The world, at least the bit of it that I live in, appears to be bereft of those jet wash things that you find at petrol stations. They’ve got so rare that I’ve had to take a garden hose and a sponge to my bike. It’s been so long since I’ve heard of anything of the sort being done that I had to give my dad a call and ask for instructions!
What I’ve found works particularly well, when it comes to addressing this most immediate of problems, is to get someone else to do it. There’s a guy in Dublin who trades as ‘Crazy Wasp’. His, insert three letter acronym here /mental health is pretty interesting and as a by-product of his emotional state he’s very, very good at turning out bikes to a rather wonderful standard.
Before
The troubling thing is that the things get dirty again. To keep my beloved MT 10 in the condition that I want to find it in I use Vulcanet.
Vulcanet comes in a plastic tub. The plastic tub has a picture of a very attractive young lady on it.They’re wipes, not unlike baby wipes, and when I apply then to the bikes rain spotted or dusty body they lift everything. I then use the microfibre cloth to clean off the residue and give it a quick buff to finish it nicely. It’s so simple that not even I could get it wrong, that’s an endorsement if ever there was one.
After
The weave in the wipe is designed to lift the dirt without scratching the paintwork. It also leaves a very light seal to protect the bodywork. Ergo, there’s no need to polish the bike.
When my bike is so dirty that it needs a rarely spotted jet wash, because of their properties, the wipes are perfect at finishing the job. They’re available from a host of good bike shops and cost a whole lot less than garage forecourt washers.