Triumphrat

sheepshagger · 05-02-2008

Every time I clean my Tiger I end up getting "bitten" or "clawed" by it. Just the other day I noticed while letting it drip dry for a few minutes after I'd washed her down that my hand was bleeding from an inch long gash on my finger. The bike must have taken a little nibble out of me when I wasn't looking! This is not the first time this has happened by the way. Do other owners suffer from this as well and if so how do they deal with it - chain-mail gloves might work but would scratch the paint and rust in the water, just jet washing is bad for bearings etc and SWMBO refuses to let me stick it in the bath.. Any advice on how to control the carniverous tendancies of this Tiger would be gratefully accepted.

FifeTiger · 05-02-2008

I tend to try and fend it off using a combination of brushes, got a dish washing brush or two for general scrubbing, a pipecleaner type brush and an alloy wheel cleeaner brush for £1.50 from Asda which is a huge labour saving device.

Throw in a sponge of biblical proportions for those cosmetically sensitive parts and there you go ?

miker · 05-04-2008

Fife is correct. Brushes of every kind. I use a pressure washer to rinse off, but only from a distance.

Your local supermarket will have the ones you need. I use a toilet brush for under the engine

Mick

Silverstripes · 05-05-2008

A full array of washing up brushes is the answer as mentioned before. However the secret of drying is another matter.

I use my petrol powered garden vac in blower mode. It gives a 120 MPH stream of ait which just blows the water off the bike. You should see what comes from the radiator and oil cooler, which would otherwise lay there and cause corrosion,

So tell SWMBO that to tend the garden better, you need an electric or pertol leaf blower / Vac. This you will find later (by suprise)

will also act as a king size hairdryer for the Tiger.

Silverstripes

katoomon · 05-10-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverstripes

A full array of washing up brushes is the answer as mentioned before. However the secret of drying is another matter.

I use my petrol powered garden vac in blower mode. It gives a 120 MPH stream of ait which just blows the water off the bike. You should see what comes from the radiator and oil cooler, which would otherwise lay there and cause corrosion,

So tell SWMBO that to tend the garden better, you need an electric or pertol leaf blower / Vac. This you will find later (by suprise)

will also act as a king size hairdryer for the Tiger.

Silverstripes

Agreed, I use the blower end of a shop vac and get a lot of water from a lot of places. After the initial dewatering, a short ride to heat up and dry the brakes and evap any remaining water from the motor.

I have had a few dirt bikes over the years, and one observation on the Tiger; it sure has a lot of tight small places for crud to accumulate. The cast wheel design, the hose routing on the motor, and the castings on the motor cases, sure hold a lot of trail crap and mud. This bike is extremely difficult to clean (ok, detail) after light trail duty or weeks of neglect.

Like most things... it will never look any better than when it is brand new so ride I will.

DaveM · 05-10-2008

Look you guys the simple solution is to get a piece of nice juicy steak and just drop it in front of her front tyre then quickly go about your washing and you Tiger will leave you unscathed.

So simple, so obvious I don't know how such an intelligent bunch missed it......but there you are!

Exit stage right!

DaveM

sheepshagger · 05-12-2008

On 11 May Dave M wrote:
"Look you guys the simple solution is to get a piece of nice juicy steak and just drop it in front of her front tyre then quickly go about your washing and you Tiger will leave you unscathed."
At last - a sensible suggestion!! (No offence to the other repliees..) I'll try this out later today as its pretty bug splattered after a 400 mile blast to Durham and back over the weekend.. It should keep its fangs busy for a few mins..

oldrider · 05-14-2008

I know that Tigers are supposed to be carnivores but they also like a little treat so I promise mine that if she stays quiet while I groom her, I will give her what she likes best as soon as it's done!

The treat I give her is her favourite and is "VERY VERY EXPENSIVE"!

I give her "PETROL", by the hand full!

The more I give her the more she purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs. I think she loves me. Cheers John.

boocat2 · 05-18-2008

Im in terrible pain today. I cleaned the chain this morning and as i was brushing with a nail brush I was moving the chain along by pushing the chain backwards towards the rear cog. As i did this a car with lovely bassy music drove by (full of tw*ts) so I looked and i cought my thumb in the cog- the cog blade has pierced the nail of my thumb. i didn't cry. but god its hurting now.

BigStripey · 05-18-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by boocat2

Im in terrible pain today. i cought my thumb in the cog- the cog blade has pierced the nail of my thumb. i didn't cry. but god its hurting now.

Oh lordy....ouch ouch flippin ouch !! That must of hurt like a big bag full of hurt things