Rich_Bing, on 08 June 2012 - 08:55 PM, said:

That right there is reason #1 for having a bike REALLY clean from grease, oil, dirt, and all that...So easy to identify leaks, cracked hoses, tires, spokes, the usual..That's just for noticing but I also do a front-back checklist the night before.

originalmonk, on 08 June 2012 - 08:56 PM, said:

Ah yea I asked because I do that too. Do you spray it on the entire bike though?? I use maxima SC1 for the plastics and even the seat, it will make it look amazing but dry. Also let's mud slide right off. Being real big on washing the truck I remember the hot shine as being the really greasy one that flings it all off the tires down the side of my truck afterwards though? But that could be because I have 37" tires that stick out a good 3" or so too.

I was thinking about getting the one that is the "foam" spray...So you can just spray it on and let it sit and it'll do it's thing. Just for the tires. Once I found SC1, I'm hooked..I have to recommend you give it a try. Smells real nice like cherry also, and it's silicone based which is the main factor for a plastic cleaner to keep them at their best.

i clean my bikes for the same reason women douche....pride of ownership   

proper maintenance starts with a proper cleaning after every ride for me

Your bike doesnt have to be spotless and shining to be clean. I wash my bike after everytime I practice/race on it but I usually don't go as far as scrubbing it with a toothbrush. Just simple green it and let it dry. Every few months I will give it a thorough cleaning such as polishing the pipe and frame but that's about it. If you want to paint things on your bike go for it, but in my experience paint does not hold up with a mx bike(at least not on mine anyway).

BlackCR25098, on 08 June 2012 - 09:04 PM, said:

Ever try plexus plastic polish? Good stuff!!!

grumpy_mx159, on 08 June 2012 - 09:23 PM, said:

Hahahahaha!!!

Dirt is corrosive. Those who don't wash their bikes are neglecting the very thing that keeps them safe. The only exception is if you ride so slowly that there is never a situation that would cause you to fall if power were lost, or if the wheel locked from a wadded chain. Sometimes I do stupid stuff where a loss of power would be absolutely devastating and neglecting my equipment would be like playing Russian roulette.

MxSkater86, on 09 June 2012 - 05:43 AM, said:

This is exactly what I'm saying. I don't ever use a toothbrush either or scrub hardly at all...It's all about just keeping it to a certain standard though and using the right tools for the job. When you keep it relatively cleaner, it's makes it infinitely easier to keep at that level after every ride, instead of once a year with a ton of mud/dirt caked/baked on.

But anyway, I just want to be clear I'm not saying that a bike needs to be fancy and blinged out to be nice or properly cared for. All that little extra stuff is just personal preference. I completely agree about the paint not holding up well in the world of motocross but it definitely can be done, and made to stay and look good for an entire season or more. The key is picking the correct things to you. This is also dependent on the individual and how they ride or whatever. It's definitely not hurting anything, that's all I'm saying.

Really glad to see all the positive replies. I knew I wasn't the only one who took pride in my machine. It's so easy and why complain? It's only helping everything, and not hurting anything. Everyone has different tastes and levels they take it.

jlmotox, on 09 June 2012 - 11:14 AM, said:

Yep my buddy uses it religiously. It's great stuff. It's exactly like SC1, except IMO sc1 is a little better. Smells amazing, and gives the plastics a bit more of that wet/gloss look without being slippery at all. You can even spray it on your seat without any problems, and it will all look brand new. It attracts dirt once you're on the track, but mud/dirt just slides right on off upon washing and it acts as a clear coat...killer stuff

BlackCR25098, on 09 June 2012 - 04:12 PM, said:

Interesting...I may have try some of the sc1. I have been a huge fan of plexus for years but that stuff is getting expensive! My local shop wants 24.99 for a 7oz can! Have you ever tried the sc1 on your goggle lens? The plexus makes my goggle lens like new hiding the fine scratches...I use that stuff everywhere! Bike, goggles, truck interior and exterior plastic, entire street bike, anything paint or plastic and it looks new again...but if I could find something cheaper to do the same that would be sweet!

