What happened to my motorcycle!?

[Romans5.8]

So I bought a new motorcycle. A 2014 (leftover) Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero ABS SE;

Quick iPhone shot:

It's had a couple two-bucket washes now and a couple waterless washes. And it is swirled to heck!

Two things;

1) It was still in the crate when I bought it. And I asked them not to wash it, just assemble it. Rode it home in bright daylight, not a marr in sight.

2) The first two-bucket wash I did, I did both the bike and the car. While I changed the water (I frequently drain and refill the rinse bucket when washing), I used the same 'utensils'. I do under the bike and the black parts of the engine with terry towels, and a separate wash mitt for the chrome parts of the engine, and my sheepskin wash mitt for the painted parts. In addition to a speedmaster, fender brush, etc.

After the first wash, I rode it, and notice swirling on the windshield. And in the sun, I could see swirling everywhere! When I got home, I checked my car, scared to death I marred up my car too, which I did AFTER the bike (maybe something was caught in the wash mitt). My car, which is now 18 months old and has never been polished (just cared for correctly), has just a handful of light marrings here and there. Same as it looked before the wash.

What gives? Is my bike just THAT soft? Am I just going to have to live with a swirled up bike (less I polish it every time I ride it?). I knew that areas like where my legs hit the tank were gonna be hammered all the time; it is what it is. But man, I'm beside myself. What did I do? How did this happen? I haven't clayed it yet. What is THAT gonna do!?

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Isn't it possible they swirled it up at the factory? Where is that built?

 

[Romans5.8]

Isn't it possible they swirled it up at the factory? Where is that built?

Japan. And it is possible, it's not like I got an inspection light out. But I rode it home, 50 miles, from the dealer. In bright overhead sunlight. I stopped to admire it. At no point did I notice any defects. After washing, it was very obvious and everywhere. Unless, somehow, I removed some sort of a glaze maybe used that was covering it up? Would a factory do that? (The dealer didn't prep it.)

Can paint be THAT soft that it can be marred up by a two-bucket wash?

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Maybe someone knows better than me whether they would glaze it at the factory, but I consider it possible. The other thing is, a lot of cars have stuff done to them at the port, perhaps the same is true on the bikes? Maybe they opened it up at the port, maybe they are shipped differently and things are done at the port and then put in the crate you received.

 

[J Cole]

Japan. And it is possible, it's not like I got an inspection light out. But I rode it home, 50 miles, from the dealer. In bright overhead sunlight. I stopped to admire it. At no point did I notice any defects. After washing, it was very obvious and everywhere. Unless, somehow, I removed some sort of a glaze maybe used that was covering it up? Would a factory do that? (The dealer didn't prep it.)

Can paint be THAT soft that it can be marred up by a two-bucket wash?

I would definitely lean towards some sort of glaze or 'residue' on the paint that you washed. Especially if the windshield also has visible swirls now.

 

[Romans5.8]

Maybe someone knows better than me whether they would glaze it at the factory, but I consider it possible. The other thing is, a lot of cars have stuff done to them at the port, perhaps the same is true on the bikes? Maybe they opened it up at the port, maybe they are shipped differently and things are done at the port and then put in the crate you received.

They come mostly assembled. Whatever won't "fit" in a crate is removed and made to fit. Turn signals, the front wheel, etc. It's a game of tetris. But it's mostly assembled and leaves the factory in one crate. Then is assembled by the dealer. Some bikes come completely assembled (dirtbikes and small sport bikes), some require some assembly. I didn't receive the crate though; the dealer did and assembled it.

Here's an example of how they come shipped;

That's a Harley Davidson touring bike, and anything that doesn't fit in the crate is removed and placed elsewhere in the same crate (like alongside the motorcycle). Windshield, CB and FM radio antennas, front wheel, etc. The Japanese motorcycles will come in a container on a container ship, then from a distribution center in California, and in Kawasaki's case, they have distribution centers in every state; so it'll go to it's states distribution center, and finally on a truck to the dealer. Unloaded, and then opened and assembled.

 

[Romans5.8]

I would definitely lean towards some sort of glaze or 'residue' on the paint that you washed. Especially if the windshield also has visible swirls now.

