I washed my bike tonight…
The whole process behind me getting my motorcycle license and buying a bike actually deserves it’s own post, and I’ll get to that in a couple of days.
Right now, I feel the need to share my experience washing my bike for the first time in my apartment building’s underground garage.
I found the hose. It was in the back, very back, covered in spiderwebs, because it hadn’t been used in ages, and dryer lint, because the dryer conveniently vents there.
I untangled (most of) the length of hose, and couldn’t find the tap. After about 10 mins, it was hidden away, back by the dryer vent… and has a broken handle (ow!)
The hose was in fairly good repair, but the poor nozzle has a broken handle. It’s plastic, and the whole handle piece just hangs there as it’s been completely broken. I dragged the hose over three spots and around vehicles, and ran back to turn the tap on. I wrassled with the nozzle for a bit and got it to work… lovely, rust coloured water spewed forth for the first 30 seconds or so. This hose hasn’t been used in ages.
My stall was in desperate need of a wash, mostly to remove the debris that would lower traction, but also to discover if the black stuff was oil or if it was paint or some other fluid that stained the smooth concrete.
I scrubbed the parking spot with my wheel brush (because I didn’t have a stiff brush, something I need to rectify, and now I need a new wheel brush), and used some car soap to get as much of the gunk (dirt, leaves, oil, dryer lint, miscellaneous goop) off. I was mostly successful, but I still have large black patches where the water won’t stay. Drastic measures need to be taken to degrease this spot… Simple Green and a stiff broom I think.
Right. Moving on.
Washed the bike. Chamois-ed (?) the bike. I’d spent 5.5 hours detailing the bike (wash, clay bar, cut polish on the tank, wax. chrome polish, vinyl seat cleaned and protected) after I picked it up on Saturday, so I really only needed to wash the bike to remove the water stains from Tuesday’s monsoon, and to see if I could polish the spokes any more.
On to the spoke polish.
The easiest side to do is the right side of the front wheel, as it’s the most exposed. 45 mins, a sore back and a wet cloth (I forgot to dry the wheels), I’ve polished the spokes on the one side, but can’t see how they’ve come out because my stall is so effing dark, even with a light over head.
I left the rest, I figure I’ll do them this weekend in the sunshine, outside, where I can see what the heck I’m doing.
I think next time I’ll take it to a friend’s place to do any major work beyond a simple wash, and pick up a new nozzle for the hose!