How do you clean or wash your Buddy?

Portland_Rider · Post by **Portland_Rider** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 2:53 pm

This may be an overly simple personal post.

Unlike cars with their encased steel body and little chance of electronics getting wet, scoots and Buddys are different.

I'm wondering what Buddy owners are using to clean their scoots. What types (or names) of commercial cleaners are you using and which avoiding? While generally listed on the cleaners what they can be used on and what not to use the cleaner on I've sometimes noticed that certain ones that are say supposedly good on some household plastic might be lousy on a Buddy's plastic body.

While I've gently used a hose on some areas of the Buddy I avoid the area where wires or cables are visable, etc.

So how are you bathing your little Buddy?

DennisD · Post by **DennisD** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 3:08 pm

Rain.

If it gets really bad, I shoot on Honda Spray Cleaner and Polish. Wipe off. Used for all surfaces, metal, plastic, rubber. Never the whole bike at once. Too much trouble.

toddrw2251 · Post by **toddrw2251** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:13 pm

If I wash it I use soap, water and hose. Same as washing a car, but I don't blast it directly with the jet, I use a more gentle spray.

Ray Knobs · Post by **Ray Knobs** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:18 pm

car wash soap, cotton towels

simple green and a soft bristle brush for engine / tire grime

hose the whole thing down, you can get everything wet, you don't want to use pressure and blast water into bearings and electrical fittings

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:44 pm

Plexus does great on nearly all of the surfaces of a Buddy.

I am not terribly impressed with how it does on the interior plastic of the Sunset, but I have issues with the interior plastic as it is anyway and since I am considering some "rattle can magic" over the winter I have not done a lot with it.

Last fall I also used some stuff called Ice, I think it is made by Turtlewax but it specifically says that it is good for use on plastic and does not leave a film on plastic. It seemed to do a good job.

-v

Moosy · Post by **Moosy** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:21 pm

I really don't actually. Sometimes I'll wipe the mirrors and instrument display if they get REALLY dirty, but otherwise I don't see any reason to clean it.

narcoleptic · Post by **narcoleptic** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:34 pm

I "cleaned" my buddy for the first time yesterday. All I really did was use Green Works spray and an old tshirt to get off any bird poo and whatnot. Then I used some steel wool to get rid of rust on the chrome and used WD-40 on another piece of tshirt to rub down the chrome. I kind of like it to look like it's ridden.

hal1 · Post by **hal1** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:26 am

microfiber cloth and detailer/quick-wax (spray stuff)

uswedl41 · Post by **uswedl41** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:40 am

Lemon Pledge.

I use it on everything on the scoot, it works excellent!

gr8dog · Post by **gr8dog** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:55 am

uswedl41 wrote:Lemon Pledge.

I use it on everything on the scoot, it works excellent!

And it smells lemony fresh.

I use a bug solvent (orange clean) to get the stubborn bugs off. Wipe off the orange clean with a wet cloth then dry with my chamois. Sparkling clean in less than 10 minutes.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 2:44 am

I get caught in the rain sometimes. I wash my car the same way.

ilektron · Post by **ilektron** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:16 am

Windex. Thats right. Windex and paper towels. You see, I live somewhere where it never rains. Second in the world for sunlight. (aka, no clouds). Also, the local government can't seem to raise money for new roads, so I am never driving over fresh tar. I have no need to remove anything more than a light dusting and finger prints.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:20 am

I wash mine like I wash my car: hose it down, lather it up with car wash and a sponge, hose it down again, then wipe it dry with a chamois. Pretty simple really. There's nothing there that can't get wet...unless you stick the hose right into the air filter inlet or into the exhaust pipe (although a little bit of water in there won't hurt anything either).

Portland_Rider · Post by **Portland_Rider** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:26 pm

Good suggestions. Thanks everyone for contributing.

Tocsik · Post by **Tocsik** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 6:24 pm

I've had mine for a little over a year now and only actually "washed" it twice. I used the same method I use for my cars: auto wash soap and a soft cloth.

I clean it often with Windex on the plastic, chrome and glass and Simple Green on the wheels. I use a whitewall bleach on the tires every once in a while.

I might now check-in to this Plexus I have heard about. I did use a spray detailer on it once which worked great.