During riding season how often do you clean and wax your

Mulliganal · Post by **Mulliganal** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 10:50 pm

scooter.

Also, which cleaners and wax products do you like/use?

gtmotor · Post by **gtmotor** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 11:10 pm

I get so many bugs and so much dirt on mine that I've been washing it every weekend. It doesn't take much time to clean it compared to a car.

I use the same stuff I use on my cars and usually just wash it alongside one of them:

Chemical Brothers foaming car wash
Wolfgang synthetic sealant
Meguiar's No. 40 Vinyl and rubber cleaner (this stuff is awesome)
Simple green on the drivetrain components if greasy
Lots of microfiber towels
Air compressor to blow out all the water

Chilly · Post by **Chilly** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 11:27 pm

I clean my Buddy every weekend, for enjoyment as much as anything else. I use mainly wd-40 for everything, no soaps or wax. Works real nice on the plastics as much as the metals. Each week I'll take a panel or 2 off and clean all inside and around. I spend an hour or 2(or 3) every week and get the engine and all tight spots, I try to learn a few things each time I clean(observing each part and figuring out what each part is for, while I clean). Next week I open the transmission and clean(no wd-40 here). FWIW I don't normally enjoy cleaning anything, bit of a slob. My Buddy I like to shine though.

pugbuddy · Post by **pugbuddy** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 11:43 pm

In 3+ years I have only run a wet washcloth on the Buddy once. She's holding up nicely, thanks!

Tazio · Post by **Tazio** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 11:53 pm

I use Meguiar's Quick Detail spray after almost every ride on both scooters. I get around to using Harley paste wax every other year or so. It's always the riding season here in S. Cal.

lmyers · Post by **lmyers** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 11:58 pm

pugbuddy wrote:In 3+ years I have only run a wet washcloth on the Buddy once. She's holding up nicely, thanks!

+1, although I will admit to going over the herd with some water and body wash after the salt and sand were pretty much off the streets. Bath and Body Works Night Blooming Jasmine left them smelling very pretty. And I used Meguiar's Ultimate Compound on the Vespa since I removed a lot of stickers and decals.

bluebuddygirl · Post by **bluebuddygirl** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 12:32 am

Isn't that what rain is for???

I have only washed mine about 3 times. Twice at a car wash, using just the pre-soak setting and the spot free rinse, both of which are not high pressure. I have hand washed at home with a basic car wash solution. Since the buddy is mostly non-metal I have not waxed. I have used brasso on the chrome. That is all.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:12 am

I have owned my Buddy for almost two years now. I am currently averaging 24 months between wash-and-wax sessions.

The only reason I wash my car is because of the literal truckloads of salt spread on the roads in the winter. The scooter doesn't get exposed to most of that, plus its body panels are all plastic, so... the occasional rain is good enough most of the time. Otherwise, once in a while I'll take a wet cloth to it. I can understand why other people like to keep their rides looking nice as possible... but I'm not one of them.

rajron · Post by **rajron** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:29 am

My scooters are Black and they show dirt and dust very easily, I live in a very dusty part of the country, so, I use “Mequiars Quick Detail” as mentioned above good stuff for a lazy person as I am with cleaning. Another thing I use is Novus Plastic Cleaners to keep the windscreens in tip top condition more important, to me, than the body of the scooter. And.. contrary to many I use the coin operated pressure washer when I need to clean the motor and wheels or just when the grim gets too thick; those pressure washers work great, quick and thorough – my machines are water proof so I never fear or have a problem with them.
Oh yea I do a quick clean two minutes max about once a week,

craho · Post by **craho** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:29 am

well, stella is black and it is pollen season down here on the gulf coast, so, I have been using a detail spray that I mixed up when I went Zaino on my Honda Element. I use it when the pollen gets pretty bad which is about 2x a week right now.
Before the pollen, I could go a month or two.

Someday, when stella's paint is faded and beat up, I may go rat-rod with her and never wash, but for now, I am going to enjoy a clean black scooter from time to time.

As an aside...Zaino is pretty great stuff, but it is a bit pricey and quite involved. I may switch back to some Mothers or Meguiars on all my cars soon.

ScootShannon · Post by **ScootShannon** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:51 am

It has never occurred to me to wax my buddy. I hose her off ever few weekends.

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 3:39 am

The Stella should be washed more frequently than a Buddy. There are more little nooks and corners for dirt to get in and grit can lead to scratches which can lead to rust.

