• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Washing: the fear of water

  • Thread starter Thread starter J_C
  • Start date Start date
J

J_C

Guest
This bike probably hasn't been washed in 5 or more years. There's literally centimeters of dirt accumulated in some places (on top of the crank case, the rear fender underneath the seat, around the triple clamp... a ton of dirt has accumulated under the seat in general. It would take hours to try and clean it out with towels etc.

If I remove the filter and cover the airbox, and disconnect and remove the battery, am I missing some big risk of just rinsing out everything under the seat? I know not to pressure wash or anything, but I didn't know what the danger might be of rinsing it out with just water. My plan was to then leave the bike for a couple days so everything can dry prior to reconnecting the battery.

Thank you very much. My hope is to at least get the bike clean before moving forward with my fixer-upper maintenance.
 
Water is not going to hurt your bike Spray it down with some orange clean, 409, simple green & Hose it off
 
Cool thanks Lynn, I was hoping that's what I'd hear. Time to put that concentrated simple green to work!
 
J_C said:
If I remove the filter and cover the airbox, and disconnect and remove the battery, am I missing some big risk of just rinsing out everything under the seat? I know not to pressure wash or anything, but I didn't know what the danger might be of rinsing it out with just water. My plan was to then leave the bike for a couple days so everything can dry prior to reconnecting the battery.

Thank you very much. My hope is to at least get the bike clean before moving forward with my fixer-upper maintenance.
Click to expand...

A couple of thoughts, fiirst if you are really going to blast it and soak it, make sure that all the electrical connections are sealed from water penetration. Some connectors may have cracks and water may fill a connector housing and short accross the terminals if the water doesn't evaporate before start up, even after a couple of days. In view of the above why not take the time to check and clean all the terminal connectors while you are waiting for it to dry. Get rid of the corrosion and check for dryness at the same time.
 
Man, you should have been on our Moosehead ride last year. over 1000 miles is absolutely drenching rain. Have no fear with water, just don't shoot a jet stream at any of the electrical system.
 
retrex said:
A couple of thoughts, fiirst if you are really going to blast it and soak it, make sure that all the electrical connections are sealed from water penetration. Some connectors may have cracks and water may fill a connector housing and short accross the terminals if the water doesn't evaporate before start up, even after a couple of days. In view of the above why not take the time to check and clean all the terminal connectors while you are waiting for it to dry. Get rid of the corrosion and check for dryness at the same time.
Click to expand...


This sounds like a great idea. Is there a best practice for doing this? Sand paper? new connectors? etc?
 
J_C said:
This sounds like a great idea. Is there a best practice for doing this? Sand paper? new connectors? etc?
Click to expand...

Yes, sand paper if corroded....new connectors if really bad or broken and use dielectric grease on all of them.
 
Whatever you do leaving the dirt there is worse than any hosing you do. The dirt will just retain moisture and cause rust. YUCK! Good luck!
 
I usually consider a thick coating of last year's bugs to be sort of a good luck talisman. You don't want to wash off the layers of good luck by artificial means, or the spirits of thousands of departed insects will haunt your ride. It is considered acceptable to clean your headlight and jacket by riding for extended distances in driving rain.

But yeah, get that dirt and grime off the engine with water and Simple Green. Grunge is only offensive when it interferes with function.
 
:grin: Thanks folks. Will wash this weekend, as well as sanding and replacing the connectors \\:D/
 
I though with the title of this thread it was about the French.:-D
 
vstan905 said:
Simple Green is not recommended for aluminum.
Click to expand...


I thought that's what everyone used to get rid of the surface grime from the seeping head gasket... :confused:
 
bwringer said:
I usually consider a thick coating of last year's bugs to be sort of a good luck talisman. You don't want to wash off the layers of good luck by artificial means, or the spirits of thousands of departed insects will haunt your ride. It is considered acceptable to clean your headlight and jacket by riding for extended distances in driving rain.

But yeah, get that dirt and grime off the engine with water and Simple Green. Grunge is only offensive when it interferes with function.
Click to expand...


You would be proud to ride my radian then. I haven't washed it ever. I even have bug guts from 5 years ago on my jacket.
 
J_C said:
Cool thanks Lynn, I was hoping that's what I'd hear. Time to put that concentrated simple green to work!
Click to expand...
Dilute it on the painted areas please
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top