Mods - if this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move it!
I posted a thread up in the General section (about a guy on a UK forums' Ducati 1098s, and how clean / lovely he keeps it, plus his own (aha hum) 'performance upgrades (well you can definitely say that on a Ducati 1098s).
Anyway, having asked for some tips on keeping things 'tip top' (specially over the winter months (okay all you Southern US / Australian and North Island NZers can stop reading now
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This is what he kindly said with regards to general washing and which I feel might be even more appropriate in the months ahead (if you plan to ride in the winter months:
Between you and me, the reason most bikes look less than their best, is people don't pay enough attention to the smaller details, as this is what sets a bike apart from one that looks OK and one that looks pristine. These are what take the time. I use a lot of different products and from experience, the cheaper ones are not worth the money and at best dont really deliver and at worst damage the bike.
If you do intend on riding your bike through the winter, liberally apply a good oil based penetrant to ALL the nuts, bolts and fasteners on the bike, especially any nickel or cadmium plated parts. Even at the price they are, Ducati still manufacture to a budget, so these are the parts that will corrode first. Next aluminium. Again either spray on or wipe a thin film of ACF50 or similar over these surfaces. The ball ended joints of the pedal linkages and ride height adjusters also is one area where corrosion sets in fast. By far and away the most negected area is the final drive. Lubing the chain is good practice, but dirt and grit accumulate here like flies on food. I regularly remove the front sprocket cover and degrease the area, before relubing the whole chain. Profi Dry Lube is the best chain lubricant as it is a dry (once applied) chain wax, that leaves little if any mess or fling on your rear wheel. WD40 is useful for removing oil and tar from the bike.
If you have the additional cash, consider having a Ventureshield kit fitted, it is expensive but protects all the vulnerable areas of the bike from stone chip damage. I have also fitted both radiator and oil cooler guards, as again these are subject to quite a pounding from stones and debris thrown up from the front wheel.
If my bike is really filthy here is what I do:
First strip off all the bodywork, except the seat uinit and nose fairing (unless these areas are harbouring a lot of dirt underneath, there is little point removing them. Next, with the bike on paddock stands, liberally spray the bike (and I mean everywhere) with a mild degreaser or citrus based product. Allow to this work into the dirt. DONT use a brush on the wheels (if painted) as this will scratch the paint. Next using a hose rinse the cleaner off. Dont direct any water jet directly at any electronics, just allow the water to trickle over the bike. I usually tie a couple of plastic bags over the exhaust outlets when washing the bike and one over the battery, ECU.
Once the water has drained away, start the bike and let it run for a couple of minutes. No more than this otherwise any water on painted surfaces will dry too quickly and leave mineral deposits which are hard to remove especially on a noticeable area of the bike. Next over the entire engine bay area I usually use an atomiser bottle, filled with rubbing alcohol and water to remove any residual oil or grease, this can be allowed to drain or evaporate off. Then a final rinse with the hose and allow the bike to dry naturally out of direct sunlight. Dry any painted surfaces at this point of excess water and remove any droplets as these will leave mineral deposits if you dont. Remove any excess water that has pooled in the engine area by soaking it up with a soft clean towel. I usually degrease the inside of the fairings as well, rinse and allow to dry, especially the sound deadening panels inside. Put these to one side. Next spray the alcohol water mix over the tank seat and nose cone. Gently wipe the areas down with a lint free cloth or microfibre cloth. Then assuming there are no other contaminants on the paintwork such as dead bugs or tar, which should be removed by hand with a natural sponge and lots of very hot water and a mild detergent (I dont use car sponges ever as they are crap and very abrasive on paint), I apply the first layer of Carnauba wax. Leaves this to harden for 15 mins then wipe off using a clean lint free or microfibre cloth, use a separate one to apply and another to remove the wax.
I repeat this process again on each panel. Replace the bodywork and do the same to the fairings. I also apply wax to the wheels, being careful not to get any on the tyres. As for all the smaller details of which there are many, these usually involve the use of a small rag, soaked in either meths (really good on black plastic parts (dont use that awful spray on silicone crap) and or WD40 to wipe over metal parts, and a combination of polishes and waxes on areas like the cockpit (top yoke, switches, instrument console etc). I am not trying to teach you how to suck eggs, but ultimately any bike because of it's intricacies and nooks and crannies, is by virtue awkward to clean, and therefore takes time to do properly and thoroughly. To carry out all the above, would take me the best part of a whole day possibly two. If I take the bike out for a ride, then afterwards, normally I just use a quick spray on detailer (Meguiars makes a good one) which is basically a cleaner / top up wax, that will quickly remove any spots, flies, tar etc and can have the bike back to it's original state in less than an hour. I only do a complete stripdown if the bike has been out in a downpour else, you could wash it with the bodywork on, since in light rain, water barely penetrates the internal engine bay area or up under the tail, to the extent that a quick clean will no longer suffice.
Hopefully this ought to answer your questions if not PM me. Sorry the message was a bit long but you did ask!!!!
Regards
Rod
Top (free) advice.
Now this is what makes the biking community such a nice place to be.
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