I had my 250 for a month or so and just started on new paints for it. Work is still in progress, but i will definitely post it up once its done. I just want to know what one (seasoned motorcycle owner) would do if one were to clean there bike from top to bottom. inside and out. to get it to look as close to brand new as possible? Anyone have any suggestions? or is it as easy as taking the whole bike apart and go crazy with carb cleaner and steam washers?

 

hahaha, forget the carb cleaner and steam washer! Will cause more damage than it is worth.

Kinda depends on how new you want it looking. But normally a good wipe over with WD40 with the engine out of the ride or with the engine still in the ride. Works for me. Dropping an engine would be pretty extreme if you were just cleaning up the ride though. I keep Plexus on hand for the plastic parts. The inside of the plastics since they get all grimed up, WD40 again. I should have bought stock in that stuff! hahaha

 

Your better off if you take the sprayer off the hose and let it run freely over the surfaces. The guy that I bought my Katana from had used a sprayer on it, then fought with it for weeks to get it started. There was water in places you couldnt imagine.

 

nice thanks for the tip
So WD40 is the new trend these days eh? at least my whole bike will be lubed. [8D] hopefully the slug will just slide off after the wipe down.

 

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Go ask Deej, I am surprised he has not sniffed out this post yet. Especially since it had the word Clean in it

 

I own a detailing supply business so I will try and help. One product that is excellent for cleaning..because of its SAFE cleaning ability is P21S Total Auto Wash. I spray this, when my bike gets dirty, all over the underside, engine, and body. Let is soak for a little while and them rinse off. Some areas might require a soft brush depending on how caked on the grime is. A must have tool is a tool called "Slick Stixxx". It allows you to get into any hard to reach place on the bike. For the seat and black plastic I use 303 Aerospace Protectant. It leaves a perfect, at least perfect for my taste, shine and is not slippery so you won't have to worry about slidding on the seat. To dry the bike, right after washing is complete, I just use an air compressor. There is a tool called the "Air Blaster" by Metro that works great for those of you without a compressor. After the bike is all clean I hit the painted surfaces/body with a polish if needed and then a wax or sealant.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask!