What she's made for is to *ride*...

[Daniel Meyer]

At the gas pump this morning:
http://lifeisaroad.com/blog/2011/12/16/ride-more-or-wash-more/

[John Schmidt]

Hit that nail on the head, Daniel. The guy down the street spends more time washing and waxing his HD than he does riding. His bike is beautiful, mine....not so much. I can't take off on the bike as often as I'd like, but there's a reason for that....she's laying down in the next room. But it's been weeks since mine saw any water other than rain. 

[old2soon]

Daniel-yup repeating myself AGAIN. You do have a way with the words. Got caught in the rain the other day. Me and the phatt ghurl was laughing our collective azzs off ridin in da rain. Put a new licsense plate frame on and my entire machine is beyond filthy. Gonna ride er filthy and hard tommorrow. Glad to find out i ain't doin nuthin wrong. RIDE SAFE.

[Pete]

Soap and water is cheap.
It only takes a few minutes (15 to 30) to wash and blow dry her.

No the guy was not right and had no class, so what. Actually none of his business.

I would still rather spend the few minutes to wash it even if it is right before a ride and impacts my ride time.

your bike, your water and soap, your time ---- so your choice.

I already made mine.
 

[Daniel Meyer]

Soap and water is cheap.
It only takes a few minutes (15 to 30) to wash and blow dry her.

I would guess mine would take a couple hours at this point. Maybe Sunday...but maybe not. Supposed to be raining then too, and I'll be riding in it. 

[Michvalk]

I wash mine when I got nuthin' else to do. Witch is seldom. But I ride more in a year than most of my friends have in 5 years

[Chrome]

Hi all. I ride very clean bikes. I am self employed, doing very physical work. After a 9 hour day, I am tired. The mistakes I have made while riding, have mostly been after a days work. I know my limitations so rather than not riding, I get tons of pleasure by washing and cleaning my bikes. I always thought clean bikes go faster too. Guess just a sense of pride .
 Even got caught by the local TV station washing my 3 Valkyries and Shadow this week. Made the news for about 20 seconds. My 15 minutes, sort of.
Adrian

 

Snow Businesses in Holding Pattern	powered by Aeva

[art]

I do a lot of riding,today 110miles .Started out it was about 39 degrees but sunny.I went 30 miles an it got colder an foggy Any way usually when I return from a ride i clean the valk .I like a clean bike .Last sat.I went out shopping at walmart for some food an snacks After I had some buisness to do an returned to the valk and just spotted out of the corner of my eye a BIG glob of bird s-it on the seat of my clean valk.This was a good three inches by 5 inches .I mean big.Almost enought to gag a maggot.I think this sunday I will perssure wash my beauty.By the way that guy at the gas station was a jerk with a BIG mouth

[R J]

Hey Daniel. I wonder what he would of said about yours or mine when we each took the Alaska trip.

Mine was shiny when I pulled out and by the time I got to Omaha, NE it was dirty.  I hit rain 40 miles from home.     Went on up to Alaska, ran in rain and what ever was thrown at me, rode it back home in several rain storms, and when I pulled in home I think it was 20 #'s heavier than when I left and I didn't have one of my 3 bags on him.     Had a sheet load of Alaska highway filth.

That was the one and only time he got a pressure wash.   Still took about 3 hours to get just the mud off, took the leaf blower to him and pulled him into the garage.

[PhredValk]

Know the feeling. The cage never gets used in riding season (so bad this year that the battery went bad). I've had to stop buying things for her cause they never get installed! I have a pile of boxes in the cellar waiting. I clean the bugs off the windshield and headlights as necessary, and spray wash maybe once a month.

If it's nice enough to work on or clean her, it's nice enough to ride.
Fred.

[solo1]

When I had the Valk I washed it often. All that chrome looked better clean.  Now, with much less ambition and a fugly bike with NO chrome, I've washed this bike twice in two seasons.

Yeah, I pick the days when I ride. I don't ride in the rain because I don't have to but I'm glad that it doesn't show the dirt. As far as washing it, I'm somewhere between Daniel and Dave Ritsema.

[BnB Tom]

I think this is Daniel's way of promoting his NEXT NEW BUSINESS!! 

                                             

[Wetrudgeon]

We are of the "ride all you can but try to keep the bike looking as if it has never been riden" persuasion.  Our best riding buddy's Valk has not seen a cleaning in no-telling-when.  We ride together a lot.  To each his/her own.

We trudge on (cleanly).

[Valkahuna]

Soap and water is cheap.
It only takes a few minutes (15 to 30) to wash and blow dry her.

I would guess mine would take a couple hours at this point. Maybe Sunday...but maybe not. Supposed to be raining then too, and I'll be riding in it. 