I use Mother's California Gold for my soap. I use Nanowax on my Vespa (spray and buff only!), but am going to try some others (old fashioned creme type wax) as the finish just isn't as good as I'd like. Also, there's a lot more rubber on the Stella. A wipe-on rubber protectant and UV guard is a good idea.

Scalpel · Post by **Scalpel** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:02 am

I wipe off the headlight and the gauges, but pretty much everything stays dirty. That's half the reason I bought a silver Blur (the white one would show the dirt).

jasondavis48108 · Post by **jasondavis48108** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:04 am

I use honda spray cleaner and polish. spray once and wipe to clean and if you feel the need to polish it up then spray again, let dry, and buff out. Its awesome stuff and requires no water. I did make the mistake of using turtle wax on my givi topcase, it still hasn't come off completly

I really have to do something about that when it gets warmer and stick to the honda polish this year.

BootScootin'FireFighter · Tue Mar 29, 2011 12:32 pm

mostly rain, but once in a blue moon I'll wipe it down with a damp cloth. Spray 9 on the wheels to get all the grime off of the wheels, mainly the rear wheel. Spray 9 also gives the rubber a temporary shine. I'm not anal about cleaning it, I kind of like that it looks broken in a lot and not like a museum piece. It's the war wagon.

Hwarang · Post by **Hwarang** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 12:56 pm

Every Sunday morning I wash and wax them. I also do the tire spray so they look nice and black.

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:40 pm

My scoots get a bath when mother nature decides to give 'em one. That's about it. I did shine the Buddy up when we were going to ride in a parade and applied some Plexus (sp?) to the plastic bits. When I got the Sym I also gave it a coat of Plexus.

cheers,
-v

bluebuddygirl · Post by **bluebuddygirl** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:56 pm

Hwarang wrote:Every Sunday morning I wash and wax them. I also do the tire spray so they look nice and black.

Show off

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:18 pm

bluebuddygirl wrote:
Hwarang wrote:Every Sunday morning I wash and wax them. I also do the tire spray so they look nice and black.
Show off

I thought you aren't supposed to use tire spray on two wheeled vehicles because it can make your tires slippery.

Anyone know if this is true or an old wives' tale?

-v

Tocsik · Post by **Tocsik** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:39 pm

Vic wrote:
I thought you aren't supposed to use tire spray on two wheeled vehicles because it can make your tires slippery.

Anyone know if this is true or an old wives' tale?

-v

Yeah, I've heard not to use anything like that on bike tires. Sometimes I use SimpleGreen to clean the red wheels on my Pamplona. Then I use a rag damp with the SimpleGreen to quickly hit the sidewalls of the tires. Makes 'em look black and clean! (i switched away from whitewalls some time ago)

As far as cleaning my scooter...
every once in a while I spend some time in the garage using Motorcycle spirits on the plastic and simple green on the seat. That brown seat shows dirt pretty easily. I also sometimes just go over the scoots body with generic window cleaner.

A couple of times a year I clean the Prima pipe and the headlight bezel with chrome polish.

Hwarang · Post by **Hwarang** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 8:31 pm

Really? Maybe I should stop doing that. I try to spray it only on the sidewall, but a little gets on the traction part usually. Maybe I could spray it on a rag and rub it on carefully? It looks so much nicer ... but, then again ... I'm not a fan of crashing ...

gtmotor · Post by **gtmotor** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:39 pm

I personally wouldn't put any tire treatment on a motorcycle tire...

irishtim · Post by **irishtim** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 1:59 am

jasondavis48108 wrote:I use honda spray cleaner and polish. spray once and wipe to clean ...

+1

Also sold under this label :

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:53 am

Vic wrote: I thought you aren't supposed to use tire spray on two wheeled vehicles because it can make your tires slippery.

Anyone know if this is true or an old wives' tale?

-v

Just keep it off the tread – any part of the tread you are going to ride on (like when you take a turn and lean… We had a newbie on bikes near us that did this to his and his daughters brand new mountain bikes and it is a good thing we don’t have mountains cause they would still be going. He actually waxed the rim and sprayed the all black stuff on the tires and other than the tires being slick he could not stop as he had no stopping either.

rsrider · Post by **rsrider** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 3:35 am

jasondavis48108 wrote:I use honda spray cleaner and polish. spray once and wipe to clean and if you feel the need to polish it up then spray again, let dry, and buff out. Its awesome stuff and requires no water. I did make the mistake of using turtle wax on my givi topcase, it still hasn't come off completly I really have to do something about that when it gets warmer and stick to the honda polish this year.

