I am looking for advice on keeping your machine clean (motor and body). I have had a grizzly and waiting on the new rhino. After I purchased my gizzly, I put a wax on it but was never able to keep it looking shiny. Before I sold it, I put a good coating of armour all on the bike and that made a difference. After looking at some of you guys pictures of older bikes that look like they just came off the showroom, I decided to ask the question. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

I get Spectro XL-1 from my dealer you spray it on and rinse with a hose no pressure washing needed.

At the bottome of this page

 

I use a pressure washer and then wash with a sponge and auto soap. I bought some Yamaha protectant (basically Armor All) and used as directed... it looked pretty good. I know use Plexus. Doesn't seem to shine as good though. That yamaha stuff shined up real good!


BR huh? Ever ride at the spillway?

 

The problem with a pressure washer is if your not carefull you could very easily put a hole in your radiator or sometime it can ruin your seals. You should give the Spectro XL-1 stuff a try real easy to use and takes about 20 min and your done

 

If you really want to keep a "nice" looking quad, you don't need a powerwasher. You need a garden hose, Wisk detergent 50/50 ratio in a squeeze bottle, and assorted brushes. A powerwasher will not remove surface film. It is good for lazy people like me looking to knock the big stuff off. If you want a shine, you will have to touch the surface with a rag or brush to break the surface tension of the film. It is amazing that you can hit something with 2500psi of water and it won't come off but just touch it with your finger as light as you can and boom, it comes off.

Spray it as best you can, spray Wisk on it and let it sit for 20 minutes in the shade lightly misting if necessary to keep it wet, then scrub it, and rinse it. Always dry what you can with a towel. This is important for having a shine.

Never let mud dry on your quad for days since it can etch metal surfaces.

Use Comet and a brush on your tires including the treads.

Everyone has a favorite spray.

Good luck. I will admire your bike from a distance just like I do your yard. Personally, I am addicted to keeping my truck spotless. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

/Jon

 

I like to use Armor-All tire foam,basicly Armor-All that foams up and doesn't run off. After I wash the mud off I spray the entire machine execpt the seat and grips and let it soak in. Then I wipe the excess off the plastic. Seems like the mud doesn't stick as bad the next time. I make sure to spray the rubber cv axle boots heavily to keep them from dry rotting.

 

proclean

this crap WORKS.......it is what I always use.....

 

1st - thanks for all the advice and it is well appreciated. When I purchased my grizzly a few years back, the dealer made it very clear NOT to power wash because of radiator & seal issues especially with the automatic - exactly what Banshee said. Of course, if you know much about engines and power washers, you can use a little sense and not get carried away chewing up the bike. The pressure washer I own can skin a cat at 30 yards.

2nd - I am going to try it all Spectro, Whisk, etc. and let you now my choice

3 - Kraw - A hundred years ago (30 years), I rode a Yamaha MX 80 for fun, then purchased the first Honda 90 (in 1979) and rode it for fun. The rest has always been utility use in hunting situations (which is still fun) - and why I should be getting the new Yamaha Rhino in the next week or two. I now have 3 boys (16, 11, 7) and they have a ball during hunting season riding around and seem real excited about the Rhino.

Thanks again fellas for the advice except you left off one piece of advice.......the motor. Spary it down with WD 40 after you wash it??

 

Mine looks best w/ a few applications of sand coupled with boot scuffs.

 

Never heard about WD40 on the motor after washing it. I rub my exhaust down with Alcohol to get all of the crap off of them. Let me know how the WD40 works out though