good ol' soap and water... Simple green on the engine and wheels. Oh, and elbow grease. No replacement for effort!
Washing machine... search the wera forum, there is a good thread about doing it. Just have to be careful on how you dry them.
What are you guys talking about??? My leather are five years old and never been washed. Not even the liner! They are soaked through and through all summer long in the Alabama heat. They do not smell and the leather is in great shape (other than the many crash damage). I always give other guys around me a hard time about removing the lining all the time to wash it and their "liner" tears early or their zipper breaks. Just leave the leathers alone!!!!! They will be fine. Now, if you live near the ocean and your bike is all SALTY, that is a bigger problem? Wash it! Often!
??? Really. Never wash your suit? Bad advise! Maybe you can get away with it but my suit gets so much salt buildup it gets stiff and you can see the salt it! So I'm mot supposed to wash it when I can see the salt and it gets stiff and crusty?
BIKE-WD-40 on everything but the tires.... Thats it! LEATHER- COLD Wash with Woolite... Air Dry and Hang...
My bad... missed that part. I use the bathtub and woolite. Be careful what you hang the leathers on to dry... the weight will bend a hanger straight! The key is lanolin, or a hand lotion with lanolin in it. Apply it in many "coats" as the leathers dry... not waiting till they are already dry to apply.
I dont like to hang my soaking wet suit. I like to lay it flat on the floor on a bed of old towels. I flip it and rub it with lotion once a day untill mostly dry (a day or 2) then hang to finish drying.
Mark very interesting LEATHER- COLD Wash with Woolite... Air Dry and Hang... That is the same way I wash my n.ts!!
Sorry for the late reply. We clean leathers with a top cleaner then condition liberally with leather conditioner. This removes much of the salt and nearly all of the soiling that fills the pores of the leather. Salt does damage leather by burning it chemically leaving it dry and brittle. When leather gets dry it is much more likely to crack and tear. Keep your leathers thoroughly conditioned. It keeps your leather pliable, resistant to soil penetration and resists uptake of sweat. Proper maintenance will keep your leathers in great shape for a lifetime. Well, if you don't fall over that's the case! I do not suggest putting any leather in a washing machine. Once a year (max. considering lots of usage with obscene amounts of sweat), 3 years in most cases, you can submerge your suit in the bathtub with a mix of warm (not hot) water and about a gallon of white vinegar. You should agitate several times over the period of an hour then drain and rinse. Refill the tub with water and agitate a couple of times over the next 15 minutes then drain and rinse 1 more time. Let dry on an absorbent surface or one that will allow air to the bottom. Do not hang and do not let the suit sit for too long as it will stretch and mold. You must move it around from time to time and a fan on it always speeds the process. Laying in the sun is acceptable too. You should condition with a quality leather conditioner. Lanolin is great but really hard to find so a conditioner with beeswax is perfectly acceptable. Apply liberally while the suit is still moist and pliable (not dripping wet), this allows the conditioner to be absorbed as the last of the water evaporates. When the suit seems to be completely dry of water condition one more time. Now hang it in the sun or in a warm place to be sure all water moisture is out. You don't want mold to creep in and ruin your day. Never use products like Armor All or anything with alcohol in it. Here's to your leathers living a long and rash free life! Cheers!
We are having a November Repair Discount. Save 10% on any repair received within the month of November! Give me a call at (734) 660-5578 or shoot me a line at info@sportbikeleatherservice.com or on Facebook to get started. Thanks! Dan. Does not apply to other services and can not be combined with other offers. DTM is online now Report Post