AberdeenBikers

Just a heads up for owners of the above bikes.

Mine is in for repair after breaking down, twice.

The place where Suzuki have mounted the fuse box is prone for water getting into the fuse box and shorting the electrical system. There is no screw or foam gasket to keep the water out (by design apparently).

A good spray of ACF50 into the fuse box could save you a load of trouble.

I wash mine with a garden hose not a power washer.

I keep you posted as to the outcome of mine.

Bummer!

Wonder if the 6's/750's are the same?

RK6 wrote:Wonder if the 6's/750's are the same?

Susuki build quality, what do you think

Still....they do look good

Zathos wrote:

RK6 wrote:Wonder if the 6's/750's are the same?

Susuki build quality, what do you think

Still....they do look good

You do have a point there!

My one couldn't even withstand a single impact with an Avensis!

hey stu u should hav bought an R1 heehee . Seriously tho i hope u get your bike sorted out soon dude

Zathos wrote:

RK6 wrote:Wonder if the 6's/750's are the same?

Susuki build quality, what do you think

Still....they do look good

I never once had any problems with the Suzuki's Ive had but heres another justification to not wash the bike!!

sorry to poo all over the party here, but, i would not advise "wet washing" a roadbike ever, perhaps the wheels and swingarm but thats as far up as you should go (if that) otherwise your asking for trouble. plenty of good alternatives to use for example----
1 wheels and swing arm- try petrol (store in jerry can) douse a rag in petrol and watch how well it lifts brake grime and chain fling etc. (only use on metal and not your plastic bodywork) and of course dont be sparking up em tabs !!

2 plastic bodywork - turtlewax triplewax etc and a good bit of elbow grease brings them up a treat, back to black also good for final gleam shine

3 titanium parts - i would recommend wd-40 on titanium as it will not tarnish them expensive exhausts etc

you just have to take care on what substances you use on which areas ie- petrol will "dull" colour on plastics, petrol can also perish rubber.

hope this can help

Budgie30 wrote:sorry to poo all over the party here, but, i would not advise "wet washing" a roadbike ever, perhaps the wheels and swingarm but thats as far up as you should go (if that) otherwise your asking for trouble. plenty of good alternatives to use for example----
1 wheels and swing arm- try petrol (store in jerry can) douse a rag in petrol and watch how well it lifts brake grime and chain fling etc. (only use on metal and not your plastic bodywork) and of course dont be sparking up em tabs !!

2 plastic bodywork - turtlewax triplewax etc and a good bit of elbow grease brings them up a treat, back to black also good for final gleam shine

3 titanium parts - i would recommend wd-40 on titanium as it will not tarnish them expensive exhausts etc

you just have to take care on what substances you use on which areas ie- petrol will "dull" colour on plastics, petrol can also perish rubber.

hope this can help

Ive been doing it for years with no trouble. What happens when you ride in the rain?? Ive ridden in torential rain for 10hrs in a day with no problem, Im pretty sure the water got into every nook then. If theres mud / flys you have to wet wash unless you line scratching the bike to hell.

Ive been doing it for years with no trouble. What happens when you ride in the rain?? Ive ridden in torential rain for 10hrs in a day with no problem, Im pretty sure the water got into every nook then. If theres mud / flys you have to wet wash unless you line scratching the bike to hell.

there has been many a bike owner had to pull apart their electric connectors also, taking a hair dryer to them and reconnecting them to get their ride to fire up, mud and flies can clean off without the aid of water.
i know the suzuki finish is absolute pants, but flies wont scratch your bike to hell in cleaning off process. in all fairness you can use water to clean your nose cone etc for flies, but you get my drift, using water to clean your bike down will not be recommended by bike shops,obviously a little water on a rag/cloth for bodywork wont cause any problem.
you can also buy on the market, bug and tar removal spray which works a treat, just allow the spray coating approx 2 mins then clean off with rag.

washing roadbikes with hoses or powerwashers, any bike shop will or should discourage you from doing so

Budgie30 wrote:sorry to poo all over the party here, but, i would not advise "wet washing" a roadbike ever,

That's some serious crazy talk there. Don't wash your bike with water? WTF you on about?

I've been doing it for years, not a power washer obviously, cause that's just stupid. A bucket and sponge however is perfectly safe and rinse off with a garden hose. If you like, you can give it a spray with water repellant around the ignition and into the key hole.

ah meep meep its the electric wiring and connectors you need to worry about. however, this is interesting, the conflicting theories on this subject.
i myself am more old skool, so i had leant to dry clean a bike, using the specified cleaners polishes, chemicals etc, it is fair enough to wet wash say the front farings, but the drier a clean you give your bike, less room for electrical problems, that is what i had learnt, on saying that, i have been dry cleaning my bikes for years (roadbikes) and i have had pretty more than a handful of bikes, and have come up gleaming like pins, its worth the effort.

what is everyone elses views on cleaning bikes??

Budgie30 wrote:
what is everyone elses views on cleaning bikes??

it gets cleaned with warm water and car shampoo occasionally then dried with a micro fiber cloth, alloy bits get pollished every now and again to keep them shiny and prevent corrosion, the bike is regularly stripped and always has the fasteners copperslipped.

Budgie30 wrote:
what is everyone elses views on cleaning bikes??

I'm a lazy bast@rd (and stupid too it would appear) as I've used a power washer for most of this millennium.

Can't be arsed buggering about with sponges and shizzle. Having said that, I've not had an electrical fault either. Just careful where I point the jet and how close I get . When in Scotland the bikes were stored in a dehumidified and heated garage. After a clean I always shot up the road with the brakes on to boil off any fluid behind the pads.

I recently found a far more effective method. My housemaid's boyfriend does a sterling job.

my k5 was like that aswell

Cleaning.....hmmm.....

...I am aware of the concept.

But it's only going to get dirty again

Budgie30 wrote:ah meep meep its the electric wiring and connectors you need to worry about. however, this is interesting, the conflicting theories on this subject.
i myself am more old skool, so i had leant to dry clean a bike, using the specified cleaners polishes, chemicals etc, it is fair enough to wet wash say the front farings, but the drier a clean you give your bike, less room for electrical problems, that is what i had learnt, on saying that, i have been dry cleaning my bikes for years (roadbikes) and i have had pretty more than a handful of bikes, and have come up gleaming like pins, its worth the effort.

what is everyone elses views on cleaning bikes??

Surely if you don't stream rinse it first your just rubbing grit into your paintwork?

Electrical tape is just the job for all the connectors under the seat.

You keep filling the drains of chemicals mate, i'll just use good old water.

Gazza wrote:
I'm a lazy bast@rd (and stupid too it would appear) as I've used a power washer for most of this millennium.

Next time you power wash just a wee bit too close to a stone dink and it whips off a cm2 of adored paint, think of me won't you.

I resisted posting earlier on this.

After washing the wheels and cleaning off any bits of chin lube (I can't believe it's not butter!) from the swing arm with T&G
My bikes both get foamed wth a foam gun on the PW left to soak for 5 mins to soften up the bugs and it removes almost all of the loose grit and stuff stuck to the bike.
Next the bike gets rinsed down with the PW on half pressure.

The bike then gets washed using Lambs wool mit (Not sponge or "RAG" as it will wreck your paint)
The lower fairing gets a quick spray with T&G remover (45 second soak only) and wiped over with an old microfiber to remove the tar spots.
Bike then gets clayed to remove anything that has bonded with the paint.
Washed again and rinsed then dried.( usually with the leaf blower bought for this purpose) which stops water sitting in any hiden area.
Final dry down with micro fibre drying towel.

Finally the Milli F gets a coating of Zymol wax to keep it looking shiny.
In fact I think that is what I will spend my afternoon doing.

The cleaning a bike with petrol and rags is not for me thanks but each to their own.

i never let my bikes get too filthy, i like to keep on top of them cleaningwise and maintenance wise meep meep, makes the job easier for the next time.
my cleaning method may require more time and effort but pays off in long run, take for instance, chain fling and brake grime you wont shift that in a hurry with soapy water dude plus the bodywork is all waxed and shined much better than water and shampoo etc. mind you i am very fussy over my bikes in all areas,perhaps more fussier than others, but bikes are my main hobby, nothing else matters bloody hell zax!!! that seems more labour than how i do my bikes

clean rags doused in petrol (ripped up bathroom towels) for metal parts only i might add.
micro fibre cloths for waxing polishing everything plastic.

Zax wrote:I resisted posting earlier on this.

After washing the wheels and cleaning off any bits of chin lube (I can't believe it's not butter!) from the swing arm with T&G
My bikes both get foamed wth a foam gun on the PW left to soak for 5 mins to soften up the bugs and it removes almost all of the loose grit and stuff stuck to the bike.
Next the bike gets rinsed down with the PW on half pressure.

The bike then gets washed using Lambs wool mit (Not sponge or "RAG" as it will wreck your paint)
The lower fairing gets a quick spray with T&G remover (45 second soak only) and wiped over with an old microfiber to remove the tar spots.
Bike then gets clayed to remove anything that has bonded with the paint.
Washed again and rinsed then dried.( usually with the leaf blower bought for this purpose) which stops water sitting in any hiden area.
Final dry down with micro fibre drying towel.

Finally the Milli F gets a coating of Zymol wax to keep it looking shiny.
In fact I think that is what I will spend my afternoon doing.

The cleaning a bike with petrol and rags is not for me thanks but each to their own.

How much do you charge for a lightly soiled rr

Bucket (1 of), brush, soapy water, rinse... as infrequently as possible. 2 or 3 years later trade it in for maybe £50 or £60 less than one someone's spent weeks, or months, of time cleaning and polishing! Job done.

Basically, I'm lazy and not tremendously fussed about what it looks like.

Zax wrote:I resisted posting earlier on this.

After washing the wheels and cleaning off any bits of chin lube (I can't believe it's not butter!) from the swing arm with T&G
My bikes both get foamed wth a foam gun on the PW left to soak for 5 mins to soften up the bugs and it removes almost all of the loose grit and stuff stuck to the bike.
Next the bike gets rinsed down with the PW on half pressure.

The bike then gets washed using Lambs wool mit (Not sponge or "RAG" as it will wreck your paint)
The lower fairing gets a quick spray with T&G remover (45 second soak only) and wiped over with an old microfiber to remove the tar spots.
Bike then gets clayed to remove anything that has bonded with the paint.
Washed again and rinsed then dried.( usually with the leaf blower bought for this purpose) which stops water sitting in any hiden area.
Final dry down with micro fibre drying towel.

Finally the Milli F gets a coating of Zymol wax to keep it looking shiny.
In fact I think that is what I will spend my afternoon doing.

The cleaning a bike with petrol and rags is not for me thanks but each to their own.

dedpidgin2 wrote:Basically, I'm lazy and not tremendously fussed about what it looks like.

Insert joke about ugly Gixers here.......

I exfoliate mine with a handful of gravel once a month.

Zathos wrote:Insert joke about ugly Gixers here.......

Did you manage to get that rust stain off yer shirt after Sat night?.......