[Jason Clark]

New owner of a 2016 F6B. It had the grey matte color finish. I’m curious on input on how to best maintain paint when it come to washing. Any protectant anyone recommend? I’ve been seeing lots of ad time for F11... not sure how well that work on matte finishes.

 

[summerhawk]

Bike Spirit Cleaner & Polish

I have had two F6B's with the matte paint on them and I have never cleaned them with water. I have used this Bike Spirit Cleaner and Polish on 7 Hondas over the year as it was originally Honda cleaner and polish. You can put it on anything on the bike, Plastic, Vinyl, Rubber, Leather, Paint, Chrome. It leaves no residue and nothing but a shine behind it. Both my matte F6B's got treated with this and its great at taking bugs and road grime off your ride and it doesn't cost 50 bucks like the F11 so if 6 to 7 bucks a can sounds good on a quality product then don't be afraid to pull the trigger on this stuff.

 

[Jason Clark]

Thanks Summerhawk. I'll look for this product online. I wasn't sure how to care for the paint other than washing... With matte finish, I was thinking waxing wouldn't be a good idea.

BTW... I see you're in Cadillac, MI. You live in some of the most beautiful country on earth. My family vacations in Frankfort, MI every-other year, and we drive up from TX, visit family in NW Ohio, then drive up to MI, always driving through Cadillac on the way to Frankfort. I love driving along US 31 and M-22. One day would like to do it on my GW.

 

[summerhawk]

Cleaner and polish

J&P Cycles, and Dennis Kirk have the best prices on the Bike Spirit Cleaner and Polish a friend of mine when we get low on the stuff split a case of it and we each wind up with 6 cans. Being in Texas with the riding season you have you will probably go thru a couple of cans a year but still very reasonable for a good product that works.

 

[thirdcoaster]

I just bought the same color F6B last week. The matte paint was a concern of mine as well, so this is a timely subject and I ordered some of the Bike Spirits to try.

I watched a couple of youtube videos on the BMW "Frozen" matte paint care. They recommend to wash with soap and water only and dry. Wax and buffing is a no-go, which makes sense.

 

[summerhawk]

Bike Spirit Cleaner & Polish

I used this stuff religously on my matte Silver bike for 3 years with no ill effects from using it. After each ride I used it to take off road grime and bugs and it alway left it look as good as when it was new. I have never used water to clean my rides and see no reason to believe them and now I am using this on a matte white 2016 F6B and its working fine.

 

[Rokkinhorse]

I've used the F11 from day 1. So far the matte silver is still matte, as is the black. The klockworks shield that came on the bike benefitted also. Any surface the F11 touches beads water afterward. I was skeptical because the product was so expensive but totally sold on it now.
Randy

 

[T-88]

My previous bike was a '14 BMW R1200Rt in Callisto Matte Grey. I went to a local, high end auto detailer who recommended Swissvax brand, a German supplier who apparrently was commissioned by BMW to formulate a wax specifically for matte paint when they introduced that finish on their autos a few years ago.

It's expensive, but the easiest stuff to apply. You wipe it on and wipe it off immediately before it dries. It makes the paint bead water, just like normal waxes, and it makes bug guts wash off easily. It gives the the matte paint a wet look. It's good stuff.

See Swissvax here: https://www.swissvax.net/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=WAX_Paint

Be sure you're seated when you check out the price. But the stuff DOES work, and my RT's matte paint always looked better than my friends' bikes.

Tim

 

[El Toro]

Another vote for the pink and black spray cleaner polish. I have literally used it for decades. Honda abandoned it for a while, but it is available badged as a Honda product again now. They sell it at Southern Honda Powersports in Chattanooga and I buy several cans when I am there. It is not expensive. I think I gave $5.99/can most recently, but maybe I got a discount. I think it was marked $6.99.

I use microfiber cloths to wipe it off after it’s had time to soften up the bugs.

It worked great on my matte white F6B DeLuxe. It works great on everything, including the cars and trucks.

Before Honda abandoned it, during the period when it was not badged Honda, Barber Motorsports Museum used it on their vintage bikes when doing final prep for display.

 

[goldwingchuck]

I have a 2016 matte white. I use just a few drops of mild soap in a bucket of water and rinse the bike off first, then wash it, and rinse again. Dry it with micro cloths. Then maybe a little Honda spray polish to “shine it up” a little. On the road, I use a spray matte cleaner that I got from the Honda dealership to clean it up some. This is the easiest bike to clean that I have ever had.

