know more on how to deal with scratches.

If I am to do polishing and waxing how much should I wait after polishing to wax? - before waxing the surface should be clean from any dirt / debri hence the procedure should be Polish -> wash -> dry -> wax [/QUOTE]

Replies in red above.

[evyavan]

Replies in red above.

Thank you Sunil Bhai. Will keep the points in mind and will keep this forum updated about the work and feedback.

[MoonLight]

[QUOTE=sunilyo;925841]

Thank you for the wise words. But, still am a bit confused.

Shall I Polish my bike and then apply the wax as I want to remove scratches and want to have protection? - yes that is the correct procedure

Also, how do we determine which Polish to use? Hard or soft? I have some scratches and fade marks. Someone in the local svc I asked told me that polishing won't remove the scratches, but will deal with the fade marks. - i havent used any polishes myself yet, but what ever i have read and heard, Meguairs swirlX and scratchX are the ones that will fit your bill. Do check with Meguairs via their FACEBOOK page if any doubts or if there is any local dealer of Meguairs then check with first.

Local SVC people dont know a thing. For them polishing means to bring out the shine, just like leather shoes, polish karo - brush karo - aur lo ho gai polish. You need to get in touch with a professional detailer to know more on how to deal with scratches.

If I am to do polishing and waxing how much should I wait after polishing to wax? - before waxing the surface should be clean from any dirt / debri hence the procedure should be Polish -> wash -> dry -> wax [/QUOTE]

Replies in red above.

Bro, are you sure polish has to be done before washing bike ?? There could be dust already on bike surface which can further create more swirl marks when polishing is done before washing bike.

[evyavan]

[QUOTE=MoonLight;926031]

Bro, are you sure polish has to be done before washing bike ?? There could be dust already on bike surface which can further create more swirl marks when polishing is done before washing bike.

Polishing has to be done before 'WAXING' the bike. Not before 'washing', buddy. Washing has to be done before Polishing.

..., Meguairs swirlX and scratchX are the ones that will fit your bill. Do check with Meguairs via their FACEBOOK page if any doubts or if there is any local dealer of Meguairs then check with first.
Replies in red above.

Meguairs wont fit in my bill. I was thinking about Collinite, but I couldn't find it in local shops. What do you think about 'Abro', Armor All and Formula 1 But when I was searching online for their product lines, I couldn't spot a 'polish'.

What do you think about applying Waxpol Silicone Polish before applying Waxpol Wax. Is it enough to remove these scratch marks?

[sunilyo]

[QUOTE=evyavan;926589]

Polishing has to be done before 'WAXING' the bike. Not before 'washing', buddy. Washing has to be done before Polishing.



Meguairs wont fit in my bill. I was thinking about Collinite, but I couldn't find it in local shops. What do you think about 'Abro', Armor All and Formula 1 But when I was searching online for their product lines, I couldn't spot a 'polish'.

What do you think about applying Waxpol Silicone Polish before applying Waxpol Wax. Is it enough to remove these scratch marks?

Yeah i you are right washing is the first in the process.

To give you a clear idea you might want to take a look at the following flowchart which i had posted on page 2 of this thread. This might help.



The Meguair products that i had suggested are polishes and not waxes. Collinite also has a pre-wax cleaner (No. 840) used for prepping before waxing. No i dont know if it will act as a polish and will remove swirl / scratch marks, but when i last checked with someone i was told that it contains mild abrasives, hence it might work for you.

you can get Collinite from bringingthebest.com, prices are reasonable and they deliver by courier. I got my 846 insulator wax from them only.

Abro, Armor All and Formula 1 might have polishes in their product range, but you need to check with someone who has experience with them or try youtube or search online for reviews you will get answers.

No idea about waxpol silicon polish, you can try it to see results.

[MoonLight]

Meguairs wont fit in my bill. I was thinking about Collinite, but I couldn't find it in local shops. What do you think about 'Abro', Armor All and Formula 1 But when I was searching online for their product lines, I couldn't spot a 'polish'.

