I washed the scooter yesterday in part because it was dirty, but mostly because I was taking it into the shop for its annual Pennsylvania Safety Inspection and to have a new rear tire put on. I felt embarrassed at how dirty the thing had gotten from the past month of riding in rain, mud and dirt. The Excalibur Gray Vespa paint really does a good job hiding the dirt but when you get up close or look underneath at the engine……
Here is a shot of the underneath of engine that I posted on the Modern Vespa forum to indicate where the oil drain plug is. That dirty thing to the right is a week old oil filter.
So I hosed it down and washed it up and cleaned most of the underside, at least as much as I could stand before getting bored. All of this is leading to a question of those of you who read and ride. Am I nuts not washing and shining this scooter more often? I definitely have a long history of slim attendance to cleaning. Don’t get me wrong, I do attend to maintenance and mechanical issues, but keeping something shining bright and new just bores the hell out of me. I would rather be riding.
All of this applies equally to my cameras, home, garage, garden, computer hard drive, basement, toolbox and dog. With the Vespa I’ve really tried to be different but if I wash it once a month that’s a lot. I wash my truck maybe three times a year. The last time a friend who borrowed it washed it because it was too dirty for him. It is a truck. It was made to haul wet concrete right?
Anyways, back to the Vespa. I know lots of riders of motorcycles treat their machines with extreme care and patience. My eyes glaze over as they describe some new cleaning product that does a fantastic job but be careful you don’t let it linger too long on this or that. I’ve never seen them with their bike when it didn’t look like it came right off the showroom floor. Not a single scratch from riding down a too narrow path in the woods. No mud spray from the last rain. Just shiny. It’s like those people I see in the neighborhood who are always dressed up. Never once do they appear dirty or unkempt. They have lawn services….
So, advise me readers. What am I missing here? Am I sending my scooter to an early death by not keeping it sparkling? Isn’t it enough to spray the salt off in the winter? Or am I just a lazy man and don’t realize it….
I own 2 limited edition Ducatis (one of them very, very limited), and I don’t wash either of them. And I ride them *HARD*. Makes the local Ducatisti cry when they see the bikes.
I’m with Snark on this one, and consequently, with you too.
After it’s racing career was over, I put my 900SS Ducati back together with some really gorgeous bodywork from Sharkskinz, and a custom Tricolore paint job.
Then I rode it. And rode it. I only cleaned it when it got totally spattered by muddy rainwater on the highway.
The same goes for my scooters. You saw last winter that The Red Baron got a bath only before his TV appearances.
Frogwing gets a bath once a year, whether he needs it or not. We ride in the rain often enough that he gets frequent showers.
Ride well (and dirty!),
=gc=
I wash my Yamaha if I am going on a group ride or if she is ultra dusty. Wash the underside? Nope.
snark: Who has time to wash when there’s riding to do? I think I will have to let the Vespa owners cry as well.
gary: You (and snark) are rebels. don’t you know you’re supposed to spend your time cleaning and polishing and not so much time riding? Geez, I’m glad no one posted that I should be cleaning the Vespa or protecting my investment. As much as I like the scooter it is a machine afterall and not even unique. Can always buy another when it wears out.
kitkatknit: Sounds like you are a rider like the rest of us. I guess it’s ok to clean up once in awhile.
steve
With a bicyle – the same concept applies. You want to show people how dirty your bike is (and how many boo boos you have from falling) – because that means that you are riding. 🙂 When we get back from rides in the state forest – sometimes the bikes get hosed off – but only because there is grass and other gritty dirt in the cassette that needs to be removed to eliminate potential mechanical problems. Maintenance cleaning you might call it.
If the vespa gets salt on it – you might want to clean it off – but the rest of the dirt won’t hurt it. Wouldn’t you be happy to know it died a good death someday because it fell apart from being loved too much?