 

[MRB68]

I've been using this since day one and it works awesome
https://www.amazon.com/Matte-Finish...73&hvtargid=aud-801657747996:pla-569624153494

 

[ccjcc81]

Newbie here, I just bought an F6B. I am worried that washing the bike without water, as suggested here, would increase the chance that dirt particles can scratch the paint. I'm interested in the Bike Spirits product mentioned in this thread, but I'd worry about that. It's not an issue? Just to clarify, just spray it on, wait, and wipe it off?

 

[Big Cat]

Another thumbs-up for the (previously) Honda polish. I buy mine several cans at a time online from Wingstuff, but I'm sure there are plenty of other places to find similar deals on it. One note of caution, however, and this has nothing to do with the polish itself...just know that this finish is somewhat soft, and if you rub too hard, you will leave a smooth. Ask me how I know!

When I first got the bike, I didn't like the Honda letters on the front garnish, so I removed them. I did it the "recommended" way, heated them up with a hair dryer, then used dental floss to separate them from the bike. The problem was removing the adhesive residue...I elected to use WD40, but I still had to do a lot of rubbing, and yes, I did leave smooth spots on the finish. You have to look real close to see it, but I know it's there. So just be aware not to rub too much and you'll be OK.

I have been using the Bike Spirits polish since I got my first Goldwing 10 years ago, and it's bulletproof. I use it on everything, body, windshield, it works great, and I've never scratched the paint. Just spray it on, let it set for a few minutes to loosen the bugs, and wipe if off. I do use two rags to remove it. One for the really dirty part of bug removal, two, a clean rag to remove any residue.

 

[jm21ddd15]

All products mentioned do a good job. Personally, I never use anything but warm water and a micro-fiber cloth. I didn't buy a Matte finish bike, to worry about how well it shined. That's just me.

 

[skromfols]

I agree with jm21ddd15. I occasionally wash with warm water and regular car wash soap, and use Back to Black on the black plastic, but otherwise just dry it off and go riding. I have a cousin who actually uses a toothbrush to get into the nitches on his V twin, and gets all of the places that are almost impossible to see, then worries the whole time he's riding about getting it dirty. Baloney with that. I bought my bike to ride, not sit and admire. I like it presentable, but no blemish free, like a trailer queen.

 

[CAWing]

I agree with jm21ddd15. I occasionally wash with warm water and regular car wash soap, and use Back to Black on the black plastic, but otherwise just dry it off and go riding. I have a cousin who actually uses a toothbrush to get into the nitches on his V twin, and gets all of the places that are almost impossible to see, then worries the whole time he's riding about getting it dirty. Baloney with that. I bought my bike to ride, not sit and admire. I like it presentable, but no blemish free, like a trailer queen.

Years back I would ride with 3-4 local guys and one of the guys had a beautiful gorgeous black gl1500 and whenever he would join us for a lunch ride he would not go in and eat with us he stayed in the parking lot and polished his bike until we finished our lunch. :grin2:

 

[skromfols]

Years back I would ride with 3-4 local guys and one of the guys had a beautiful gorgeous black gl1500 and whenever he would join us for a lunch ride he would not go in and eat with us he stayed in the parking lot and polished his bike until we finished our lunch. :grin2:

One way to stay slim!

 

[Big Mick]

Bike Spirit Cleaner & Polish

I have had two F6B's with the matte paint on them and I have never cleaned them with water. I have used this Bike Spirit Cleaner and Polish on 7 Hondas over the year as it was originally Honda cleaner and polish. You can put it on anything on the bike, Plastic, Vinyl, Rubber, Leather, Paint, Chrome. It leaves no residue and nothing but a shine behind it. Both my matte F6B's got treated with this and its great at taking bugs and road grime off your ride and it doesn't cost 50 bucks like the F11 so if 6 to 7 bucks a can sounds good on a quality product then don't be afraid to pull the trigger on this stuff.

$58 in Australia. Too dear

 

[jmdaniel]

I use Dr. Beasley stuff. Works well, but some might think too expensive. I used some of the $7K that the dealer took off MSRP when I bought my '16 Deluxe.