Clean the motorcycle well before any restoration
Content
Products and tips for cleaning and preparing your motorcycle long before restoration
Kawasaki ZX6R 636 model 2002 sports car restoration saga: 3rd series
A beast to say, but a pleasure to take and the easiest step before starting a motorcycle rebuilding: cleaning the motorcycle, an important step for a good job. It is also an opportunity to understand what is happening and what is not on the bike, sometimes we would miss two or three things during the pre-restoration observation.
A high pressure cleaner will not always be sufficient and is not suitable for all motorcycle parts. But the good news is that there are now many maintenance products out there designed for the outdoor maintenance of almost every element of a two-wheeled vehicle:
- Rim cleaner
- Brake cleaner
- Engine cleaner
- Chain cleaner
- Body cleaner
The particular product allows respect for the colors of each element, but also and above all, it is best to eliminate the various and varied sources of dirt found on the motorcycle.
Traces of oil, resin, dirt and, of course, traces left by time between small pebbles and various insects are added to all types of fats.
You can trace much of motorcycle history simply by removing layers of dirt ... like an archaeologist. And it's good that there is no need to have a large budget for this cleaning.
A toothbrush, good cloth, and elbow oil are effective allies to start with. The passage to clean water prepares the earth, and a miracle product called WD40 already cleans and protects certain parts. However, he doesn't do everything either.
No water soap, WD40, degreasers, rim cleaner, we must do it! A clean motorcycle is a victory in itself.
The French brand's wipes, I named Vulcanet (there are many equally effective competitors nowadays, even if the compositions are significantly different, like Bihr, GS27, Motorcycle Cleaner, Mismatch ...) are ideal for cleaning an entire motorcycle. If it is effective on the one hand, it takes a lot more than one wipe to clean the motorcycle deeply in line with the dirt of the motorcycle, and it struggles a bit in the footsteps of dirt on the other. Finally, it is not always pleasant to use. This is quite expensive considering the price of a box of 40 or 80 napkins. And then we might have surprises! Rubbing the disks, the green paint comes with ... the joys of the varnish of the time.
The rim cleaner is as effective as the brake degreaser. Gloves are a plus to rid the skin and not get dirty. If you don't use it, you can always use a special hand cleaner after that, like Word MC Care.
Well, then we're not going to rub too much. And that little greasy speckled side is good too. Maybe they'll get the right to epoxy paint later? When I get rich. Be that as it may, it seems that for about 50 euros per rim, you can protect them and have them in your chosen color. Black would be a good option. Epoxy for life. Initially, they can be given to Plastidip (10 to 15 euros per bomb), a plasticizer paint. She will make the second skin and illusion. It even seems to be holding up very well.
Come on, after a good two hours rubbing, rinsing and polishing, the result is correct. The corrosion has done its job on the plates, to the point of attacking the paintwork and engine hulls, the frame can't really be repaired to the original paint, but after all, we're not on a new bike either.
Ah, I was about to forget, while I was outdoors, I attacked the air filter, which I discovered was K&N. The air filter is an essential element for the good health of your motorcycle.
Cleaning the air filter
The good thing about K&N is that the filter can be cleaned at will. Kit, water and space, voila.
The least we can say is that there was a need for a good big cleaning! Before / After is clear!
We move on to the next one: Go to the garage and search for parts! And the least I can say is that there was work.
And if you want to go further with tips for good motorcycle cleaning, there is a great article on the subject.
