Pressure washers

[proteinsdef]

Happy new year everyone ,

I wondered if anyone uses a pressure washer to clean their bike. I am not talking about the commercial ones you can use at the petrol station but one like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/K%C3%A4rcher-Ca ... ure+washer

The weather in old blighty is getting pretty grimy right now and as I use my bike as my main transport, I am finding the dirt building up more and more no matter how often I clean it.

I understand the manual indicates pressure washers shouldnt be used, but I am thinking are they ok from a safe distance, say 2-3 metres away from the bike, just to loosen the dirt?

[gn2]

Best thing to do imo is clean the bike all nice and sparkly then coat thoroughly with ACF-50 or similar before the salt goes down, then leave it dirty till the spring.
(apart from the chrome fork stanchions which need regular cleaning and ACF-50)
Its a fact of life that if you ride through a UK winter its going to get grimy no matter how hard you try to keep on top of it.

Pressure washers drive dirt and water past seals and into places which would otherwise remain clean and dry.
They also wash lubricant out of sealed bearings.
If you spray from far away they are less use than a hose.
Use a pressure nwasher if you like, but don't say you weren't warned.

[DailyRider]

This is probably what Gn2 just said, but I'm not sure.

1. Sponge/scrub the crud off with soapy water (car wash mix is good)
2. Very gently rinse everything off with a garden hose
3. Let dry
4. Apply a plastic-compatible wax/polymer spray, so that the crud is easier to get off next time

If I used a pressure washer, I would worry about getting salty water into the electronic compartments, corrosion of the contacts, and electrical problems.

[honkerman]

Never...well, maybe NEVER, use a power washer on a motorbike. Great way to get water into places it shouldn't be. To be honest, I wouldn't use one on a car either. If you have a paint chip you didn't know you had, guess what, you'll know it now. Power washing can cause a lot of damage. GN2 already said it, but I believe it cannot be said enough.

You will get water past seals into bearings and other places it should not be. You will remove lubricants and grease that is there for a reason. The past few months of mechanic school have been a real eye opener, I've seen the damage power washing can do, not pretty.

When it comes to washing a vehicle, there is no substitute for good old fashioned clean hot water, a car wash mitt (no sponges!) automotive soap, and elbow grease. It takes more time, but it will be far less likely to cause damage to a machine you paid good money for.

One other thing which I hope is obvious, but it's been done before, don't shine your tires! Certainly you may wash them, but tire shine adds a nice oil film and the first corner you hit, you'll be low-siding. Trust me, that's not a lot of fun.

[proteinsdef]

Never heard of ACF-50 before, sounds good. I have heard horror stories of commercial pressure washers but wasn't sure of domestic ones. I bought a £4.99 spray extension for the old hosepipe instead.

Bloody British weather, 60 days till spring!!

[honkerman]

If I used a pressure washer, I would worry about getting salty water into the electronic compartments, corrosion of the contacts, and electrical problems.

Not to mention into bearings, fork seals and other places that should be greasy, not soggy.

[gn2]

Bloody British weather, 60 days till spring!!

Look on the bright side, the worse the weather the better value we get from our rain gear

[WhiteNoise]

Never heard of ACF-50 before, sounds good.

I choir that!
No power washer, it will do more harm than good! So glad and smart of you to ask here first
What the ACF-50 can looks like:

[ScooteringAbout]

I've used a pressure washer before on my bike, however from a distance and mostly due to being lazy and getting the Muckoff rinsed off.

Helps if your PW has an option to dial down the pressure and you stand quite far back. The washers at fuel stations are crap really.

[Alibally]

I bet most dealers use a pressure washer to clean their bikes.

[gn2]

I bet most dealers use a pressure washer to clean their bikes.

And make money when they come back for repairs.

[ScooteringAbout]

I bet most dealers use a pressure washer to clean their bikes.

And make money when they come back for repairs.

I can see that being true, I tend to clean mine myself before it goes in for anything.

[Alibally]

I know for a fact the local bmw dealer does. They have a off road course to demo the bikes so the get pretty dirty.

[DAB]

Just finished pressure washing the PCX and car. Used a pressure washer for over 20 years without any problems.

[you you]

Just finished pressure washing the PCX and car. Used a pressure washer for over 20 years without any problems.

I've used a pressure washer for years. Not sure it's 20 though. Without a single problem

It's a forum chestnut. Allows the "expert" to pontificate and worry the nervous.

[waspmike]

As has been observed there are different nozzles for pressure washers. With a fan nozzle on the pressure is quite low, but still removes mud.

As to the OP. If I had a hosepipe with adequate pressure I wouldn't buy a washer just to wash a scooter! However if i lived in a condo with no water outlet a hosepipe length away, a small pressure washer and a 5 gal. bucket would be good.