Modern Buddy

With spring on its way and warmer temps and the need to go out a scoot and the roads not in the cleanest state. with leftover salt and sand on the roads a short trip out turns in to a cleaning nightmare. if your like me and most are not i cant stand a dirty car or bike or what ever .
So how do the rest of you clean you scooter? do you hit it with the hose and bucket of soapy water or just a wipe down with a damp cloth. or do you just let it go. what steps do you take in cleaning your scooter?

some out there has to be a detail nut like me right? 4-6 hours is nother to clean your car .. or scooter... ..... right?

I've found that Four Peaks polishing wipes work pretty well, and are also very good for removing spilled gas stains and sun fading discoloration from the plastic. I've also tried Armour All and didn't like them. There are also cleaning wipes, but they don't work as well in my opinion. The polishing wipes also leave a nice shine (duh) when the polish dries.

I've never used soap or water to clean my scoot.

Matthew

this works the best:

i use these on everything

justscooten wrote:just a wipe down with a damp cloth.

that would be me... if it's bad maybe some windex or whatever's available. It's all plastic panels so taking care of it is pretty simple to me

Slick Mist...great stuff

Because of the Buddy's plastic panels, you really don't need to use any specialized or expensive cleaners and polishes of the sort you would use on a car or even a metal-bodied and painted scoot.

That said, I'm sure there are various cleaners and solvents which could fade or even eat into the plastic, so stay away from the industrial-strength stuff. I've even seen Fantastik cause plastic to discolor or get cloudy (not specifically on a Buddy, but still...). I even worry that some products made for cars (bug & tar remover, for instance) may be harmful to plastic.

I use Mother's soap, water, and microfiber sponges and towels (mostly because that's what I have for the cars and the Vespa). No wax. Household glass cleaner. And, yes, Fantastik on vinyl or rubber. I'l use a soft-bristled brush for the interior panels (the textured ones) for a stubborn spot.

Hm, even talking about it is making me want to go out and clean the scoots in the morning.

i use mother as well on my classic car so far im useing a spray bottle with some water with some car soap mixed and a soft cotton cloth. i even want to take off the body panels and clean the motor and the other hidden bits. my wife says im alittle off

For the water do you guys use 87 or 93?

jmazza wrote:For the water do you guys use 87 or 93?

HA! Definitely don't use that 'Orange clean' stuff, especially on your seat. I haven't tried it on my Buddy but it jacked up the dash on my car... Light-colored splotches everywhere.

I use britta water and pantene pro V.

toddrw2251 wrote:I use britta water and pantene pro V.

HAHAHAHAHA... with the leave in conditioner

I let the pantene sit on the the plastic panels for at least 3 minutes then rinse. It takes longer for the conditioner to work with plastic than hair.

Through the winter months, my scooter is never clean. When the weather turns better I try to keep my bikes clean.

Water is old school but I still find a good soap and water wash is necessary once or twice a year. Good car wash soap on all the plastic and simple green automotive sprayed liberally on all the greasy areas. Hose it off and dry.

For those more frequent clean-ups between the twice a year water wash, I use a silicone auto detail spray and Honda spray polish on all body and frame parts. For greasy, grimy areas like wheels, the old standby, WD-40. I hadn't come up with anything good for the soft plastic mats so I'll have to try ericalm's Fantastik.

we have to wash these things too? and i just had the oil changed. all this maintenance is getting out of control.

louie wrote:we have to wash these things too? and i just had the oil changed. all this maintenance is getting out of control.

Have to? No, not at all!

In fact, I think doing so may void your warranty.

I think Ericalm is right. Mine only saw water a few times and that was usually in the form of rain...

--Keys

Keys wrote:I think Ericalm is right. Mine only saw water a few times and that was usually in the form of rain...

--Keys

mine got washed last year when mr. louie couldn't handle the dirty scoot sitting in front of his shop (our backyard). i do wipe the bird droppings off though. it hides dirt well.

Keys i don't think either one of us would be aloud to own a new sports car because weekly cleanings must be in the contract of ownership.

looks like im the only clean nut when i get my car ready for a car show i take about 4-6 hours to wash and polish and detail it . not that it was ever durty. i have riden my scoot 3 times now on short trips and when i get back im out there with some quick detailer spray for about 2 hours cleaning it up wheels, body panels ,fenders ,even underneth. as much as i can get! i have a 4X4 truck that dos not go down durt roads. i think this normal dont you?

justscooten wrote:looks like im the only clean nut when i get my car ready for a car show i take about 4-6 hours to wash and polish and detail it . not that it was ever durty. i have riden my scoot 3 times now on short trips and when i get back im out there with some quick detailer spray for about 2 hours cleaning it up wheels, body panels ,fenders ,even underneth. as much as i can get! i have a 4X4 truck that dos not go down durt roads. i think this normal dont you?

of course
to each his own.
really i'm probably just lazy.

I use the hose a sponge a bucket and the same soap I would use to clean the XB. The black and silver 125 buddy looks as good as new every time.

