Tar, Sap & Bugs

Stop Buggin Me!

Summer is tar, sap and bug season.  In the summer months, bugs are at full population, trees produce more sap, and the heat softens the asphalt, producing tar balls on your bike's tires. While tar and tree sap can be difficult to remove, they do not present a serious threat to your bike's finish.  Bug stains, like bird droppings, are very acidic and represent a significant danger to the beauty of your motorcycle. This article discusses the proper way to deal with these common cycle care problems.

Road Tar
As you ride, your bike is bombarded with small specks of asphalt, tire rubber, grease and oils kicked up by the cars and trucks in front of you. Left on your motorcycle's finish, these petroleum based contaminates will firmly affix themselves to every surface.  Regular soap and water washing will do little to remove these ugly black spots.

To remove road tar you need a solvent. Most commercial tar removers contain kerosene, mineral spirits or another petroleum distillate combined with lubricants to surround and buffer the road tar from your bikes paint, chrome or plastic.  Of the petroleum distillate products I've tried, Stoner Tarminator and Wurth Clean-Solve are my favorites; However, I prefer to use non-petroleum cleaners where possible.  Of the non-petroleum cleaners I've used, Stoner XENIT, a strong citrus based cleaner, is king.  XENIT removes heel marks from exhaust pipes with ease.

Tree Sap
Removing tree sap from a bike's finish is a bit more difficult than tar, as hardened sap can scratch paint and delicate clear plastic.  I've found that by hand-rubbing the sap spots with mineral spirits or denatured alcohol, I'm able to easily remove the sap without damaging the finish.  Mineral spirits and denatured alcohol act as a mild solvent to break up and dissolve the sap.

If there is a large amount of sap on your bike, or if the sap has been left on the finish for an extended period of time, it can be a lot of work to remove. For these cases, I discovered that hitting the affected areas with a light-duty buffing compound removes the hardened surface on the sap spots. Then I can hit the sap with the mineral spirits to remove it. The light duty buffing compound softens the sap so the mineral spirits or denatured alcohol can do its job. The goal is to use the least pressure possible to reduce the risk of scratching the paint or plastic.  After removing heavy sap, I always buff the treated areas with a good polish to clean up any marks created during hand-rubbing with solvent. The treated areas must also be re-waxed.

Insects
What's the last thing that goes through a bug's head when it hits your bike's windscreen?  His rear end, of course! All joking aside, the head-on collision of that juicy June Bug on your bike's beautiful faring and trim is far from one-sided. As the bug's exoskeleton explodes, acidic fluids are firmly imbedded in the surface of your bike's paint and plastic. 

Did you know that shellac is a bug byproduct? Think of it, that beautiful, old antique table you love is covered with dried bug juice (yuck!). Bug splats on your motorcycle amount to little more than shellac mixed with nasty bug parts. Any attempt to remove the catalyzed remains without the use of a special cleaning solution could result in scratched paint. 

The secret to removing insect remains is to loosen and dissolve them with a solvent that will cut through the shellac. Porsche's fanatical desire to prevent paint damage on their sports cars resulted in the development of Porsche Tequipment Insect Remover.  This citric acid based cleaning solution will gently remove even the most stubborn bug remains from all surfaces of your bike.  For bugs with a little extra grip, Porsche Tequipment Insect Remover includes a special cleaning sponge.  S100 Total Cycle Cleaner and a special bug sponge also work exceptionally well.

If you have a particularly large bug mess, I have discovered a trick that seems to work pretty well. If you use a pre-wax cleaner, such as S100 Cleansing Lotion, apply a small dab to the offending bug splat. Next, cover the spot with a wadded up tissue. Let it sit for a few minutes, then pinch up the mess and give it a soft wipe with the back side of the tissue. Voila! The bug mess is off of your bike. 

After Removing Tar, Sap & Bugs
All of the chemicals used to remove the aforementioned road stains will also remove the wax or sealant you're applied to protect your bike.  So, after removing tar, sap an bugs, plan to spot wax or re-wax your motorcycle.  If you don't have time to wax right away, use a quick detailing spray, such as Eimann Fabrik Clear Pearl . These products contain enough polymer protection to last a couple weeks.