Motorcycle detailing (GC, NXT etc.)

[Green Ninja]

Hi everyone I am new to the forum but not new to the great world of forums so before posting this thread I already used the search function but could not find much on motorbike detailing. Plenty on GC vs. NXT though.

I have used Meguiars products on my cars in the past and was highly satisfied. However there was no NXT generation by then and I was using Gold Class etc.

I now have a 05 Kawasaki ZX10R (green) which I would like to give a good wash and detail tomorrow or this week sometime. Today I went to the shop to buy some new Meguiars products but walked out confused. Only bought a Quick Detailer and even that took me a while to decide cause i saw a Quick Wax next to it. I will list below why I was confused and will appreciate any help or suggestions:

- Bike fairings are plastic and i am not sure if the paint type and layers etc. are similar to cars so I don't know which wax will be better (GC or NXT???). Also do I need to polish it before applying anything else?
- I am thinking of removing the warning stickers from the fuel tank but previous owner has removed one and it left a mark (dark square shade). Will a polish even it out? Which polish to go for?

BTW here in Istanbul Gold Class Wax is $40 and NXT wax is $60!

[Mobilejoe]

Gold Class is a excellent wax, as far as removing the decals sometimes you will get discoloring under the decal which is hard to remove especially if the bike sits out in the sun. I would suggest if you want to try and do something with the discolored area to try a cleaner wax or use ScratchX.

[Green Ninja]

Thanks for the reply. I am not brave enough to remove the stickers just incase they leave a mark (even after polishing) so i'll try to concentrate on making the green looking wetter, richer and deeper.

So far i bought a Sonax Shampoo (phospate free) and Meguiars Quick Detailer. Gold Class did an excellent job on my cars but I read NXT wax has little bit of polishing aspect. I also read Gold Class is works better on darker colors and NXT on lighter and my bike is a light color. So i'm still confused? Also the undertail section always get the road tar and stuff do I need to apply clay for that section?

Another option is to buy motorcycle specific products since fairings are plastic etc. Many bike owners recommended S100 products and Honda polish. Whatever i'm going to buy i want to buy it this week so on the weekend i can work on my bike. I want to try layering. What do you guys think i should buy?

Oh also i'd appreciate it if Mike Phillips can give me some tips and recommendations.

[Deaner5]

I have detailed may motorcycles at the local Harley shop including some similar to yours. I would recommend a product called Plexus. It is a plastic/plexiglass cleaner that works really well and may help with the discoloration. You can probably get it online at the site or a motorcycle shop may have some (our Harley Dealership carries it).

This may also be more of a cleaner step as opposed to a full blown wax and everything like on a car. Plexus will leave the surface nice and smooth though. Research it some more and it may be the product for you. Hope this helps!!!!

Plexus and Motorcycle Cleaning

[Green Ninja]

Thanks for the replies guys. Today I went ahead and bought NXT Tech Wax. I'm not happy about the fact that i paid $60 for it whereas the Gold Class was $40 (I don't think they are $20 better than each other but what the hell). The main reason for it was that in the forum it says NXT also removes swirls to a certain extent.

So at the moment I have a Sonax shampoo, Quick detailer and NXT tech wax. My bike is 2005 and the paint is in good condition. Do I need to buy anything else (eg. clay etc.)?

[Jbirk]

You must not be in the United States becaue if you were, Nxt Tech Wax is under $20. It is typically $14 to $18 and Gold Class is typically $10 to $16

Justin

[Green Ninja]

No i'm not in U.S. I'm in Istanbul. What annoyed me is not the fact that NXT is $60 but the way they arranged the pricing so it is more expensive than GC claiming "NXT is the latest and the best". He said "they told us from Meguiars headquarters to push NXT because gold class is an old product blah blah blah". In reality their cost price would be similar to GC so basically they are trying to shaft you on NXT. Lucky I speak english so didn't believe a word of his BS But I still bought the NXT cause i can afford it and really wanted to try it to compare it to GC.

Anyway I'm still wondering if I'm ready to go or if I need other products like Clay etc.? My paintjob feels smooth when I run my fingers through it though.