What do you think about applying Waxpol Silicone Polish before applying Waxpol Wax. Is it enough to remove these scratch marks?

Formula1 has Product named "Scratch out", you can try on your own risk . There are scratch remover pens also available, I have bought one for my bike but still to use it on some scratches. These pens are in simpler term, clear coat applicators. Some light scratches are visible because clear coat paint gets removed from that area. So these pens apparently work on those scratches by filling clear coat.

[evyavan]

Tried waxing at one portion of my bike. I think my bike is better left with a professional detailer. Though I loved the experience I think I might spoil the paint.

Applied wax and after sometime buffed it off. Had to apply silicon Polish over the wax to bring the shine. I guess something went wrong.

[siddharthsure]

Tried waxing at one portion of my bike. I think my bike is better left with a professional detailer. Though I loved the experience I think I might spoil the paint.

Applied wax and after sometime buffed it off. Had to apply silicon Polish over the wax to bring the shine. I guess something went wrong.

Bro tats total mess.. Y do you mix two different things?? Polish should be applied bfr waxing that too not an ordinary silicon polish. Wat wax did you use?? And if you buff it up correctly,wax alone wil shine. Even am a noob but hav little knowledge and experience.. Plz read bfr doing any diy's

Cheers

[evyavan]

Bro tats total mess.. Y do you mix two different things?? Polish should be applied bfr waxing that too not an ordinary silicon polish. Wat wax did you use?? And if you buff it up correctly,wax alone wil shine. Even am a noob but hav little knowledge and experience.. Plz read bfr doing any diy's

Cheers

Yeah! I read a lot and after making sure everything is right at my side I did that. At least I need to see someone do things first and then do it.

I did Polish it before waxing. I gave it to the svc and they polished it for me. They didn't use silicone Polish. After that I took the bike home and tried waxing. I used waxpol. I were not convinced at the result and then put Polish over it. I'll try asking some guys who does this so that I can watch and learn.

And mine is a white bike. Any small thing will show through.

[siddharthsure]

Yeah! I read a lot and after making sure everything is right at my side I did that. At least I need to see someone do things first and then do it.

I did Polish it before waxing. I gave it to the svc and they polished it for me. They didn't use silicone Polish. After that I took the bike home and tried waxing. I used waxpol. I were not convinced at the result and then put Polish over it. I'll try asking some guys who does this so that I can watch and learn.

Everything good excpt the polish at end and do mind waxpol needs super hard buffing and its really good if you have good muscles buff hard and you'll see the results

Cheers

[evyavan]

Everything good excpt the polish at end and do mind waxpol needs super hard buffing and its really good if you have good muscles buff hard and you'll see the results

Cheers

Yeah, I'll try again next week.

[Arun Magus]

Any reviews? Planning to use this on P200NS. Any issues when used on fibre parts?

[mayank.travadi]

Guys...i have a p200NS and its just crossed 6 months of age....it has never been subjected t regular wiping with a cloth...just may be once in a month...it is washed every3 or 4 weeks and waxed with waxpol hard wax...silicone polish used on plastic parts(even after 3-4 weeks plastics bead water :P)

the bike is always under a cover when at home...still i dont understand why do i have so many swirl marks....??
experienced members please help...

@arun magnus..my suggestion use waxpol silicone polish...it is cheap and easy to buff...leaves good shine...certain motomax polishes have abrasives so if possible do try to know if it has those fine emery or no...if u want to use a motomax product use cream polish...brilliant product...the shine is coparable to waxpol hard wax...easy to apply easy to buff...i used it once...didnt like but next time i used i learnt how to buff properly....i was buffing with a cloth which alredy had buffed wa so the shine ddint come...i kept 2 cloths one for primary buffing to remove most of the wax and second for fine buffing and the shine is really very good...

i on the other hand use waxpol auto polish(its hard wax...the name is mis leading)

the reasult is good but u will have a tough time buffing it...but after a good muscle building buffing sesion u will love the shine...and it is the cheapest and bext wax available locally