washing my Nomad

[racinchef]

Now that I rode my Nomad in the rain for the first it came time to wash it for the first time. I take the basic no-fuss approach to my bike. I use a carwash soap and an automotive grade sponge and soft brush. Basically I just wet the bike down in the shade and start washing it from front to back, top to bottom, rinsing as I go along. After I'm done washing and rinsing I tilt the bike over both sides to let as much water run off. Then I dry the bike with a clean soft towel. I just bought a twelve-pack of microfiber towels and I highly recommend them as they suck up a lot of water. They are 16" square and I only used two to dry my bike. After I've gotten as much as I can. I break out the gasoline powered air dryer; I start the engine and ride the bike up to sixty mph to blast out any water I can't get to. After that I park the bike in the sun so that any residual moisture evaporates. I also open my saddlebags and tour-pack and wipe down the rubber gaskets and contacts. I will have to get a bike lift to better wash the underside of the pipes, saddlebags and get into the wheels better. Other than that, that's it. I don't polish my bike. When I was much younger I brought my bike inside over the winter and took it apart and washed everything inside and out, but bachelor living fixed it so that is not possible. Now my baby is once again gleaming fast black and chrome. I will be getting quick release fittings for my saddlebags and seats because the back end of a bike gets the dirt and dust. How do you wash your bike?