I guess that's all I can figure for now. Just very disheartening. Guess I'll get the DA out! Had the bike 15 days, it has 1,200 miles on it; definitely suck to need paint correction! Like I said, my car I ordered from the factory, and it is uncorrected 18 months later! It could maybe use correction, especially in some spots, but it's a daily driver and the small handful of swirls and marring don't bother me.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I didn't receive the crate though; the dealer did and assembled it.

Oh...I would say that's your problem. Remember the thread where the mechanic was working on the show car? And he decided to do the owner a favor by wiping down the fenders with a dirty shop rag?

You may have told the dealer not to wash the bike, but they don't understand that also means you don't want the "courtesy wipe with glaze on a dirty shop rag", either.

 

[Romans5.8]

Oh...I would say that's your problem. Remember the thread where the mechanic was working on the show car? And he decided to do the owner a favor by wiping down the fenders with a dirty shop rag?

You may have told the dealer not to wash the bike, but they don't understand that also means you don't want the "courtesy wipe with glaze on a dirty shop rag", either.

That's possible. I spoke with the guy who assembled my bike. I explained I didn't want it to get marred up by being rubbed on incorrectly and he said he understood completely and had a few customers like that, and said he would assemble it and touch it as little as possible. It was dirty when I got it. Anything is possible though.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Ok, so bikes are probably built in the reverse of cars, where with a car they paint the "body" and then put the "chassis" into it. With a bike I'm presuming they build the chassis, then bolt all of those painted body parts and windshields onto it.

That sounds like a white glove operation in Japan, so it's hard to see those parts getting all dirty and then swirled, or just swirled, so it does seem puzzling.

 

[Romans5.8]

Ok, so bikes are probably built in the reverse of cars, where with a car they paint the "body" and then put the "chassis" into it. With a bike I'm presuming they build the chassis, then bolt all of those painted body parts and windshields onto it.

That sounds like a white glove operation in Japan, so it's hard to see those parts getting all dirty and then swirled, or just swirled, so it does seem puzzling.

They roll down a line. Engine gets mated to frame, and then the fuel tank and body parts get installed. Whatever doesn't fit in the crate doesn't get installed on the bike; they know that ahead of time. So it gets bagged up and put on it's spot in the crate. Crating is often done automatically at the end of the line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ngMb8SmQEc

Here's a video of building the Honda Goldwing, which is a popular full touring bike. Formerly made in the US but they've brought production back to Japan. It gets to keep it's front wheel, but notice that the tall windshield isn't installed into the fairing, along with a few other doodads that the dealer gets to put on. Every bike is different. Some roll right out of the crate ready to go, some take a couple hours to assemble (and the dealers usually charge a "prep and setup fee", the same amount, for all of them! rops:rops

Production is a bit slower and less automated on most motorcycles though; just by virtue of smaller demand and the intricacy of building them. Which is why a full-faired touring bike like mine or that Goldwing, can cost as much as a car. That Goldwing, with navigation and everything, can be over $30k.

I got a great deal thanks to it being a leftover, but the MSRP of my bike is higher than the base MSRP of my Focus!

 

[StreetShotz]

If the car was all scratched after you washed the bike you probably had containment from the bike in the wash mitt.

The plastic windscreens that are on bikes scratch VERY easy and are hard to keep in perfect shape.
With a bike you get a lot of containments from things like exhaust. The pipes on most bikes throw a ton of carbon out and it ends up on the paint. The carbon is hell on paint as its rather hard in comparison.

 

[Romans5.8]

If the car was all scratched after you washed the bike you probably had containment from the bike in the wash mitt.

The plastic windscreens that are on bikes scratch VERY easy and are hard to keep in perfect shape.
With a bike you get a lot of containments from things like exhaust. The pipes on most bikes throw a ton of carbon out and it ends up on the paint. The carbon is hell on paint as its rather hard in comparison.

I did not have any additional marring on the car. Small bits and pieces that have accumulated over a year and a half of ownership but no, it wasn't really affected.

That's a great point about the carbon. Though these modern bikes do have catalytic convertors and the like.

On my previous bike, and the wifes bike, I don't have issues with scratching on the windscreens. They are cared for properly and don't really have much issues. Some here and there where a stuck on bug forces scrubbing with a microfiber bug sponge (scratch beats dead bug every time!).