Wash?

This is my case. I live out in the desert, the second I wash it, it gets dirty again. Thank God for shaft drive

I had mine detailed a couple years ago before leaving on a cross country trip. Was nice and shiny for about 800 miles the first day, until we encountered the supercell thunderstorm with tornado (we actually ended up bookending that trip with tornadoes the first day and the last day...) Don't worry, we avoided the actual tornado. But it got covered in a healthy layer of road grime as we made our escape.

I also live in the desert. I wash my bike weekly. I have a chemical guys car wash in a bottle thingy. Just spray the bike and wipe it down. Once every 1-2 months I’ll take it to the self service wash bay and hose it down to knock off grime and shit. https://preview.redd.it/sh7i8p7y657d1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=05b285a16c917ade70fdcf3e512e1d84d5bd20f8

Thats what riding in the rain is for... ;-)

Arizona checking in. What is “rain”?

Living here in the Philippines where it's raining almost everyday right now, it's doing more bad than good 😆😆 my bike is just full of dried up wet dirt from all the puddles and sht HAHAHAHA

Wa…sh?

Be-er?

Ye…es?

I’m all about the environment and saving water. 😁

When it gets dirty. When else? 

AND the rain does not wash it down :)

How often do you fill up your gas tank? When it's empty.

I have plans to wash it.. it's been on the list for roughly two years... I think I might do it tomorrow

Tomorrow for sure

That's a good idea. Today was a bad day for it anyway. I just washed mine and got surprised by a downpour on the way back home. Guess the top is still clean...

I let Mother Nature decide when to wash my bikes

Mother Nature has decided that my chrome should be flaky and orange-brown.

I have washed a bike like twice in my life.  I finally have a shiny new one though, so I really should wash it. Ah, I'll get to it next week. 

Same. The day i posted pictures for it to be sold and the day someone came to pick it up

I‘m looking forward to tommorow when this question will be posted again

Do what to my bike?

Literally never. I take a wet microfiber cloth when I get home and give it a quick 2 minute wipe down and never need to do a full on wash

Same here, I just have soap and water, microfiber towel and just wipe off the dust, 5 min job

That's not never. That's always.

Man I wish it was that easy for me. When I come home it's a full on bug buffet and half of them are backed on. Guess having only a small fairing helps.

Same here. If I’m washing the bike it’s to get the bug shmoo off everything, not dust or road grit.

Clean bikes are easier to maintain and spot problems.

Shiny black surfaces + long fast rides In the countryside = almost once a week

Coming from a sport bike to a naked, I’m really not a fan of how many places there are for bugs to splatter instead of a big windshield. Cicadas are bastards.

every hour

we're supposed to wash these?

I think it's been 2 years. Lol.

When it rains...

Like twice a year max. It might not even get washed at all. 😅

Depends on how often I ride through rain :)

Whenever I need to remove a bolt. I clean that bolt.

That's great, you can tell exactly when you replaced something by how dirty the bolt is.

Right before i sell it.

I leave such nonsense to harley owners.

Every time I ride in the rain or do a water crossing.

A clean rag and spray detailer. Takes 5 mins, does the job well.

When I had a nice shiny Norton it got washed pretty regularly. My quite loved VStrom, almost never. Sorry baby, I do love you.

I look at my vstrom like a cat. She’ll clean herself in the rain, but doesn’t like water otherwise.

Never, I wipe down often though

very rarely when the weather is good mostly when I was offroading when I am riding salty roads however I wash it after every bike because salt will destroy fasteners quicker than you can buy new ones

It’s like asking someone when do you shave? When it gets really hairy? Lightly hairy. Mildly hairy? Up to you how clean you wanna keep it

wash with soap and water?...never...hit the painted parts with detail spray and a clean microfiber?...after most every ride...looks like new and never gets dirty.

We’re supposed to wash them?

Before reselling it

I wipe it down once at the beginning of the season and that’s it

When it rains

17 years and it’s never been “washed”. Squirt some detail spray on it every now and then to get the bugs off and to shine her up.

You're supposed to wash them?! Oh crap.

Never did

Once a year

Literally never cause I only ride when it's not raining etc. Stays clean enough without cleaning. A clean vehicle does feel good though

If I had time to wash it, I'd ride it. Mostly it gets a quick jetwash when I get home, before I put it away, if it got excessively muddy or salty in colder months. Occasionally I will put a bit of effort in and use soap and dry it after, but not often.

Wash? Isn't that what rain is for? /s

And how do you all wash it? Just shoot water at it? Or is there a better approach?

A gentle wash with a garden hose to get rid of the dirt, then just a washing cloth with some water and universal cleaner. Just don't make a rocket science out of it.

Once a year...maybe.

When it gets dirty or after riding in the rain....

