Triumphrat

sazerac99us · 08-02-2005

I've got a great collection of bugs on my front fairing, headlight etc....some very rare and collectable ones i think. Anyway, does anyone know any good secrets for getting them off? A buddy suggested peroxide, but that didnt work too well, Windex soaked on them doesnt seem to work very well either, though it does on a helmet visor.

Any ideas?

ST · 08-02-2005

Soak a towel in hot soapy water and leave it wrapped over your screen / fairings etc for a few hours. Then wash of as normal.this works well and you wont get swirly marks from scrubbing the bugs.

If they are well stuck still after trying the towel method use a bug sponge which is a sponge with a fishnet type wrap on it, it shifts bugs without damage.

jefferskn · 08-02-2005

I use Honda polish. Cleans bugs off well and cleans the bike up really well also.

Airsick · 08-02-2005

Quote:

On 2005-08-02 13:05, jefferskn wrote:
I use Honda polish. Cleans bugs off well and cleans the bike up really well also.

I too use the Pro Honda Cleaner and Polish. Spray it on and let it sit for 30 seconds. If that doesn't do it I use a product called SD-20. It too comes in a spray can and we use it to remove bugs off our aircraft. Does a pretty good job of cleaning wheels and grungy areas.

brgsprint · 08-02-2005

I use the Honda spray, too.

Be careful with the windex. It can cloud some plastic lenses, including your faceshield. It will also take any wax off.

DaveM · 08-02-2005

Over many years I have found the best method is to lick them off then use windex or plastic polish to re-shine your screen.

This has the added benefit of extra nutrition at no cost. I am sure this has contributed to my great health. :-D

davem

dolson · 08-02-2005

I would NOT use anything with ammonia in it, or Simple Green. Over time and sooner that later, products with ammonia will be very harmful to plastics. Crazing, etching, and weakening. Simple Green, though great for cleaning diesel truck blocks and concrete driveways will eat aluminum for breakfast. It is very acidic. And don't think that you can flood it enough to rinse it off. It will collect in the most minute and microscopic areas. It's use is banned by every military and government institution that I am aware of and also banned from any aircraft cleaning and use by all aircraft manufactures in the world. So, if you use Simple Green and can't figure out why you are seeing your components looking like they are coated with powdered sugar, this is the reason.

The best that I have seen for this is a product called Final Inspection by Maguires. Can be had by the gallon in auto paint stores. About $20.00 per. It is the best for cleaning off bugs, dust, and stuff like that. Not very good for oily type stuff. For that my flight department uses other things.

Final Inspection has no trouble cleaning off 450 mph baked on and frozen bug splats very gently, and a little goes a long way.

It is not harmful to any component including screens and visors.

Windex on a screen or visor BadBadBad :hammer:

Sorry, I get a little rabid on this. In my career I have seen literally 100,000's of 1,000's of dollars of components destroyed by just the use of inappropriate cleaning methods.

Don

ST-ern · 08-02-2005

Helps to get the bugs off as soon as you can too. If they dry or bake on in the sun the job is harder.

BTW On my visor I use a mix of 1 part Windex, 1 part meths, 1 part water, and a drizzle of dishwashing liquid. Spray on and polish off with a soft cloth. Been doing it for 18 months with no ill effect as yet.

kuhlka · 08-02-2005

Another vote for Pro Honda all-purpose cleaner/polish. The stuff works great on just about the entire bike.

yerguy · 08-03-2005

Hey guys...

Yer' doin' it all wrong!!! For some time now I've been using a tip one o' my pals got from the Super Hawk forum. So simple, so easy, so quick. And no nasty or harsh chemicals.

Take a clean kitchen towel or one of the terry cloth detailing/polishing towels and soak it in water. Wring it out just shy of dry/fairly damp, fold it into quarters then place it in the micro wave for 8-12 seconds. (Your time may vary)

What you want is a really nice and warm towel, not uncomfortably hot. If it's uncomfortably hot it could soften the paint (Lord knows the Sprinter paint is soft enough!) or themally stress the screen and craze the plastic.

Lay it out upon the screen/fairing for 10-20 seconds. Grasp the top of the towel and with one smooth light wipe downward all the bug guts are rehydrated and removed. Turn the towel inside out and repeat while it's still warm and damp.

"Viola!!!" All the dead bug stuff gone bye-bye!! Follow up with your favorite detailing polish/wax and your done!!!!

Try it just once. You'll be amazed, I certainly was. For fun you can always return the towel to the towel bar for "Mom" to find!!!!

Dan'l
So. Calif. :razz:

BTW...Hey Don,
Better do a double check on the Ph of the Simple Green. Like most surfacants/detergents, it is a caustic solution, not acidic. Opposite side of the Ph scale ol' buddy.

Even the aircraft cleaner we use on the Navy aircraft is a soap made by West Chemical. Used correctly it and Simple Green can be used IF USED correctly. The other mistake most make with cleaners like this is using them full strength, a no-no. Diluted 2:1 or even 3:1 water:solution it still has phenomenal cleaning power.

Agreed, it can promote topical corrosion, but the secret is LOTS of fresh water rinse. That's the mistake most people make, not enough rinsing then the solution become the conductor and compounds the gavanic reaction between alloys and dissimilar metals. Just use LOTS o' water. How much?? When you see a "water break" surface, ie the water runs off in a large sheeting action, then the surface is clean and the cleaning solution removed then a quick wipe dry with clean towels afterwards.

[ This message was edited by: yerguy on 2005-08-02 23:49 ]