at the 24hr i was just at we were a few pits away from the Kawi team that had all pro riders, every few laps there bike would ride by in the pits sooooooo clean, like there was tire shine and everything. made me chuckle

jlmotox, on 09 June 2012 - 04:53 PM, said:

Yeah it's awesome and you're right the price for plexus is why i never bought it...Insane amount for a normal bottle size. No dealers or stores carry the Maxima SC1 stuff, so I add it to my order @ motosport for the same size can as the plexus and it's $12 U believe.

LukeYZ426F, on 09 June 2012 - 05:16 PM, said:

LOL are you laughing that they had tire shine or the fact their bike was still clean after riding a 24 hr race? I'm guessing you were laughing at the fact they even had that stuff at a 24 hr offroad race like that, I'm sure the bike were beat after the first minute out there anyway.

most guys who ride a lot and have been riding a long time care less about keeping their bikes clean. If i'm riding two days back to back i usually won't wash my bike in between unless it's muddy. If it's going to be sitting a week it at least gets pressure washed off and the plastics and major visible stuff wiped. I 'detail' it once  a month if i'm on top of my shit, sometimes it goes a few months.

the main thing with painting stuff is durability. Why paint something if in a short amount of time it will look worse then before you painted it? it may not be an issue for you, your just learning, i remember my first bike....... as you get faster you will beat  exponentially harder on the bike. Frames get tweaked, holes don't like up any more, motor and transmission parts start failing more regularly. It makes more sense to get a new bike then keep putting money into one that's getting roached. That's my perspective anyway.

my rads are bent, my psalstics arent bolted down in some places, a seat bolt fell off 2 weeks ago, its still zip tyed, and right now covered in dirt in a basment, waiting to get flogged tomorrow! and i have bad rear wheel bearings. i beat her hard and put her up all used up but she gets clean every now and again! AND on top of all that im running 2 stroke mixed gas in it now lol (its a 4 smoke)

Die_trying, on 09 June 2012 - 05:54 PM, said:

And it's a great perspective that I too share. I've already learned that lesson about caring for something just because it's the "new thing"...Ever since I got this old bike back, my truck (kept spotless) has taken the back seat. Plus I work out of it all week like I didn't used to, so it's so much harder to keep clean. Plus I've had my hands full with the bike. But it's just like when I first started my landscape business, my big mowers got wiped down at the end of each week to look good. After the first season, I learned my lesson there. They always looked great, and were sooo much easier to keep up with maintenance, but it's just pointless once it hits the grass, and far simpler than my dirt bike.

People get excited when they have that "new thing" whether it's a bike, atv, mx track, business, whatever...They baby the hell out of it for a good while and then slowly care less and less once it's not the new thing anymore. It's that way with everything...EXCEPT I still keep my lawn equipment greased, and in great shape. Same with my truck, and of course my bike. Washing the bike after a full day riding is just something I'll always do. The mowers were just super pointless, and the truck I definitely still wash. Just not twice a week like it did for the longest time, but my point is, your point is exactly right...I've noticed it particularly with most of our local tracks. You could tell a while back, in their hay day, they were always kept up, prepped, and used much more...Over time, the same owners have grown tired of them...Nearly to the point I've heard most of them might be shutting down, for 1 reason or the other. Sad really.

I definitely have a bling queen of a bike, that's for sure. But my point is, I go that extra mile with it's function (motor, bearings, suspension, tires, everything) and not just some kid with a clapped out bike that went after plastics and graphics before top end, cables, carb, etc...I think that is a very big difference. The painted stuff, I just picked things that would not allow much if any friction for a long life. There are few few things on a bike you can get away with, and I do not condone painting plastics or most other parts.