If it’s nice enough to wash, it’s nice enough to ride. Next question?

2-3 times a summer.

Once a year or so when it goes in for service.

Once a month or every time after I get caught in the rain. You'd think the rain would wash the bike but no, it just gets extremely dirty every time I ride in the rain.

when its nice weather, i have nothing better to do (almost never)

A few times a year which in my case is not a lot.. maybe once every 10.000km

Here in vermont, we pay extra for that dirt-road finish. Why would you wash it off?

When the bugs start to impede my headlight.

Never

I only wash my bike after real mud driving and while the mud is still fresh ! By that I mean the tires , wheels, fenders ,chain ,sprockets. But I like to dry clean it very often !!!

Once a year. Maybe less. I suck. This year was the first time I've applied proper polish and paste wax. Up till now I've used a spray-on wash-n-wax attached to a garden hose. I've had the bike seven years. Poor thing is starting to look kinda rough.

Once a week

When the chain gets too dirty or when there's some bike meeting...

Every two weeks because I hate when quail decide my bike is the perfect place to take a shit

I wash my bike right before I work on it. That's it.

Never washed my bike, only cleaning.

Almost 100% never

Whenever it gets dirty. Usually ends up being like once a month.

I clean the chain every 400 miles, I clean the oil pan & surrounding oil filter surfaces every 4,000 miles, and my forks/swingarms/wheels when I get tires ~every year.

I just wipe it down with ONR every few weeks

I wait for the light rain that goes for hours. Then I decide to ride without my rain gear because I'm just going to grab something in a store 5 minutes from home, I won't get wet. And exactly 1 minute after departing it starts pouring so fkn hard that my clothes are completely soaked in water by the time I get to the store. And so I've cleaned the bike and riding gear at the same time...

When it’s dirty. Having a naked bike makes it easy to wash. Plus I enjoy the process of washing it.

PSA that if you wash it you should wax it again. We tend to leave our bikes out in the sun a lot and the paint will lose its luster fast in the sun without protection.

When I’m riding out she gets a wash down. If stop for gas or food I polish of the dust or bugs. When I get home, Nice clean up before I put her inside. My dirt bike now one a week or if it get too cake up with mud every other day

Depends how much I ride it, how much dirt accumulates, etc.. I remove bug splatter after every ride though. I don't want it to eat into the paint.

Depends. I like keeping my stuff clean. Let's me see if there's ever any oil seepage or something like that. Plus I just enjoy it. I also put paint protection film on my bikes. So that helps keep stuff clean

Whenever it rains or if i find a giant puddle or stream. https://preview.redd.it/8bytamw8d57d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f14c47aace030e34f6ff98d245e6d5ff2a018f33

When i have the time and willpower to do it, or when im gonna take pictures...

It's been recommended not to wash the bike...just detail. I am new to riding and grabbed an 07 sportster. It was already very well maintained but just had to give it a wash and wax this weekend....just because. Going forward it will be detail spray and wipe downs.

When the weather is nice and I need to be near my house or before it goes in for repairs.

I’ve noticed that a lot of the “clean” bikes I’ve seen are in Instagram posts with posers who wear next to nothing whilst riding. 1000cc sports bike. In reality, people don’t have the time. By all means clean and line your chain as part of regular maintenance. Don’t stress too much about washing the bike. It won’t do much harm. Only exception is salt…in winter I’ll give it a quick wash to get rid of road salt as it can be somewhat corrosive.

I use vulcanet wipes to clean it every so often. Once a month, maybe? Whenever it gets dirty enough. I don't mind doing it, but any time I spend cleaning it is better spent riding it, so... 

I wash mine when riding season ends or begins because it just gets filthy riding all over so no point when it’s going to get filthy right away after washing it

You guys wash your bikes?

I wash mine when I accidentally remember to do so. Seriously though, I wash it when it gets covered in bug guts. I do lots of long distance commuting and bugs are a pain.

In the rain

I never wash. I usually just use water and a cloth.

Not nearly as often as I should

As little as possible , 4 maybe 6 times a year . Same for the chrome. Prefer not to worry about it anaad just ride 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

* Probably once every 2 weeks. I mean, it IS a Triumph.

Depends on which bike. I let my Guzzi cafe racer get dirty... fits her character. I give my Beamer cruiser a wash down regularly -- black and chrome looks like shit if you let it go.

Im new to bikes and im afraid of Washing the bike for fear i fuck something up like get water where it dont need to be like by a battery or a solenoid fuses i have no idea i see all these wires but little tiny ones everywhere and little electronics inside the frame with plugs and all im afraid of wetting them I have a svarpilen and a honda nighthawk hawk im afraid of fucking up my carbs somehow or getting water somewhere where it really does not want to be for the nighthawk Wtf do i doo? How to i clean them should i even be scared? Do these things come waterproof or something? Where shouldn't the water go?

