Topic: Parked my bike under a pine tree... Help!

[BigBrownDog]

Learned a valuable lesson yesterday, NEVER, EVER park under a pine tree. Now my bike and helmet are covered with tiny pine sap droplets the size of pin heads. Any recommendations on what is best to remove it   Thanks, John

[Gordon]

Citra-solv.  It's a citrus-based solvent/cleaner that easily dissolves things like sap and won't hurt the bike as long as it's rinsed off.  You can also buy the same thing labeled as "Goo Gone" at a grocery or hardware store. 

[Alan F.]

Just throw some sand on it and keep parking there, now you can call it a rat-bike.  just kidding.

Straight simple green is strong stuff.  get as much of it off as you can with fingernails and toothpicks, then go to town with the S-G.

[Donzon]

WD-40

[Mach-5(50)]

I like Tarminator from Stoner. They also make Invisible Glass. In the PNW I have had plenty of experience with sap, and it works easy every time. Also took 5 year old road tar off my car fender. Nothing I had tried before worked even a little. Tarminator took it right off, and no adverse affects to the paint, even a year or two later. It gets my vote.

Ryan

[jaknight]

SNIP goo gone eats finishes... i've never seen simple green do that.
and yes, i have seen goo gone do it.

+1 with heffay on goo gone......... screwed up spots on my bike.

~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~

[Gordon]

You sure we're talking about the same "goo gone"?  The stuff I'm talking about, and have used successfully many times without hurting the finish on cars and bikes, is strictly citrus based.  I guess if you left it on the finish for an extended time it might hurt it, but as with any kind of cleaner/solvent you typically rinse it off immediately.  

When I lived in Oregon my driveway was almost totally sheltered by a huge pine tree, which constantly left not just small specks of sap, but lots of large (nickel size) globs of sap on my car.  I routinely used citra-solv and goo gone to remove the sap and neither ever hurt the finish in the slightest. 

[Mdub]

Straight mineral spirits (turpentine) is the best/safest for your paint

[TwoTired]

Naphtha works pretty well.  It the main ingredient in lighter fluid, which is what I've used.  It does take of any wax, too.  Which is useful as a cleaner before repainting.  Most paints are impervious to it.

Anyway, you'll likely have to re-wax after cleaning anyway.  Well, except for any flat black paint. 

As an asside, when you wax the car and slop some wax onto flat black trim.  Lighter fluid takes it right off.

Cheers,

[Mdub]

+1 on the naptha/lighter fluid.
Also sold as 'Prepsol" in the auto paint store.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

What about Goof Off?  I used it to remove latex paint from the paint on my Acura after my wife decided to transfer it from the garage door opening to the wheel well edge. Took the latex off with some light rubbing but didn't harm my finish.

[jaknight]

You sure we're talking about the same "goo gone"?  The stuff I'm talking about, and have used successfully many times without hurting the finish on cars and bikes, is strictly citrus based.SNIP

You may have a point there, Gordon.  The goo gone I am talking about was a clear liquid and I don't remember it saying anything about being citrus based......

~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~

[736cc]

 I detail cars for a livng and tree sap is ez to remove w/ rubbing alcohol on a rag/paper towel, or just use fuel line anti-freeze (same stuff).
 Believe me, all those other ideas thrown against the wall don't hold a candle....

[Bill Vaughan]

Rain-X Bug & Tar Pre-Wash Gel.

[Hush]

Oh damn I was sure you were going to post this picture.

[mattcb350f]

WD-40

+1. It's the only thing that worked for me to get the sap off my car. It won't hurt anything either. You'll just have to follow up with the cleaner of your choice to get the wd-40 off after.

 Matt.

[Steve F]

Oh damn I was sure you were going to post this picture.