Interview with S100's Steve Gay

    We caught up with Steve Gay, founder and C.E.O of Brookside Import Specialties, the importer of German-made S100 motorcycle care products, at the 2004 Powersports Dealer Expo in Indianapolis. There were no scantily clad girls at the S100 booth. Instead, Steve was there with two Harley-Davidson Factory Drag Bike racers, G.T. Tonglet and Andrew Hines. Hines currently leads the season standings in the Pro Stock Class on a Screamin' Eagle V-rod inspired bike. There's no fluff here. This company is serious about bike care.

G.T. Tonglet, left, Andrew Hines, center and Steve Gay, standing. Background:     B.I.S. began importing appearance care products from Germany in 1984. The early family of products was based on a then new technology of synthetic, detergent-based cleaning agents. (The first patents on synthetic detergents were German) Available in an easy-to-apply spray form, these new cleaners rivaled the solvent, acid and lye-based cleaners without any of those cleaner's nasty side effects. Petroleum solvents ate rubber and plastics and could not easily remove pigment-based soils like road grime, insect residues and brake dust. Lye and acid-based cleaners attacked aluminum and other metal parts leaving a white stain. This new detergent-based technology was perfect for cleaning motorcycles. Bikes attract heavy soil loads and present a cleaning challenge with  difficult-to-clean nooks and crannies with parts made of rubber, plastic and aluminum. The typical cleaner for bikes before 1984 was the familiar aerosol engine degreaser. These degreasers did a good job on oil-based stains but only a mediocre job on road grime, insects and brake dust. They were quite rough on plastic, rubber and aluminum parts and, perhaps worst of all, were awful for the environment. All of this was about to change!     In 1984, Rider Magazine tested S100 Total Cycle Cleaner, the first item in the S100 product line and declared its easy spray on, hose off technology "... a revolution for the Saturday Morning Wash" and the rest, as they say, is history with the S100 product line (11 products in all) now America's favorite (and factory approved!) way to care for motorcycles. Proper Bike Care an interview with Steve Gay     Following is an interview with Steve Gay, arguably the industry's leading authority on proper bike care. Question:  Why use a special bike cleaner? Answer:  "You can use a lot of things to clean a bike. The problem with most generic or auto washing products is that they do not have the cleaning power and penetrating ability to get the job done quickly and easily. The soil build-up is much worse than on an automobile's surface and so a car or dishwashing product doesn't pack the punch one needs. It also lacks the penetrating or "creeping" ability that S100 Total Cycle Cleaner has. This feature allows the product to get into crannies the hand cannot reach and get these areas cleaned. All that is then required is a good, solid rinsing. The surface safety issue also has to be considered. S100 Total Cycle Cleaner has been tested safe on all the various types of metals and coatings found on today's bikes, surfaces such as raw aluminum, stainless steel and coatings such as paint, chrome and even anodizing.  S100 promises safety to plastics and rubber parts, O-rings, chains, etc. Everyday products cannot make this claim and often lack corrosion inhibiting ingredients which are very important to proper bike care.    Finally, nothing is easier than a spray- on, hose-off concept. Just ask anyone who has tried to wash a bike with a bucket of suds. (You can do 3 to 4 cars in the same time it takes to clean up a good sized bike!) Cleaning a bike without the S100 Spray-on Cycle Cleaner just kills off valuable riding time." Q:  Should I wash the wheels first or does it matter? A:  "Whenever you have a spot area (such as wheels) that needs special attention, do this area first, then wash and rinse the rest of the bike. This way if you splatter cleaner or dirty rinse water up onto some other area, you will catch this in your overall cleaning and final rinse step." Q:  What is the correct procedure for washing/cleaning a bike with S100 Total Cycle Cleaner? A: "First, never apply any cleaner to a hot bike. If it is hot from riding or standing in the sun, get it to the shade to allow it to cool or, if you are in a hurry, cool it with water. (Do not do so to a scalding engine. Wait a bit.) Spray S100 Total Cycle Cleaner in a fine mist over the entire bike. (As a precaution, avoid electronic equipment and anything else your owner's manual says to avoid.)     Begin  rinsing the cleaner off with a sharp stream of water. Here, good water pressure will make for better soil removal so get yourself a hose nozzle with a tight, sharp stream feature for best results. Stand back so you don't get a bath! Rinse until all areas feel squeaky to the touch.     