A new simple green cleaning product

[dazco]

I used to use SG on my bikes by spaying the whole bike, letting it sit, then hosing off. left a bike so clean it looked showroom new, much better than normal washing because you spray it in all the dirty areas and it loosens stuff a sponge will never reach. But SG is said to be bad on aluminum and other surfaces possible. Plus it required a cleaning afterwards to get the white spots off it leaves. The bike would however be showroom new after this, but i don't want to use it on my Tbird because of those issues. So i looked up thier products and found they now have a "motorsports" cleaner/degreaser that works the same but has according to them (i called and talked to them to get the full report) has be thoroughly tested on all surfaces except leather and they said it is 100% safe for all surfaces on the bike.

I have some on order and will be washing the bike for the first time since i got it 2 years ago soon as it arrives. I clean it often, but with detailers/waxes/etc and a microfiber towel. At this point tho all the nooks and crannies are getting dirty and un-cleanable. that way. so once a year or so i used to use the simple green and rinse procedure as i will be doing soon here. Try it and see. the results is stunning if your bike isn't brand spanking new already. (Carl, you can ignore this post)

 

[CarlS]

I use Simple Green Motorsports on our trucks and bikes and on my dad's car. The autoparts stores carry it. Prior to that, I used the regular Simple Green with no problems. However, when I rinse the Simple Green off, I then wash the bike or cage with Turtle Wax or Mother's car wash. That eliminates spots. As an aside, I use Simple Green on my firearms.

With the rainy season here, washing is a once a week job or more frequent if I have PGR missions.

 

[hemibee]

I've used Simple Green and Scrubbing Bubbles on my bikes and gear for years and haven't noticed any problems with it but then again they were always our woods bikes so I didn't pay close attention to it. I'll have to check out this stuff for the Tiger even tho she ain't no spring chicken any more. Thanks for the tip!!

 

[dazco]

Did the deed this morning, tho i'm not sure this motorsports version of SG is as good as the regular stuff. It didn't leave the white streaks, but it also didn't get all the grease off the regular stuff used to on my speedmaster. It did leave a whitish look to the black engine but not near the white streaks as the regular. Shot the black stuff with Maxima SC1 and all is well. I mainly tried it because i kept hearing the regular stuff is corrosive. I never had a problem with it, tho i always wondered is over time the finishs on the bike might gradually deteriotrate just enough to not be able to clean them up to look new again due to the repeated SG cleanings. So i figured if this works as good it might be better. I think maybe not. But next time i will try the regular stuff and see if it seems to do better.

Never the less, bike looks like a jewel again. Hadn't bought a new can of maxima SC1 since i got the bird and forgot how good that stuff is on satin black parts like frame and black engine parts. If you haven't tried it, do so. (think i did a review here a few years ago) Makes them look showroom new and lasts better than anything else, and i tried a lot of products on the satin black stuff. (rubber too)

 

[CarlS]

I will have to purchase some Maxima SC1 and give it a try. I agree that the SG Motorsports does not do as thorough a job as does the regular SG. I will go back to the regular stuff. for those greasy, grimy areas.

 

[dazco]

Glad you said that because i wasn't sure if it was just my memory or not since it's been a few years since i did this procedure. I used most of the bottle so i will use the rest for spot cleaning and buy a bottle of the regular stuff next time i do a wash.

yes, try the SC1, it's great stuff. Only use it on satin black paint, it doesn't work good on chrome or gloss paint as i recall. I tried a few other silicone detailers and the SC1 worked best. Some people use pledge furniture polish which i used at first too, and it's not bad. But SC1 does it better in several important ways.

 

[CarlS]

I will sure give it a try. My Tiger is filthy - just from riding in the rain.

 

[AngieDD]

I love simple green. I use it on my bike and my car. I run my own NYC house cleaning service and I use it on a lot of stuff in the kitchen too. It's the ultimate cleaner!

 

[CarlS]

You are right; it is great stuff. And welcome to the forum. What Triumph do you have?

