Author Topic: Pressure washers  (Read 9891 times)

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Offline Kbricks for me

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Pressure washers
« on: February 25, 2015, 08:07:49 am »
What are the general thoughts about using pressure washers to clean bikes?

After riding in the recent weather and road conditions, the undersides of my K1100 motor is caked with dried on, sorry baked on, salt and mud and other road detritus. I would not intentionally aim the jet at sensitive areas such as the grommets around the ignition sensor lead at the front of the motor, or the coils or the wheel bearings, but what about over spray?

I ned to clean the undersides before I attempt to change the oil.

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Offline bobtail

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2015, 08:41:18 am »
No problems with using a pressure washer as long as you keep it away from the sensitive areas (as you say). I've got a Wolf which has numerous interchangeable heads and pressure settings so I'm always careful what I use. So far I've never had any mishaps. So far....so far.....so far.........

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Offline chriscanning

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2015, 08:59:18 am »
On a competition bike where after washing you are going to strip it to the bare bones then fair enough but on a road bike nothing short of barbaric >:(

Go buy a dust pan and brush!! make sure the brush has long stiff bristles dump the pan  :D buy some road cleaner their are many spray underneath soak and then use the brush.

Buy hey if your relationship with your bike is on par with the one you have with a domestic appliance then maybe the PW is the way to go. :)

Offline TomL

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2015, 09:55:32 am »
I've always been anti pressure washers for cleaning motorbikes and mountainbikes and don't even use a hose unless things get very dirty.

Trouble was that at the end of last year Vax did a really good trade sale on their products and I ended up buying a pressure washer. I've only used it the once so far to clean the patio.

As well as the K1200S I also use a R1150GS off road and it gets pretty mucky at times. Hence the excuse to buy the pressure washer. I've treated the K with ACF50 to get it through the winter and don't plan to clean it until they stop putting salt on the roads. I'm not using the GS until I my collarbone is properly healed.

I'm now in a quandary about using the pressure washer and wish in a way that I hadn't bought it. When I do venture outside with this device of destruction, it will be in a very timid manner starting off with cleaning under the wheel arches of the van and cars. Then I might have a bash at the GS which is still dirtyish after its last off road trip. Then it will be off with Ks fairing panels and blasting at the tricky nooks and crannies.

I am aware that it I shouldn't aim the nozzle into the electrics or at the wheel bearing seals. Seeing how powerful the washer was on the patio, I would not be happy using it to clean the radiator fins which are extremely fine and rather fragile. I think that it has to be used with great caution and still wonder whether I did the right thing in buying it.

One attachment which intrigues me is a foam lance which I did see used on a bike a couple of years back. Not sure though if it is a gimmick and worth bothering with?

So at the moment the K is filthy and the pressure washer lurks in the garage waiting for the council to stop plastering the roads with salt in their effort to use up all this winters supplies.



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Offline Phmode

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2015, 10:39:51 am »
I use mine all the time. Moss in the brick sett driveway, rear garden patio slabs and decking, door frames and windows after the winter muck and the summer bug shite.

Mainly it gets used under the wheelarches and underbody on the car.

I do use it occasionally on the bike. I use the least pressure without the dreaded K'archer rotating drill bit wotsit (that lifts lumps of wood off the deck if I use it there). If it warrants it, I soak with a hose first and leave to soak in. My hose at the front is fed from the cold water storage tank so no pressure to speak of.

I use a brush on the end of the hose for washing off and have one of some ancient vintage that actually gets into crevices, sort of. I use the PW from a distance, on full-blast with an 'open' fan spray, to mimic a misty rain and use it all over the cockpit and bodywork.

The bike is always finished off with a chamois and then a coat or two of Auto Glym Extra Hard Gloss.

It gets a full clay rub every spring and then the full treatment of Auto Glym products including their wonderful High Definition Wax which costs more than my bike is worth but even using the small tub on my car as well, it will outlast me. I use Vinyl and Rubber Care on the Sport Cases and black plastic bits and Instant Tyre Dressing on the rear drive housing and engine/gearbox cases.

