I use it everywhere!

This information I just had to put here, as I think some of the worst mistakes people make are related to the care of their bike. It terrifies me what people will start doing to their bike in the name of preservation. When caring for your scoot, there are two rules you should always apply:

• Never do damage yourself
• Preserve the bike from other damage

These are in order of importance! If, in your efforts to care for your bike, you actually damage it, its really best you do not attempt to care for it! So we will take these in turn.

Never Do Damage Yourself

All I am pleading with you is, understand the products you are using. Too many owners start foolishly using abrasive cleaners, polishes and the like. There is a big difference between "polish" and "wax". Normally you would never go and "wash and polish the car", you would "wash and wax the car". Too many people confuse the two! You need to understand that polishes contain very fine abrasives, which actually removes the clear coating on your paint. These polishes put millions of very fine scratches in the surface, even on chrome. What's worse is often, once you have started using these products, you must continue to use them, otherwise the surface becomes dull, and dirt and road grime adhere to the fine scratches. This cycle will then continue, with you being a slave to frequent polishing and waxing, until you have completely removed the clear coat, and have started to wear into the base paint. The finish will then become almost impossible to maintain, with it quickly going dull and dirty looking. What's even sneakier is that most modern polishes and scratch removers have wax in them. This is insane, because you have no idea what you are doing to the surface, or what the finish now looks like! It may look like a "mirror finish"/ "deep gloss"/ "wet look" or some other such catch phrase, it may look stunning... but what you are looking at is the wax. Even if it is a hard wearing wax, what will it look like next week? What about in a month or two? The original finish would effectively last a lifetime, but now you've given yourself a finish that looks perfect for a week, and looks tragic in a month.

I am not saying you should never use polishes, there are very good uses for them. What I am saying is that you should never use any cleaners, polishes, surface restorers, swirl removers, "cut and polish" and the like unless you have to, and you know the consequences. This includes chrome polish! There's lush deep mirror finish chrome, and then there's chrome which has been "chrome polished", and you'd be a fool to pick the second one. As an aside, also be aware that all the alloy parts on your Shadow have a clear coat on them. It is this clear coat that keeps them looking so shiny. If you remove the clear coating the alloy will quickly become dull, and you would then have to polish it often using a metal polish to keep it shiny.

Never use Armor All. Never. Armor All absolutely destroys plastic for very short term gains. Most (including me) have to learn this the hard way. Trust me, if you use Armor All, you will have to continually apply it, and even so you'll be going downhill fast. Plastic that has been treated with Armor All (and like products) always goes grey (or whitish) and ends up cracking. The plastic also goes brownish, as road grime, dust and other dirt sticks to the Armor All. You end up with plastic which looks tragic, and is brittle and prone to cracking.

Preserve the Bike from Other Damage

What you really want to do is protect your bike from the elements. What you need to do is very simple:

• Wash the bike thoroughly.
• Wax everything.
• Use two proper cotton polishing cloths to remove the wax.

Wash thoroughly

When you first get your bike, wash it very thoroughly using a large sponge intended for washing vehicles. Make sure you remove all the gunk. Use a standard car wash liquid or the like, as dish washing detergent is too alkaline and will cause bolts to rust and dull exposed alloy. After this, chamois the bike dry (all of it). I prefer a synthetic polyvinyl chamois (i.e. the common cheap ones). Let the bike sit for an hour in the sun, then in the shade for a couple hours to allow any hidden moisture to evaporate and the bike to cool down from sitting in the sun.

Wax Everything

Now wax everything, literally. I wax the entire bike except for the seats. This includes the paint, chrome (including exhaust), plastic and even the walls of the tires! The wax will probably say not to use it on plastic or rubber (as it may cause whiteness), but I have found that any decent wax will penetrate the plastic, and after a couple of applications the plastic (or rubber) will become shiny and impervious to dirt, water, road grime and anything else. The wax takes a little extra effort to polish off these parts the first time you apply it, but it is well worth the effort. Just as long as you do not apply the wax to a textured surface you should find great results. I use Meguiar's Gold Class - Clear Coat Liquid Car Wax. This stuff is incredible, and will give your bike a showroom look all the time. I have been using it for some time, a bottle goes a long way and it really is worth the extra dollars.

Use Two Proper Cotton Polishing Cloths to Remove the Wax

Now take a proper cotton polishing cloth and remove the bulk of the wax. Apply the cloth lightly, you're not looking to damage the wax coat. After the bulk is gone use your second polishing cloth to remove the rest of the excess wax, and bring the surface to a shine. It is worth noting that you should never use non-cotton cloths or napkins to wipe the painted surfaces, they will scratch the surface.

Now just repeat when the bike gets dirty again!

@ Sean Flanagan, 2004. All rights reserved.