First of all, never, ever take your bike to a car wash and use high pressure spray on it. Motorbike is designed to stand up to wet roads and rain, but it is not designed for high pressure spray. The spray will eventually force its way up under your gaskets and you will be stuck at the car wash for a while, cause it won’t start. If you will notice at Sturgis, Laughlin, Daytona, etc. at the Bike Wash stands, they have bikini clad girls hand washing bikes. They aren’t using portable high pressure sprayers, which would be easier for them, they are actually hand washing the bikes. This isn’t just for your entertainment, so you can watch them get all soapy, the hand washing is for a reason. For washing your bike, use any car wash solution, but never use household products to clean your bike. Dishwashing detergents are too aggressive and will strip the wax and dull the finish on black engines or plastic housings. Use only a thick 100% cotton terry cloth rag or mitt, or a lambs wool mitt. The loops in the terry cloth or lambs wool helps trap the dirt and helps keep it from scratching your bike. If your bike is extremely greasy and oily, use a degreaser before washing (such as PJ1 Degreaser Contact Cleaner or PJ1 Spray and Wash).
continue reading http://tools.searchwarp.com/swa30190.htm