Cleaning the bike

[Vidrazor]

Being as I'm new to all this ( my '400 is my first bike), I need info on cleaning a bike, and this one in particular. It's been a bit over a month now, and I think it's time to clean this thing down. I've done some research into this, but I'm not completely clear on how to do this properly without screwing anything up.

I don't have a garage or own a house, so I suppose a DIY car wash will be my cleaning location. Do I need to remove stuff like seats, etc (once I get there, of course ) to clean it down? I know I shouldn't hose down the engine or battery area, but the overall process isn't crystal clear to me.

I think I need to clean the chain and it's surrounding area off first, right? I've read that kerosene is the most ideal substance, WD40 as an alt. Do I soak a rag and wipe or do I dump it right on the chain, then wipe? Is the underside area of the bike game with these cleaners?

My wheels are bare metal, or at least they look that way. Are the wheels bare or are they clear-coated? What are ideal cleaners for the wheels? If they are bare metal (and even if not), what works well for both aluminum and chrome?

As for the overall bike itself, do I spray it with something and then wipe and hose down, or do I hose first, then spary, wipe, and hose again? I've read that cotton wash mitts are the way to go on the body, any other suggestions?

I put a National Cycle F-15 windshield on my '400, what's good for cleaning that? It's getting bugged-out.

I've read that I should start at one end of the bike and work towards the other, is this really necessay, or can I wet/soap the whole thing down in one shot?

I'm sure everyone has their favorite cleaners for the various parts of the bike, all suggestions welcome.

If there's anything really nasty concerning cleaning this particular bike that I should be aware of, both in the cleaning process and using whatever cleaners, please let me know.

Like I said, I'm pretty green to all this, so any info is appreciated, thanks.

[PitterB4]

Having been a noob not too long ago, I can relate!  This subject is often a



Everyone has their own idea of what is best.  For the most part, I treat it pretty much like a car.  I have a house so its a bucket and a hose for me.  I would do my best to avoid hi-pressure water on:  chain/sprockets, wheel bearings/axles, battery area and the valve cover/plugs.  Otherwise, go for it.  I use the same Walmart terry-cloth covered sponge I use on my cars.  Although it's not necessary, I do take off the seat.  I work from the top, down.  

Wheels - if you have a 93, they "should" be silver paint with clearcoat.  Look for little chips around the edges to verify.  91 and 92 came with white painted wheels so if that's what you have and yours are silver, who knows what your wheels are.

Chain - I do mine after the rest of the bike.  A WD40 soaked shop rag works well for me.  Lube afterwards.

For the screen, I'd check National Cycles' web site for cleaning instructions/hints.

I'm sure someone will find major fault with something above but that's they way I do it.

[Sven]

I think you'll get a variety of advice on this one!  God knows, I'm no expert (have you READ my other posts?!), but I'll share what's I've been doing/have read:

One thing you want to do is avoid forcing water under high pressure into any of the electrical areas, so the magic wand at the car wash down the street is not a good idea.  Sure, everything on a bike CAN get wet, but prolonged and repeated water is asking for trouble at electrical connections.

Unless you are getting a lot of dirt under your seat, cleaning under that should be a matter of just wiping it down with a wet cloth once or twice a year.

You can use S-100, which is billed as a "total cycle cleaner" to clean as much/as little as you'd like.  It's not cheap ($5/liter), so you may want to only use it only the engine and similar hard-to-clean areas.  You spray it on full-strength and hose it off on a "jet" setting.  You can use this anywhere on the bike, but it's a strong detergent, so a post-wash polishing should be added to your routine.  There are several "wax as you dry" polishes now...the ArmorAll product is easy to find.  You may still want to do a more solid polishing once or twice a year.

I've tried the Mr. Clean system, which my Dad likes for his cars, and it does OK if the bike isn't too dirty, but nothing is really going to do a great job on the areas around the chain and the tires and brakes without using a soft brush, cloth, etc., although the S100 does better than Mr. Clean.  Mr. Clean's streak-free drip-dry setting does actually work!

Your windscreen is plastic, like your helmet's shield.  A microfiber cloth is a good choice since it's less likely to scratch, assuming it's clean.  I use the same cleaning systems on that windscreen, but just careful to dry with a grit-free soft cloth.

I am afraid that my view of chain maintenance will be shot full of holes, but I tend to clean with the lube...spray some Honda red can on a soft rag and wipe a warm chain down, then re-lube the chain with the same stuff.  The tech at the shop said the way he lubes a chain is put a warm bike on the centerstand, put it in 1st gear, and slowly let out the clutch so the chain starts moving and spray away.  I tried this once and it slung lube out behind the bike, but the tech said it also gets the lube down into all the surfaces instead of just on the top surfaces.

Make sure to lubricate the clutch & shift levers, foot pegs, etc. on some basis.  One of my buddies also suggests you use dielectric grease when you connect an electrical contact together to keep it from oxidizing.

