To wash or not to wash, that is the question!
 

After 5 weeks on the road, my Strom has become a dust mess. It drives me mad looking at it, and every time I touch it I have to wash my hands - the only clean bit is seat I wipe with my bum every day.....

Having chatted it over with a couple of bikers on the road, they were astounded that I would even be considering washing it - they all thought this was akin to sacrilege. I haven't yet, but the only reason is logistics haven't availed yet. Once they do I will wash.

But what do you think?
?c?

I never washed my bike, I find it cool when it's dusty & full of mud... It kinda tell every one what sort of path you take.
However, I always wash my lights/turning signals when I have a chance. It can be dusty & full mud has long has it is not a threat to my security.
As my uncle use to tell me: " You are on the bike riding it, you are not the side watching it... Who cares if it's ugly?"

Mine got washed once, not sure when. When it rains the dust comes off, when it is dry it gets dusty and dirty.

I will have no choice when I fly it back home to Oz, it will need to be spotless, so I will get it 'done' for quarantine purposes.

I always have clean mirrors, dash, lights and rear tail light. I had no choice but to clean the number/licence plate when I entered Russia and Kaz, bu tthat was all

Ooops, I just remembered I got the bike cleaned before it went to the repair shop in China, so once in 11 months is OK ;)

btw, for the first two months of my trip, last May/June it rained every day, so it got cleaned and dirty at least once a day

Make sure you either clean the chain or get an oiler

Cheers
TravellingStrom

If you want to wash it then wash it and don't care what anybody else says or thinks.

"You're all individuals, you've got to work it out for yourselves"-Brian of Nazareth

On a practical note, cleaning your bike can show up when things are broken or coming loose and be good preventative maintainance.

If you have a bike problem .. it is 'nice' to have a clean bike ... makes it much easier to fix a flat for instance. And your cleaner at the end too.

I'm for washing were ever practical
 

It's the best way to keep an eye on things that are wearing ,going wrong.Not to mention the posibility of spreading weed seed to different environs .Lastly i think having the bike look like its been there done that is just showing off.Im sure plenty will disagree.Noel:D

Wash it when I get home and put it away after a long trip. Never washed it just because it was dirty.

My dealer used to wash the bike after a service which was kind of nice but they seem to have stopped doing that.

I with Noel900r, the only reason for me to wash the bike is to check everything over, when your washing you really take a good look at every little part of the bike, I found loose, worn or broken things lots of times.
And yes, I also get a little proud of the accumulated dirt from thousands of km's through rough countries.

I wash mine once a year whether it needs it or not, usually just before the Ace Café's Adventure Bike day so that it becomes the object of much derision for being the only shiny bike there.

But I do wash parts of it more often, all the bits I come in contact with, all the dials I need to see and all the bits that are needed for people to see me. Then when I adjust the chain I'll wash the swing arm, rear wheel, and probably the gear box too, when I check the oil, I'll wash that chunk of engine and so it goes on. So in all honesty it's probably all washed about once every six weeks, just not all at once.

Keeping your mud? Isn't that a bit, err, poser-ish

Ha Ha - I was just thinking along the same lines a day or two back - shall I scrape off all of the mud and dirt that's stuck to the ACF50 I plastered the bike in before the Elephant rally or just stick a rally badge over the top of it.

For the last few years it wouldn't have been an issue as the day was in Feb and nothing (of mine anyway) get cleaned in Feb but it's April this year - that's after Easter and they're supposed to look shiny then. Decisions, decisions, they don't realise the problems they cause us moving the date like that :rofl:

I would wash it before i sell it but on the road its better to have a rotten looking bike. Nobody will steal a bike with is only hold together by some wire and tape :D

Does it look after you? Then look after it!
 

Washing your bike is part of maintenance and like others have said it is the first step to discovering if something is loose, missing and may prevent greater damage.
Also, keeping it clean, keeps you cleaner.
As a former moto mechanic seeing a clean bike come into the shop tells me the owner cares, and, that I should too when I make repairs. If that is a hard concept for mechanics to grasp, they shouldn't be mechanics.
And then there is the matter of storage and security, the best security you can provide your Ride is to keep it from view. Use a MC cover to help secure it. and of course a clean bike won't transfer filth to the cover. Check out our blog on the topic here: Two Wheels move the Soul: Motorcycle Security while on the Road

View it as an inspection exercise after which the bike is clean.

