Hi Guy's. I have an 09 FLHRC. We have a lot of road dust and sand where I ride and the R/C seems to grunge up bad at the rear. I don't mind doing a little detailing but the rear wheel on the king is so hard to get at that I fear I will have to spend more time cleaning than riding. I would like to find a product that I could spray on, let soak, rinse off. How do most of you deal with cleaning the SPOKED wheel's. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Recommendations for cleaning spoked wheels
- Thread starter bradp
- Start date
Skratch
Active Member
I've got a Heritage with spoked wheels.
I take the bags off and clean with a firm but soft brush and then chrome polish what I can. It's a pain in the rear but they look great.
Cleaning my bike from start to finish (i remove the bags, seats, windshield every wash) including washing, drying, polishing and detailing takes me about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. That may be alot to some, but my bike looks like the day it did on the showroom floor. :bigsmiley24: My 05 1200R also looks brand new.
My neighbor (who is a Harley guy) gives me a hard time as he says he doesn't believe I ride it as it always looks so clean. That argument goes away when I show him my odometer. :s
I take the bags off and clean with a firm but soft brush and then chrome polish what I can. It's a pain in the rear but they look great.
Cleaning my bike from start to finish (i remove the bags, seats, windshield every wash) including washing, drying, polishing and detailing takes me about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. That may be alot to some, but my bike looks like the day it did on the showroom floor. :bigsmiley24: My 05 1200R also looks brand new.
My neighbor (who is a Harley guy) gives me a hard time as he says he doesn't believe I ride it as it always looks so clean. That argument goes away when I show him my odometer. :s
I did what you did the other day and I agree , the bike looks great. Here's the but; Went for a 5hr run the next day and bike looks grungy again. Was hoping that someone had a good , quick method of cleaning around these wheels. I like the bike looking good and maybe thats half the problem. I would hose my baby down every time I went out if I had to but it sure would be nice to keep this time to a minimum.
RickyBobby
Active Member
Mothers wax is advertising a cone shaped fluffy device that chucks up in a drill. I thought that might work well in and out of the tight areas of spoked wheels. If I run into one, I will get one and give a spin, pun intended. 
zoo-mon
Member
Use a piece of leather around the hub.take a small piece of leather about 3/4" wide cut a slit in one end wrap it around the hub put the end thru the slit pull thru to where the spokes cross and cut. then just ride the leather flips around while your rideing. it does'nt keep them clean but it makes cleaning a lil easyer. with your endex finger push the leather back and forth on the hub. this also helps keep the hub shiney. ride on keep the shiney side up
Steve Di.
Active Member
I use my bike lift when cleaning the wheels on my Heritage. The lift allows me to rotate the wheels as I clean them without having to move the bike. It is a lot easier than removing the bags to get at the rear wheel.
To clean the rims, I use Pledge and a micro fibe cloth. It works great.
To clean the rims, I use Pledge and a micro fibe cloth. It works great.
Bilgeslop
Member
HD PN 43078-99 wheel and spoke brush for when you have the time, but S100 makes a spray-on/rinse-off gel that works real well for what you want. RINSE WELL!
I can't post links yet, just google S100
But you just gotta get that brush, it's got the HD bar and shield branded right into the handle!
I can't post links yet, just google S100
But you just gotta get that brush, it's got the HD bar and shield branded right into the handle!
Skratch
Active Member
I think its just the sacrifice we make riding with spokes my friend. I don't know that there is an easy answer (or method) for this. But if it makes you feel any better, when I take a 5 hr ride the bike usually gets washed.
Its just how I roll man.
(and washing/detailing my bike is one of my simple pleasures in life!!)
dhorne
Active Member
I have the american wire 100 spoke rims and i used two step cleaner and it takes 5 minutes a rim and you need to RINSE well , I have been using this for two years and no damage , other wise i was there all day cleaning the wheels this is a product fouund basically anywhere as i found it even in Venezuela and it is called eagle one crome spoke cleaner.....