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Iron Butt
Posts: 725
Reno County, KS | Hi all,
Looking to hear from people in the know about detailing sprays. I've been keeping a can of Sprayway glass/surface cleaner and an assortment of microfiber towels in my saddlebags for on the go cleaning. I use it mostly to soak the windshield before wiping the bugs free. I've sometimes used it as a detail spray to soak bugs on the front of the bike around the cowling. I avoid washing the entire bike as much as possible because frankly, I'd rather be out riding it. I'm wondering what other people are using off the shelves. I'd like to avoid Victory branded cleaners because I don't live anywhere close to a dealership (any kind of dealership really) and I'm not convinced they are worth close to the money, especially after S&H. I had a salesmen explain the "Victory formulation" to me and I believe it's BS. Any tips are always appreciated.
-Will
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Cruiser
Posts: 271
Belding Michigan | Glare makes a whole line of cleaners and Detail sprays. I saw and article and and a detailed picture sets of things used it was amazing I have some on order will comment more after personal use Archie |
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Tourer
Posts: 311
Atlanta Area | I'm a firm believer in Meguires Quick Detailer or Lemon Pledge. Both work great. Try them both! |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 30
Bellevue, NE | Check out the Victory detailing products at the dealer. They were demonstrated at the open house and I was so impressed that I bought the entire kit in a caddy. The products made short work out of getting the luster back in the bike. It looks better than showroom condition. The bonus out of all this is how long the bike stays that way. |
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Tourer
Posts: 374
Tucson, AZ | Lemon Pledge is good for a quick detail but there is one drawback. I know from previous experiance with using it on show cars. If in the future you want to paint the vehicle you have to remove all of the paint and primer as the oils in the Pledge will permeate the paint and contaminate it, making it real tuff to get pinstriping or other graffics to adhere to the existing paint. Talk with your better custom painters and they will tell you. Im not sure of painted ABS...
mike v |
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Visionary
Posts: 3204
Memphis | I'm also a big fan of Meguiars Detail Mist. Works great on any surface and you can find it everywhere. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 143
Sparta, WI | I am amazed that so many riders are content to use detailing sprays to clean a fairly dirty bike. Would you wash your dishes with McQuires Detailing spray? I had a salesman start cleaning my bike (it was dirty) with some Victory detailer and it did not set very well with me. I am a firm believer that a dirty bike should be wet down with a hose, washed with warm water, light detergent using a microfiber cloth, and dried with a leaf blower. I use the detailer with caution.
Garage dust and road dust are two different things. To me road dust contains sand or some other type of dirt from the earth. Sandy dust from gravel is abrasive and it scares me to spray a detailer on and then put pressure on it grinding it into the paint. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 103
| I use Moto Pro Polish and cleaner. My bike is 7months, 8000 miles and looks showroom condition. However, I live in Florida and don't ride in dirt and graval. I wipe the bike down after every use. This product woorks well on every part including windshield. Cycle Gear sells it. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 175
Hinton, Iowa | I use Honda spray. It works great. |
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Tourer
Posts: 319
| I 2nd that........Honda detailer in the can works great. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | Minnow - 2008-09-04 8:56 AM
I am amazed that so many riders are content to use detailing sprays to clean a fairly dirty bike.
I clean my bike with detailer probably 2-3 times a week, so it really never gets too dirty. On my recent 5000 mile trip, I carried with me detailer and micro-fiber cloths and cleaned the bike basically every day. I use Eagle, Turtle Wax, and Victory detailer. If it really gets dirty, then I wash the bike. My SSG Vision paint really looks good. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 725
Reno County, KS | Thank's guys; I'll check out the Meguires detailing mist. If Mother's makes one, I'll check that out too. I love their wax! Which is what I use to protect the bike with. It's about time to wax it again anyway. I live out in the country, so I get a fair amount of bug guts on the thing every time I take it out to the highway (which is everytime I ride it). I'd have to completely wash the bike before or after every ride if I wanted it stay clean without a detail spray. For this reason, I don't mind detailing sprays in the least. I am also a very big fan of the California mini duster. I've kept one in my saddlebag for the last 2 bikes I've owned. I also use one at home as a duster now. They work wonders out in the sticks, where blowing dust is the rule. I have to wipe down the bike every time I get on it and often times in between stops. It's just a way of life around here. Thanks again,
-Will |
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Visionary
Posts: 1350
| I go with the Victory product. When we were in ME last year the owner went through his stuff and I was very impressed.
