Winter Washing

[Alba]

I volunteer in the local lifeboat & every time we launch & bring her back in she gets washed down bow (head) to stern (toe) including the engines. Great job at 03:00 in the morning

So the other day, goes in to the garage after the bike having a rest over the weekend, I noticed salt crystals all over the wheels and parts of the body work. So it got me thinking, if we wash down the boat why cann't I give the bike a quick spray with fresh water before packing her up for the night.

What do you think, cann't be any worse than letting it sit with rain water & road salt all over her ????

[YEN_POWELL]

I think I heard somewhere (I'm a famous non bike washer so not totally sure) that cold water is okay, but warm water makes the salt even more corrosive.

[Steve C]

I've heard - or been 'told' - something similar Yen; cold water ok so long as not from pressure washer or hose because it drives salt into the crevices. Warm water not ok at all because it dissolves the salt and allows it to run into the deepest recesses of your precious bike.

[Annette]

I wash my bike down most days when I get home from work. I do use the hosepipe and a soft brush. It does have to be cold water so the salt washes off rather than dissolves. If you do it every day it only takes 5 minutes.

The other option that many people use is to give your bike a good clean and spray it with something like ACF50 to protect all the metal (be careful not to get in on tyres, pads and body panels). Then every couple of weeks during the winter give it a hose off to get rid of most of the muck and in the spring have another good clean and hey presto! one lovely shiny bike again.

[Raven]

The other option that many people use is to give your bike a good clean and spray it with something like ACF50 to protect all the metal (be careful not to get in on tyres, pads and body panels). Then every couple of weeks during the winter give it a hose off to get rid of most of the muck and in the spring have another good clean and hey presto! one lovely shiny bike again.

This is what I've done, I think it was Sohoeasy who posted that advice up when I first got the bike. I gave it a thorough rinse down and its first "proper" post-winter clean yesterday and today, and everything has come up like new with the exception of the rear spokes for some reason .

Still, on my last bike I used to spend 5 or 6 hours once or twice a week giving the bike a bloody good clean and plenty of WD40, whereas the above method has kept it all looking just as good but without the gargantuan effort .

[Alba]

I wash my bike down most days when I get home from work. I do use the hosepipe and a soft brush. It does have to be cold water so the salt washes off rather than dissolves. If you do it every day it only takes 5 minutes.

The other option that many people use is to give your bike a good clean and spray it with something like ACF50 to protect all the metal (be careful not to get in on tyres, pads and body panels). Then every couple of weeks during the winter give it a hose off to get rid of most of the muck and in the spring have another good clean and hey presto! one lovely shiny bike again.

The ACF50 is sitting in the garage, I want to give the bike a good clean before applying it, but every weekend seems to be tied up with other things . I've even got the gunk to get the sh** off, the bike is in pretty poor condition the last lad that had it did not look after it and used it in all weather. Ha ho.....