I have a tendency to want to clean my Buddy all the time as well Justscooten, basically it all boils down to OCD!!!! It's mainly the pollen right now is really bad cuz the pines are blooming & whatnot... But my car (when I used to use it) I had to replace the carpet floor mats with rubber ones and then I had to vacuum them like every time I got in because you can see all the dirt. I'm one of those sort of "kick your feet together 5 times before you get in" sort of folks. And I just have a crappy '97 Geo Prism!!! You said yours you take to shows & stuff so I assume it's awesome. But still it prolly is a little overboard to clean your Blur so often... C'mon! It's a SCOOTER! It's for havin' FUN!

man you would think that i could find a pic of my car but this is a new computer and i dont have one on here but this what my car looks like. check out www.hurstolds.com this a 1984 Hurst/Olds

justscooten wrote:looks like im the only clean nut when i get my car ready for a car show i take about 4-6 hours to wash and polish and detail it . not that it was ever durty. i have riden my scoot 3 times now on short trips and when i get back im out there with some quick detailer spray for about 2 hours cleaning it up wheels, body panels ,fenders ,even underneth. as much as i can get! i have a 4X4 truck that dos not go down durt roads. i think this normal dont you?

All kidding aside, I love having a very clean scoot. Mine is only as dirty as it is now because of recent rains and lack of time on my part. Just got a new car (today! woo hoo!) that I intend to keep very clean as well.

That said, for the Buddy I still don't see a need for expensive cleaners.

louie wrote:...really i'm probably just lazy.

maybe i'm just a pig.

ericalm, what will u wash your new car (what is it?) with? (i'm trying to stay on topic while finding out what kind of car you decided on )

louie wrote:ericalm, what will u wash your new car (what is it?) with? (i'm trying to stay on topic while finding out what kind of car you decided on )

Not to hijack the thread:
Heh. I got a black Volvo C30 which, for a number of reasons (not the least of which was price) won out over the Mini Clubman, Audi A3, Smart and a couple of VWs (PM me if you want to know all the reasons!). It also drives and handles better than the others IMHO. The emotional/aesthetic appeal: this is my first new car ever; my first car was a black 1980 Volvo 240; I later owned a '91 240; for years I whined that Volvo needed to do an updated version of the classic 1800 ES, one of my favorite car designs ever.



I'll probably be washing it with money, as in taking it to the hand wash down the street. It's an L.A. tradition! (The taquerias next to car washes are almost always good.) I like clean but maybe not show-quality. I'll do my own detailing at home.

ericalm, i'd probly wash that wagon if i had it. looked it up, sounds super sweet.

Has anyone used one of those "magic eraser" sponges on their shiny panels? I want to know if it scuffs up the plastic. That thing has been a goddesssend for my apartment, so I wonder what good things it will do for my beautiful dirty scooter.

I used a magic eraser sponge on the panel under my seat. It did a decent job of removing some stains. I don't think I would recomend it on the shiny panels. I think the dirt it picks up would act like sandpaper.

justscooten wrote:looks like im the only clean nut when i get my car ready for a car show i take about 4-6 hours to wash and polish and detail it . not that it was ever durty. i have riden my scoot 3 times now on short trips and when i get back im out there with some quick detailer spray for about 2 hours cleaning it up wheels, body panels ,fenders ,even underneth. as much as i can get! i have a 4X4 truck that dos not go down durt roads. i think this normal dont you?

Nah, I'm a clean nut as well.. I wipe the scooter down pretty much after every ride, ESPECIALLY the wind screen (ick all those bugs). I don't think my Buddy has ever encountered rain, and def. not snow.

I usually just use an all purpose cleaner, such as Simple Green applied to a soft microfiber cloth. To make it all shiny again, I sometimes use a little 303 Protectant (the same stuff I use in/on my Audi's plastic panels, it's MUCH better stuff than ArmorALL).

ericalm wrote:

louie wrote:ericalm, what will u wash your new car (what is it?) with? (i'm trying to stay on topic while finding out what kind of car you decided on )

Not to hijack the thread:
Heh. I got a black Volvo C30 which, for a number of reasons (not the least of which was price) won out over the Mini Clubman, Audi A3, Smart and a couple of VWs (PM me if you want to know all the reasons!). It also drives and handles better than the others IMHO. The emotional/aesthetic appeal: this is my first new car ever; my first car was a black 1980 Volvo 240; I later owned a '91 240; for years I whined that Volvo needed to do an updated version of the classic 1800 ES, one of my favorite car designs ever.



I'll probably be washing it with money, as in taking it to the hand wash down the street. It's an L.A. tradition! (The taquerias next to car washes are almost always good.) I like clean but maybe not show-quality. I'll do my own detailing at home.

Ericalm: How are you liking that new volvo hatch?? I have some friends who are big Volvo fans who looked into it, but in the end he couldn't give up his S60!