Hey Daniel,

Why rush into these things? Besides, maybe the last InZane was only the "Inaugural" occurrence of the "Annual Daniel Meyer M/C Wash".  Heck, it worked out OK for you the last time Maybe this time you could turn it into a Charity Event, where all those concerned about the SOW (State of Wash) of your M/C can contribute to a fund which will be used to pay to get your Valk washed.

Besides, I know plenty of guys that own pristine bikes that are hiding absolute nightmarish mechanical conditions.  Life is all about managing priorities.

[Daniel Meyer]

Hey Daniel. I wonder what he would of said about yours or mine when we each took the Alaska trip.

Mine was shiny when I pulled out and by the time I got to Omaha, NE it was dirty.  I hit rain 40 miles from home.     Went on up to Alaska, ran in rain and what ever was thrown at me, rode it back home in several rain storms, and when I pulled in home I think it was 20 #'s heavier than when I left and I didn't have one of my 3 bags on him.     Had a sheet load of Alaska highway filth.

That was the one and only time he got a pressure wash.   Still took about 3 hours to get just the mud off, took the leaf blower to him and pulled him into the garage.

Heh heh...yeah RJ I think I'm STILL cleaning bits of Alaska/Yukon off my bike!

I think this is Daniel's way of promoting his NEXT NEW BUSINESS!! 

                                             

NOW we're talking! That'll get her clean!

[DDT (12)]

Daniel,

Yeah, I know just what yer talkin' about... I get that fairly often, myself. Early in my riding career, I did my best to always have a like-new look to my bikes. Well, as many of us learn, time constraints and physical fatigue at some point combine with the realization of the futility of washing and fretting over a bike when you ride everyday, especially if you ride many miles each trip and in all kinds of weather. I soon began to let that chore slip...

When I was returning to Florida from my big Alaska ride, the drive shaft splines on the Wing I was riding then decided to go just outside of Nashville. The kind folks at the nearest Honda shop came and got me, then had me back on the road in a couple of hours (a bit more to that story, but I'll save that for another time). Anyway, I walked back to the shop area to check on my steed, and there were three mechanics standing together chatting as they stared at my bike.

The first guy said, "Can you believe that bike has been all the way to Alaska and back?!" The second offered his thought that he couldn't believe that it had 100K on the odometer. The thrid guy, who hadn't said anything at all to that point, as he just stood there, arms folded, right hand rubbing his chin, finally chimmed in adding, "That's the dirtiest bike I have ever seen!!!"

Once at an encounter simpler to the one you described, I asked the other guy if he had any idea what it took to get a bike to look like that? I went on to add that all the mud, dust, bugs, grease and grim were like campaign ribbons on a soldier's uniform!!! Real badges of honor... or not. Like you said, all depends upon ones maturity and experience levels...

DDT

[BigAl]

I am down to just wiping the bugs off the wind screen and keeping the mirrors clean and just ride on.

Clean Bikes are the sign of a snowy climate(NO riding opportunities) or a sick mind(Obsessive Compulsive Behavior) or the

worst thing, giving into peer pressure.

Wash when selling and before you mechanic on it and anything else is a waste of soap and water.

JMO

LOL

DDT is a bug killer/collector from way back.

Rock on Daniel, DDT, and all you rowdy Valk Riders.

[olddog1946]

MMMMM, I guess you'd be proud of me then...first time in months I've ridden and not taken the time to clean up afterwards...besides it's 30 degrees out and Gonzaga is playing basketball on the tube, and kicking Az's butt to boot...

[Willow]

I'd like to think I'm somewhere in the middle.  I have a great deal of respect for some of my friends that keep their bikes spotless and shiny.  I don't like to see a neglected bike, but I respect riders who put good miles on a well maintained but not necessarily clean bike.

I guess I'm not sure where I stand.  Two things I know.  I may comment to someone on how good his machine looks, but I'd never take it upon myself to disrespect someone's ride because I thought it was dirtier than mine.

[FloridaValkRyder]

Hit that nail on the head, Daniel. The guy down the street spends more time washing and waxing his HD than he does riding. His bike is beautiful, mine....not so much. I can't take off on the bike as often as I'd like, but there's a reason for that....she's laying down in the next room. But it's been weeks since mine saw any water other than rain. 

"Not so much??" You have one of the nicest Valks I have ever seen there John..

[Valkahuna]

Hit that nail on the head, Daniel. The guy down the street spends more time washing and waxing his HD than he does riding. His bike is beautiful, mine....not so much. I can't take off on the bike as often as I'd like, but there's a reason for that....she's laying down in the next room. But it's been weeks since mine saw any water other than rain. 

"Not so much??" You have one of the nicest Valks I have ever seen there John..

You beat me to that comment. I was thinkin' the same thing when I read John's post. I darn near fell off my chair. Everytime I've seen that Valk she is sparkling.    Maybe there is another John Schmidt in Central Florida? ???