 

[dazco]

Hey Carl, about that SC1 i mentioned and you said you'd try. Have you tried it? If not, i think they have reformulated it and it's better, much better. Let me explain. I always used that stuff only on the satin black parts like the black engine casings, frame, etc. Never on paint or chrome because it is silicone based and it would therfore leave streaks on glossy surfaces lie chrome and paint. Well, i haven't bought a can since i had the speedmaster because i found something else that works on all parts of the bike and wasn't quite as good on the satin black parts but close enough.

FF to a few weeks back when i decided to get another can because i felt i was missing it on the black parts. well, i got some on the chrome and when i wiped it off it came off easily and the chrome looked amazing. So i started doing all the chrome and amazingly the bike glowed like never before. I'm taslking to a very notable degree. I used it on everything except the tank fenders and side covers, but then tried it on the paint. On the paint it still had the issue of being a bit hard to get off, but not like it used to. However, the jury is still out as to whether to use it on the paint. Of course you aren't supposed to use it on paint due to silicone supposedly makes repainting hard to impossible in case you even need to do that.

But in any case, i was truly thrilled with how the bike looks right now. On the tiger it may be less so because of the lack of chrome, but the bonnies will love it as will the tiger's black part. Do try it ! By the way, that other product i was using, liquid performance, was great on chrome to the point my neighbor went out immediately after trying it and got 3 cans....but this is better !

 

[CarlS]

I have not tried it yet; but I will. I think with all the black on the Tiger, it will be effective on the Tiger as well as the Bonnies. Thanks for letting me know about the new formula.

 

[dazco]

Well, i said reformulated because i can't see why it's working so well on chrome when it never did before. But i haven't seen anything that mentioned that. Whatever it is, i'm sure loving how great it works. Another thing that surprised me is this...my bike's pulley is pained with this grey textured paint thats got a sandy texture. Black dust from brakes and belt get on it and sticks like glue. I was trying to clean it off today and even with a brush and windex it wouldn't come off. On a whim i tried the SC1 with just a cloth and it came off ! Bizarre ! It's not really supposed to be a cleaner, but a coating. My bike looks so pristine right now it glows, and i keep going to the garage to look at it.

While i'm at it, heres another tip thats equally fantastic if not more. This one if for glossy paint such as the tank etc. Of course the darker the paint the more products affect how good it looks so on your white tiger it may not make a big difference in look, but it will protect incredibly well and leave it so slick it'll feel like teflon. Get a bottle of mother's "sealer/glaze". If you don;'t have a buffer, get one. trust me, this works so well you will want to do your car too. Squirt some sealer/glaze on the paint, put the buffer on the sealer and b4 u turn it on work it around once to spread it out so it doesn't fly off all over you when you start it. Turn the buffer one and go over a given area for maybe 10 passes. It burnishes the sealer/glaze into the paint. When done wipe it off and you'll be left with the most amazingly deep slick shine that you've ever had. I have tried tons of waxes and other sealers, but nothing worked like this. It's literally the perfect shine and finish protection. I did this to my car months ago and it's been parked on the street where birds crap on it constantly and dirt and sap get all over it. yet i wash it and it all washed off as tho it were on a teflon sheet. I did it again today and my car looks incredible.

The thing is, mothers doesn't say to use it like this. they say wipe it on then let dry them wipe off. I have used it like that and it doesn't work anywhere near like this. It needs to be burnished into the finish. I first figured it out by rubbing it into the paint real hard and got a similar result if not quite as good as with the buffer. But it's much too hard to do it that way.

 

[CarlS]

I will give that a try. I have used Mothers products in the past.

 

[Rocky]

I don't spray anything on my bikes or hose them down.
Call me anal, but I get out my seat on wheels, paper shop towels, WD-40 (for greasy spots), Windex for most of the rest of the bike (a bucket of water and cloths as needed), and work my way around a bit at a time, trying to reach every nook and cranny.
Once the bike is clean and dry I use a bit of polish on the paint if it needs it.
I put on the oldies radio station and spend some garage time with my pride and joy.
It can take me an hour or more, but I can't stand a dirty bike.

