Okay guys...you all have way bitchen rides here...every pic I see,no matter what color...they ALL look friggin sweet.I tried almost everything I could think of to keep my 07 lookin sharp and polished ya know.It never really DID seem to get that shine like most of your bikes apparently have.I'm wanting to start right with my new baby.Before I even ride it...I want to do a NICE polish,protection cleaning to the finish.Gonna take some 'whatever' down with me(unless they deliver it here)to the shop and give er a good once over.I want some feedback on products you guys would recommend and why.IF you don't mind.I was thinkin of going with something like one of those top line 'wet' looking polishes...what do you guys think?Thanks all.

Hey Blue! I see you working all the angles. My bike used to look like crap until I found a "wash" thread on this forum. I used to rinse it with water and polish it with Original Bike Spirits Cleaner and Polisher. I think it's a great product if you're coming home from a ride and need to clean off some bug stuff before you head back out but if you have time, there are better products out there. When I go in the garage to hide from the wife, I give my 14 a sponge bath with dishwasher soap, rinse it thoroughly and then apply some Meguiar detailer. The thing with the Meguiar detailer is that you can't do it in the sun, you have to be in the shade. It takes about 12 hours for the stuff to penetrates the fairing and it gets pretty slippery between the knees when you go for that first ride and brake hard, however, it protects well against whatever the wind throws at you. I usually wait the 12 hours and apply the Meguiar wax. Now the bike color is deeper and I get lots of compliments. here is a link!

* Last updated by: dragking on 10/15/2011 @ 7:42 PM *

While using both the Wax and Detailer gives the best results, You can use the Meguiar Wax by itself, the 1 have got can be applied in the sun and doesn't need time to penetrate. Washing with soap and rinsing thoroughly is important though.

Awesome Drag....thanks my man for the explanation(s).You and I think alike I can see that.I HATE riding a dirty bike.When I go ride,I always have a wet cloth and nice clean dry cotton cloth.When I stop someplace for a breather...ya...I'm cleanin my bird off.
Ya...I've got some of that Meguiars wax...the stuff you're talkin about.Not the 12 hour one though.Probably go with that...sounds very good.Then the wax follow-up.I want to do things a tad different this time out the gate if ya know what I mean.Not that I let my bike go or anything...no way..but..you always look back and say...'could have done that differently'.I do anyway.Got any suggestions about keeping the rear shock assembly clean?I've got a CF hugger,nice,thinkin of puttin it on there to start with.It's dark ya know...so it won't really be standing out as something odd looking.Fit my 07 perfect.Hopin it'll go right on this one.Thanks again for yer info!

Meguiars is hard to beat...for sure.When I was a kid....I used to hang out at this Helicopter company place on the weekends...my Mom and Pa let me stay there.Kinda cool.Anyway,I used to clean the Helicopters for em....in between flights and stuff.They always used that Meguiars polish for the Bubbles and stuff.Been around a long time.Thinking about that brings back some very cool memories.Flying.Knowing those people.Even had a Model collection that I did..like...20 different Helicoptes.That was when Revelle was makin models,so the quality was VERY intense and accurate.Paintin those Pilots and gear and stuff..even the cockpit meters and all...very cool.They had em in a glass case inside their flight school.I used to sit in the corner of the hangar all day and draw pics of the choppers in there...gave em away to the students and the instructors and stuff.Those were good times fer sure.Then I grew up

* Last updated by: blue07 on 10/15/2011 @ 8:09 PM *

Looks like you are going to be well prepared when she shows up. I envy you buddy. Have fun.

Man,you'll be getting one up ahead as well.You'll even have a BETTER choice most likely .

.That was when Revelle was makin models,so the quality was VERY intense and accurate

There is no more Revelle? How sad. I had hours of fun making all kinds of models when I was young.

I do a water bath after a long ride or if I do any wet road riding. Between water baths, i use the black and pink spray can of "Original Bike Spirits" (or whatever they are calling it at the time).

