Suzuki V-Strom (VStrom) Owners Club DL250, DL650, DL1000 & DL1050

V-Strom specific discussion => V-Strom specific discussion => Topic started by: listermint on March 22, 2015, 14:31:15

Title: Cleaning those wheels
Post by: listermint on March 22, 2015, 14:31:15

I've been using wheel woolies and iron x on my car for some time. Just started using the iron X on the strom wheels and my lord the come out fantastic. Its effortless. Spray on leave it on while cleaning the rest of the bike. Rub down with the wheel woolies and they come out sparkling. Recommend to all. What do you blokes use or do you just leave the crud on?

Title: Re: Cleaning those wheels
Post by: ProfG on March 22, 2015, 14:46:14

Years ago a motorcycle dealer told me to use furniture polish. He said to wash off the dirt and just use Asda or Tesco brand furniture polish. It really brings out the shine so that's what I've been using. You could really see it on my Sprint ST   :thumb:

Title: Re: Cleaning those wheels
Post by: revapi on March 22, 2015, 21:13:43

+1 for the furniture polish , or wd40

Title: Re: Cleaning those wheels
Post by: Gassoon on March 22, 2015, 21:20:55

Never heard of iron x or wheel woolies, but I know I'm sick of cleaning alloy wheels on cars! What a crap invention alloy wheels were! Just doing the wheels takes more time than the rest of the car...do they work as well on car alloys?

Title: Re: Cleaning those wheels
Post by: Tusker on March 22, 2015, 21:35:38

rear wheel cleaning is bad for me I use a spray chain lube and its hard to shift off wheels

Title: Re: Cleaning those wheels
Post by: listermint on March 23, 2015, 10:28:25

Quote from: "Gassoon"

Never heard of iron x or wheel woolies, but I know I'm sick of cleaning alloy wheels on cars! What a crap invention alloy wheels were! Just doing the wheels takes more time than the rest of the car...do they work as well on car alloys?

Yes I had Delaquered Polished Wheels on my M3, as you can imagine the dirt literally clung to them.

Iron X worked a charm, It lifts off the metal that is shaved off the Pads and Disks. If you look up the youtube videos you will see it in action. Really takes all the work out of 'scrubbing and cleaning wheels bending down etc'  Leave it on for 10 mins and you can see the metal turning purple, that's the crap lifting off.

I use the wheel woolies to scrub as they are long and get in all the gaps but other less expensive options would work  (I prefer easy and quick)

Combination for me has always worked. on my car and now on the Strom.  Came down to sparkling wheels this morning after a long after clean jaunt around the mountains yesterday.

Title: Re: Cleaning those wheels
Post by: alan2001 on March 23, 2015, 13:15:08

I had to google "wheel woolies":

(http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/images/uploads/watermarked/wheel-woolies-a.jpg)

I use a wheel brush kind of like this, with hot soapy water, in conjunction with a dishwashing brush:

(http://www.trustcarprice.com/2014/07/09/ezenoj.jpg)

After about an hour meticulously scrubbing all the chain wax and other gunge off the rear wheel, I dry it, stand back, and think "That's looks great. I suppose I better wax the chain now".

Go for a ride on my nice clean bike, and come back with rear wheel covered in chain wax again.  :obscene-drinkingchug:

I like to think the wax has medicinal properties for the wheel.  :grin:


By the way, I use "Wonder Wheels" on the car alloys, which is pretty good. Makes a hell of a mess until you hose it all off though.

(http://i1.adis.ws/I/washford/140657?$pd_main$)

Title: Re: Cleaning those wheels
Post by: mjc506 on March 24, 2015, 07:27:17

what's this 'wash' you speak of :shrug:

Title: Re: Cleaning those wheels
Post by: petestrom on March 24, 2015, 08:10:52

Quote from: "Tusker"

rear wheel cleaning is bad for me I use a spray chain lube and its hard to shift off wheels

Just give the rims a bit of a spray with chain cleaner then rub with a rag or a brush first if they are really caked. :auto-dirtbike:

Title: Re: Cleaning those wheels
Post by: grumps on March 24, 2015, 09:00:26

As above, the alloys on my car get really caked with the crap off the pads and I use Autoglym wheels cleaner. But it seems the alloy has dulled down after using cleaners and gets dirty even more quickly - I guess as the surface is now not as polished as before.

Anyone use a good polish that restores the gleam to alloys and puts a surface coating on that resists dirt sticking to them?

Cheers

David

Title: Re: Cleaning those wheels
Post by: Abercol on March 24, 2015, 10:57:41

A wax type coating you say....then use furniture polish...see top of thread! A quick squirt of cheapo furniture polish and a wipe and Voila, a nice clean and waxed surface, it'll avoid a lot of crud sticking and, once it does, it comes off easier.

Also used ACF-50 in the past, same kind of result.

Mostly though, I don't bother, I clean the wheels once a year in April, then leave till next April. Too much hard work. They don't get too filthy as I only use WD-40 to lube the chain, no chain wax or grease for me, 12,000 miles and virtually no adjustment. A good result for the Vee which can be a bit harder on the chains than the 650.

Title: Re: Cleaning those wheels
Post by: grumps on March 24, 2015, 11:00:33

Thanks

And only another week until you have to do yours again!