Jb40k
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This isn't quite your traditional 'How To' thread, however I thought it might be useful for some. I’ve mentioned the products I used, but I'd also be interested to know what products you use… I'm always on the lookout to try something new!
Over the last year or so, I've found myself getting more and more involved (read: consumed) in detailing... It started off as wanting to keep the car a little bit cleaner, but has now turned into a hydrophobia-chasing obsession! Well anyway, the weather this weekend brightened up so I figured I'd put some products to good use and give the Fazer a good going over.
Apologies in advance for the lack of 'before' (usual daily road grime) or progress shots, but hopefully the steps below will give you an idea of what I got up to / my wash routine looks like.
1. Pre-wash - Using Muc-Off pre-wash solution, the bike was liberally sprayed and left to dwell. The soapy solution starts to dissolve any dusty and dried in muck, it definitely helps to get into the harder to reach areas around the engine and behind the radiator; a detailing brush was also used to agitate some of the more intricate areas.
2. Wheels - Whilst the pre-wash spray did its job, I treated the wheels to a blast of AutoGlym Custom Wheel Cleaner; this stuff is potent and makes quick work of baked in brake dust and the tacky patches on the rear wheel.
A wheel brush was used to really scrub the spokes and central hub; I found this was where most of the seared on crud tended to stick!
3. Wash and Rinse - The whole bike was then washed with Juicy Details Banana Suds shampoo and a lambs wool mitt, making sure to remove all traces of the earlier wheel cleaning and pre-wash solution.
I chose this shampoo as it’s incredibly soapy and a little concentrate goes a long way, it really smells of bananas too! Using a second bucket the shampoo was then rinsed off using warm water until no more suds were on the bike.
4. Dry - The whole bike was then dried off using a super fluffy microfiber towel. The idea behind using a towel and not traditional chamois leather was to reduce the amount of direct contact with the paint, patting down and absorbing the remaining water instead of simply moving it around.
5. Quick Detail - Using Finale, a quick detailing spray from AutoFinesse, the whole bike was again gone over to remove any water spots or streaks. The spray was applied directly to a microfiber and each panel was wiped down, taking care not to over apply and re-soak the bike!
6. Polish - Now that the painted surfaces were all clean, dry and streak free, I used AutoGlyms Super Resin Polish; this took out any light scratches, especially on the tank from keys and zips, and helped the metallic flake in the paintwork really pop; applied in circular motions with a foam pad.
It's often advised to tape up textured surfaces, the fairing inserts for example, as this stuff leaves a nasty white stain, though a careful hand will do the same job.
The fairing, tank, side pods, front fender, grab rails and seat cowl were all coated and the polish was left to cure before being buffed off with another microfiber.
7. Wax - To give the newly polished surfaces some protection, a coat of AutoGlyms High Definition wax was then applied, using the same technique as the Super Resin Polish earlier.
It was whilst the wax was curing that I hit the downpipes and exhaust cans with some generic metal polish and wadding. The wax was then buffed off which left a really deep metallic finish on the fuel tank, and a glossy-wet finish on the carbon and flat black pieces.
8. Dressings - The frame was given a coating of AutoFinesse Mint Rims wheel sealant, I opted for a wheel sealant due to the higher temperatures of being wrapped around an engine, regular sealants wouldn’t have the lasting power - Plus it smells of mint!
All of the rubber including hoses, and the tyre walls were dressed with another AutoFinesse product, this time Satin tyre dressing; applied with a(nother) microfiber.
The textured plastics, including the rear hugger, lower forks and sprocket cover etc., were then given a once over with AutoGlyms Bumper and Trim Gel, to give them a glossier finish; I've previously used a car interior product for this, but found it didn’t last anywhere near as long.
The last thing to do now was to give the brakes a quick blast of cleaner spray and the chain a re-oiling, before packing away (it was starting to get dark by this point) for the night ready for the next ride!
Over the last year or so, I've found myself getting more and more involved (read: consumed) in detailing... It started off as wanting to keep the car a little bit cleaner, but has now turned into a hydrophobia-chasing obsession! Well anyway, the weather this weekend brightened up so I figured I'd put some products to good use and give the Fazer a good going over.
Apologies in advance for the lack of 'before' (usual daily road grime) or progress shots, but hopefully the steps below will give you an idea of what I got up to / my wash routine looks like.
1. Pre-wash - Using Muc-Off pre-wash solution, the bike was liberally sprayed and left to dwell. The soapy solution starts to dissolve any dusty and dried in muck, it definitely helps to get into the harder to reach areas around the engine and behind the radiator; a detailing brush was also used to agitate some of the more intricate areas.
2. Wheels - Whilst the pre-wash spray did its job, I treated the wheels to a blast of AutoGlym Custom Wheel Cleaner; this stuff is potent and makes quick work of baked in brake dust and the tacky patches on the rear wheel.
A wheel brush was used to really scrub the spokes and central hub; I found this was where most of the seared on crud tended to stick!
3. Wash and Rinse - The whole bike was then washed with Juicy Details Banana Suds shampoo and a lambs wool mitt, making sure to remove all traces of the earlier wheel cleaning and pre-wash solution.
I chose this shampoo as it’s incredibly soapy and a little concentrate goes a long way, it really smells of bananas too! Using a second bucket the shampoo was then rinsed off using warm water until no more suds were on the bike.
4. Dry - The whole bike was then dried off using a super fluffy microfiber towel. The idea behind using a towel and not traditional chamois leather was to reduce the amount of direct contact with the paint, patting down and absorbing the remaining water instead of simply moving it around.
5. Quick Detail - Using Finale, a quick detailing spray from AutoFinesse, the whole bike was again gone over to remove any water spots or streaks. The spray was applied directly to a microfiber and each panel was wiped down, taking care not to over apply and re-soak the bike!
6. Polish - Now that the painted surfaces were all clean, dry and streak free, I used AutoGlyms Super Resin Polish; this took out any light scratches, especially on the tank from keys and zips, and helped the metallic flake in the paintwork really pop; applied in circular motions with a foam pad.
It's often advised to tape up textured surfaces, the fairing inserts for example, as this stuff leaves a nasty white stain, though a careful hand will do the same job.
The fairing, tank, side pods, front fender, grab rails and seat cowl were all coated and the polish was left to cure before being buffed off with another microfiber.
7. Wax - To give the newly polished surfaces some protection, a coat of AutoGlyms High Definition wax was then applied, using the same technique as the Super Resin Polish earlier.
It was whilst the wax was curing that I hit the downpipes and exhaust cans with some generic metal polish and wadding. The wax was then buffed off which left a really deep metallic finish on the fuel tank, and a glossy-wet finish on the carbon and flat black pieces.
8. Dressings - The frame was given a coating of AutoFinesse Mint Rims wheel sealant, I opted for a wheel sealant due to the higher temperatures of being wrapped around an engine, regular sealants wouldn’t have the lasting power - Plus it smells of mint!
All of the rubber including hoses, and the tyre walls were dressed with another AutoFinesse product, this time Satin tyre dressing; applied with a(nother) microfiber.
The textured plastics, including the rear hugger, lower forks and sprocket cover etc., were then given a once over with AutoGlyms Bumper and Trim Gel, to give them a glossier finish; I've previously used a car interior product for this, but found it didn’t last anywhere near as long.
The last thing to do now was to give the brakes a quick blast of cleaner spray and the chain a re-oiling, before packing away (it was starting to get dark by this point) for the night ready for the next ride!
