Rainwater for washing the bike

[Fz6Sa]

So I have started using rain water for washing my bike.

i had already a 250 litre barrow connected to the drain pipe from the shed roof(use it to water the garden in dry periods), and with the Danish weather it more or less fills up every week.

Now I know that there is an environmental side to it as well,- but that not really why I have started on this.

The great thing about rainwater is that it is free of limescale, - hence it leaves no spots on the bike if you don't have time to dry it up properly afterwards.Especially behind the windshield, the egdes of the fairing and other places like that tends to have these limescalespots when my bike dryes up, if washed with tabwater.

So all in all,- it makes the cleaning more easy, - and it helps the evioriment :thumbup:

 

[Gosling1]

I do almost the same thing except I ride in the rain. I don't remember the last time I actually washed mine.

 

[FZyLarry]

I'm surprised you don't get any spotting. Out here on the coast, it seems like there is a lot of "stuff" in the rain water and stuff = spots.

 

[reiobard]

how much rainwater does it take to wash the bike? do you use a sump pump to get the water out of the bin? I would be looking to use the rainwater for both washing the bikes as well as the cars...

 

[Fz6Sa]

I'm surprised you don't get any spotting. Out here on the coast, it seems like there is a lot of "stuff" in the rain water and stuff = spots.

Can't answer that one .....
I live like 8 km from the coast,- so I guess it should be the same here ....

 

[Fz6Sa]

how much rainwater does it take to wash the bike? do you use a sump pump to get the water out of the bin? I would be looking to use the rainwater for both washing the bikes as well as the cars...

10 - 15 litres, - normally a use a bucket full plus another half bucket.

The setup is like this: (This is not my barrels,- its dark outside now (03am) so no photos right now, and the setup I use is almost the same)

So the water is coming out in the lower part of the bin, - so as long as it's more that half full you get decent pressure on it.

 

[wrightme43]

I have moved on to the Gosling plan. My bike looks like Pigpens' shoes.

 

[Denver_FZ6]

Nice! Wish I could do that here, but it's actually illegal in Colorado to collect rain water.

 

[dako81]

Nice! Wish I could do that here, but it's actually illegal in Colorado to collect rain water.

Don't you feel safe mommy government is protecting you?

Anyways, I've used filtered water via Mr. Clean AutoDry carwash to rinse the bike/cages. Works great.

 

[Wombat1940]

Nice! Wish I could do that here, but it's actually illegal in Colorado to collect rain water.

Here in Oz we get a government subsidy to assist in buying tanks. We use as much recylced water as possible, buckets in the shower, brick in the toilet, our dams are only 30% full, we put buckets out to collect it if and ever it rains, I stood out in it the other day just to see what it felt like its been the long (about 4 months), some places here it hasn't had rained for years, its liquid gold and when it rains ........................... ITS FREE!!!! Believe it of not, we don't live in the outback but a large metropolitan city, with cars, trams, trains, motorbike, 2+ million people and ............... we all collect and save water.

Sorry I'm passionate about our environment and self provision ........... We used to have the same rule here until the place started to dry up ...............

 

[FZyLarry]

Nice! Wish I could do that here, but it's actually illegal in Colorado to collect rain water.

What's the reasoning behind that?

 

[Jedi]

In the UK, using rainwater is kinda like washing your bike in very diluted battery acid. There's way more atmospheric crap in it than tap water, and even that can leave minerals behind when it dries so the only way to avoid that is chamois the bike off thoroughly after its final rinse.

 

[Denver_FZ6]

What's the reasoning behind that?

It's all about water rights. In the southern part of the state, many don't farm anymore because the water has been sold to other downstream states. And I can understand that, but preventing me from catching rainwater is extreme!

 

[steveindenmark]

Jannies dad is 74 and has been riding since he was about 15. He still has a nice 350T Honda which he has already been out on this year.

He tells me he has never washed bikes or cars in anything other than rainwater. He says it does not leave streaks and he has never had a vehicle that has rusted on him.

I do the same and I believe him. I use 2 buckets per wash and it looks great.

Steve

 

[Raid The Revenge]

Nice! Wish I could do that here, but it's actually illegal in Colorado to collect rain water.

Some states have bylaws that prohibit the collection of rainwater because:

1) They create drown hazards; children can get into them and die.

2) They could provide a system for breeding insects (mosquitos).

3) Some government agencies claim the rainwater belongs to them. In other words, you are stealing government property by collecting rainwater.

4) Due to pollution, the acidic content in the rainwater is unfit for human consumption.

5) Large demographics. If you were to somehow steal hundreds of tons of rainwater at a time; it's certain the government would intervene.

 

[LERecords]

I have always supported this kind of idea.. you should hook up something from the gutters on the roof (or do they not have them over there??) and you could harness even more.. cool to know that there are no water spots too!!

to those "environmentalist" people... do you know how much rain water goes down into storm drains and other "man-made" waster diverters.. you know where it all ends up.. rivers, streams, ocean.. im quite certain that even storeing something like 100 gallons would a very small point of percentage (.00X%) of the total water that falls from the sky.. my 2

 

[YamahaMAXdRPMs]

3) Some government agencies claim the rainwater belongs to them. In other words, you are stealing government property by collecting rainwater.

Dont forget about air... gov owns that too :thumbup: we are so lucky to have a great gov that lets us borrow air. :bow: