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Show or go?

6K views 64 replies 52 participants last post by  78738 
#1 ·
Years ago I couldn't stand to ride a dirty bike and was much less concerned if it would smoke the rear tire as long as it looked good and everything was pristine clean.
Lately I am much more concerned with go over having a clean bike and could care less about having the paint perfect or the tires perfectly clean and armor all'd
Which is more important to you guys. Not that you cant have both but which is more important.
 
#2 ·
I've quit cleaning my 11 se rg up as its rained everytime I've took it out..At 4200 miles now it's gettin pretty nasty but the rides the same!
 
#18 · (Edited)
Have gone to dealership to check something out and not get work done, they'll still clean the bike..
Man, what dealership are you goin' to. I go in and spend $6or800, and they offer to detail the bike for $200. I'm thinking about moving to FL, maybe the east coast. Heck, I'd ride to St. Aug just to get a free wash
 
#6 ·
I clean and wax the paint once in a while, sometimes the chrome. I have yet at 45,000 miles to clean the wheels. I almost did it today but ran out of time.
 
#8 ·
For me, the older the bike gets the less time i spend cleaning it. Kinda like when you buy a new car. That first year or so you try to keep it spotless. It also depends on the color. The lighter color bikes (like white/silver) seem to always look clean. My black bike looks filthy after just a couple days of riding. And, if i get caught in the rain forget it - you can see water/dirt spots all over the paint and all the chrome looks dull. It takes me a good 3 hours to really detail/polish the bike. Needless to say, that only gets done a couple times a year. The rest of the time i just use some quick detail spray/wax to wipe everything down, which takes about 15 minutes.
 
#9 ·
I don't clean my bike if the ol' lady knows what’s good for her.

Just kidding. I hose the dust off once a week and wash it and blow dry it once a month or 2 That’s why I bought a used bike, I don't want to worry about every little bug splat and dirt on the thing. I ride too much to worry about how shinny all of the whistles and bells look. Fact is, the only thing I would think is cool about your bike is the high mileage. Everything else is fluff. Oh and if you rev your engine 3 or 4 times at an intersection and I don’t look your way, it’s because I think you’re a moron.
 
#10 ·
Just think if any of you guys lived in south Florida, you would never have to worry about it Ill keep your bikes detailed for you. Man if everybody didn't care about how there bike looks I'd go out of business. How can you buy a new bike and let it look like sh*t. In Florida if you dont detail your bike the salt air will rust and corrode your bike before your eyes.
 
#11 ·
I keep my bike clean for the next ride just washed & waxed it two weeks ago now I need to do a little clean-up so I can ride it Saturday. I guess were you all live it rains alot but were I live it doesn't rain but in the winter months so the bike just gets dust on it most of the time! Meguiars here I come!
 
#12 ·
A few times a year I'll give it a decent wash and I have one of those blow dryers to dry it (works pretty good). I spray wax it between washes to keep it looking presentable. If I have something apart for repairs I give all the associated parts a good wash and paste wax while its apart.

Bike is ten years old with 100,000+ miles and it still gets a compliment occasionally.
 
#14 ·
Power wash it and dry it with the leaf blower when the mood strikes. S1000 every once in awhile. Like Dynaglydr I buy used so I can just go ride. Must of dropped the bike a half a dozen time this weekend trying my Ride Like a Pro moves and never shed a tear. Real Harleys are meant to be ridden and ride I do.
 
#15 ·
Do my Ultra now and then .. Reason Blacked some of it out.. That's made for the Long Haul while it's never spotless.. It never looks ratty either .. The FXR4 is a little different was 10 years old when I bought it and looked showroom new.. While still ride it often spend a little more time keeping it looking new ...



 
#17 ·
I hate to clean and am not at all concerned with appearance, or how it sounds.

My concerns are:

I want a well performing, mechanically sound engine, good brakes, good tires, a comfortable seat, and an overall mechanically sound bike.

I haven't owned a car since 2006 so I ride my bike everyday and there just isn't enough time to be cleaning.

I'm sure that I have two rat bikes in the making, and I'm okay with that. I think they look cooler dirty.

Also, I get attached to my bikes and could never part them. The same two bikes will be sitting dirty in the driveway when the Higher Power calls me on home! Hopefully that won't for at least another 30 years.
 
#21 ·
I would take these posts to my "localest" dealer but I ain't going back. Hell, I've still got a blue wall on my back tire. I'm fixin to put my eglide on the lift for fluid change and a long overdue thorough cleaning.
 
#20 ·
Can't we have both?
 
#24 ·
Ride Mine everyday its not raining, and it stays spotless.
Clean the windshield 1-2 times a day sometimes.

My rainy day/winter bike, never gets cleaned. Maybe in the spring before I put it away, it may get the garden hose. Didnt this year. Rode it hard, put it away wet
 
#25 ·
It has always been about the go,clean is all apart of it.Riding Hot Rods for me means maintainance,certain things should be looked at often.Many years ago figured out a way to keep my bikes clean and very presentable with very little effort or time.Now have a table to really get at things comfortably.
 
#26 ·
I like it to look good, but just don't take the time to do it. I am more into function and comfort.
 
#27 ·
Depends on the event it's going to I guess...for show or for go. If there were a real bike night in this piss ant burg, the bike would get a detail almost every week. Wouldn't do much good though with all of the bugs and dust leaving the shiny surfaces looking shi**y before I even got there.

Like the dealership, whenever the maintenance gets done it gets a thorough going over to check for the loose ends and then it's ready to go.
 
#28 ·
It's a cyclical thing for me. Was to the point where I rarely if ever cleaned my bike. Now I've cleaned the new bike twice in the last week. Two weeks ago I was at the bottom of the cleaning cycle, now I've gone back to the top.
 
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