I don't like Pledge now that they only sell it with fruit flavors. It takes 2 wipe downs to get it nice. The All Purpose is good when on sale.
Tried Mequire's and had better luck with Mother's, Honda and a couple others. I hate paying for fancy ads.
I tried the Ice vinyl/whatever cleaner and I really like that. It cleans but doesn't leave luster.
I agree if my bike is "dirty" it needs to be washed first but my bike isn't like that way every time I am going to clean it so spot cleaners work fine. I swear by using baby shampoo to wash my bikes and trucks but most people give me a strange look when I pull out the bottle that looks like a fish. I wish the watermelon smell lasted longer.  |
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Fountain Inn, SC United States | I've used a multitude of detailer sprays and out of them all I prefer the Victory Instant Detailer or the Meguire's Mist. I think the Victory is alittle more $$ but it lasts longer and you get more in the bottle if I remember. Can't speak for Meguire's but I know the Vic spray contains no alcohol. I've also been extremely pleased with the other Victory polishes and have seen the Victory Polish guy at work (see my blog entry). The stuff is impressive, both in the shine and longevity. BlueOx, the paint & windshield polish is also fantastic and it smells yummy.  |
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Visionary
Posts: 1290
Ruskin, Fl | Until this week, I was getting rained on everyday on the way home. Bike HAD to washed. My Vision was getting a bath twice a week. I use a Mr Clean Autodry in one hand and a mitt on the other. Takes less than ten minutes and the bike dries without waterspots. Last weekend I spent the day in the garage giving the bike a few coats of Liquid Glass. Looks better the day it rolled out of the showroom. The first wash with after the detailing the bugs just slid off the paint (by bike is all painted black, see gallery). What a pleasure. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 226
on the edge of Los Angeles | Using my bike as a dailly commuter, The only shade I get at work is under trees that tend to sweat in the heat. This does leave behind stuff that does not come off with a simple wash or detail spray. The solution has been to use Mothers Clay Bar kit that does the trick. It takes off whatever may be sticking to the painted surface. I was turned on to this stuff by my brother who is very anal about his cars and he was so impressed that he had to send me some. I know others such as Meguires has a similar product. I have found that the spray that comes in the kit tends to leave less behind than some of the others. If you like the smell of cinnamon then try the Mothers.
Best results is a simple light soap wash and dry then some detail to finish off using a micro fiber cloth.
BTW My Vision is Black and it looks great after using this product.. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 935
Rockford, IL | Does riding thru a fine mist rain count as a detailing spray?
What about peeing on the bike? Or is this procedure only to be used for cooling it down when overheated? (I know...I know...don't pee anywhere near pollolittle's exhaust/cooking area)
Seriously though....if you have some time and want to know the best ways to take care all of your bikes surfaces the best place to go is http://www.autopia.org/ Its a detailing enthusiast site. The forum area has tons upon tons of fantastic information about every single product that can be used to clean & protect just about anything out there.
Me personally...I'm a Zaino zealot. It's the only product line that goes anywhere near my rides 
Edited by Lotzafun 2008-09-04 6:44 PM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 725
Reno County, KS | Thanks for the link Lotzafun! There is a lot of good stuff on the site. I especially like the product reveiws. Answered a lot of questions for me about the products. |
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Tourer
Posts: 412
Fargo, ND | I go along with - Honda Spray Cleaner Use it on everything on your bike...windshield, tank, wheels, tires...everything and it works great! |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | i can say this.. I traded in my vulcan 2000 to get my vision. well when i went back to the dealer i made the trade my mouth dropped. I said my "old" bike never looked so good! I asked what in the hell did you use on it. He Gave me a bottle of the Victory polish/wax. Ive always used name brand waxs in the past but i never got the results like the victory stuff gave me. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 59
| I like Meguires Quick Detailer....I think am addicted to the smell. I've tried Mothers and it works, but doesn't smell as good.
