Triumphrat

04-14-2005

I just got back into riding this week, and I'm really jazzed about it. I'd like any suggestions anyone might have out there for keeping my Adventurer looking good.

What do any of you recommend for cleaning and polishing chrome and/or other engine parts? Any special brands? Can you go generic, or should I get a Triumph labeled product?

Thanks in advance.

Gary

asphyx9 · 04-14-2005

My wife and I use the Pro-Honda Polish and cleaner. It is terrific stuff that can be used on any surface (paint, glass, vinyl, rubber, chrome, etc.). We use it on our Thruxton, Bonnie, and my V-Star - which leaks chrome everywhere.

It polishes up chrome, and removes residue from old cleaners that don't work so well. It is good for bugs to.

For the washing, I use the Mr. Clean system. It works great, and no drying is needed (no spots or streaks or anyting like that (the kit has a water softener, and the soap is a non-white drying type). Don't forget about getting one of those Caifornia dusters to dust off light dirt between cleanings.

These are the only cleaning things we use, and we are pretty darn anal about our bikes (we practically get them to "show" quality shine and sparkle before every long ride).

[ This message was edited by: asphyx9 on 2005-04-14 12:12 ]

whodatpat · 04-14-2005

Good Post.
S-100 cleaner on the crome and engine, suds in a bucket for the rest of the bike and S-100 wax for the paint are ok for the rest of the bike. But the details are getting hairy.

The inside of the allen heads on the top of the engine and also around the rotor are starting to rust some. no doubt they hold water, and that won't be changing.

So, How do you clean the rust and stop it's return?

What do you use to clean/preserve rubber & vinyl? I am not an Armorall Fan.

shedds · 04-14-2005

i myself never use water on my bikes wipe bike down with honda polish cleaner but now i,m trying spectro cleaner polish (same as honda)

squod · 04-14-2005

Garden hose or bucket is a no-no. (Although I take the old bikes to a coin op car wash when they are leaking and haven't been cleaned in a while.) Simple green or similar is also a no-no. Windex or similar and/or a damp cloth gets it done. Lots of brands of wax or polish, all have worked well. Just wipe it off and go ride! :razz:

rigby · 04-14-2005

I plan on trying the Mr Clean system myself soon.
I use Gunk to get the road grime off the front and bottom of the engine. The judicious use of a garden hose is okay if one is careful not to get water in places like exhaust pipes, electrics and air filters. It can be done. Windex does great on the chrome and glass. A carnauba wax product is great for the paint.

As for the rust in the hex heads, use a cotton swab (Q-tip) with some 3-in-one oil on it to apply a fine rust preventive film. The cotton swab can also be used first to dry out the hex recess before applying the oil.

Bike cleaning time is also a good time for checking bolts, chain wear, chain lube, grease zerks...maintenance in general. Sometimes you find and prevent a problem from happening, that you would have otherwise missed, by stumbling across it while you are cleaning.

Enjoy your Adventurer.

asphyx9 · 04-14-2005

We do the Mr. Clean washing system thing when the bike needs to be washed with soap and water, and no amount of chemicals without water will do. Such as, after riding in the rain, or in the case of my wife and I, we rode through a lime stone quarrying operation - mixed with water. It was like having cement on our bikes.

I avoid the hose more now that we discovered the Pro-Honda Cleaner, but when you have to hose her down - the Mr. Clean system is top notch.

Guttermonkey · 04-14-2005

The Honda line of cleaning products are top drawer. Glass cleaner, the engine degreaser, Honda Brite. It is all excellent. Lexol makes great leather cleaners. I snagged my wife's coach leather cleaner. God only know how much they bagged her for a pukey little bottle. The lexol is the same stuff and work great. Plexis for the plastic. Wax, go with a carnuba base. Paste wax. Clean soft cloth. It can't be to clean or to soft. Diapers or even a kotex for buffing it off.
JR

squod · 04-15-2005

What you said about the quarry made me think of the weather, salt, etc that you might find in other parts of the country. Here in my part of SoCal there isn't much need to hose off the bike. In the Eastern half of SoCal, the Imperial valley has an alkali mud and dust that is incredibly bad. I retract what I said about the hose. (Simple Green remains restricted to washing the driveway or my kids however)

JWoodsie · 04-15-2005

well said squod I wouldnt wash my bike with anything I hadnt tried on the kids first. :razz: