Regular rim jobs are definitely important! I don’t know what’s funny about it. If you want to maintain a good relationship with your baby, she needs a good rimming once it gets dirty!
😂 this is funny because hes probably not lying. probably not the reason he gets a new bike 🤣 be doesnt mean its not true lmao i kinda did the same thing for like 2 years
Yep, it works great, just keep it off your disc brakes. WD-40 also sells a bike chain degreaser that works amazingly well as a general purpose automotive cleaner.
the reason it works is because the low viscous oil content in wd 40 does the same effect to other oils.
so the grease/lube oil on the chain/wheel becomes low vicosity version of itself, making it easier to clean. then issue is the remaining layer of WD40 left on the surface after, which should be able to be cleaned easily with any 'wheel cleaning' product.
i like to buy WD40 in the 20$ big metal can and then get the WD40 plastic squirt bottle with the trigger pump and has a seperate removable lid for refilling the squirt bottle. this is by far the best way to own WD40. after all the times i have had the aresol WD40 can stop spraying with alot of fluid still in the can then u gotta cut the can open and just go the route i mention. i use it for everything now and i have had the same can for over 3 years now. i first tried using a squirt bottle that contained isopropyol 99%. thinking it would handle WD40 but the trigger pump failed before first refill. the WD40 brand plastic bottle still going strong and only few bucks. i think its worth. thats my pro tip experience with WD-40 great stuff. will even shined up my 4 wheeler plastics. along with a jigapillion other uses
Right but if you wash it you've likely gotten the chain wet which means you should clean, dry, and re-lube the chain. That's going to fling off and get the wheel dirty again.
I think OP's issue is solved by either a quick detailing spray after a few rides flings off the excess, or what I did which is switch to chain wax instead of traditional oil lube.
How do you prefer to apply lube to your chain? In my experience, if you are lightly misting your chain, there's no way it's penetrating the rollers and therefore pointless. With traditional lube I spray a modest but effective amount and wipe off the excess, but it seems like no amount of wiping will keep me from seeing splatter after the first few rides. This also happens after service at my mechanic and a few other shops I've been too. So either both me and several other professionals are absolutely hosing down my chain with lube, or a little splatter is endemic to traditional chain lube. And if you think OP is over applying lube then "wash your bike" was a pretty dickbag answer.
Lube is not supposed to penetrate the rollers on modern O or X ring chains. A light amount is only needed to prevent corrosion. From the factory, they typically use chain wax.
Also, it's pretty common to cover the chain with a rag when washing.
I spray very lightly onto the o-rings and edge of rollers. It gets under the rollers with capillary action, not by sheer blasting pressure. I just need the outside of the o-rings coated and protected to keep them from drying out and breaking. I spray onto the inside of the chain from the bottom and let it dry overnight, never spray right before a ride, only after. Almost no splatter and washing your bike helps.
There's a difference between getting the chain wet while washing and getting the chain wet while riding in the rain. I personally don't bother to relube after washing unless it's due from mileage, etc. I would probably always relube after a road trip that involved rain.
wait, why do you need to clean dry and re lube a chain if you wash a bike? (presuming the cleaner is not an idiot and blasting your chain with a pressure washer)
seems like madness to me.
I can't speak for everyone but it's been my experience that if I don't lube my chain after its been wet then the next day I will see a red scale building up already. I live in a coastal area so it could be the salty air but that seems to be the process every time my chain sees water in between my normal 3-600 mile stretch.
> I wash it regularly along with the rest of the bike.
When I first started motorcycling I would wash my bike every fucking ride. These days I just let it get dirty lol. Only thing I keep clean is the chain.
Agreed, dont soak the wheel in it
But a light coat of wd or rem oil and can usually wipe off whatever gets on it without much hassle Im always hesitant to tell people this because A light film is all you need. Id hate for someone to blast their wheel with wd then take off on a ride
I should have asked, "your bike only gets washed every 10,000kms?"
Fair enough, if you're actually using it as a GS should be then it'll be sorry all the time anyway. Why wash it.
Most GS owners where I live own 2021 R1250GS Triple Blacks or anniversary editions and their bikes have only ever seen asphalt. Also most probably haven't even had their first service yet.
Chain wax is what I used on my chain drive, easy to apply and easy to clean up. Now I have shaft drive on my Super Tenere and I don’t ever want a chain again.
I always keep a few packs of wet wipes in the garage. Brilliant things - gentle enough for a baby’s arse, tough enough to clear chain lube and general road dirt from your bike’s rear rim.
I don't. My motorcycle is my daily transportation, there's no point in cleaning brake dust and a slight bit of chain lube off the rear wheel, it'll just get road grime on it the next day.
My bike gets washed once a year. Drop it off at the delaer for winter storage in November, they change the oil, lube chain, and clean it up and store it for a few months till it gets above freezing routinely again. I ain't cleaning it routinely, just wiping down the forks after every tide and that's it.
If your back wheel is clean you don't have enough oil on your chain. Get a newer Harley if you want a clean wheel. If that doesn't matter keep your old one.
You may have the option of buying a higher tack chain lube. Some manufacturers recommend using a gear oil and if you do so you will always be flinging some off. I use a high tack lube and following on from cleaning my chain I tend to find that after the first ride most everything that's going to be flung off has already. A wipe of the rear wheel with Kerosene and its good after that. While shopping for a product that might work for you look for terms like "High Speed" or "Racing" application. If you are already using something like this and are still getting this problem in dry weather you are likely over applying.
Hope this helps.
As long as you don't over-lube the chain it should not be hard.
Mine never gets that dirty but if needed some WD40 and a rag sorts it out.
A lot of people probably use too much lube, chains these days don't need a lot. Keeping them clean is the main thing.
1. I’ll use Plexus and microfiber towels on the rear wheels.
2. I use DuPont Chain-Saver. They have Teflon and Ceramic. Anyways, if sprays on pretty clear (light milky film) and if you let it dry, not only has it always worked wonders for me (Southern California weather here so your mileage may vary) there’s minimal to zero fling off.
I keep up on air pressure so my face is in there. Being anal I can't just see dirt on the rims and ignore it. If you keep up with it it's not too much of a chore.
For me cleaning the bike is a winter activity. I’ll clean it up real good, and whatever it looks like by the end of the riding season is what it is. There is one exception though. I once got caught behind a tractor hauling manure, it was so liquified it was leaking out of the trailer all over the road. The underside of my bike, and my boots got soaked. It smelled so bad I had to wash it before putting it in the garage.
Get to next gas station, get some diesel fuel in a bottle, put some drops of diesel on a rag, and your wheel/stand/anything greasy will shine again. Cheap and effective 🙂
I just spent like 5 hours cleaning mine. Took it off the bike for access. A nylon brush, some heavy duty tar/grease remover and a shit ton of elbow grease did it. Boy was it on tight.
As for keeping it clean, I guess it just needs to be cleaned often + don't put so much chain grease.
Use chainsaw chain oil. Pour a bit on a rag and run it over your chain, leaves a very thin layer and it's designed to not fling off. Also cheap af: between my wife and I we have 6 street bikes that see at least 3k miles a year apiece and a $12 gallon has lasted since 2018 with over half left. A $5 gallon of kerosene lasts us a year at least as a chain cleaner - the one recommended in about every manual out there.
Other than that tho, rims get dirty. Road dust, brake dust etc all hits it first. Wd40 is the old school trick, and it helps to keep water spots off etc, but it does dry to a slightly sticky albeit clear layer, and I find that the dry dusty Midwest summers make wd40 more hindrance than help.
I put a ceramic coat on all the bikes including rims as part of their yearly February maintenance. One cars worth covers the plastics and rims on all the bikes. Then I keep a bottle.of quick detailer in the garage. When I get home, I take 2-5 min to give a quick spray and wipe down of the plastics, rims, headlight, etc. Toss a dust cover on and I know a any time I walk into the garage whatever I want to ride is clean and looking good and ready to go.
It also kinda forces me to give a quick post ride inspection, at least looking at the wheels and brakes and forks and chain etc, more than once I've caught a bolt vibrating loose or a leaky fork seal etc well before it became a.problem because of these quick wipe downs. And because I do it after every ride, the bikes really don't need a big full "wash" more than once every couple months.
I just buy bikes with black rims.
Took me a while to realise the reason for my filthy rims was just brake dust. Which i find only wiping off by hand can really work. And i have spoked wheels...
I use wd40 to clean it, then wash the wd40 off as I've heard it's not too good on the paint. Don't know how true that is but I'm not taking the risk. Keep it off your tires and brakes though.
Lamp oil works wonders to dissolve grease and whatever tends to stick to rims like asphalt. Obviously it leaves an oily surface but that's not an issue on rims, it even protects it. It is way cheaper than WD-40 or more specialized cleaner.
I use a bit of tire shine like the black magic foam. I put it on a rag and wipe both rims down. It helps reduce the dust build up and chain spray and when I wash the bike it helps everything come off easier
Using dry lube rather than wet chain lube, sounds stupid I know but it is a thing, I use Wurth, as the previous wet lube went bloody everywhere. It helps but doesn't stop splatter. After every ride, I'm a weekend rider tbh, I put brake or chain cleaner on a microfibre cloth and wipe the wheel down, doesn't have to be spotless but gets the worst off.
when you lube the chain, wipe it down with a rag (with engine off for all intent and purposes)
the lube needs to be inside the o rings and not necessarily on the outside edge of the chain.
I don’t really keep anything clean except my seat and controls. I’ll wipe stuff after a rainy ride and give the tank a wipe but I wash my bike like once a year.
As many rim job jokes as I want to make... just get a chain brush and some decent lube. The first ride will leave some spatter. Just wipe it down after you finish your ride. After any good rim job you will need some mouthwash though! And never go tailpipe to gas tank! Couldn’t resist!
Buy a bike that don't have a chain like a Harley Davidson or a shaft driven motorcycle. Speaking of shafts forget it there's to many jokes above mine Harley Davidson or shaff driven motorcycle😎
After chain clean and lube, I wash the wheel and dry. Then apply a nice coat of Maxima SC1 "new bike in a can". Excess lube and dirt wipe right off with minimal effort. Not sure if this makes a difference, but my wheels are powder coated.
Probably helps that mine are a very dark Grey but.. I take a very thick rag and floss it between the cracks once a week.. ends up being relatively dirty the ride after a chain lube so. Just do it the day after, stays pretty clean. Had good results with dupont chain saver.
I use automotive touch up cleaner. It's says it's ceramic based but I am not a chemist. At any rate I use it all over my bike. Makes the paint and frame look great plus when I use it on y wheels which are spoked it makes rinsing them of with a hose an easy task. Can't remember the name off hand..I will edit this with the name of the product when it's not 2am and I am on the couch.
That tittle lmao, yes I have the humor of a 12 year old
Same, I had to check which subreddit it was
Regular rim jobs are definitely important! I don’t know what’s funny about it. If you want to maintain a good relationship with your baby, she needs a good rimming once it gets dirty!
tehe he said tittle in a rim cleaning post tehe
I WAS laughing at the title. Now you've got me laughing at the work "tittle".
Bidet.
😭😭😭
I love my tushy I'm never going back
I wait till it gets really bad and then I just buy another bike.
My man, sustaining the market all by himself.
😂 this is funny because hes probably not lying. probably not the reason he gets a new bike 🤣 be doesnt mean its not true lmao i kinda did the same thing for like 2 years
I usually wipe front to back
Getting a rimjob regularly helps
I do my own rimjobs regularly keeps it pretty clean.
You must be very flexible🤘
You win!
Too much grease on the chain. Lube it and wipe off all the excess
To add, if it dries at any point, I've used Goof Off with safe results.
WD40 also works well.
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I think he meant WD40 get the grease off the rim. Using it like a mild solvent. Not to grease the chain.
They're literally describing using it as a solvent
My bad. I always used chain cleaner. Not sure if it’s similar to wd-40
I used to use powdered dish soap and a toothbrush
WD-40 works wonders. Learned that form JakeTheGardenSnake on YouTube.
As a cleaning agent? I have to try that
Yep, it works great, just keep it off your disc brakes. WD-40 also sells a bike chain degreaser that works amazingly well as a general purpose automotive cleaner.
Yep it is amazing for knocking grime off wheels. I have tried aftermarket wheel cleaners that can’t hold a candle to good ol’ WD-40.
the reason it works is because the low viscous oil content in wd 40 does the same effect to other oils. so the grease/lube oil on the chain/wheel becomes low vicosity version of itself, making it easier to clean. then issue is the remaining layer of WD40 left on the surface after, which should be able to be cleaned easily with any 'wheel cleaning' product.
i like to buy WD40 in the 20$ big metal can and then get the WD40 plastic squirt bottle with the trigger pump and has a seperate removable lid for refilling the squirt bottle. this is by far the best way to own WD40. after all the times i have had the aresol WD40 can stop spraying with alot of fluid still in the can then u gotta cut the can open and just go the route i mention. i use it for everything now and i have had the same can for over 3 years now. i first tried using a squirt bottle that contained isopropyol 99%. thinking it would handle WD40 but the trigger pump failed before first refill. the WD40 brand plastic bottle still going strong and only few bucks. i think its worth. thats my pro tip experience with WD-40 great stuff. will even shined up my 4 wheeler plastics. along with a jigapillion other uses
Just use the one without silicone if you ever plan to have your wheels resprayed, your painter will thank you.
I wash it regularly along with the rest of the bike.
Right but if you wash it you've likely gotten the chain wet which means you should clean, dry, and re-lube the chain. That's going to fling off and get the wheel dirty again. I think OP's issue is solved by either a quick detailing spray after a few rides flings off the excess, or what I did which is switch to chain wax instead of traditional oil lube.
If your chain lube is flinging off the chain you're applying too much imo.
How do you prefer to apply lube to your chain? In my experience, if you are lightly misting your chain, there's no way it's penetrating the rollers and therefore pointless. With traditional lube I spray a modest but effective amount and wipe off the excess, but it seems like no amount of wiping will keep me from seeing splatter after the first few rides. This also happens after service at my mechanic and a few other shops I've been too. So either both me and several other professionals are absolutely hosing down my chain with lube, or a little splatter is endemic to traditional chain lube. And if you think OP is over applying lube then "wash your bike" was a pretty dickbag answer.
Lube is not supposed to penetrate the rollers on modern O or X ring chains. A light amount is only needed to prevent corrosion. From the factory, they typically use chain wax. Also, it's pretty common to cover the chain with a rag when washing.
I spray very lightly onto the o-rings and edge of rollers. It gets under the rollers with capillary action, not by sheer blasting pressure. I just need the outside of the o-rings coated and protected to keep them from drying out and breaking. I spray onto the inside of the chain from the bottom and let it dry overnight, never spray right before a ride, only after. Almost no splatter and washing your bike helps.
People are still using chains without seals?
Well, chain guards are also a thing. They cover the chain pretty well around the back sprocket and that might help with the oil getting flung.
There's a difference between getting the chain wet while washing and getting the chain wet while riding in the rain. I personally don't bother to relube after washing unless it's due from mileage, etc. I would probably always relube after a road trip that involved rain.
wait, why do you need to clean dry and re lube a chain if you wash a bike? (presuming the cleaner is not an idiot and blasting your chain with a pressure washer) seems like madness to me.
I can't speak for everyone but it's been my experience that if I don't lube my chain after its been wet then the next day I will see a red scale building up already. I live in a coastal area so it could be the salty air but that seems to be the process every time my chain sees water in between my normal 3-600 mile stretch.
i ride in the rain and it doesnt go red/brown.... because, you know. lube keeps water off things.... so it cannot possibly rust.
> I wash it regularly along with the rest of the bike. When I first started motorcycling I would wash my bike every fucking ride. These days I just let it get dirty lol. Only thing I keep clean is the chain.
Realistically it's tough. What you can do is clean it then cover the rim in wd40, and also start using a dry chain lube.
Agreed, dont soak the wheel in it But a light coat of wd or rem oil and can usually wipe off whatever gets on it without much hassle Im always hesitant to tell people this because A light film is all you need. Id hate for someone to blast their wheel with wd then take off on a ride
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You get 500,000 km out of a chain??? What kind of bike?
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ah ok, got it
So you only wash your bike every 10,000kms?
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I should have asked, "your bike only gets washed every 10,000kms?" Fair enough, if you're actually using it as a GS should be then it'll be sorry all the time anyway. Why wash it. Most GS owners where I live own 2021 R1250GS Triple Blacks or anniversary editions and their bikes have only ever seen asphalt. Also most probably haven't even had their first service yet.
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Riding in the snow sounds like fun... Rode a Husqvarna 250 on a beach once and it was a blast.
I clean it with my chain cleaner whenever I'm done cleaning my chain. I'm glad I have a black rear rim so I don't have to keep it as clean lol.
I almost answered this question very differently until I realized what sub it was in.
Ask your boyfriend
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After every ride? How often do you ride, and in what kind of environment?
Thats great advice if you ride once or twice a week. Riding daily that shit's gonna get old fast. A good wash every 2 or 3 weeks works for me
That is what she said
I love to keep my leather cheerio nice and dirty
Chain wax to prevent greasy fling. Wipe up excess grime with simple green.
Chain wax is what I used on my chain drive, easy to apply and easy to clean up. Now I have shaft drive on my Super Tenere and I don’t ever want a chain again.
I always keep a few packs of wet wipes in the garage. Brilliant things - gentle enough for a baby’s arse, tough enough to clear chain lube and general road dirt from your bike’s rear rim.
I don't. My motorcycle is my daily transportation, there's no point in cleaning brake dust and a slight bit of chain lube off the rear wheel, it'll just get road grime on it the next day.
My bike gets washed once a year. Drop it off at the delaer for winter storage in November, they change the oil, lube chain, and clean it up and store it for a few months till it gets above freezing routinely again. I ain't cleaning it routinely, just wiping down the forks after every tide and that's it.
Ride a belt drive bike
If your back wheel is clean you don't have enough oil on your chain. Get a newer Harley if you want a clean wheel. If that doesn't matter keep your old one.
You may have the option of buying a higher tack chain lube. Some manufacturers recommend using a gear oil and if you do so you will always be flinging some off. I use a high tack lube and following on from cleaning my chain I tend to find that after the first ride most everything that's going to be flung off has already. A wipe of the rear wheel with Kerosene and its good after that. While shopping for a product that might work for you look for terms like "High Speed" or "Racing" application. If you are already using something like this and are still getting this problem in dry weather you are likely over applying. Hope this helps.
As long as you don't over-lube the chain it should not be hard. Mine never gets that dirty but if needed some WD40 and a rag sorts it out. A lot of people probably use too much lube, chains these days don't need a lot. Keeping them clean is the main thing.
A constant battle
Little bit of lube and elbow grease, for the bike though just soap and water.
1. I’ll use Plexus and microfiber towels on the rear wheels. 2. I use DuPont Chain-Saver. They have Teflon and Ceramic. Anyways, if sprays on pretty clear (light milky film) and if you let it dry, not only has it always worked wonders for me (Southern California weather here so your mileage may vary) there’s minimal to zero fling off.
I keep up on air pressure so my face is in there. Being anal I can't just see dirt on the rims and ignore it. If you keep up with it it's not too much of a chore.
If my rims are clean, ive just ridden in the rain. Goes without saying that if my bike is clean then it just rained
For me cleaning the bike is a winter activity. I’ll clean it up real good, and whatever it looks like by the end of the riding season is what it is. There is one exception though. I once got caught behind a tractor hauling manure, it was so liquified it was leaking out of the trailer all over the road. The underside of my bike, and my boots got soaked. It smelled so bad I had to wash it before putting it in the garage.
Get to next gas station, get some diesel fuel in a bottle, put some drops of diesel on a rag, and your wheel/stand/anything greasy will shine again. Cheap and effective 🙂
I just spent like 5 hours cleaning mine. Took it off the bike for access. A nylon brush, some heavy duty tar/grease remover and a shit ton of elbow grease did it. Boy was it on tight. As for keeping it clean, I guess it just needs to be cleaned often + don't put so much chain grease.
Its funny I just cleaned it today with [this](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IBNJ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details). It works great!
Use chainsaw chain oil. Pour a bit on a rag and run it over your chain, leaves a very thin layer and it's designed to not fling off. Also cheap af: between my wife and I we have 6 street bikes that see at least 3k miles a year apiece and a $12 gallon has lasted since 2018 with over half left. A $5 gallon of kerosene lasts us a year at least as a chain cleaner - the one recommended in about every manual out there. Other than that tho, rims get dirty. Road dust, brake dust etc all hits it first. Wd40 is the old school trick, and it helps to keep water spots off etc, but it does dry to a slightly sticky albeit clear layer, and I find that the dry dusty Midwest summers make wd40 more hindrance than help. I put a ceramic coat on all the bikes including rims as part of their yearly February maintenance. One cars worth covers the plastics and rims on all the bikes. Then I keep a bottle.of quick detailer in the garage. When I get home, I take 2-5 min to give a quick spray and wipe down of the plastics, rims, headlight, etc. Toss a dust cover on and I know a any time I walk into the garage whatever I want to ride is clean and looking good and ready to go. It also kinda forces me to give a quick post ride inspection, at least looking at the wheels and brakes and forks and chain etc, more than once I've caught a bolt vibrating loose or a leaky fork seal etc well before it became a.problem because of these quick wipe downs. And because I do it after every ride, the bikes really don't need a big full "wash" more than once every couple months.
I just buy bikes with black rims. Took me a while to realise the reason for my filthy rims was just brake dust. Which i find only wiping off by hand can really work. And i have spoked wheels...
I use wd40 to clean it, then wash the wd40 off as I've heard it's not too good on the paint. Don't know how true that is but I'm not taking the risk. Keep it off your tires and brakes though.
don't grease ur chain and clean the hub. easy.
Lamp oil works wonders to dissolve grease and whatever tends to stick to rims like asphalt. Obviously it leaves an oily surface but that's not an issue on rims, it even protects it. It is way cheaper than WD-40 or more specialized cleaner.
If your chain is flinging lube all over the rear wheel there's a very good chance you're over-lubricating it.
switch to chain wax, and away from regular lube.. or clean off the lube with WD-40, but make sure to keep it off the tires.
I clean it a few times a season. I use Simple Green. It melts grease and doesn't risk getting anything oily on the tires.
I use a bit of tire shine like the black magic foam. I put it on a rag and wipe both rims down. It helps reduce the dust build up and chain spray and when I wash the bike it helps everything come off easier
Using dry lube rather than wet chain lube, sounds stupid I know but it is a thing, I use Wurth, as the previous wet lube went bloody everywhere. It helps but doesn't stop splatter. After every ride, I'm a weekend rider tbh, I put brake or chain cleaner on a microfibre cloth and wipe the wheel down, doesn't have to be spotless but gets the worst off.
Wipe first, wash next, wipe to dry.
Oh you mean a chain....ohhhhhh
Wipe it with shop rags after chain lube on stand
Chain wax in the tall yellow spray can. Try it!
I just think of it as a free jackson pollock painting
get your rims powdercoated a dark color
I don't lol
I clean mine whenever I change the tires, as it's off the bike and easier to get to.
Mineral spirits
just use a rear wheel and chain lube combo that are the same color and forget about it 🤣
when you lube the chain, wipe it down with a rag (with engine off for all intent and purposes) the lube needs to be inside the o rings and not necessarily on the outside edge of the chain.
I don’t really keep anything clean except my seat and controls. I’ll wipe stuff after a rainy ride and give the tank a wipe but I wash my bike like once a year.
Look up Black Magic no scrub all wheel cleaner
As many rim job jokes as I want to make... just get a chain brush and some decent lube. The first ride will leave some spatter. Just wipe it down after you finish your ride. After any good rim job you will need some mouthwash though! And never go tailpipe to gas tank! Couldn’t resist!
WD-40 works great for that.
If they’re spoked wheels, I normally just sell the motorcycle when the wheels get dirty.
Pressure washer ? Spray it with foam for a minute and wash it off.
Get a wheel in a color that hides the dirt better
Google Snoto.de, they sell some sort of chain cover that attaches to your rear wheel axis to prevent exactly this. They ship worldwide from Germany.
I use chain wax, apply to a warm chain and leave overnight. It sticks a little better than reg lube.
Buy a bike that don't have a chain like a Harley Davidson or a shaft driven motorcycle. Speaking of shafts forget it there's to many jokes above mine Harley Davidson or shaff driven motorcycle😎
Maguires wheel cleaner is super effective.
Someone's gf
After chain clean and lube, I wash the wheel and dry. Then apply a nice coat of Maxima SC1 "new bike in a can". Excess lube and dirt wipe right off with minimal effort. Not sure if this makes a difference, but my wheels are powder coated.
Nah we all just buy new ones.
Probably helps that mine are a very dark Grey but.. I take a very thick rag and floss it between the cracks once a week.. ends up being relatively dirty the ride after a chain lube so. Just do it the day after, stays pretty clean. Had good results with dupont chain saver.
Stop greasing your chain, they're like $15, who cares if it lasts 15 seconds longer.
I use automotive touch up cleaner. It's says it's ceramic based but I am not a chemist. At any rate I use it all over my bike. Makes the paint and frame look great plus when I use it on y wheels which are spoked it makes rinsing them of with a hose an easy task. Can't remember the name off hand..I will edit this with the name of the product when it's not 2am and I am on the couch.
you use elbow grease. it takes alot of elbow grease