What's your favorite wheel cleaner?

[jjsC6]

I mix simple green 50/50 with water.

I would caution anyone strongly against using Simple Green in any dilution on a motorcycle with aluminum components.

Simple Green is HIGHLY alkaline, (which is why it works so well as a degreaser). ......

Well, maybe it does. But I still swear by Simple Green. I have tried a mirad of other automotive spray on cleaners and they all worked but were so strong or caustic that they would damage the finish on the bike. (Destroyed a set of annodized rims with Castrols product).

Simple Green is the mildest (non corrosive) yet strongest (best cleaning/degreasing) I have found. And its biodegradable. So I can wash the bike on the lawn and the cleaner wont kill the grass. I can spray it on the bike full strength and it wont damage the paint or the metal.

When I go to wash the bike the routine is:

- Spray full strength simple green on all the lower bits. Rims, forks, brake calipers, inside the hub, etc. All the places that are hard to reach with your hands.

- Wait about a minute.

- Hose the entire bike off.

- Wash bike hot soapy water. Big bucket, hottest water you can stand and add a ton of sunlight dish soap. Get a big soft rag and use it to slop it on and wash the entire bike top to bottom.

- Hose Thoroughly

- Dry by hand before it air dries and leaves water marks.

Almost 2 years old and washed every couple of weeks. No signs of any wear or corrosion.

Just my $0.02 worth

- Colin

I agree with you.

I have to start by saying that I am a serious car/motorcycle forum junkie. As I also own a Goldwing, I have been priveledged to Freds posts on the Goldwing forum for over a year. There is nobody on any forum who's opinion I respect more than Fred. BUT.....

I just knew someone would question the Simple Green post. Here's the deal. I've been using Simple Green on my Goldwing wheels since I bought it new over a year ago. I've also been using it on other wheels on my Corvette and the ST1300 I had. I have never seen the effects that are Fred alludes to. If you look at my first post in this thread I did say I'm careful to only leave it on a minute or so, and I am very thorough in rinsing it off.

I prefer to use my experience rather than others advice who have not used it, but are going by theory. Let me also say that I agree that if you leave any "spray-on rinse-off" product on too long it could have unwanted side effects.

Fred - I hope I have responded in a respectful way. I do understand the theory behind your advice. Just don't leave it on too long.

 

[Fred H.]

Hey, no problem, everyone has a right to disagree. And not everything I say or post is always correct (imagine that!).

I will tell you that just about every air force in the world has banned it's use on aircraft after lab studies showed that it caused hydrogen embrittlement and corrosion on aluminum components. That's good enough for me not to use it.

It probably won't make your bike melt in front of your eyes, but I choose to error on the side of caution and just use mild car wash soaps at a very light concentration.

Like I said earlier, I used it once on one of my old Concours light shields that had painted on white lines on the shield, and it removed the painted lines right off it. I do like Simple Green for many other uses, just not the bike.

 

[flyinlow]

A better way to keep your wheels clean is clean them and then use something like Meguiars NXT, Eagle One nanowax or Zaino on them. On my Corvette I have used Zaino on the polished wheels and when I wash the car a simple blast with the water hose and some car wash soap takes it all off. I have yet to use any wheel cleaner on the polished wheels on my Corvette to get them clean, just car soap and water.

 

[19dave35]

Honda Spray cleaner; for the wheels, not the coyote!

And recommend haircut for wheel........

Dave in IN

 

[jjsC6]

Hey, no problem, everyone has a right to disagree. And not everything I say or post is always correct (imagine that!).
I will tell you that just about every air force in the world has banned it's use on aircraft after lab studies showed that it caused hydrogen embrittlement and corrosion on aluminum components. That's good enough for me not to use it.

It probably won't make your bike melt in front of your eyes, but I choose to error on the side of caution and just use mild car wash soaps at a very light concentration.

Like I said earlier, I used it once on one of my old Concours light shields that had painted on white lines on the shield, and it removed the painted lines right off it. I do like Simple Green for many other uses, just not the bike.

Fred, I guess I do have to come clean (pun intended) on something here. About three months ago I put some rather expensive wheels on my Corvette. They are uncoated alloy wheels. I'm pretty anal about the car and even keep them clean behind the spokes. I have not used Simple Green on them yet. Go ahead, call me a hypocrite

 

[painman]

Been using S-100 bike cleaner and it does work great on the bikes and wheels of all types. You can dilute this stuff down and it still works great. I just spray off with water and then spray on the S-100 and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Wash off with water and viola, clean. And did I say "NO" scrubbing? Just adds more time for riding and less time for cleaning. PM. <><

 

[Ben]

S 100 m/c cleaner works great for bugs, wheels, etc.

 

[FJRandy]

Don't mean to hijack the subject from the dead dog to wheel cleaners, but WD 40 works great. Cuts grease, doesn't harm paint, prevents rust, smells good on your hands and improves your sex life. Removes chain lube easily from rims on chained bikes.

BINGO! We have a winner!

WD40 is a bike's best friend.

WRONGO, WE have a misinformed person! It's your worst enemy if it gets on the braking system.

Unless you can completely cover the rotors and pads, NEVER use WD40 on the wheels! That stuff gets in the brakes and will "lube" them good. If you can control the spray to do a specific spot on the wheel, OK. But once it gets into the brake pads, you can toss 'em. Don't ask me how I know this. Simplest way to clean a wheel with WD40 is to soak the rag with it, THEN apply to the rim to loosen any grease.

WD40 is a gun's best friend. It should be only a casual aquaintance to a motorcyle.

BTW.... +1 more for Simple Green diluted 50/50 with water. Spray it on, wait no more than 30 seconds, and hose it right off. It IS true that undiluted Simple Green can do some damage, but that's only when left on the painted or bare aluminum surface. Yeah, don't ask me about that one either.

 

[Rickster]

I mix simple green 50/50 with water.

I would caution anyone strongly against using Simple Green in any dilution on a motorcycle with aluminum components.

... hydrogen embitterment embrittlement of aluminum components. ...

Is that what you meant?

Hydrogen embrittlement is usually the result of exposure to gaseous or liquid hydrogen sulfide [H2S]. On a molecular level, hydrogen ions work their way between the grain boundaries of the steel, where hydrogen ions recombine into molecular hydrogen [H2], taking up more space and weakening the bonds between the grains. The formation of molecular hydrogen can cause sudden metal failure due to cracking when the metal is subjected to tensile stress.

+3 on not using strong detergents especially SG and WL IMHO and experience.