The Aprilia Tuono 660 and Foreign Trips on Old Bikes 

In winter I clean my bike after every ride. In summer I only clean it when it's dirty, so probably every 3 or 4 rides, unless it's been raining and I'll then clean it.

My brother is 67, he brought a new Triumph Bonnie last year, he washes his bike every time he uses it. He's currently at his holiday home on the Isle of Wight but as soon as he returns to Birmingham it will be cleaned.

It's not so much the cleaning of it Freddie, it's the awareness of looking over the parts and fittings, bolts etc! Depending on your usage, once/twice a week is sufficient!

Road Rash was legendary.

I'm a sad 67 soon to be 68 old man!! I have always cleaned my bikes after every ride!!! I was always told" Look after your bike and it will look after you" As my wife has one , I clean hers too. I really enjoy cleaning bikes😜 she does moan that I ignore the cars!!!!Cleaning allows you to find issues if there are any, I found a screw in a rear tyre a couple of weeks ago while spinning the rear wheel to clean it...

Just clean & maintain it as needed!

Monica as always is right yes if its raining clean it I bought a dog /pet hair drier blows massive amounts of air hot warm or cold so once you have hosed the bike down you simply use the drier to dry it so not rusty nuts and bolts only takes a few minutes !! Come on Freddie lets get our act together especially with the new Triumph !!

Yes I do because as u clean u check 😉

Freddie if you’ve been riding in the rain then you need to clean it. Monika is correct!! If riding in good summer weather then I’ll wipe off the dead bugs when I get back (or the next morning) but I only clean the bike when it’s dirty, perhaps once every couple of weeks or so. I use muc off spray, then the muc off bike pressure washer, I also have a bike dryer which is brilliant. i also use GT85 spray to protect the bike. I’ve currently got three bikes and I manage to keep them all looking pretty good so you will be able to keep your Bonnie pristine after all the hard work by Joe at the Wurks 😀👍

The easy way to look at cleaning your bike Freddie, is this: If you ride in bad weather, you clean the bike after every ride. If you ride in the dry, you can get away with once or even twice a week.

I always give the bike a quick clean after every ride, mainly to get all the bugs of the paintwork and a deep clean and re-grease every month or so. Look after your bike and it will look after you. My Meteor is only 2 years old with 23,000klms on the clock but it looks and runs like new. Love your restored Bonnie, Freddie. Excellent job by "The Wurks" 👍😀

Winter i clean after every ride if salt is about, if just flies and dust then maybe every 2 weeks. always use an anti corrosion fluid when i do a big Clean. sometimes i just do a quick wash and every so often i give it a deep clean.

I'm with you bro! Man, we got a lot of livin to do, BRO.

Picked up a brand new unregistered Tuono 660 factory for 8k October last year. 1200 miles in & it has been absolutely superb so far & fully agree with that chap. The icing on the cake is you rarely ever see them on the road in the UK, a real hidden gem in my opinion

Freddie I ride my heritage springer to work as much as I can. And I clean off the dust everyday. Monica is right you need to clean your bike!

3:18 I’ve had a Volvo V70 D5 diesel for 13 years & 130k miles ……. NOTHING has ever gone wrong with it. Caned it weekly across Europe and keeping it till it dies or the Govt ban them. Also 54 motorcycles……..

I use a no water wash and shine spray for touch ups with a microfiber cloth when it gets a little dirty, and only deep clean when it’s very dirty or been a while

This week I sold my Honda ST1100 and my Royal Enfield Hunter 350. I bought a 2020 Moto Guzzi V7 III. So far I love it! Some folks think they need the 850 but I’m really happy with the 750. Part of my decision was based on your Tenerife video. Mine is silver and black, officially a V7 Stone Special. I paid $3900 USD.

Hi Freddie, great video as ever! I ride my ST1100 Honda Pan European all over Europe most years. It has done 60,000, is a 1991 model and just rides all day long with no issues. I do not worry about breakdown cover, as it has never broken down in the ten years I have had the bike. Regarding cleaning, I have a number of other bikes, but I have a simple rule which is to only ride a clean bike. I dry my bikes off after a wet ride with a small air blower I bought that runs on Dewalt tool batteries……it is excellent to use and takes less than five minutes and makes a huge difference to corrosion prevention. Usually when I clean one bike, I will clean any others I have been out on as it keeps everything in good order with simple checks and also helps with reliability (in my opinion)…..buts it’s a weekly routine for me as an all weather rider. Thanks again for another good video.

Lol...I do the sinks & bogs on a Tuesday 🤣. Never had a day designated for cleaning the bike ! Clean it when it's dirty 👍.

All new CFMOTO motorcycles come with an outstanding 4-year warranty subject to terms and conditions. Freddie it's not two years now apparently, I took this from a cfmoto site and the Bingley Wheeler has bought this bike and he also said 4 years 😊

I am 66 and as a teen/early 20s was around Italian bikes and cars. When we had 250s one guy had a 250 Ducati single. Was always off the road amongst the Japanese twins. Mainly non start electrical problems. As we progressed to the bigger bikes, all, the Moto morini and Ducati samplers defected to Japanese. Ihave only ever ridden a diavel and was smitten. Also Fiat cars and Alfasuds of the day and Lancias rotted off their chassis. Their engines were always smooth revvy mainly twin cams and very robust and take a good thrashing Unfortunately these memories have blighted my love for anything Italian except their food😂. Their motorcycles are not very diy friendly for bodger like me, however their cars are in the main easy to work on. Always wanted a V7 but even today stories of electrical and camshaft issues and dealer indifference prevents me imbibing. I have a 17 yr old Citroen Berlingo and it’s getting harder to find breakdown cover. I look after all my vehicles and always carry spares. Coil pack, plugs, belts. Power bank, puncture kit. Voltmeter. If I breakdown hopefully can get myself to a garage if major but enough to keep it going to get somewhere.😊

I have three bikes, but the bike I am using the most is a Honda CB250RS, I keep it always clean and polished as it is 43 years old and needs to be cherished. Your Bonneville has been resurrected from what could have been the scrap heap, so you need to look after it. Plus polish your boots also 😊

Yes Freddie we do!!!!!!

Another great informative video, and thanks for the mention 😆

I had a new Aprilia Falco in 2001, I had it for 8years it did 18k miles, it was very reliable. However at the same time I had an Italian girlfriend, she was stunning to look at, and handed rather well, but the maintenance costs and peace of mind was in bearable, so after 6months I had to trade her in. I have to say Italians are perhaps the best engineers as a few years later I bought an Alfa Romeo GTV 2.0 Twin spark and me and my English wife drove it through the Alps to the Italian lakes. I played Matt Monroe Days like this, the title song from the Italian Job. Simply awesome.

At least once a week more often if it's dirty just show some pride in your ride. And Monica you are an angel anyone who offers to clean your bike deserves a coffee at the very least 👍👍

Great video.

Hi Freddie. Don't fret over bike cleaning. once a week is perfect. I tend to clean my bike once a week too, and if not ridden, after every fortnight. If I get caught in the rain I try to clean it as quickly as possible. As for Aprilia reliability, Yes the engines are very robust, but the electronics were not....

Freddie, Monica is right about cleaning the triumph after riding in the rain. Those kind of conditions are extremely hard on machines. Yes I am one of those people who do at a minimum give it a wipe down. It not that difficult and doesn’t take that much of your time. How many times have you seen an older bike with a decent amount of mileage that looks like new?

Great heil. See you next Tuesday.

You do you Freddy. People aren’t watching because of your cleaning or mechanical skills.

Good job you've got Monika to keep you on the straight and narrow, lol. Really excellent content Freddie, keep it up please. I had an Aprillia Caponord 1200 twin, it was simply awesome and full of character!

Freddie I clean mine when it’s really dirty. In the summer I don’t bother if it’s raining, the bike lives outside anyway. In the winter once it’s been acf’d or similar i let the stuff do it’s magic and don’t wash it off more than about twice and then reapply. I don’t have corrosion issues with any of my bikes: metal, plastic and rubber. Each to their own but I prefer riding to washing and not precious over a bit of dirt. Good content as usual. 👍🏻

I very much enjoyed the 'paled into significance' comment. I cover my bike with ACF50 once a year. It gets washed if I'm caught in rain when riding. I hope Monica approves......

Monica is correct - if it gets wet, it gets washed once home. That may be a couple of weeks though - no washing on tour! Not always a "full" wash but at least a rinse and dry.

I have 5 bikes, I honestly look them over daily and polish them up and wash and clean them after every ride.

My bike is cleaned after every ride. To get the road dirt and bugs off it, it also gives me the chance to check the bike over for any problems. Love your videos .