I'm not particular about the soap i use. I've used Blue Coral and Meguires. They do the same thing. Heard that Dawn dish soap will remove a coat of wax completely so careful with that if you use it.

I use any old rag to wipe grease and wash the swing arm and undertail or engine if it needs it. All shiny and painted surfaces are touched only by microfiber cloths to wash and buff dry. Micro fiber cloth for cleaning with bike spirits too.

My 08 finish looks better than new. This is because I have polished with ICE Liquid Claybar very thoroughly during the winter. I remove the fairings and rub them out by hand with a microfiber cloth and the ICE LC. This takes down the surface enough to smooth out any swirls that developed over the riding season. With a great deal of patients, this will even soften over or even eliminate a minor scratch. I can see that the slight bumpyness of the factory paint has been polished completely smooth like a mirror on the largest, flattest areas of fairing that I have rubbed over.

I've used the ICE LC as described four times now and still have not removed clearcoat anywhere AFAICT. Might be a good idea to Rattle can clear coat the farings in a year or two just to safeguard (then back to square one with the ultra smooth surface , however).

The ICE Liquid Claybar works great on windscreens which I have found to swirl up much more readily than any other part of the bike.

After the ICE LC is washed away completely, I use ICE paste polish. It is applied just the same way as wax. I use a microfiber for buffing the paste polish and that eliminates any trace of swirl that resulted from the rubout. I never see any tiny swirl marks again. They are so fine, the polish fills them in permanently. I apply the ICE Paste Polish about every two months during the riding season.

Remember a couple of us etched the lenses on our multi func and speedo/tach with accidental brake fluid leakage from reservoir cups?? The ICE Liquid Claybar and paste polishis what I used to restore that FU... That polished the spots back to a high gloss and you would never know it was ever damaged.

Other than that, I just do my best to keep the bike out of the sun. I have used a cover on the bike when left outside at work and I keep her in the garage when at home.

For the wheels, i have used Black Magic Titaneum Wheel Cleaner. Very strong soap. I use it straight spraying it on a wet cloth. I don't muck up my microfibers for the wheels since they are not high gloss. I just use a cotton rag. Rinse the wheels thoroughly after the wash. I even wash the rotors and calipers but I rinse them thoroughly to eliminate slipperyness.

Liquid Glass works very well to remove those stubborn water spots from mirrors. I wash my mirror glasses with LG every time I wash or polish.

* Last updated by: Rook on 10/15/2011 @ 10:23 PM *

Thanks Rook....excellent advice. BTW...Revelle is still around...however..they sold their deal to a Chinese company I'm fairly sure.The quality now is NOTHING of what it used to be.

Ya...microfiber for me as well.Except for like what you said...swingarms or greasy stuff.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 10/15/2011 @ 10:28 PM *

I just don't get it. Buy expensive bike specific cleaner, polish, microfiber cloths, etc, etc.... But use dish soap to wash a car/bike. Vehicle specific soap is not expensive or hard to find. It's called DISH SOAP for a reason!

All good stuff.I personally NEVER use any soap on my bike.Wet/dripping rag is all I ever use to clean the surface with.Wheels as well.Sometimes,I'll use the K&N filter cleaning solution for the wheels...ya...to get the sticky stuff off.But that's it.No soap,not spraying.Then wipe dry with a microfiber.Use Meguiars swirl remover polish on her.Enhances the color...somewhat.But trying to start with something new...for a first buffing.Thanks again all.

I just don't get it. Buy expensive bike specific cleaner, polish, microfiber cloths, etc, etc.... But use dish soap to wash a car/bike. Vehicle specific soap is not expensive or hard to find. It's called DISH SOAP for a reason!

You can pick up a gallon of car soap that will last three years and it will cost ~$5 if you get it on sale. Dawn is more expensive.

Always use turtle wax car soap to wash my bikes and vehicles. I've tried all the new waxes and I've always came back to Kit carnuba wax once a month and use the turtle wax ice spray synthetic wax as a quick detailer with a microfiber cloth. I'm very anal about a clean bike. I clean after every ride with original bike spirits in the purple can. It gets rid of thge bugs and road grime very easily it's the old honda spray cleaner and polish. The new honda spray is about worthless. I get compliments all the time of how my bikes look brand new kinda pisses my biddies off with newer bikes!!