I think you are doing good to wash it once-a-month. I wash mine a little more often than any of you do, but I also ride every day no matter what, and put alot of mileage on it. I average 17,000 a year. They are machines, made to enjoy. I’d much rather see them ridden than sparkly clean just to be looked-at. I used-to be a BMW tech, and while Beemerphiles do tend to put more mileage on their machines, every once-in-awhile I would get a bike in that looked wonderful, but was having running problems from sitting too long. A damn shame.
I’m more of a long distance rider and my bikes ain’t no garage queens!
In my world a dirty bike and a worn ‘Stich are badges of honor. I guess it boils down to what a person bought the bike for. For us, we ride. Some like to fuss with things and that’s what brings satisfaction. I can’t personally relate, but I’ve heard it’s true!
hrw115: Bicyclists identify more as riders than many motorcyclists do. They are not as often treated as sculpture to be admired or fine jewelry to express inclusion in a subculture. Dirt, wear, and boo boos are a badge of strong living.
scooterguru: 17000 miles a year on a scooter is a ton. If you don’t mind me asking what are you riding and how much mechanical attention does it take to get automobile type use out of it? I love riding and seldom use my truck but I do wonder how much life my Vespa has in it…
irondad: You sound like you line up pretty well with Hannah’s view of bikes. I do wish was a little better at taking care of my things. It just seems like I never have time (or interest) in doing those little things like washing the Vespa, cleaning the garage, balancing the checkbook….
Forgot to add this. I stopped for gas on the way home tonight. Was daydreaming while fueling and suddenly realized gas was running on the ground. Dumb. Got home and washed the back end of the scooter off. I hate the smell of gas and didn’t want it permanently staining the paint.
Just to chime in: NEVER wash your bike, unless it’s something you enjoy doing.
I’m not going to stop someone from enjoying their ride, however they choose to enjoy it.
But I’d rather see a dirty, high-mileage rat than a pristine garage ornament any day.
However, you must take care of your cameras. Photography is about obsessive attention to detail.
lucky: We’ll have to pursue the clean camera thread. I’ve posted aobut it before. I use cameras a lot and while I don’t go out of my way to abuse them I treat them like tools. When they wear out I get another. Every camera has been that way, an all weather, all environment tool. I once had my Nikon dipped in disinfectant as I was coming out of an Avian Influenze site. Happened before I could speak. It kept on working though…
steve
I guess I’m the dissenter. I like a clean ride. A fresh bike. One of the times I do the walkaround its after the bike has been ridden after a good cleansing. A bike that’s been kept fairly fresh also allows the rider to do the walkaround before each ride. As I see it, there are enough things that can go wrong with a machine, little telltale signs that appear only when a machine is spotless. I take late evenings when the family’s asleep to maintain the bike. Its my quiet time.
I also have to disagree with the term garage queen. A clean machine belies nothing about how often its been ridden. Only the odometer can provide that information. And only the distance so far. Nothing about the individual rides or where they took place.
Roadbum
Roadbum: It sounds as if you might be the voice of reason. Makes perfect sense to me that keeping the scooter clean is a ritual to keep in touch with the mechancial state of the machine. And unlike a camera or other device staying on top of the scooter could have a critical impact on one’s physical longevity.
At times I see things in an either/or way. My simplistic thinking says you are either riding or you are polishing. As you point out one can and probably should do both especially if one is a rider.
So as always I have to modify my thinking. I am not fastidious with the cosmetic appearance of the scooter. I do not let the fear of dirtying or showing wear interfere with ridin. But I also realize I am not looking close enough at the scooter beyond the main items like tires, oil, cables, etc.
A better cleaning scheme is in order. It will probalby put my mind in order and the safety of the scooter. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. Consider me changed – a little….
steve
Cool thread, Steve. I kept My LX150 shiny for about the first six months. Now I clean it when it gets muddy or when I’m going on a group ride. I haven’t washed it since August, I think. I don’t have the gravel roads around that you do, so mine is mostly splashed from puddles. I do knock the bugs off the front after an evening ride, though.
My two trucks got washed a total of about six times in 17 years, other than sproaying off the underside to get rid of the salt in the spring.
Steve
steve: What is it about bugs? I find I will clean those off too. It looks unsanitary or something….