 

[stevethelondoner]

Dazco......Carl, you can ignore this post............when Carl was over here Saturday he needed a Sheep Dip of that stuff.....

Ride Safe

Steve

 

[Ksquared]

Dale: Thanks. There's a lot of good information here applicable to the Rocket. With her large engine and transmission cases all in black, it will be ne to have them black again, rather than very dark grey.

I'm also looking for something that will revitalize my red and black paint job. It's still pretty (and the fastest color combination for the R3T) but the colors have become muted and they don't "pop" the way they did when new.

Any suggestions?

 

[dazco]

Yes....exactly what i told Carl ! Seriously, get some mother's sealer glaze and a buffer. If you don't want to lay out cash for a buffer you can still use the stuff and rub it into the paint VERY hard. Your arms will have to start aching or it won't do much good. Thats why i say a buffer. And with a buffer that stuff will amaze you. It looks like someone poured honey over the paint and feels like teflon it's so slick. No wax i have used with the buffer does this or lasts like this. Another great thing about the sealer/glaze is it's also hides scratches. Also get some maxima SC1 and use it on the chrome, the black sating parts like frame, engine, everything but the tank and fenders. Use the sealer glaze on that.

So my recommendation would be do the sealer glaze/buffer bit on the tank fenders and side covers every 1-3 months, use the SC1 on the frame, engine and chrome every couple weeks or month depending on how dirty your ride gets, then in between those two products get a bottle of mothers FX spray ways and use that to wipe down the ENTIRE bike every few days or week to keep it nice. Thats stuff out details any detailer and also is watery enough to clean light dirt/bugs. It also leaves a very deep shine on the tank that lasts a few days. So between the major work on the bike with sealer glaze and SC1, use the FX spray to keep it clean and nice. This is easily the best routine and products i have ever used. My bike looks incredible with this routine. I wish i could capture it in pics for you, but like Carl said about trying to capture the beauty of his Mae Lyne dog tags, it's impossible.

Dale: Thanks. There's a lot of good information here applicable to the Rocket. With her large engine and transmission cases all in black, it will be ne to have them black again, rather than very dark grey.

I'm also looking for something that will revitalize my red and black paint job. It's still pretty (and the fastest color combination for the R3T) but the colors have become muted and they don't "pop" the way they did when new.

Any suggestions?

 

[Ksquared]

Thanks. I'll look for those products locally. And I'll pick up a decent buffer. But won't a buffer leave swirl marks, especially in the black painted areas? I'm not skilled enough to get them out with a claybar.

 

[dazco]

Claybars don't remove swirls. They aren't for that, they are for removing contaminants. You know when the car is clean and you run your hand over it but you feel tiny bumps, little embedded specs of dirt? Thats what clay bars are for, removing that. Swirl marks are inevitable in black paint, but sealer/glaze hides them and the buffer has a soft wool bonnet which won't make it worse, but the sealer being burnished into the paint will help hide and remove some of that. Black is extremely har to keep swirl marks out of. I would do what i said and if you feel you need more swirl removal get a fine polish like mothers scratch remover and polish the tank using a microfiber towel and the scratch remover. Then do the sealer/glaze routine. You can probably also find even softer bonnets for the buffer like micro fiber. By the way, most buffers are NOT orbital today. Most have a sort of back and fourth motion, but they do not spin in circles. This keeps them from damaging the paint. And after you do the sealer glaze and buffer routine, you can add a layer sealer glaze that you wipe on and let dry then wipe off like mothers recommends. That may help cover swirls if the buffer imparts any. But i really think you'll find the buffer removes rather than adds them.

 

[CarlS]

Dazco......Carl, you can ignore this post............when Carl was over here Saturday he needed a Sheep Dip of that stuff.....

Ride Safe

Steve

Steve, I will have you know that dual sport bikes are SUPPOSED to be dirty!