how do you keep your engine looking clean?

[bikersnoopy]

alot of grime and gunk gets down in some of those nooks and crannys and its damned near impossible to reach by hand.

what do you guys use? i am thinking if something that you spray on the motor and hose it off, though i REALLY hate to spray any water on it, then hit with a leaf blower to dry it off quickly.

advice and tips wanted!

[Speed3]

You gotta use soap and water to clean your bike. I use S-100 Bike Wash, and S-100 Engine Brightener to keep the cases nice and black. If you have grease in tough places W/D 40 is good for removing it, followed by the wash.

[Hairball]

If you don't want to spend a fortune on S-100, get a bottle of Shout laundry pre-wash.

Mix it 1/2 & 1/2 with water in a spray bottle and spray it on a cool engine, let it sit for a couple of minutes, hose it off, It works excellent for about 1/10th the price!

I use it on everything, Works great at removing bug guts, light grease, blood and grass stains :-D

Give it a try, Its cheap (about $2.00 a bottle) I buy it buy the gallon. You won't be disappointed.

I never buy car wash soap any more.

[ExPatTommo]

WD40 works for me. I use it all over the bike, not just the engine

[Andhedrew]

After I washed it last spring, I locked my bike in my detached garage and forbade my family from entering. I like to look at it through the windows sometimes and smile at how shiny the engine is. Last February I thought it looked a little dusty but by the time April came along I realized that it was probably just fog from my breathing on the icy windows that made it look that way. I just went out and shined a flashlight through the window and sure enough, shiny as can be. Keeping the bike locked away from dust and grime is a good way to keep from spending a lot on fancy cleaning solutions too.

[Goffe]

On 2007-05-29 23:14, Andhedrew wrote:
Keeping the bike locked away from dust and grime is a good way to keep from spending a lot on fancy cleaning solutions too.

Yeah, it keeps you from running up the miles too, and is a lot safer!

[Redneck_RAT]

On 2007-05-29 23:14, Andhedrew wrote:
Keeping the bike locked away from dust and grime is a good way to keep from spending a lot on fancy cleaning solutions too.

If your bike gets dirty when you ride, you're just not going fast enough. Only slow bikes get dirty. That's why the black speedys always look so dusty. :wink:

All kidding aside, for the hard-to-reach places on the engine, I use a toothbrush dipped in a little WD-40. If you don't want to splash the engine w/ a hose, one of my buddies swears by using a squirt bottle to rinse out the gunk (nozzle turned to "stream" instead of "spray". A little labor-intensive for something only you will probably ever notice but to each their own.

[ This message was edited by: Redneck_RAT on 2007-05-30 11:10 ]

[Euro]

I've heard of people using Pledge to clean their black engines, because it won't leave water spots. I've never tried it, so I don't know how well it will work in the hard places; probably not very good. I haven't washed my S3 once since I bought it over a year ago.

[R100Pilot]

I use a toothbrush dipped in a little WD-40.

Now that's dedication. Or OCD. Or something!

I think I'm gonna try Hairball's Shout trick.

And then clean my tires with WD40 too.

Man, it's a slow day.

[Joemomma]

Pledge works, & your bikes smells lemony-fresh to boot.
I guess whale oil on a chamois made from the fur of unborn baby lambs isn't acceptable anymore?