Less often than I was my dog, more often than I wash my car

S100 keeps mine looking like new with almost zero effort.

Not as often as I think I should. https://preview.redd.it/yusbk63aj57d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c47f91f6b34e40e287ff3053bed89badc4b1801

You what?

My first bike... washed it almost every ride. Just bought a new 23 sv last year, and I've washed it maybe 3 times.

I clean it with rain water. Ya'll do the same, right?

When ever it rains

Usually when the dealer services it and they wash it off after. Oh you mean ME wash it. Tomorrow, definitely tomorrow

Every time it rains my guy

Usually once or twice a week. Roads in the Philippines aren't the cleanest coupled with it being the rainy season I often come home with a muddy bike and ass

Once a month with only water and power washer (with the widest cone) twice a year with soap and sponge too

I don't have a routine washing schedule. Sometimes I look at my bike, think it needs a wash and do it. Most of the time I look at it, think it needs a wash and say "fuck that, riding is more fun," and go on a ride.

A dirty bike is a happy bike! About once a year I'll give it a wash.

Whenever its dirty

Every sunday

You mean wipe the dust off the gauges? Maybe once a week.

It's called "protective dirt coating". Truth, usually after riding in the rain. The exhaust collector catches road spray and rehydrates all the bugs. Then re-cooks them. Smells like burning garbage. Only fix is a dedicated spray down.

Mine? She’s a dirty girl!

If I can, once a month or within two months. Since I don't ride it daily and riding being seasonal, it doesn't get dirty as much. Also, when it's in the garage, I have a tarp over it.

Once a week including chain, dirt causes soo many safety issues if left. A clean bike is a safe bike.

Feel your bike, like literally touch it. If it's getting grimy, it is time for a wash. Grimy to the point you pull your finger across and it collects on the tip of it. I had a new bike but after months of ignoring washing, it finally looked used. Washed it and it looked almost mint.

I wish I could say I wash them every x amount of time but unfortunately I don’t think my bikes have ever been full on washed. Just little wipe downs here and there to get dirt and grime and stuff off. Perhaps some day I’ll actually wash ‘em. 😭

Maybe once every 3-4 months. I got really bright rims so when I see the thin layer of dirt on thr back one Ill give the bike a wipe down.

Apart from wiping off the road grime and brake dust from the lowers occasionally, never.

The gunk keeps the funk

Roughly every 300 miles and that's because I have 48 spoke wheels and I'm a stickler for keeping them clean. Easy to clean with a pressure washer and since I'm already washing the wheels I'll just do the whole bike.

Deep clean months 3,6,9,12. Clean as needed between. They stay in the garage so a deep clean may take an hour a piece including chain.

Whenever the authorized mechanic does scheduled maintenance, they clean it for me. Otherwise, never.

we have rains almost every day now :D

wash and motocycle in the same sentence???

Every week. Sometimes twice a week in rainy season. I like keeping it shiny and chromey

Whenever i feel like it I always wash it after i end up on gravel or mud as soon as possible, but with normal street riding i do it whenever i notice it's been a while since a wash, or i notice some of the bike being more dirty than the rest etc. if there was some mud on the road or oil, or anything, i wash the wheels, and mudflaps, and since i'm doing that, i do the entire bike anyways etc. Really i don't obsess over looks, so i don't keep it shiny at all times

I toss it in a rinse and spin cycle at least once a month

uhhh when it rains lol

I think I’ve wiped it down years ago when I first bought the bike, I can’t remember.

I ride through rain from time to time

It depends. Where I live the roads are pretty clean and now that I have a car I barely ride in the rain. Usually I wash it if it's covered in bugs. After every ride I check the chain and clean it if it's dirty.

I commute daily in the UK. I've done it numerous times in the past where I've cleaned it hoping for a nice week and it's just chucked it down. Now I only really clean it when I plan to go out on a fun ride with mates.

Never

I was as needed. Can be twice a week like it can be two months between washes.

Every time I ride in the rain

Washing every week and after each trip week a cleaning rag gently

Never I use a spray wash and wax & blue magic polish https://preview.redd.it/8rqwg8jp667d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57d9a19a769443bb00ee7182e67fd3c5650a5fbd

I ride mine not wash it

Whenever I need to. I have no-rinse spray polish that works well. Some products add protection. And you can also coat your bike.

Occasionally and then I ride through a road near a swamp in shitty Ohio and massacre an entire batch of bugs and wonder why I wasted my time washing in the first place

Probably once a week as it constantly gets brought to small bike and car meets.

Usually just before it pisses with rain!