I too was tempted by a Volvo... I was shopping the S60R but ultimately decided on my current, Audi S4 (with the twin turbo V6, not the new V8).

Glad to see other car fans here!

I use my fresh hot breath to shine up my bud!!!

I'm wanting to know if there are any fool-proof cleaners for whitewalls, cuz let's face it... A dirty whitewall is a sad whitewall, & my wonderfully hot breath doesn't clean EVERYTHING!

Ride it in the RAIN!

I use a product called Westleys bleach white on all my w/w's. I've used it on my classic t-bird for years. You just squirt on and wipe off. If you have a scuff mark a soft hand cleaner brush works. this is as easy as it gets.

I use a product called Westleys bleach white on all my w/w's. I've used it on my classic t-bird for years. You just squirt on and wipe off. If you have a scuff mark a soft hand cleaner brush works. this is as easy as it gets.

Paper towl, water, the basics of cleaning :)

my scooter stays dirty mostly. (I just don't have time...) there is still mud on it from my spill in the yard more than a month ago.

neener wrote:Ericalm: How are you liking that new volvo hatch?? I have some friends who are big Volvo fans who looked into it, but in the end he couldn't give up his S60!

I too was tempted by a Volvo... I was shopping the S60R but ultimately decided on my current, Audi S4 (with the twin turbo V6, not the new V8).

Loving it, though it's the first car I've ever owned that was less than 8 years old. And filling up a car for the first time in a long time was pretty sobering. The Volvo ReCharge hybrid concept is based on the C30 so I'm hoping that'll be on the market when I'm ready to trade.

I drove by a new S5 a couple days ago. WOW. Really beautiful.

Thanks for the tip about Westley's, 5 bud7, you rule! Picked some up today, worked like a charm.

The 'walls are now caucasian as mothers sweet milk!

P.S. I believe you mentioned something about a brush and I definitely needed one. I washed them with just a rag & it was like still yellow all around the letters & stuff... so I had to wash them a second time with a toothbrush to get in the grooves and they were whiter than I've ever seen them .

So, tip for anyone else like me, if you want pearly whites: USE YOUR TOOTHBRUSH!!!
Or, even better: SOMEONE ELSE'S!

I used to wipe down my motorcycle, helmet & visor with plastic cleaner/polish. I assumed it would be safe for my little Buddy. Anybody else use it?

Pledge multi-surface wipes work excellent for me

heavypetting wrote:I used to wipe down my motorcycle, helmet & visor with plastic cleaner/polish. I assumed it would be safe for my little Buddy. Anybody else use it?

Yep, Plexus works great.

I'm using ProtectAll on the body panels and All Kleer on the windshield:

http://www.protectall.com/
http://www.blacklabcorp.com/all-kleer-motorcycle.htm

Both of these products are super great, both at cleaning the goo off and protecting the surface from whatever slams into it sticking really bad.

-jetboy

what do people think about Armour All for interior panels? Both of ours are black. Soap and water really is not doing the trick (although works great on the "exterior")

Does anyone see a problem with hosing down the mechanical parts of the scooter? After riding in the rain a lot of dirt and grime has built up around the engine, exhaust etc. My guess is that directly spraying water on these parts could create problems, however not sure. Anyone have thoughts?

White Apache wrote:Does anyone see a problem with hosing down the mechanical parts of the scooter? After riding in the rain a lot of dirt and grime has built up around the engine, exhaust etc. My guess is that directly spraying water on these parts could create problems, however not sure. Anyone have thoughts?

I use this on the engine, exhaust, mudguards and wheels



It works WONDERS.

White Apache wrote:Does anyone see a problem with hosing down the mechanical parts of the scooter? After riding in the rain a lot of dirt and grime has built up around the engine, exhaust etc. My guess is that directly spraying water on these parts could create problems, however not sure. Anyone have thoughts?

Not sure if we're talking about the same area, but if you're referring to the lower back end of the Buddy (all the areas around the rear shock, exhaust, above the rear wheel, etc.), I'll hose it off with a low pressure stream of water and then spray most of the greasy areas with Simple Green Automotive. Let it soak in and scrub with a soft brush if necessary. Then, a low pressure stream of water to rinse off. There are certain areas of some bikes where you want lube or grease (like, for example, the chain on a chain drive bike) and you should avoid spraying Simple Green on these areas unless you plan on re-lubing after you wash.

So far I've had great results with Windex and paper towels. Plain water on the interior panels though.

DJE

Of the high tech stuff; I use Zaino – its sorta ol school now days but I like it on the car and scoot.

I use the following products:

For waxing I use http://www.meguiars.com/?spray-car-waxe ... -Spray-Wax

For 'when needed' cleaning I use http://www.meguiars.com/?/Motorcycle-Detailer-Mist-Wipe

And for my tires and other black surfaces I use http://www.meguiars.com/?tire-care/Gold ... High-Gloss This stuff stays looking good for weeks, even after it gets wet.

I have to say you all inspired me to wash my scooter today. For someone who has gone more then a year without washing their car thats saying something