How to wash a bike?

[Kalvin00]

I just use the hose, turned on low, put my thumb over to make a low pressure spray...wash mitt, eagle one car wash, zymol wax if needed....yeah.

[Half-fast Rider]

My preferred method is to cruise around on a Saturday morning until I find some sorority holding a fund-raiser car wash. You know, the kind with a dozen college girls in bikinis sudsing cars and each other. <sigh>

Don't any of you ever just ride through an automatic car wash?

[Dawson-ZX]

hmm... seems as if I'm a little more anal about cleanliness than most here... 2 to 3 x a year I'll wash w/chenille mitt, dry with absorber "chamois", use a claybar with quick detailer, then use a paint cleaner, then a paint polish, then a good glaze all applied with terry towel and buffed with microfiber.... I also use plexus on the shield and headlights... mean green for the engine/rims.. and kerosene with some chain wax for the chain...

My car gets the same treatment... between detail jobs, it's generally a spraydown with a pressure washer on the lowest setting (low enough to put my hand in the stream) and some light wiping (to avoid swirls/scratches)

[R1oldguy]

I put on my rain gear and go through the car wash

[chve8817]

Why would you use Clay on a regular basis? Clay does not protect the paint, it removes overspray or other contaminates that may have been in contact with paint.

[Joeyz]

Originally Posted by Half-fast Rider

My preferred method is to cruise around on a Saturday morning until I find some sorority holding a fund-raiser car wash. You know, the kind with a dozen college girls in bikinis sudsing cars and each other. <sigh>

Don't any of you ever just ride through an automatic car wash?

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa

[DazalC]

should i wash the radiator and the engine with some water too, to get all the dirt from there? or is it going to rust after? the thing is that it looks really greassy down there, so i really want to clean it..
any tips for cleaning those parts?