+1 and it won't even make your seat that slick. IF you want to detail, that's a different story.

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 5:42 am

I cleaned my scooter once, so I know what it's like. Didn't make it any faster, so I didn't do it again.

--Keys

Post by **jrsjr** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:13 am

Keys wrote:I cleaned my scooter once, so I know what it's like. Didn't make it any faster, so I didn't do it again.

My bikes always end up looking like something out of Road Warrier. I figure, hey, I worked hard to collect all that road grime! Why would I want to wash it off?

KABarash · Post by **KABarash** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 4:33 pm

jrsjr wrote:
Keys wrote:I cleaned my scooter once, so I know what it's like. Didn't make it any faster, so I didn't do it again.
My bikes always end up looking like something out of Road Warrier. I figure, hey, I worked hard to collect all that road grime! Why would I want to wash it off?

I have so many bugs squished to the front end there were birds licking it off the other day....

HowHH · Post by **HowHH** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 7:25 pm

I clean it when it's looking dirty, and black seems to show dirt and mud splatter pretty quickly. I usually do just a quick spray and wipe with whatever automobile related product I have in the garage. Because I want to retain the matte black look of the paint I have avoided any waxes or polishes, so I'm not sure what I will use over time to protect the finish against fading.

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:09 pm

I'm not as finicky about clean bikes as I used to be. I do believe that you need to keep your bike free of grease and serious grime, otherwise you can't see leaks or problems as quickly as you should. Which is immediately. I'm a big advocate of water-free cleaning and I too am a big fan of Honda's spray polish. The stuff is absolutely amazing. It's also great for cleaning helmets & visors. Most of the spray on car detailers work well but the Honda stuff is a cut above.

Twice a year I'll power wash the scooter and bike but I'm very careful about where the power spray actually goes. Wet the bike, a liberal spray of diluted automotive Simple Green and then rinse off and dry. Restores the bike to showroom condition. The scoot has been through too much for showroom condition so the rubber bits are a bit off but all of the metal and plastic looks great.

BootScootin'FireFighter · Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:13 pm

KABarash wrote:
jrsjr wrote:
Keys wrote:I cleaned my scooter once, so I know what it's like. Didn't make it any faster, so I didn't do it again.
My bikes always end up looking like something out of Road Warrier. I figure, hey, I worked hard to collect all that road grime! Why would I want to wash it off?
I have so many bugs squished to the front end there were birds licking it off the other day....

Thank you all! I got a kick out of those 3 comments.

jasondavis48108 · Post by **jasondavis48108** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:11 am

irishtim wrote:
jasondavis48108 wrote:I use honda spray cleaner and polish. spray once and wipe to clean ...
+1

Also sold under this label :

do they sell this at auto stores? just wondering in case my shop is out at some point

misu · Post by **misu** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 4:56 am

i have a lot of bikes (ie. road/mtn bikes) and a couple are titanium -- ie. no paint.

i use lemon pledge wipes (or generic store brand) on them and have started using them on the scooter. convenient/cheap. cleans well and leaves a thin coat of wax.

jasondavis48108 · Post by **jasondavis48108** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:55 pm

misu wrote:i have a lot of bikes (ie. road/mtn bikes) and a couple are titanium -- ie. no paint.

i use lemon pledge wipes (or generic store brand) on them and have started using them on the scooter. convenient/cheap. cleans well and leaves a thin coat of wax.

hmmm if I did this and bought the strawberry sented 2T oil then my scooter would smell like strawberry lemonade.

Not sure if I'd necessaily like that but it would be wierd for sure.

Mulliganal · Post by **Mulliganal** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 5:18 pm

misu wrote:i have a lot of bikes (ie. road/mtn bikes) and a couple are titanium -- ie. no paint.

i use lemon pledge wipes (or generic store brand) on them and have started using them on the scooter. convenient/cheap. cleans well and leaves a thin coat of wax.

That's what I use on my carbon road bike, good to know it also works well on your scooter.

Modern Buddy

During riding season how often do you clean and wax your

During riding season how often do you clean and wax your

pledge?

Re: pledge?

Re: pledge?