Pricing for motorcycles

[LSNAutoDetailing]

In a few months it will be that time of year in New Hampshire for bikers to put their rides away and before they do they want them detailed.

I've been getting asked to detail bikes, but honestly don't know what to charge.

[eaglefan]

For bikes I have only done Harleys. They take a lot of time so don't let the size fool you. A lot of tedious work and if you do end up working on some, do yourself a favor and and get a bike jack

[WaxMaster1]

For bikes I have only done Harleys. They take a lot of time so don't let the size fool you. A lot of tedious work and if you do end up working on some, do yourself a favor and and get a bike jack

Long time biker here. Just picked up a new 2015 Ultra. That being said, I absolutely abhor cleaning/detailing bikes. I don't even care to clean my own. Learn how to polish Harley lower fork legs, they get ruined almost instantly. A jack is almost a must. A good jack, that is. You don't want to drop someones $30,000 bike.

[dcjredline]

You can easily spend 5+ hours on a dressed Harley. There isnt much paint but there are alot of crevices.

Sport bike you have more intricate painted areas so that takes time but they take a little less time than a Harley IN GENERAL.

[LSNAutoDetailing]

Long time biker here. Just picked up a new 2015 Ultra. That being said, I absolutely abhor cleaning/detailing bikes. I don't even care to clean my own. Learn how to polish Harley lower fork legs, they get ruined almost instantly. A jack is almost a must. A good jack, that is. You don't want to drop someones $30,000 bike.

My neighbor has a Victory and a new Indian Chief (lots of chrome, paint and leather) and I just got asked about three more bikes.

Sorry, I'm taking this from the the original question of cost, and moving it more into Detailing 101 topics.

Good idea on the bike stand/jack. Any suggested makes or models?

What do you all use to polish the chrome? I love the new Pinnacle Exhaust Tip Chrome/Stainless Steel polish. I've used that on both chrome and stainless tail pipes and man, it really works great! Would you suggest that for the chrome on a bike?

Here is what I had in mind:
Tarminator for caked on dead bugs, etc..
A rinsless wash with Megs D114 (Spray bottle and MF clothes).
Clay (Nano skin)
Pinnacle Swirl & Scratch Remover, Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish, Souveran Wax for the painted parts. Or HD Speed
Pinnacle Leather Cleaner/Conditioner for seats and saddle bags,
Pinnacle Vinyl/Rubber protectant for rubber and vinyl
DP Detailers Trim for black plastics
Megs PlastiX for gauges, Pinnacle Glass Cleaner w/Repellent for glass, Pinnacle Exhaust Chrome/Stainless cleaner for all the chrome pieces,
Griotts Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner for the wheels along with my wheel woolies tools
I'm assuming do NOT dress the tires, but I can hit them with the Tornador filled with water, or use my steam-cleaner to clean them up.

Sound good thus far? I'm open to more suggestions. I could see a bike taking 4 - 6 hours if I do all the above.

[eaglefan]

I have a cheap jack from harbor freight. It has a "Lock" to hold the jack in the up position. If you have never used one get someone to help you. Also be careful with jack placement.
I haven't worked on those model bikes, but on my road glide and other harleys I do, be careful with everything. Everything on a Harley is expensive, and probably the Indian I would guess. I do not put anything on the seats or tires. When my Danny Grey seat was new it was a little slick and it wasn't good. Chrome polish is fine but the owner is going to smell it when it gets hot. Careful with gauge lens and such

[WaxMaster1]

My neighbor has a Victory and a new Indian Chief (lots of chrome, paint and leather) and I just got asked about three more bikes.

Sorry, I'm taking this from the the original question of cost, and moving it more into Detailing 101 topics.

Good idea on the bike stand/jack. Any suggested makes or models?

What do you all use to polish the chrome? I love the new Pinnacle Exhaust Tip Chrome/Stainless Steel polish. I've used that on both chrome and stainless tail pipes and man, it really works great! Would you suggest that for the chrome on a bike?

Here is what I had in mind:
Tarminator for caked on dead bugs, etc..
A rinsless wash with Megs D114 (Spray bottle and MF clothes).
Clay (Nano skin)
Pinnacle Swirl & Scratch Remover, Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish, Souveran Wax for the painted parts. Or HD Speed
Pinnacle Leather Cleaner/Conditioner for seats and saddle bags,
Pinnacle Vinyl/Rubber protectant for rubber and vinyl
DP Detailers Trim for black plastics
Megs PlastiX for gauges, Pinnacle Glass Cleaner w/Repellent for glass, Pinnacle Exhaust Chrome/Stainless cleaner for all the chrome pieces,
Griotts Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner for the wheels along with my wheel woolies tools
I'm assuming do NOT dress the tires, but I can hit them with the Tornador filled with water, or use my steam-cleaner to clean them up.

Sound good thus far? I'm open to more suggestions. I could see a bike taking 4 - 6 hours if I do all the above.

Hi Paul,
Sorry, just saw this now. As far as your cleaning different bikes, the Harley, Indian and Victory will be relatively similar. I'll try and answer your questions in order. A jack is a tricky thing. I have something called a J&S and it is considered one of the top jacks out there. Also, I've owned a Pit Bull which is excellent too, just takes up a larger footprint on the ground for space. Both are extremely sturdy. A harbor freight MAY be ok if you're on a budget. I just wouldn't go real high with it.

For chrome, it all depends on the condition. I highly recommend 0000 steel wool for boot marks and rubber marks on pipes. You will find a lot of specs on the mufflers. I've never clayed mufflers but I would give it a shot with some stubborn stuff.