I clean it weekly I can’t stand riding a dirty bike plus it helps you keep a eye on anything going wrong ie oil leaks or fluids leaking from somewhere so always helps to notice if anything needs doing on your bike

I agree with Monica. Clean it when it's dirty and after riding in the rain or snow

Always check over and clean after every ride or in the morning if I get in late. Good luck getting spare parts for old Aprilias.

I’m back from Spain and just loved the Tuono 660 Factory. The Calimoto App lead me astray at one point and I ended up on a 6 mile dirt track. Towards the end of the track things got a bit worse as the App pointed me up a rather steep, rocky climb with rocks and gravel. I should have known better, but because I have some green lane experience I gave it a go. I got 3/4 of the way to the top before seeing a private access sign. The only way back down was to use the clutch with the engine off and back it down very carefully as the front was just sliding on the loose stuff. No harm done, but my heart was in my mouth. Stupid thing to try with a sports bike, but I did get it nearly all the way up before realising my mistake. 😅 I haven’t checked the average fuel consumption figures, so I’ll post them for anyone interested. I had numerous riders asking about the bike - reliability being foremost on their minds and was it too sporty/uncomfortable. I can see a lot of riders want a lightweight bike, with just enough power, but are put off by the stories of reliability issues. I’ve owned numerous bikes that had the same reputation several older Ducati and KTMs - not forgetting early Street Triples/Speed Triples which had multiple issues. Apart from one very poorly 12 year old 3 owner ST4s, they all did just fine. Sometimes you should just buy the one you most want and stop worrying so much - caveat being if you only have one vehicle, then you’d probably better get a Honda. Most of us have a car and some of us have multiple bikes, they are toys not transport, so buy the one that really puts a smile on your face when you open the garage door.

Daily commuter + weekend trips - depending on the weather and just looking at the bike. About once a month with a pretty deep clean + chain maintanence

Simply cleaning the bike every time it rains is impossible unless it’s a special Sunday afternoon bike and you get caught out. Regular riding means weekly at best and application of protective sprays, polishes etc to tide you over between washes.

I clean my bike once a month but I do have a modern retro (Guzzi V7) so have some chrome to upkeep. I find the experience relaxing though especially with a glass of wine.

I don't clean my bike to make it look nice but to get rid of dirt, salt and anything which sticks and rots or jams joints up. I generally always spray some GT85 on the gear and brake pedal moving parts after a wet ride and clean the exhausts. As for things breaking everything has a built in lifespan. With electronics it's easier, they just program a date for it to stop working.

After every single run i clean my bike Freddie, chain degreased, cleaned and lubed after 5/6 runs, most runs i do are over 50+ miles though👍🏽

Hiya Freddy love your show I just wondered after you have had your bike beautifully restored will you be doing your own maintenance from now on as they make great videos And seeing that it has cost you a lot of money trying to get it fixed ps I have an Aprilia Tuono 125cc and I love it and maintain it myself

You can get a small hand held dryer for motorcycles to blow the water off for when it's raining. Once a month is good for a proper wash. Fuchs makes a product called Silkolene Pro Prep which is fantastic for protection from the elements.

Yes I clean my bikes ( 3 of them ) after every ride. Not always the full clean but I do make sure they are cleanish and more importantly dry before I put them away…. and it shows!

Twice an year to once per week it is a great achievement, should be proud! ❤

Hello Freddie yes I clean my bike every ride. However it isn't a daily ride. When the bike is immaculate it doesn't take much effort to keep it up. Cheers

I clean my bike once a week, maybe twice if it's extra dirty. But it's also still new. I'm sure I'll become less diligent with time.

Hi Freddie Love these videos… Just a couple of quick comments. Firstly, being more of a fair weather rider I either wash my bike every half dozen rides out or immediately after getting caught out in the rain as I cannot stand all the crud off of the road splattered all over it. Also I never bother riding in the winter months for this very reason! Secondly, you mentioned the CF Moto bikes and I have to say they do look to be as good as owners are preaching. They currently come with 4 x years warranty! 4 x Years!! This is amazing. 👊

I clean mine every time it rains. If it’s dry for a few rides it will be longer.

I clean my bike when it needs it, that may be each ride or after several rides mainly depending on the weather. Whilst cleaning I'm also checking everything iis in tip top condition including the tyres etc. 👍

Depending on what kind of riding I'm doing with my adventre bike (Aprilia Tuareg). If I'm off-road, I always give it a quick spray off or clean & lube the chain, moving parts & chain tension every time I come back, it doesn't take that long and it's relaxing to be doing these things for the bike. About once every 3wks I'll give it a deep clean

Planned obsolescence is now about cost differential at point of purchase compared to component quality. Manufacturers can specify individual components with a designed number of operation cycles. The more cycles the higher the cost!