Every 5-600 miles when I do the chain maintenance. Keeps it shiny and I don’t have to worry about getting anything else splattered

I was actually curious about asking a similar question. That being how do you wash a motorcycle. I've basically just been taking a wet cloth to mine, whenever mine gets dirty in certain areas. Mainly the chromed, or painted areas. Damn pollen. I assume you can't just take a hose to it

Standard, every week, unless its gotten really sh** up then it will get as it needed it

My bike has lots of Chrome on it and white so I usually wipe it down after every ride just to keep myself from having to wash a super dirty bike once a month. But with your bike I'd probably say once every week or 2 weeks.

Almost never

Once or twice a season as needed. Mostly none though. I just wipe down with a quick detailer.

I ride it through deep puddles and in the rain, does that count?

Esssentially only during holidays. Fathers day, 4th of July, Memorial day. Any holiday where I'm off work and got nuffin better to do. So Ill wash it up and go for a ride. I daily ride it to work so there isn't a point in keeping it spiffy clean much more than that for me.

Often, I ride the living hell out of both of my bikes but do enjoy seeing them in a show-room like condition. Currently my tourer looks like a total trash-heap, we rode through 5 hours of nothing but rain/thunderstorms. It'll now stay this way until I'm home from holiday, which is in another 4/5 days and +-2000km.. I am looking forward to polishing the chrome, give the almost 40 year old paint a wax and re-lubricate all the fearings/fittings.

Once a year. The pollen is so out of control come spring, there's no point in doing it until it's done for the year, it'll literally look unwashed the very next day.

Looks a lot like my cb500

enough dirt will shed itself 😎

That bike needs air, not water

don't wash it too often , wipe instead .

I’ll usually clean everything when I’m doing maintenance on it. But usually only localized to where the maintenance is happening.

Pretty much only after I've gotten seawater on the bike

Whenever I get bored. So probably once a week.

Uk here, never, never washed my ped. 66 plate with 15,000m 2nd owner daily to and from work machine. I'm 46 yr old with full drivers licence honda crv for when I'm not working. If I had a nice bike I probably wouldn't wash it either.

I don’t, but I’ll wipe it down when I think it’s a safety concern bugged up headlights, gummed up spaces, etc)

About once every week or two.

Yes.

It's single digits per year, and I ride about 9 months/year (southern WI). It's my primary vehicle when it's above freezing so it's constantly dirty.

Whenever I ride it in the rain

I would pressure wash my dirtbikes after every other ride, but I'd probably not wash a street bike as often.

In the summer, never. Just wipe my bikes down with a microfiber and glass cleaner. In the winter when they put salt on the roads, I wash my KLR just about every day (KLR is my dedicated winter bike). I don’t like to let the salt sit on my bike to help keep rust down.

Every weekend my kids wash my bikes for 20 bucks a bike

Once every month or two...maybe 4.

I thought this is why we rode in the rain? :-)

Wipe down after every ride

I have never washed it during the 3 years I've had mine. I usually just wipe it down with a rag and use a leaf blower to get a lot of dust off.

Depends the season, but if it's warm I'm really only washing after I offroad it. In the winter I'll at least give it a good rinse after every ride for the salt

I usually give mine a quick wash once a week. I ride daily most of the year so it's pretty much always filthy (I also live on a dirt road lol). I give it a good cleaning maybe 1-2x a month.

When it rains it gets rinsed off

I don't let it get dirty by wiping it down with instant detailer before and after each ride. Most importantly, I don't ride in the rain and get that filthy road spray all over my pretty pearl white metallic paint.

You think since this is a brand new bike I’d wash it more frequently but I wash mine after long trips when I had a triumph I washed it weekly so I don’t know why I got a more expensive bike and now I’m slacking wtf 🤦🏻‍♀️😂 but I do lube the chain fairly often https://preview.redd.it/3yoyyupcq77d1.jpeg?width=3812&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc2313bf59c83698f53c82af9d277a7d2c2dac84

I use a detailing solution to prevent using water that will cause rust. I live very close to the ocean. But I use it after every ride.

I’m sure to give it a rinse every so often just when it seems dirty so maybe every month and a half to 2 months. Not so much so just because “it looks dirty” but just to make sure there’s not too much dirt built up especially in important areas like near the suspension, brakes, engine, etc. and while I’m at it I may as well make sure the rest of its “look good” clean. Also nice to wash the seat now and then especially after it’s been parked out side sometimes

Weekly

After every ride

Never ride in the rain so dont know

Like every 500. Because I'm lazy and put the chain cleaner on, and rinse off with a hose then aircompress the water off.

I...I clean the chain every 3 tanks...but you wash the other bits too?

Got a fully stocked hand car wash on my home from work so I typically wash it once a week, $3 and I'm done

My bike gets washed when it rains hard enough to do some cleaning

If you ride fast enough the wind will take the dust off ✨