Modern Buddy

I noticed my scooter has gotten rather grimy, and it got me thinking.

Couple times per season I guess... not often. I like to leave the huge bug splatters on there cuz it looks so dang hardcore.

You forgot the rain clean method.

i usually clean it when i can visibly see the grime on the tires and dirt on the rear panels

Black is so hard to keep clean!

Once or twice a season was my vote but it's not accurate. Generally, if I'm doing something to the scoot I wipe off that general area and might get carried away and do a little more. For instance, if a mirror is loose and I fix it then I might wipe the crud off the back, that might carry over to the head set, head light and maybe even the windshield.

I can't remember when I purposely cleaned an entire scooter just to clean it. I'm sure I have but its been so long I don't remember.

Perhaps the poll would be more accurate if you had "once a year, maybe, if I feel like it and the weather is perfect and nothing good is on tv" as a selection.

Grimy means you use the thing. If you're riding a lot its going to show. The perfectly clean scooter all the time syndrome is time consuming and dangerous. That perfectly slick surface allows nuts and bolts to come apart easier and leads to accidents as you try to fix the mirror on the run without getting finger prints on it.
If it was sticky with grime chances are it never would have happened.

Lostmycage wrote:You forgot the rain clean method.

I do it as often as it needs it. And since I'm not aware of any safety, hygiene, or performance reason it would need it, that means I haven't done it. I suppose I'll give it a splash and wipe-down just before I move it inside for the winter.

Wipe down the mirrors and seat anytime it needs it....but the rest has been neglected.

Got my scooter in early July and I think I've washed it three times. The first time was simply because I'd bought it used, so washing it seemed like a necessary step in making it mine (weird? maybe). Other times were just to keep it clean and shiny. I lost my enthusiasm for washing cars years ago, but there's something different about the scoot. Maybe it will wear off over time - dunno.

I was putting "rain clean" under "What?"

Part of what made me think of this was last time I washed my scooter, the wheels were caked with grime...as in, I had to scrape off the rims before I could wash them. When it was clean, I noticed a small section of the rear wheel that the paint had come off of. I'm keeping an eye on it for rusting. I'm wondering if the grime accelerated that problem.

And then I just got curious in general about scooter cleanliness.

It was the scraping off and cleaning that accelerated the paint stripping.

Find some touch up pant and make sure there's no exposed bare metal.

My wheels have a protective coating of brake dust on them that keeps the wheels looking like new.

I clean the scoot once a month or so. But all I do is use some LA's Totally Awesome to get the worst of the dirt off then follow with some Meguiar's Quick Detailer and a microfiber towel. Once or twice a year before cleaning, I'll go to one of those do it yourself car wash places and use the pressurized soapy water and give the undercarriage a good blast.

Lostmycage wrote:It was the scraping off and cleaning that accelerated the paint stripping.

Find some touch up pant and make sure there's no exposed bare metal.

My wheels have a protective coating of brake dust on them that keeps the wheels looking like new.

That sucks. It's not like I used anything sharp or anything...just my thumbnail. I wonder if clear nail polish would be a bad idea. I'll start looking at paints.

I'm addicted to Plexus. I wipe down nearly daily with Plexus. Obsessive....probably.

I thought dirt was the protective coating.

Seriously, I wash it about once a month. Maybe. Sometimes.

I'll do a bit of dusting/wiping the morning of a rally, but I only scrub Pinky before I bring it in for summer & winter service. Have you ever seen a mechanic cry? It's not a pretty sight.

kmtscoot wrote:I thought dirt was the protective coating.

It is called PATINA!

Once or twice a year I will ride through the sprinklers to knock the dust down

WTF do you care?
-What'a you, some kind of anal clean-it-up bug?



Actually I just polished the chrome bezel on my headlight earlier tonight, as it's starting to pit a bit!
First time I took a cleaning rag to my '07 tho...

I hosed off a pile of dirt that was in my driveway and I found my scooter underneath.

Three times so far this year (6 months of riding).

Any time I want it to rain or snow !!!

I was washing my truck (for my kids) on Sunday and did a good cleaning of the scooter, too. Used soap and H2O which is rare for me. I usually spray the front with Windex and wipe it down - maybe a couple times per month. I try to keep the Prima pipe clean (and the mirrors). So, I even used chrome polish on the pipe, mirror backs and other small chrome bits. Then, it starts raining on my way home yesterday and it's snowing today. So, I had to take the truck from my 3 high school kids and drove it in the snow, thus ruining the great washing that it also had!

Tocsik wrote:Any time I want it to rain or snow !!!

I was washing my truck (for my kids) on Sunday and did a good cleaning of the scooter, too. Used soap and H2O which is rare for me. I usually spray the front with Windex and wipe it down - maybe a couple times per month. I try to keep the Prima pipe clean (and the mirrors). So, I even used chrome polish on the pipe, mirror backs and other small chrome bits. Then, it starts raining on my way home yesterday and it's snowing today. So, I had to take the truck from my 3 high school kids and drove it in the snow, thus ruining the great washing that it also had!

That'll teach ya!