I think it's a case of wash it after use, if used in poor conditions and the bike is kept under cover 'indoors'. During dry weather use though, just a wash every now and then to keep it looking fresh. Too much cleaning can scratch paintwork unless you use a snow foam and spray it off with a hose or similar.

In summer I wipe down using waterless wipes (vulcanette) and clean every two weeks or so. In winter full cleans after rides especially if salt is about.

Yes I do, although with a knackered knee the wheels aren’t quite as clean and shiny as I would like 😢

Hi Freddie, with regards to washing your bike after every ride. If it has been raining, I simply rinse my bike down,then using my wet and dry vacuum I blow dry the bike. I will send photo of said cleaner and also a photo of a product I use before riding in the rain. You have seen my Victory motorbikes, so I would not recommend these methods if they did not work. This is what my old man taught me when he first put me on a motorbike 56 years ago.

Old Aprilia like RSV mille, Falco and Futura had the Rotax twin which is a great and reliable engine. Had the Futura but electronics were an issue. Really liked the syle. Falco electornics seem to be better though. Sort the charging and enjoy it for years to come.

Talking of touring on older bikes. I insure with CN & the bike is covered for European breakdown. One point which you may know about or, not is that bikes registered before 2000 are not allowed to enter French cities with clean air zones (Crit air). Their getting more prevalent. Fines are stiff. Crit air stickers are needed for all bikes - cost is only 5e 👍

Yes I clean my bike every time it's used. I also clean the sports car every time before it's used....the hatchback once a week generally. I am retired tho...and sad!🤔😲😂😂 Enjoyed the video Freddie, cheers Alistair 👍

Hi Freddie, Monica is right, as usual. After a rain ride it is nice to rinse the motorcycle so that the sand is removed. Perhaps you should look for a method so that such an intermediate wash takes as little time as possible. For me, a round painter's brush, a battery-powered plant sprayer and a battery-powered leaf blower help get the job done. For the major wash once a week you can be more thorough.

If you take care of your stuff it will take care of you. Having said that a couple of times a week should be sufficient…but you have an image/brand to protect.

I heard the expression "planned obsolescence"" in my 5th form year here in NZ. Unfortunately for me, that was in 1975. They did however plan way into the future because stuff made back then lasted a long, long time. Now, it's a whole new and different story. Just look at mobile phones.

Hay mate , Paul from Australia, I only clean my bike after “ most rides “ that includes say a two trip away ( not daily) when I return. And even then it’s not a detailed clean . 👍 In Australia one of our classic insurers is “ Shannon’s “ they stated just doing bikes , now cars and homes etc . We have loads more that will as well . An Australian made Air conditioner company went out off business after 30 years, WHY because they are still going strong after that time . That’s why I get extended warranty.

Ohh Freddie, thank goodness for Monika the angel sent from heaven ⭐️

if it's summer you don't need to clean your bike often, but if it's rainy or wet season, you have to clean it every after ride.

I live on the Mediterranean coast and wash my bike, 2021 Tracer 9, after every ride...Doesn't rain much but there's plenty bugs.

Freddie.....being an older person ...before a ride I exercise by cleaning the bike for 20 minutes...what I call a rolling clean !

Fortunately I have a 2020 T120 & a 2023 Guzzi V7 Special Edition... Both of my "boyhood" dreams fulfilled...well, maybe there's a few others! Many others have been my garage. Today, I've decided at 67yrs I need to enjoy the bikes and tootling around... I've had the "big" & "fast" bikes , done the Multi-mile touring, all the dual sport stuff.... and overloaded, two-up stuff.... Now I simply enjoy these two bikes! ...even if they are "modern" equivalents of my boyhood dreams. At least I can maintain them.... my dealerships are about 1500km from where I live in NW British Columbia! Ride On!

I daily ride a Thruxton similar to your Bonne and follow a simple maintenance routine. If the weather is dry, clean once a week to remove dust and dirt stains, but clean and dry after every ride in the rain. It doesn't need to be detailed and is ready in 15 minutes. I take it for a professional wash every ~3 months if necessary and for detailing every 2~3 years. At home I only use WD-40 and clean cloths (don't apply it to the brake discs!), without corrosion in all these years. Inspect and keep your chain lubricated with Yamalube SAE90 every ~200 miles or after heavy rain, plus check its tension every now and then. Don't neglect normal maintenance for time/miles according to the manual, you have a very reliable motorcycle.

try Motul Shine and Go for a quick clean after every ride.

