Alright, so its that time of year again for some of us. And I have a very important question.
How the hell do you clean the bugs without damaging the matte paint?
I havnt damaged anything yet, but after riding last evening, the front is covered. There has to be something out there that loosens it all so that I dont have to scrub too hard.
I've noticed the same thing. My front fender is getting pretty dirty on the sides. With glossy paint I'd be aggressively cleaning but I'm not sure how to clean the matte white.
I have a Matte B. My method is to drench the matte parts in warm water, then lay a warm soaking wet micro fiber towel over the front parts and let that soak for a while. Come back, rinse the towel, soak it again, then very gently dab the bugs away from a small area to make sure they, too, are soaking wet and come right off. You can even use the headlights as a test area. As long as the bugs are sufficiently soaked, then they come away without scratching. I dab more than wipe the first time around. Once they're all gone, then I use a second wet microfiber to wipe down and clean. Doesn't take long to air dry, then another microfiber to apply Ducky Matte finish detailer.
All sounds longer than it takes. I've done this plenty of times and so far no swirls or scratches.
Let it soak. Ducky works good too. I had Flight Shield applied to my matte finish when I purchased the bike and the bugs come off easy. To bad they don’t make a product to fix the crappy plastic and paint.
Like some have said, soak time is what helps the most. I will use an aerosol foaming glass cleaner sometimes and let it soak, then re-coat, soak, etc. before a wash. I have started using a quick detailer spray after and between washes, and it seems the bugs don’t stick as bad. It is also matte paint safe.
Soaking? Seriously? Buy the Dr. Beasley kit, and you'll have enough product to last for years... It comes with a smaller spray bottle of the Paint Cleanser, which you spray on, wait maybe 15 seconds, and wipe the bugs/tar right off. Or, you can just buy the larger size bottle of the cleanser:
Dr Beasley,s and hydrogen poroxide are both your friends.
When I travel I have spray bottle half and half with water and hydrogen poroxide for bugs.
What it will do is lift the bug guts loose.
Some suggestions from practices I've used on multi-day trips through bug country...
Basic maintenance includes using a "Sealant" compatible with matte paint to help protect the finish. Then before I leave... I use this product from Griots to help put a layer of protection over the body parts. Then, when I get to a point where I'm going to clean off the bug guts... a bucket of hot water... soak towels (many hotels/motels will give Bikers their old hand towels for cleaning bikes)... then lay the towels over the guts to soften... then gently wipe off.
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