Once I get better, I'm sure that the polishing and extra little tid bits will go out the window, but I'll always support the kid that IS THAT into his bike to do it though. It shows he gives a damn and says a lot about the person.

I just ordered my graphics to hopefully break up a lot of the white of this bike, but it still keeps the black/white theme, just more black than white. I'll see if I can get a picture. It's just the rad shroud graphic. I intend on finding a trim kit I like. Going to wrap the tank in a 3D carbon fiber wrap that is "bubble free". Should look great and definitely hold up for the long run, since it is thicker than most graphics @ 22mil

LukeYZ426F, on 09 June 2012 - 06:03 PM, said:

My rad is bent, and I too have lost a couple plastic body mount bolts (2-3) AND that's with me tightening them all down well. I also use zip ties on certain spots with cables, hour meter, and to keep my hydro hose away from the motor. The replacement bolt kits are super cheap @ $20 anyway. I just replaced my rear wheel bearings. They were also super cheap (all balls kit) and very easy to do, other than a special tool to remove the lock ring on the wheel. Other than that it was a piece of cake and made a huge difference on the feel of stability on the rear. Definitely do them soon. If the races get ruined it'll be a nightmare job.

This is the shroud graphics I just ordered. I think it'll do a great job breaking up a lot of the white between this and the carbon fiber tank. Need to find a good trim kit and want to order black # plate backgrounds with white/red striping, which should break it up even more.

Mechanically, couldn't ask more out of the bike right now w/ 25 hrs, so I feel this a good time to do it. I am trying to decide whether to upgrade the forks with newer generation ones or just send off for rebuild. We replaced the fork seals, and ever since they have been leaking (hissing audibly even) when strapped down on the trailer. Super weird, and I haven't learned enough yet to know for sure what it is. I'd like to upgrade as I've heard it makes a big difference on these gen1's but we'll see. Got a ton more things I need to do to the old girl.

I was told that I could buy any newer generation footpegs 00-2012 and they would fit in my 98 peg mounts without any hassle? Can anyone confirm that?

its all easy stuff. i work on cars 6 days a week so the last thing i like to do is on my one off day is work on my own stuff.. BUT i went riding today in the rain and came back and gave it one helll of a polishin and thought about this thread while doing it lol. And we have another race this weekend so she will be getting new rubbers and wheel bearings and grips!

LukeYZ426F, on 10 June 2012 - 12:47 PM, said:

AMEN to that...I know the last thing I want to do on a weekend is some landscaping. Probably why working on my bike is stress relief, like so much other stuff.

My buddy took me to this "gear man" yesterday...Dude works at a dealer and has tons of brand new gear in the bed of his truck, chemicals, air filters, stands, goggles, etc. etc. but I got some of that brand new fly evolution jersey and pants for $50. Retails for like $150 easy, and full jug of engine ice for $10 vs, $25 new hell of a dude to know.

Edited by BlackCR25098, 11 June 2012 - 10:58 AM.

Everybody has his own way of "wasting time". Some people take care of their bikes, some people complain about people maintaining their bikes. To each his own I guess.

I prefer the former personally.

Wow that was like a novel. Cleaner is better, dirt & mud = more weight + mud packed on an engine / radiator = more heat. I do have to question the spokes though, that's a little much IMO.

Rooster72, on 11 June 2012 - 12:41 PM, said:

Definitely. I am still a little on the fence about them too. I think I should've at least done half black half white to break it up a little, but they just look so damn clean and they're very very easy to clean and keep my new spokes protected. The spoke wraps definitely seem to be "the line" for a lot of people, whether they like it or not. They bring the haters out in full force. My whole point, even with these for example, is you don't have to like them but don't try to give me some shit about how BECAUSE I have them, I'm not a skilled rider or should be riding more....That couldn't be more beside the point.

They won't stay forever. I'm trying to decide on ordering a black set to not make it sooo "look at me". I highly underestimated how much they'd pop, but I do like them and understand that most people won't.