OK - so it's not a car.....

G

gkerr4

New member
I showed some pics of my car last week - thought I would share some pics of my real "garage queen"!!



This is a 2003 model Kawasaki ZX636R. The bike is always kept immaculate as, unlike the car, it NEVER goes out in the salt / mucky / wet roads. yep - I am a good weather biker!



Also - because of it's size, it tends to get all my new products tested out on it - basically because it takes just a few minutes to wax. Previously the bike has had everything from Zymol cleaner wax (ok for a 'one step'), Megs gold class (awful stuff) the AG twins (very nice!) and recently GEPC & P21S. I also got very good results from AG SRP followed by P21s

In this set of pictures the paint has been cleaned by GEPC and topped with Megs #16 which I only received earlier this week. I am impressed with #16 - it isn't as hard to remove as it's reputation suggests and it has, imo, a deeper look that P21S which I feel is more reflective.



anyway here are the pics - sorry they are not the best - it is difficult to photograph a bike - let me know what you think..

Graham.

small3.jpg


small4.jpg


small2.jpg
 
fantastic, I really like the third picture for some abstract reason.

maybe its the perfect paint... or the mirror for an exhust.
 
i should be so lucky to take picture as that. you have taken difficult and made it look easy. not much for bikes but always will credit hard work and a good shine. having personal knowledge as to how hard the look, that you created, is to make and maintain. had a new 79 1000 kawasaki ltd in my youth.
 
Thanks for the responses guys!



Liam, I like the third picture too - I was trying to capture the depth created by #16 on that tail unit. Actually the camera is very flattering in this shot. I think the paint on the plastics must be extra soft so it can flex with the plastic. This means you only have to look at it from a certain angle to mark it - it is full of little scratches and marks!!



cwcad - thanks for your comments! - much appreciated. Have you seen the recently re-born Kawasaki Z1000? make you fancy a new one??
 
love that color. although my favorite color for zx6r is the new metallic dark silver on the '05's. mmmm..
 
Admac, Have you seen that colour in the flesh (so to speak)?



I went to my local dealer on saturday afternoon just passed, to check out the new 05 model. In the magazine pictures that colour looked great. (I think it is described as metallic champagne or something) but in reality I wasn't too impressed. It is a matt finish on that colour - not glossy as it appeared in the mags. Would be dissappointing for an autopian to own - i mean, what would you do with it! it was really a textured, flatt (matt) finish and I wasn't impressed at all. Actually, n the flesh i wasn't that keen on the look of the new05 model.Think I will keep hold of mine for a bit longer.
 
hey guys my brother has a bike and its NASTY with dirt



i know they arent the same as detailing a car as you have to really watch the brakes and tires



what are some precautions to take when detailing these things?



im helping him clean it up so it can be sold any help would be great its a tan color suzuki (spelling?)





your bike looks amazing i love that color so i figured u knew what u were doing
 
gkerr4 said:
Admac, Have you seen that colour in the flesh (so to speak)?



I went to my local dealer on saturday afternoon just passed, to check out the new 05 model. In the magazine pictures that colour looked great. (I think it is described as metallic champagne or something) but in reality I wasn't too impressed. It is a matt finish on that colour - not glossy as it appeared in the mags. Would be dissappointing for an autopian to own - i mean, what would you do with it! it was really a textured, flatt (matt) finish and I wasn't impressed at all. Actually, n the flesh i wasn't that keen on the look of the new05 model.Think I will keep hold of mine for a bit longer.
Click to expand...

i saw it at the long beach motorcycle show and i did still like it. although the matte finish seemed like it would be a bear to keep clean. i like muted colors like that though. if i were to buy a zx6r or zx10r now though i might have to buy the green just to represent the the kawi properly.



for you motorcycle fiends, here are links to all the pics i took at the long beach show.



http://socalareariders.com/forum/index.php/topic,98.0.html



http://socalareariders.com/forum/index.php/topic,99.0.html



http://socalareariders.com/forum/index.php/topic,100.0.html



http://socalareariders.com/forum/index.php/topic,101.0.html
 
EnduroExpertFSR said:
hey guys my brother has a bike and its NASTY with dirt



i know they arent the same as detailing a car as you have to really watch the brakes and tires



what are some precautions to take when detailing these things?



im helping him clean it up so it can be sold any help would be great its a tan color suzuki (spelling?)





your bike looks amazing i love that color so i figured u knew what u were doing
Click to expand...



