Love Bug Machine Gun

[Blanca BusaLess]

It was like today when riding. I tried to make my weekly trip to Lake Okeechobee which is about an hour or so straight west. I got about 10-15 miles west of town when I started noticing cars that had a few, then more than a few then cars that were covered, literally covered in them.
I thought well maybe they just live in this area , drive at night and havent cleaned their cars in a while ?
No sooner did I finish thinking that is when I crossed into enemy territory and started getting peppered with them . Big suckers this year too.
I went from seeing one or two coming toward me into like a complete wall of them. It was like I was going down a river in enemy territory and somebody with a love bug machine gun starting shooting at me.
I could'nt take it. It sucked. I rode only 2-3 miles more and turned around to go for a ride along the coast.
By the time I got home my jacket , helmet and bike had plenty of them all over. The smell of 100s of smashed bugs wafting thru your helmet is a bummer let me tell you.
I didnt take any pics cuz we all know what bugs look like smashed all over things.

Dont know why they call them Love Bugs cuz I HATE THEM !

 

[EarlyBird]

Did you use the Pledge to clean them off?

 

[kml]

Did you use the Pledge to clean them off?

ROTFPMDependsL





cheers
ken

 

[O Holy P]

I dip dryer sheets in water and scrub the bugs off. Builds up a nice lather and doesn't scratch the paint, slides easily, & smells like fresh laundry. Works like a champ.

 

[Blanca BusaLess]

Did you use the Pledge to clean them off?

No too thick and I didn't want to spray it directly on .
I sprayed bike down with water and let it set .
Then I used what I've always used for yrs even going back to when I used to detail for a living .
It's something called a 'scratch' pad . Nothing more than a small sponge inside like a web type outer wrap .
Only cost a buck at pepboys .
The name is a misnomer cuz it doesn't scratch but the outerside of it being like a web pattern really takes em right off in no time .
Key to just soak em down and soften them up then get to scrubbing .
Sucks they and the pieces of them get into all the little cracks and stuff .
I'm gonna open airbox in the morning and see how much of it got in there as my screens were covered .
I'm sure Sleepless will be in here soon but I'm not sure he has bugs like this up there. Thick bugs maybe but for some reason whatever love bugs eat just makes em like glue . A bug right next to a love bug will come right off when that smashed love bug will stick like concrete !
Also very happy my tourmaster intake jacket is machine washable as I don't know how else you would clean it if it wasn't .

 

[EarlyBird]

I agree with the long soaking of water to soften the bug guts etc. Then lightly apply a soft sponge to clean off. Then rinse.... then leaf blower dry... Then towel dry! Then Pledge!!!

 

[aussiekeeper]

I drench a towel in HOT water, wring it out and lay it over the front of the bike. This re-hydrates the bugs and they wipe right off.