TECHNIQUE is the key with a bike, not product per se. Harley wheels come in chrome. Chrome and painted combo. Paint and raw aluminum. etc. you get the picture. They can be a pain. I use regular S100 to spritz and clean an entire bike and I hose the entire bike, they are waterproof. There are so many nooks and crannies, you need to blast some water to move the small debris and junk.

Be careful of windshields. All kinds of different materials. Poly Carb. Cheap plastic, scratch resistant coatings that will chip. EVERY BIKE is completely different. HD SPEED should be great for all painted surfaces. I don't recommend dressing a seat or tires really for liability.

PM me if you have any specific questions at any time.

-Chris

[LSNAutoDetailing]

Hi Paul,
Sorry, just saw this now. As far as your cleaning different bikes, the Harley, Indian and Victory will be relatively similar. I'll try and answer your questions in order. A jack is a tricky thing. I have something called a J&S and it is considered one of the top jacks out there. Also, I've owned a Pit Bull which is excellent too, just takes up a larger footprint on the ground for space. Both are extremely sturdy. A harbor freight MAY be ok if you're on a budget. I just wouldn't go real high with it.

For chrome, it all depends on the condition. I highly recommend 0000 steel wool for boot marks and rubber marks on pipes. You will find a lot of specs on the mufflers. I've never clayed mufflers but I would give it a shot with some stubborn stuff.

TECHNIQUE is the key with a bike, not product per se. Harley wheels come in chrome. Chrome and painted combo. Paint and raw aluminum. etc. you get the picture. They can be a pain. I use regular S100 to spritz and clean an entire bike and I hose the entire bike, they are waterproof. There are so many nooks and crannies, you need to blast some water to move the small debris and junk.

Be careful of windshields. All kinds of different materials. Poly Carb. Cheap plastic, scratch resistant coatings that will chip. EVERY BIKE is completely different. HD SPEED should be great for all painted surfaces. I don't recommend dressing a seat or tires really for liability.

PM me if you have any specific questions at any time.

-Chris

Thanks for the great info Chris. When looking at a CanAM Spider in a parking lot, there was a manufacturers warning sticker on the wind screen regarding how to clean it. I assume it has anti-glare properties and one could easily scratch it.
I'm wondering how Pinnacle Exhaust Tip Chrome & Stainless cleaner would work. I've used it quite a bit on stainless and recently on chrome BORLA exhaust tips that were caked in exhaust carbon. They came out great.

Just found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqOHc2kiyDU

[Mike Moore]

Kinda lengthy but hopefully a lot of good info.

When I do a bike, a good "cleaning" it starts at $150.

I spray S100 Total Cycle Cleaner on both of the wheels.
I spray the wheels with S100 and let it sit a few minutes
Then I use a soft wheel brush, scrub and thoroughly rinse.

NEVER EVER use any tire dressing on a motorcycle tire!
Motorcycles turn by leaning. A tire dressing can cause death.
I'll use a good tire cleaner to make sure the tires are black.

NEVER use RainX on a H-D OEM windshield. It will ruin 'em.
Yes, RainX will cause the H-D OEM windshield to fog.
It's not right away, but it'll be ruined in a few months.
I use PlastX Clear Plastic Polish for windshield scratches.
If the windshield is removable, place it aside to clean.
This also allows better access for cleaning headlights etc.
I like using Liquid Glass on Harley OEM windshields.
I've done this for years and have never had one fog up.
Coatings would be ideal but at $350 a pop I don't want to try.

I've used 0000 wet, on chrome, but only if severe pitting.
I would rather use chemicals...0000 causes fine scratches.
Very few sealants will work on chrome exhaust pipe temps.
Chrome is chrome and it can't be "polished", just cleaned.

My favorite tool for washing a bike is Mr. Clean Auto-Dry.
This was a perfect tool for washing a bike. You are missed.
It used to take me 3-4 hours just to properly wash a bike.
It can do a "good" bike wash with a MC A-D in 30 minutes.
Yes, you can use (if careful) a foam cannon/gun to wash.
I use a quality Merino mitt (and bucket...my MC A-D leaks).

Use a Metro Vac Blaster sidekick or small blower to drying.
This is a VERY necessary tool to get water out of the nooks.

Then remove all saddle bags, either hard bags or leather.
This allows you to clean the rear wheel and fender area.
If needed, do S100, wait, brush & rinse on the rear wheel.

If leather, clean and dress with a leather rain protectant.
If fiberglass hard bags, you should clay & protect 6 sides.
This is important on the bottom as it gets the road abuse.

I use Pig Spit (yea, it's a product) on the black cast metal.
This includes the black brake calipers & black motor casing.

I also like removing the seat(s) for cleaning on the frame.
Check if the seat is leather. Do not use greasy dressing!
This should go without saying but sometimes ya' gotta. :-)
Some are vinyl and require a different dressing product.

When using a hose "keep water away from electrics".
Yes, motorcycles are made to be ridden in the rain...
Water around gauges, electrics etc. can cause damage.
NOTE: Only the Speedometers on Harley's are waterproof.

Waxes, Sealants and coatings can all be used on the tins.
This includes fenders, gas tanks, saddlebags, fairings etc.

Use caution around custom pin-striping with no CC on top.

One more item: Be very careful of Harley's Vivid Black paint!

Well that's all I can think of off the top of my head. ENJOY!

___________

[custmsprty]

For bikes I have only done Harleys. They take a lot of time so don't let the size fool you. A lot of tedious work and if you do end up working on some, do yourself a favor and and get a bike jack