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Washing your bike can be dangerous

Discussion in 'Pull up a chair and sit for a spell' started by Hot01, Aug 12, 2009.

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  1. Hot01

    Hot01 Active Member

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    Hot01, Aug 12, 2009
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  3. BluePearl

    BluePearl New Member

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    I wish I had the choice to ride or wash right now! With the surgery on my back can't ride for aleast another month so I have spent last 3 wks doing complete tear down and wash and wax. Even in winter months I wouldn't have my ride down this long for waxing. After Sept 9 (ok X-ray) I might go with your thinking - if it's nice enough out to wash your bike it's nice enough to be riding!
    Remember 1 thing - there's not alot to write a book about washing your HD;)
    BluePearl, Aug 12, 2009
    #2
  4. cowboy

    cowboy Moderator Staff Member

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    guess I ain't one of those people , just washed my the other & let my 2 year old grand daughter help me , that was fun:rolleyes:& unless a bug get caught in some place where it burns & smells it stay there untill it gets washed again I ain't no RUB I ride when ever I can :D:cool:
    cowboy, Aug 12, 2009
    #3
  5. fxdxriderleo

    fxdxriderleo Active Member

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    I wash mine once or twice a year. I'd do it more but every time I do I get caught in the ran the next day or two.
    fxdxriderleo, Aug 18, 2009
    #4
  6. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    I wash mine almost after every ride...got to as there are so many bugs the hornets will attack the front of the bike eating all the dead smashed bugs. :mad: Otherwise I just use some cleaner polish on the front area.
    FLHTbiker, Aug 18, 2009
    #5
  7. Tomflhrci98

    Tomflhrci98 Active Member

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    Luckily I don't have the bug problem too bad here. But I got white walls.... gotta wash the white walls ... dirty white walls drive me crazy :witsend:
    Tomflhrci98, Aug 19, 2009
    #6
  8. HarleysLR

    HarleysLR Active Member

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    I wash mine when it is needed, It usually doesn’t get that dirty around here unless it rains, a few bugs maybe but not even bad with them. Some dust from the road but a little detail spray and a micro cloth and in 5 minutes is good to go.
    Now my friend Caleb cares a wet cloth in a baggie and wipes his fairing and front end off at almost every stop. When we go on a road trip he is up every morning washing his bike with the rooms trash can full of hot water, it does look good, but what a hassle, he also does his wife’s bike. He calls it his daily therapy.
    HarleysLR, Aug 19, 2009
    #7
  9. Hot01

    Hot01 Active Member

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    My friend Steve, the one who makes the seats, is a detail freak. He says it irritates him to be like that, but he just is. He's been riding forever. I think he has something like 11 bikes that he owns, and they all look brand new, even his BMW, which is an older model. Those cylinders always look like crap, I guess 'cause they stick out, but not on Steve's bike. Pristine. The thing is, his attention to detail is carried over to his work. His seats are perfect.
    Hot01, Aug 19, 2009
    #8
  10. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    do the hornets hurt the paint???? if not, let em finish dinner then put er' back into the wind!!!!!!!!!!:)
    chucktx, Aug 19, 2009
    #9
  11. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    I've been on some rides back up in the mountains where the hornets were so thick you couldn't walk up to your bike without getting stung. They don't hurt the paint but get real possessive of their food.
    In the fall when deer season is going on you gotta cover your animal real quick or the hornets will pick it clean before morning. I got a plumb tree out in front that about this time of year I keep saying I'm going to cut it down. The tree drops the plumbs on the ground and they start fermenting and they get over ripe and the hornets start eating them. They get real nasty as they get a bit drunk or something after eating them. They get flat mean is a better word.
    I found a Hornets nest under a house in the unfinished basement yesterday. The nest is attached to the floor joists and its about the size of a basketball.

    Attached Files:

    FLHTbiker, Aug 19, 2009
    #10
  12. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    wow...didnt know they were that possessive!!!! guess ya got to keep some spray with ya so ya can commander your bike back!!!
    chucktx, Aug 19, 2009
    #11
  13. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

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    Just FYI,, get some cheapo dryer sheets (or get bounce if you like the smell) and wet them down and wet the front of the bike, you can use it on the plexiglass and I've used it on the painted areas, no pressure needed.

    Once you start with the two items wet the chemicals in the dryer sheet combined with the material will take bugs off lickity split (we have those love bugs here) and leave your bike smelling dryer spring fresh! Just rinse afterward...

    Love bugs secret some funky sticky paint peeling clear coat eating chemicals when they hit your paint. No see um's are blind mosquitos that hang over the lake, of course we have bridges over lakes with lights so these mosquitos that are blind are attracted to the bridge which means you end up with a shidt load of bugs...

    Dryer sheets are the bomb...
    hotroadking, Aug 20, 2009
    #12
  14. HarleysLR

    HarleysLR Active Member

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    Learned something new and it's only7:30 AM. WOW...
    I have used dryer sheets in the car for air fresher but never knew you could use them to clean bugs, that is just to cool.
    HarleysLR, Aug 20, 2009
    #13
  15. Hot01

    Hot01 Active Member

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    Yeah, thanks for the tip.

    Hornets are the worst. Most bee stings don't bother me, but hornets are bad. I got one in my shirt while riding one time and it kept stinging me. I pulled over and was running across the street into the gas station, pulling my shirt off. My ex was :wtf:. :roflmao: That was about 400 miles from home, and the shirt kept slapping against the stings in the wind the whole way back, and every time it hit it felt like it was still stinging me. I HATE those things. :rant:
    Hot01, Aug 20, 2009
    #14
  16. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    :worthless:








    ya had to know that was coming!!!!!!:roflmao::roflmao:
    chucktx, Aug 20, 2009
    #15
  17. Hot01

    Hot01 Active Member

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    I did.:rolleyes:


    :roflmao:
    Hot01, Aug 20, 2009
    #16
  18. cowboy

    cowboy Moderator Staff Member

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    That dryer sheet is a good tip good to know as for being stung had one get my shirt on a mountian road like to have gone off the road & over the edge had about 6-7 stings & like Abby said the shirt made it worst going home , but only about 150 miles , & post made for studdless :D
    cowboy, Aug 21, 2009
    #17
  19. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    was running an interstate in mississippi with some friends.....i was last bike. had one go up my pantleg....had feet on top of the pegs. came to a stop, ripped my pants off...didnt care who saw!!!!!! lol lol....got lucky only got me once............and no pics:(
    chucktx, Aug 21, 2009
    #18
  20. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

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    Tmi tmi tmi!
    hotroadking, Aug 21, 2009
    #19
  21. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    :roflmao::roflmao:
    chucktx, Aug 21, 2009
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