My Yamaha R15 V4.0 gets a much deserved wash post IBW

If anyone is planning to use 'Moto Max Bike Polish' for the first time, make sure you either wear a gloves or test a very small drop on your finger to check for any allergic reaction.

BHPian sasta_rider recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

R15 gets the much required pamper:

After the India Bike Week 2023 ride back home on 10-Dec-2023, I hardly got time to take her out on rides greater than 20 km. All thanks to my work schedule and family functions. But, I used to take her on a 12 km circuit around my home once in two to three days. But, why? I do not wish to attract rats and rodents to make R15 their home like last time, so had to take these small spins to make engine warm and then park again.

Last time I washed her was before India Bike Week. So, it was almost 3 weeks since she got her last wash. More than the ride, the dirt was due to the nearby highway construction and bike being idle for most of the time made things even worse.

Once the scorching sun settled yesterday (25-Dec-2023), I plugged my washing kit, made R15 sit on the paddock (more on this later). Recently, I had to buy a 150 mL Motul Chain Clean as the Yamaha Chain Clean had got over. However, I still had almost half the lube as is. Along with the Motul Chain Clean, I had brought the 'Moto Max 50 mL bike polish' laong with the sponge to try how effective it is.

Ah, picture prefect!

I brought the paddock from an independant manufacturer who is also a biker from Bengaluru. The paddock along with two types of spools: 'L' shape spool and the 'C' shape spools, costed me ₹2200 and does the job well for an R15. Weighing around 3.850 kg with the spools in place, is convenient enough to single handedly place or remove.

After the wash, using a home vacuum cleaner, blowed the cockpit area and the fairings so that the water does not settle and give birth to rust. Rusting can take place quicker in coastal regions Mumbai, Chennai, Kasaragod, Kochi, etc) than non-coastal regions (Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, etc). This was followed by one round of wiping using a microfiber cloth.

Moved the bike to a dry area, placed the bike on paddocks again and kept the engine running for few minutes so that the rest of water droplets where my hands cannot reach, could evaporate due to heat. Then, turned the engine off, sprayed the chain with Motul Chain Clean while rotating the rear wheel using my hands. Dirt, grease, dust and what not, started dripping to the ground: all thanks to gravity! After around 15 minutes, I cleaned the chain using a 'C' shaped brush, the chain sprocket using a cotton yarn and the wheel. After few minutes, I evenly sprayed the Yamaha Chain Lube and observed for any dripping. Once it was all fine, removed the bike from the paddocks, moved it to the parking area and watched her beauty for few minutes.

Took a small tea break, came back and read the instructions on the Moto Max Bike Polish, as this was my first time using the same. Using the sponge, I applied a thin layer of the polish on paint surface, fairings and the chassis area. Let it dry for few minutes. This was followed by wiping with a microfiber cloth in circular motion to give the final shine. Initially I felt my palms were irritated, I assume this was due to the polish. The itchiness faded after few minutes though.

Note: If anyone is planning to use 'Moto Max Bike Polish' for the first time, make sure you either wear a gloves or test a very small drop on your finger to check for any allergic reaction.

By the time I finished all these chores, it was already dark. I could not click any photos at the last as the parking area light was not working and did not want to get one with flash on due to mosquitos waiting to suck my blood!

But, it was totally worth the care. In few weeks time, I am planning to ride to Bengaluru for few days of WFO and personal work. Planning to post a travelogue in a separate thread.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.