I know.....I'm weird! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 273
| Banjo - 2008-09-04 10:51 AM
I 2nd that........Honda detailer in the can works great.
I don't use anything else on any of my motorcycles. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 64
Northern RI | Everyone needs to try a product called No Wet. I wipe my bike down with it after every ride. It was developed for RV's since they can't be washed in most rv parks. It washes and waxes (contains carnuba) in one step, and leaves NO swirl marks or fine scratches. My bike has never seen soap and water and looks better than new. I use it on everything own.
Edited by vtwin17 2008-09-07 10:52 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 150
Las Vegas, Nevada USA baby! | Hey guys, I like to ask around too about what others do to keep their bikes runnin' and lookin' good, and here's my take on the subject;
I was washing my bike using a combination of Comet cleanser and pine oil, but the smell knocked me out several times. Somehow I just can't seem to get the lustre back that it once had. Sure did clean up fast, and smelled mountain fresh for weeks! Mom said to quit mixing stuff together if'n it knocks me out, soooo, I used a bar of Lava wrapped in a gunny sack, still no shine.
But I figgered a good cheap way to bring the shine back.
I only make about 10 bucks an hour here at the radio station, so all my dough goes to my bike and car payments and insurance. That's why I can't afford Meguiar's. So I mixed up a batch of olive oil and crisco and smeared that on it. It seems to shine okay now, but the desert dust always seem to coat it. The coating kinda melts and drips on the hot days above 105, so I just tell folks my bike is sweating. Gotta make sure and be careful don't step in the drip off, or my boot soles get all slippery, and slip off of the floorboard.
(I was gonna use some bacon grease, but my friend that has a HD used that once and he couldn't keep dogs from licking his bike. He said he also tried coconut butter, but the fruit flies coated it so bad, it looked like he had a fuzzy Hog! Fuzzy Hog, now you know that's funny, everybody knows Hogs have bristles!! Ha Ha!)
Yup, sure can learn a lot from asking around! I admire my HD buddies, they've always got a quick fix to keep a bike on the road.
But I'm starting to think my friend is just joshin' me about using the Lava soap and the gunny sack. I figgered he was trickin' me when I caugt him using WD-40 to shine his bike last week. I think I'll borrow my friend's steam cleaner next week, strip the olive oil/Crisco coating off and try the WD-40 next!
All in fun,
EdRadio |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 725
Reno County, KS | ... And the mystery of satellite radio's popularity is solved.
All in fun
-Will |
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Cruiser
Posts: 117
South of Houston Tx | Speaking of detailing, I read somewhere on here that it was easy to clean the left side if you put it on the tipovers, well yesterday at the car wash I tried that. I pulled it over to one of the vacuum stalls so I had some shade to shine her up in, and laid her on her side there, worked pretty good until I went to put her back on her wheels. Even though I dried the Vision pretty well before I left the wash rack, a lot of water leaked out on the pavement on the right side and my feet couldn't get traction, plus the pavement was sloped down toward the center so when I would try, the motorcycle just wanted to roll backwards! I pretended to act like I was waiting on a second coat of wax, i didn't need, to dry(so it looked like I planed this extended time with my Beauty all laid over and wounded looking), while I sopped up the water with one of my micro fiber towels and waited for the pavement to dry! Then I was able to put her back on her feet! |
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | Put your bike in first gear is your going to lay it on the tip overs. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 143
Sparta, WI | I got a visual. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 36
Tonopah,NV | I have been using Cycle Care brand products for years with great results. Their spray cleaner / wax, is formula 33. I am not sure where you can buy it. I have gotten it on line for the last 10 years. Pricie, but goes a long way, and works great. |
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The Poconos | I just started using the Victory products and couldn't be more impressed or happy with the results. |
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Detailing sprays