The only way to keep your bike clean is to clean it when it gets dirty. If the weather is crap, clean it after every ride. If we have a long dry spell so it stays clean, the same applies - clean it when it gets dirty.

Once a week is more than enough, regardless of rain.

I clean my bike by appearance. If looking a bit shabby give it a quick hose down. What I do find is bikes like my 350 with a full on mudguards make a massive difference to how clean the bike stays. Yep so about twice a year 😅

I worked for Apple nearly 10 years ago for a number of years. I remember the policy was to charge for repairs for devices outside of Apple's 'warranty' however you're right, if the customer mentioned 'consumer rights' then the repair would be initiated at no cost without further discussion (provided it wasn't an obvious user damaged item).

Yep, I’m a cleaner every time I use it. I also check it over to make sure it’s safe. But then again I have nothing else to do with my time.

I clean mine around once a week... but not really meticulous. I use a waterless product that contains a wax. For a Meteor 350 it works.

Simple really if its dirty I clean it, if its wet I dry it end of, Plus the cleaner you keep a bike the less effort it is to keep it clean. And then there is the maintenance side of things as you clean you may notice potential items that need attention. A stich in time an all that.

For washing my bike I try to wipe it off quickly with WD40 before each ride, which I have right by it. But for a good cleaning I use my piling-up pocket change for a car spray-washing stall: They have foaming brushes and even hot wax etc. It makes washing a bike fun. Ride off and let it dry. Cost: $2.00 & 2 minutes or so work.

If you ride in the rain and it gets dirty. Dah! Of course you clean it and dry it.. That’s where the damage is done. That the difference between a showroom looking bike after 10-20 years and a shabby one

Bought my bike second hand a year ago, used less than a thousand kilometres, yet to clean it.

Yes 100% clean once a week and yes Monica is totally right

Clean it every couple of weeks if you’re not out in the rain. If you’re out in the rain clean it more often and coat the rad, engine etc in an inert protective spray, to protect from corrosion. Maybe every 6 months, jet wash it, being careful not to spray into bearings or electrical components to remove ingrained dirt, especially around the rad, engine and suspension components and chain, then use a high quality, long term protective spray like ACF50 over those parts, maybe a designated chain lube. While you’re doing it you might as well check for loose bolts, screws, and slackness of the chain. I often give my bike a quick go over with a ceramic spray which removes flys etc after a ride, and provides a protective film on the shiny bits. It doesn’t take long in the grand scheme of things 😅 Oh, and when you do jet wash it, use some kind of chemical to get rid of all the old protective sprays or it just builds up and is difficult to remove.

Hi Freddie I clean my bike after every wet ride. If it’s a dry ride I’ll give it a dust.

Talking about Italian bikes, this week I closed a deal on a new 2023 MV Agusta Superveloce 800. Is being delivered this Sunday. Will be a fun summer.

I ride my bike every day and clean it once a fortnight as I don't want to spoil the joy of owning / riding a motorbike

Labor costs at my local Honda dealership in the San Francisco area of California are $125 USD per hour. I just paid a service invoice last week with a whole lot of labor on it. ☹

I've owned a Ducati Monster 696, Monster 1000, Ducati 748, Ducati Supersport 937, and a Moto Guzzi v7, never any reliability issues although belts and valve clearance services can add up, but the Italian reliability issues are an urban myth in my opinion. Cheers Freddie

I clean my bike after any ride that makes it dirty, the more you keep on top of it the easier it is to clean! Then just do a deeper clean once a week or every two weeks and it will stay perfecto 👌

If I was in the market for a new bike I would be giving serious consideration to VOGE and CF MOTO. I like what I'm seeing and hearing .

The thing with the centennial lightbulb is that it is lit undercharged. LEDs at the moment are being run overcharged, the dubai LED lightbulbs are the same as normal LEDs with double the diodes for the same current, thus not frying them like other LEDs do.

I clean the bike every time I use it, that way you stay on top of the maintenance and stop problems before they develop.

Regarding cleaning ones bike. I clean mine once a month but I ride each maybe 6 times a month and usually never in rain. Depends on usage.

A bike gets so dirty so quickly in the rain. Not worth cleaning in winter. I was wash my bikes maybe three/four times a year. Function before form.

Bought a brand new 2023 ktm almost 20k. Finally did a quick wash after over a year.