For examination it's hard to beat a good cleaning and a good inspection is solid insurance.

I'm with Genghis9021.

If your bike is your transport around the world then keeping it clean will also help with the maintenance of your bike and could save you time in the long run .

I don't mean that you have to polish your bike till it shines like a pearl up a sweeps Ass , but by giving it a wipe over now and then will give you the chance to see any wear and tear before it becomes a bigger problem .

Dazzer

Wash
 

Do you work better when you are clean ?

If I remember rightly the piss taking was because it was a 125.....:thumbup1:

A 125 parked next to a 110 that had gone half way round the world ;-)

okay, I'm gonna get geeky here...



Depends on the dirt... Road spray off roads and motorways is generally oily gunk, chemicals, salt etc. This stuff can damage your paintwork if left to go to work on it.

Good old fashioned mud might preserve your bike like a prehistoric cave man lol


Whatever you do, I'd keep the working parts clean and lubricated as necessary. Oil seals, transmission, switches, springs etc. Having nuts and bolts ROT with road salt with do nothing but irritate the shit out of you when it comes to removing parts & servicing etc.

Snapped header bolt anyone ??? :thumbdown:


Keeping your bike clean and looked after WILL preserve it's value too...


Ted

oh its to wash or not wash the BIKE :eek3:

Had me worried for a second or two.

I am with Genghis, Dazzer, Ted et al ... all very extensive adventure riders I might add.

Unless you feel you have to prove something to someone, then wash your bike. A dirty bike seems to be something that people like to ride up to the annual HUBB meet with, but to be honest, I normally drive there ... as do Austin Vince, Chris Scott et al.

I wash it several times a week when adventuring. Clean brakes, clean radiator, clean chain, clean suspension etc all work better than when covered in mud.

Its much much easier to spot things that arent as they should be when its clean. Its much much easier to do maintenance and fix anything when its clean.

It really comes down to the following issue:

Do you want to do adventure riding or do you want to LOOK like you do adventure riding.

Well, I knew that would get the comments going! I washed, and it felt AMAZING! Next time will definitely be before 5 weeks. And you do really look at the bike in a different way when you wash it than when I do my daily checks - thankfully nothing was wrong. Cheers chaps.

http://sginsa.wordpress.com

I also saw the thread title and was expecting a debate about personal hygiene whilst out on the road :blushing:

I washed, and it felt really good, can't wait until next year. : )
Washing the Bike,.... you have time to feel/see any breakages or future problems hidden under the crud, and its definitely something I do before routine maintenance.

But then there seems to be a market for THIS sort of foolery too...
The Belstaff"Muddy Jacket Steve Mcqueen tribute Jacket".£500. .With rubber mud pre-attached..I kid you not...:biggrin3:
http://wheelnuts.tv/wp-content/uploa...mud-jacket.jpg


Taken from this good BLOG.
What Do You Think You Look Like? | The Making Progress Blues

Hello
I wash off the mud and dirt with the "high pressure hose" or what it's called in english, when I can't see the screws and small parts of the bike.
But taking a sponge is waste of time, it gets dirty again.
For the Aussis I cleaned it 3 days with shampoo and diesel until it was cleaner than new.
What happed afterwards?
It got dirty again.
See my point?
sushi

To wash or not to wash, that is the question!
 

Ride in the rain and mix in a river crossing now and then. That should take care it.


Blunozr

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Maybe it would not be held together in such a manner if it had been cleaned and repaired before being beyond normal repair.
By the way in around a million km's of travel i have never been left on the side of the road.

so I try to wash mine about once a month, if I am riding thru sand and saltwater, I wash it more often. having a clean bike helps with the maintenance and making sure everything is tight! Usually about one day down here on the baja and it is dusty again! I clean wind screen, mirrors, lights and helmet faceshield alomost every day...