Motorbike Valeting & detailing Process

Inflicting swirls or "love marks" on paintwork can really take away from the appearance of your bike. The biggest impact on paintwork is when the sun hits a panel you get an unsightly swirling affect. The build up of swirl marks affects how light bounces back from the panel so paintwork appears much duller and not as glossy. And, swirl marks can also impact the overall value of your bike.

It is not possible to wash a bike without inflicting any swirl marks on some level. But what can be achieved through the use of the correct chemicals, correct use of dedicated tools and proper wash techniques is the chance of inflicting them.

Thats why I use the various wash stages outlined below, along with the various dedicated chemicals and tools which I have used for over 15 years now and most importantly my techniques and application.

The microfibre towels and wash mitts will only be allocated to your bike. They will be used only for your clean and then correctly washed for their next use. I use an array of dedicated cloths for various tasks, some with long piles, some with short, some for glass and some for general use. Over the course of their life these cloths enter a tiered system and when I deem they are to be replaced they are sent for recycling and replaced in my kit.

Every bike is different and some products will be tailored to suit your bikes exact needs. But, the general process is;

• Initial rinse to remove loose dirt.
• Pre-wash applied to begin breaking down some of the embedded dirt.
• Snow foam application to carry away any loosened dirt and debris.
• A 3 bucket wash method is applied to minimise inflicting any swirls into the paintwork.
• Wheels are then cleaned through various wash mitts and brushes first.
• Paintwork is then cleaned using an array of tools and mitts. Using 2 dedicated buckets to avoid contamination with the 3rd (separate) wheel bucket.
• Shampoo used is a dedicated motorbike shampoo which is Salt free.
• A final rinse down to remove all suds.
• Touchless heated blow dry.

Depending on the exact service being undertaken on your motorbike there may be additional stages;

• Windshield rain repellant coatings are applied to increase water repellency and increase visibility in the rain.
• Trim coatings are dressed where certain plastic trims are present.
• Seat leather cleaner and conditioners are used to help protect against the suns UV rays and prevent cracking and drying out.
• Exhaust polishes are used where applicable to remove engrained dirt, to polish and provide protection.
• Iron fallout remover applied to chemically dissolve and help lift away any iron or fallout contamination from all surfaces.
• Tar and glue treatment to help chemically dissolve and soften any tar and glue spots before being wiped away technically.
• Clay bar treatment to pull out any remaining contaminants leaving the surface silky smooth and completing all mechanical contamination removal stages.
• IPA/Panel wipe is applied prior to waxing or ceramic coatings. This ensures the best possible bond between the coating and the paintwork for longevity.
• Brightwork where applicable is polished to remove engrained dirt, to polish and provide protection.