There's pretty, see!

Brian (who was always taught that even before bearings, tyres were the really big no-no for pressure washers)

PS I always insist my bike is NOT valetted when it goes in for service/MoT

Offline bobtail

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2015, 10:50:52 am »
Goodness me all this cleaning, scrubbing and polishing with bespoke cleaning, scrubbing and polishing products is putting me to shame :-[

Bob
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Offline Costas

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2015, 03:30:19 pm »
Have Karcher 5.55J used it twice so far on the bike. Use extreme caution to this day still regret using it, if you like me had the chance to witness the situation of a front wheel bearings full of water of friend no1 and a rear axle full of water too of friend no 2 K bikes then you all stay away from it.
Prefer my hands, the garden hose cautiously, some WD50 and maybe AUTOGLYM products if any available.
My dealer still owes to me an my son the bike wash (dealers offer that every after year service) but we decide to wait for mid March, not so much salt here but still a lot of muck.
Crud and muck are enemies no 1 in northern Euirope and rest assure we will whitneess many more rad incidents this summer, just wait and see (read).
How to clean the rad, to tell you the truth don't really know, I remember a post in old site about proper cleaning but it involved dismantling it and soaking it to some light solution, maybe is necessary for winder daily commuters, but a lot of troubles and worries about proper air vacuum cleaning is involved in such procedure.
Some others stated that ACF50 works, but in any case IMHO pressure washers are not for bikes, bikes are to be treated better than girlfriends.
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Offline Phmode

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2015, 04:23:05 pm »
Nice one Costas!

Brian (who has used his pressure washer on all his girlfriends to date with almost no complaints and excellent results  8) )

Offline Steve F

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2015, 11:11:34 am »
No, too many delicate bits and bobs on the K bikes to withstand the pressures delivered by a Karcher or similar :o……I can understand their application on an off-road bike that gets plastered in sh*$,  etc!

Offline Kbricks for me

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2015, 08:07:54 am »
I used the washer on it's lowest setting on the underside of the gearbox and engine and it cleaned all the encrusted mud, cow pats, and salt with no difficulty. Keeping it away from sensitive electrical points was easy and the job made much easier with the bike on the side stand.
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Offline WOK13EE

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #10 on: May 06, 2015, 06:10:21 pm »
I use a domestic Karche from a distance (not the next county)  which provides more pressure than the hose for prewash rise and after soap rinse without, I hope, doing any damage.
 
The service centre do a "courtesy clean" after service using a commercial pressure washer :o

I always ensure that the bike is as clean as possible before I take it in for service work. The service consultant was a little surprised when I first stipulated:" no wash please."  I then explain that BMW specifically advise against pressure washer use.

"Ah!" says your man "But we know how to do it".  It usually ends up getting washed anyway.  Where I wonder does that "Please do not wash" notice get to?
Oh yes, it gets washed off.
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Offline Phmode

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #11 on: May 06, 2015, 11:17:03 pm »
North Oxford Garage always abide by my request to not valet the bike. Of course, that isn't to say that they don't blast the hell out of it with a truck washer, but it is always in the same state when I collect it as when I take it in.

Brian (who hopes that high speed  rain doesn't count as pressure washing)

Offline WOK13EE

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #12 on: May 07, 2015, 09:51:14 am »
[
Brian (who hopes that high speed  rain doesn't count as pressure washing)
[/quote]

Maybe not as funny as it sounds. Mmmm! :-\
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Offline Ross

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #13 on: May 07, 2015, 10:20:34 am »
I use a pressure washer all the time -a home one rather that a commercial one and on a gentle setting. I done this I all my bikes over the last eight years with no known issues.
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Offline Phmode

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Re: Pressure washers
« Reply #14 on: May 07, 2015, 11:29:25 am »
....ah, but it's the unknown issues that are the problem Ross  :D

Brian (who uses his all the time on the bike, just not up close and personal)