S100 TCC is concentrated so thorough rinsing is key. If the surface feels slippery, keep rinsing until it squeaks!" Q:  Should I dry my bike before riding or just get on the bike and start riding? A:  "It is always best to dry the bike. There are some surfaces, such as paint with a good coat of wax for example, that allow you to "rinse and ride", but there are some surfaces that do not respond well to this technique. We have done tests on bare aluminum, for example, that showed simple city tap water creating a stain when allowed to stand and then heated. Uncoated aluminum engine parts and road wheels get hot when riding and if they are wet when you start off, staining can occur. Best to wipe down the bike. Our S100 Drying Towel is perfect for this. You can take it along in the saddle bag for that surprise rain shower, too!" Q:  Why should I use S100 Special Performance Wheel Cleaner? Won't S100 Total Cycle Cleaner clean my bike's tires and wheels? A:  "For many, S100 TCC does the whole job, including the wheels, just fine. In some situations, however, such as on bikes with soft pads or bikes that don't get cleaned so often, severe brake dust build-up occurs and here the extra cleaning power of our S100 Gel Wheel Cleaner can be very useful. It offers up to 50% more cleaning power when its' soaking feature is used." Q:  What is your opinion on waxing chrome? A:  "On most bikes, waxing chrome parts that do not get hot when riding is not a problem and adds some water repellency but it is certainly not mandatory for protection purposes such as it is with paintwork." Q:  Should I wax my exhaust pipes and mufflers? A: "With most waxes, this should not be a problem but some may cause yellowing and discoloration. It's probably best not to wax these areas." Q:  I have some burnt boot marks on my pipes. How can I remove these marks? A: "This is certainly one of the tougher problems to solve. A lot depends upon the composition of the boot part that made the mark. If the pipes are chrome or stainless, our S100 Finish Restorer or S100 Polishing Soap would be a good place to start.     If these do not work, some naphtha from a hardware store can be tried. Be sure to wash and dry the area afterward. If none of these products work, have the dealer service department look at the bike." Q: How can I remove spilled gas stains on my gas tank? A: "In most cases, our S100 Shine-enhancing Cleanser should do the job. If this does not work, have the dealer's service department or a reputable body shop look at the stains. It may be that a compounding buffing step is required and this should generally be done professionally." Q:  Can I wax my Fiberglass fairing? How about the clear plastic windscreen? A: "Our S100 Detail + Wax and S100 Paste Wax are suitable for both of these surfaces. We cannot, however, make a general statement that every manufacturer's waxes would be suitable for these areas." Q:  My bike's black engine parts have turned a dull gray. What can I do to make them black again? A:  "Our S100 Engine Brightener was developed to solve this very problem. Wash and dry the engine and then spray on S100 Engine Brightener following the simple instructions on the can. The result is remarkable and the effect lasts for some time!" Q:  How can I keep the chrome on my bike looking bright without spending hours polishing? A:  "First, wash regularly with our S100 Total Cycle Cleaner. IF the chrome doesn't look as bright as it should, use our new S100 Polishing Soap. It is 5 to 10 times faster than conventional polishing pastes and creates an amazing, water-beading shine!" Q: What can I do between washings to remove road dust and keep my bike looking clean and just detailed? A:  "If the bike is just dusty, bug or rainwater-stained, our S100 Detail + Wax is perfect for this task. Spray on a soft cloth and gently rub to a terrific water- repelling shine!     Note: This product should not be applied to a bike that has gritty dirt. In such a case, the bike must be washed with water first." Q:  I live near the ocean and salt in the air is ruining the chrome and aluminum on my bike. Is there anything I can do to protect my bike's chrome and aluminum parts? A: "First, get these parts polished up using our S100 Polishing Soap and/or our S100 Finish Restorer, then wash and dry the bike. Now apply our S100 Corrosion Protectant to these surfaces, following the directions on the can. Reapply occasionally (after several washings) and corrosion should become a thing of the past." Personal Addendum:     I wish to thank Steve Gay for taking the time to answer these questions for what has to be the thousandth time. I've known Steve since the late 80's and while other CEO's talk about cutting costs, increasing the bottom line or gaining market share I've never known Steve to focus on anything except making a better product. If you've traveled in Europe you may have noticed that many S100 products in Europe are different. That's because of Steve. Never satisfied, he has constantly improved the S100 products for the U.S. market.     If you're new to biking or getting back into it mid-life, there are no better bike care products than S100. While Steve didn't mention it in our interview, S100 makes a great Bike Care Kit that contains almost everything you need to take care of your bike. I would add to this kit a jar of S100 Pure Carnauba Paste Wax and their new S100 Polishing Soap and you'll be able to maintain your bike and give it a head-turning shine!