So, there's a few entrees to the buffet of approaches you'll get.  Hope these help!

[Vidrazor]

Thanks for the info. I'm curious about something. I'm considering removing the tank to be able to get into areas around the engine better (and it's something I need to be able to do regularly anyway). The owners manual's instructions on removing the tank sound awfully suspect. I don't have it in front of me, but it went something like remove two screws and lift the tank.

Don't you have to disconnnect and seal the fuel lines coming from the tank before doing so? No specific information (if I remember correctly) was given on placing it back in either.

I recently adjusted the verticle headlight height on the '400, and the owner's manual simply stated to loosen the two screws on each side of the light and adjust the height. No mention was made of the THIRD screw which actually maintains that height on the rear of the light on the right side! Needless to say, this caused me some frustration when I couldn't understand why I wasn't able to adjust my headlight height.

As such, I suspect the information about tank removal may have similar missing information, except in this case the potential consequences are far more dangerous. This partly why I asked in another thread if there was a Chilton's-like manual around for the '400. I'd like to have model-specific process instructions.

So any info on tank removal on the '400 is appreciated, thanks.

[PitterB4]

Tank removal....

Remove the seat.

Remove the two little (4mm) bolts on the plastic side panels.

Remove the two plastic side panels - plastic nobs pushed through rubber grommets in frame.

Remove two (5mm) bolts on back of tank.

Gently pull back on tank and lift it a few inches.

While holding it up, remove all 3 tubes from petcock/tank.  Remember where these go.  I took a dig pic to refer to later.

Lift tank off and set it somewhere safe (away from falling jack handles, right Thief????).

You're in!

[Sven]

I have a 1200, and haven't seen the 400 to know what's different.  When I was going to remove the tank and change the air filter and spark plugs, I found out it was harder than it looks and needs an extra pair of hands.  Yeah, you have to remove 3 hoses, all of which were VERY tightly connected to the tank.  Somewhere else on this board someone has commented that they are not as firmly attached once they've been off one time.  Anyway, I got discouraged and had those things done while I was having something else done one day.  I am still game to try it myself when I am not also doing other maintenance.

But why do you want to wash UNDER the tank?  Are they salting your roads this summer?  I would think a good jet of cleaning would do from below.

I guess if you are detailing a bike for a show..but otherwise, these are vehicles, meant to be used outside in all weather (well, not so much on ice) and will always have a little hidden dirt.

[TheKillerB]

Wheels - if you have a 93, they "should" be silver paint with clearcoat.  Look for little chips around the edges to verify.  91 and 92 came with white painted wheels so if that's what you have and yours are silver, who knows what your wheels are.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the U.S. Spec Blue/Silver bandit came with Silver wheels (they were never white).

[Vidrazor]

Thanks for the info, folks. While I need to know how to remove the tank for engine maintenance, I thought there may be something that needs addressing when detailing the bike. If not, that's fine with me. The whole process of cleaning the bike strikes me a bit daunting at this time, I guess once I do it a few times it will not be such a ritual, dunno.

As for the wheels, they are silver, but I thought they are raw aluminum. They look like that. If they're painted silver, then I suppose whatever is used on the body will work likewise on the wheels. If it is raw aluminum, then I would imagine some metal cleaner would be in order. I'll have to take a closer look at this.

Thanks again for all the info.

[frankbama]

yes    i have a 91 blue bandit 400   and it has silver wheels.

[PitterB4]

Wheels - if you have a 93, they "should" be silver paint with clearcoat.  Look for little chips around the edges to verify.  91 and 92 came with white painted wheels so if that's what you have and yours are silver, who knows what your wheels are.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the U.S. Spec Blue/Silver bandit came with Silver wheels (they were never white).

Aw crap... details, details...  I was, of course think if just the red b4s.  

[gsxr400 racer]

s-100 excellent stuff
honda spray polish for the shield ,removes bugs well , and can be used as a touch up polish on the whole bike when it gets dusty
wax - I like speed shop car wax the kind that leaves no residue if ya miss a spot
or theres this hard to find stuff made by WIZARD products smells like bubble gum and its spray wax thats what i ve been using on my race bike for at the track!
chrome polish mothers mag polish is what i like when i have chrome or polished aluminum. but i got away from all that polishing shit verey time consuming! All black for me!
* keep the karosene away from your wheels , as this will soak into the rubber!
stay away from wax with cleaners as this will leave scratches in the plastic!
Good luck

[Vidrazor]

>>* keep the karosene away from your wheels , as this will soak into the rubber!<<

Thanks for the info. I was on my way today to get some when the sky opened and I had to make a fast 180 and head home. Sometime this week, I guess.

>>stay away from wax with cleaners as this will leave scratches in the plastic!!<<

Are you referring to those "quick" polisher/cleaners? I just picked up Meguiare's No. 7 polish and No. 26 wax to put on the bike after I clean it (which i'm doing with Meguiare's Deep Crystal wash).