Same question here. I just bought a bike and it's very dirty. It's a 2000 with low miles but I don't think it's ever been washed. Can I just cover up a few parts and go at it with a mitt/hose or what? Also the paint is covered in swirls. Would it make sense to just remove the plastic while washing it/using the PC?
 
Rob - the bike will be fine with the mitt / hose - just as you would with a car really. The only thing to look out for is exposed air intakes and perhaps try and avoid hitting electrical connections with the hose.



When you say remove the plastic, if this is a sportsbike, like my pictures, then the plastic is probably painted (on a modern bike anyway - some older bikes were gelcoated fibreglass fairings) and will need the PC attention as well. The only thing to note is that the paint is (in my experience anyway) a bit soft on the plastics in comparison to the tank anyway. I assume this is so it can flex with the plastics, but beware this means it marrs real easy!!
 
It's a green 2000 Ninja 250. When I said remove the plastic, I meant to more thoroughly clean the rest of the bike as well as more easily be able to polish the plastic itself. I think I'd probably just remove it for the first wash since it's really bad right now and then hopefully I won't have to in the future.



Any advice for getting in all the crevices like the painted section on top of the front wheel and also all the metal? Also, I'm not sure which product(s) to use on all the non-painted and metal parts so I would appreciate any tips you have on that.



I was considering getting a leaf blower to dry the car after reading about it here but I think it would be even more useful with a bike. Is it even possible to get a WW towel in everywhere to thoroughly dry a bike? What does everyone use for drying bikes?
 
Rob - I use a product called Castrol Greentec for cleaning metal / engine / frame / suspension linkage etc. I works anazing on those parts. You spray it on and it is a bright green colour - the stuff turns brown in front of your eyes as it de-greases and cleans, and then you just rinse it off - it's amazing. You do have to keep it off the paintwork though as it also strips wax off. (and I mean every last drop of wax!) Usefull for a first detail though as it gives you a nice blank canvas (so to speak) to start on.



As for drying - well I usually just dry the plastics to apply wax to. the other parts I tend to allow to dry naturaly as you could never get a WW into the intricate parts of a modern bike.



DCopp - the '05 sounds like a good bike. It has had some good reviews in the mags and press over here in the UK. Sounds like it ironed out the bad bits of mine - i.e. too hard rear shock and mega-uncomfortable riding position!! But - and it's a big but - as I said,I went to look at them at the weekend and to be honest,, I prefer the look of my own bike. My '03 is more angular and aggressive looking (in my eyes at least) and I think I prefer that. When I bought mine there was no other bike I would have bought first - but for 05 the kawasaki would by y third choice with the 05 CBR600RR in first and the 04/05 Suzuki GSXR600 in second. I just don't like the look of the new kwak - even with the underseat exhaust.
 
rob007 said:
It's a green 2000 Ninja 250. When I said remove the plastic, I meant to more thoroughly clean the rest of the bike as well as more easily be able to polish the plastic itself. I think I'd probably just remove it for the first wash since it's really bad right now and then hopefully I won't have to in the future.



Any advice for getting in all the crevices like the painted section on top of the front wheel and also all the metal? Also, I'm not sure which product(s) to use on all the non-painted and metal parts so I would appreciate any tips you have on that.



I was considering getting a leaf blower to dry the car after reading about it here but I think it would be even more useful with a bike. Is it even possible to get a WW towel in everywhere to thoroughly dry a bike? What does everyone use for drying bikes?
Click to expand...



I would remove the plactics for the first clean. You should change the oil anyway because you can never be sure the last owner did it when there needed to. This will also allow you to clean the whole engine.



I don't use in (yet) but a leaf blower is what more then a few people that own bikes in my area use to dry their bikes.



You can use the same products you use to clean your car on your bike. Just don't put anything other then soap on the tires, seat and grips.



Like gkerr4 said. Don't blast water on the electonic controls. And don't forget to lube your chain. Some say you should warm it up frist by taking it for a short ride.



Ride safe.



James
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I actually bought the bike in November and changed the oil then. I've just been storing it until spring. It's not even registered or inspected yet so I plan to have the shop make sure the chain is lubed and everything is ok.



It's been tough waiting all these months but I'm sure it will be worth it.
 
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