My mech asked me last time I had him change a tire out..."How many miles on this bike?"He seemed pretty surprised when I told him 51,000.Guess that would qualify ME as ANAL

Gotta say...I REALLY follow the book when it talks about using water....sprayers and such.I don't.I think I washed my bike twice at the car wash...gently that is...to get the mud grime out of the teensy areas you can't get to.But that's it.NO water spraying for mine.Hose?Yeah,once or twice.

That Meguiars stuff I normally use is called "color X"....removes swirls and stuff 'pretty good'.I've also heard you can overdo the waxing thing,and after a while,the shine and all begins to go the other direction.Anyone heard that?

* Last updated by: blue07 on 10/16/2011 @ 11:42 AM *

It's called DISH SOAP for a reason!

* Last updated by: dragking on 10/17/2011 @ 12:41 AM *

I wash with dawn dish soap to remove dirt, oil and fingerprints than towel dry Maguire’s carnauba wax once every 6 months to protect the paint Maguire’s spray detailer for her weekly wash! And I want to hear what you think of your new beast as much as you want to ride her!

This from Barry Meguiar, who heads the business of the same name (Meguiar's);

"Dishwashing detergent is meant to remove everything from the surface. That includes stripping the polymers off the paint surface... The effect is similar to what dishwashing soap does to your hands. Too much will dry the skin. On the surface of a car, the same thing occurs; dishwashing soap actually accelerates the oxidation process when used regularly."

I realize he is biased, but if you think about it, a grease remover, like dish soap, has to be pretty harsh. I rarely have grease on my bike's painted parts. Why risk it?

* Last updated by: alg8er on 10/17/2011 @ 11:23 PM *

blue07; "removes swirls and stuff 'pretty good'.I've also heard you can overdo the waxing thing,and after a while,the shine and all begins to go the other direction.Anyone heard that?"
It doesn't remove the swirls, it fills the fine scratches so you don't see them. Waxing is better in multiple coats. It wears off anyway. The only times it would damage a finish is if it's a cleaner/wax, or a polish/wax combo. They have fine abrasives like polishing compound that remove a layer. The other way is if the wax is used incorrectly, like rubbing too hard, using an improper application/removal material, abrasives in the material, or using an electric buffer/polisher incorrectly.
If you have an old finish;
Wash/dry with a car wash and microfiber, use an automotive wax stripper, wash/dry, then a clay bar, wash/dry, then a random orbital at a low speed with a quality carnuba wax, buff off with microfiber, mist with water and buff lightly again, then wax with orbital again, buff, mist, buff. It will be the best shine possible.
A new finish, skip the wax stripper, clay bar, and extra washes. If the vehicle is garaged, should last 6 months, if it sits outside, 3 months. When I wash, I use car wash with a little Griot's speedshine mixed in and a microfiber mitt, and when I dry, I use a spray on wax to help the carnuba and lube the towels, and 2-3 microfiber towels. Using the spray-on wax also eliminates any spotting.

All my opinion and experiences of course.

13 years old (at the time), washed 3-4 times a summer, waxed twice a year, not a scratch or swirl, like new.

18 years old, washed 6-8 times a year, waxed 2-3, and looks like new.

alg8er wrote:

I use car wash with a little Griot's speedshine mixed in

Griot makes good stuff. I use their wheel cleaner, works well, and easy.

The photo of the ZX11 brings back memories.....

Wow! Haven't seen a 3000GT in years - that one's a beauty!!!! So's the ZX-11! SweeT!

privateer; I miss the ZX11 every once in a while. Like when something needs fixing on the 14. The 11 was bulletproof.

bigwilliezx; Thanks! The VR4 is tons of fun, but getting long in the tooth.

No prob Alg8er... I love those cars - a classic for sure...