Keeping Your Bike Mint: Detailing Tips for the Aussie Autumn

Don't ever, and I mean ever, try to scrub dried bugs off your fairings with a sponge. You'll just swirl the paint. I learned this the hard way on a black Ducati, cost me a fortune in polishing time to fix. Instead, soak a couple of old microfibres in warm water and lay them over the headlight and screen for 10 minutes. Honestly, they'll just wipe right off. If they're really stubborn, Bowden's Own 'Bugger Off' is the only stuff I trust to dissolve 'em without eating the wax.

If you live near the beach or commute along the coast, salt is your absolute worst enemy. It gets into the bolt heads and starts that white furry corrosion before you know it. After a ride, give the bike a quick rinse with cold water once the engine has cooled down. I reckon a shot of salt neutraliser in a foam cannon is the way to go if you're serious about keeping the metal looking fresh. Don't use hot water on salt, it actually speeds up the reaction. Stick to cold.

That red outback dust gets everywhere. You'll find it in your electrical connectors three years from now if you aren't careful. Use a soft detailing brush (the ones that look like makeup brushes) around the switchgear and dash while you're vacuuming or using compressed air. A customer once brought me a GS that looked clean until I touched the handlebar switches and a cloud of dust puffed out. Blow it out before you get it wet, otherwise you're just making mud in hard-to-reach places.

Our sun is brutal. It'll turn your black plastics grey and your seat to cardboard in a couple of seasons. Once the bike is dry, chuck a coating on. For the paint, I'm a big fan of Gtechniq Easy Coat or even a simple ceramic spray like Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic. It makes the next wash ten times easier. For the plastic trim, use something with proper UV blockers. Don't use that greasy stuff from the servo that makes your seat slippery, you'll end up sliding off the bike the first time you hit the brakes (made that mistake myself once, never again).