Bike Shifting in Jayamahal

Jayamahal is one of the quieter, greener parts of central Bangalore. Around Jayamahal Road, beside the Palace grounds and toward the Cantonment, large older homes sit on wide plots, and many of them have mature trees over the drive, the porch or the gate. A bike parked in their shade stays cool, which is pleasant. It also collects whatever the tree drops.

Sap is the most stubborn. Some trees drip a fine sticky resin, especially in the dry months, and it lands on the seat, the tank and the mirrors as small hard spots. Left for weeks, it bonds to the paint.

Bird droppings are worse for the paint. They're acidic, and on a sunny day they etch into clear coat within days.

Then there's the debris. Leaves, flowers, seed pods and twigs settle into the joins between panels, beneath the seat, in the air intake and around the chain. A seed pod in the wrong place can rattle on a long run; leaves in the air intake restrict it.

All of this matters at moving time because of the wrapping. The crew pad the bike at the points where straps and other goods touch it. If there's sap or a dropping under the padding, the padding presses it in, and on a long run in the heat, it can mark the paint permanently. Grit and twigs under padding scratch.

So clean the bike properly a day or two before the move.

Start with a gentle wash. Plain water and a mild car shampoo, a soft sponge, and rinse. Don't use a pressure washer near the electrics.

Then the droppings. Work on them early in the day, in the shade, because water dries fast on a hot panel and leaves spots of its own. Soak them with a damp cloth for a few minutes to soften them, then lift them off. Don't scrub dry droppings; the grit in them scratches.

Then the sap. Fresh sap often comes off with warm soapy water. Hardened spots need a sap remover sold for cars, or a little isopropyl alcohol on a soft cloth, tested first on a hidden area. Work gently. If a spot won't come off, leave it rather than gouging the paint, and point it out to the crew so it's on the condition note.

Clear the gaps. This is where most of the tree's leftovers end up, and where they do the most harm on a long run. Lift the seat, check the boot, look in the air intake and around the radiator if there is one, and pull out leaves and pods. A soft brush helps.

Dry it fully and, if you can, move it out from under the tree for the night before the move, so it's clean when the crew arrive.

Look at the cover too, if you use one. A cover that has sat under a tree for months is often stained with sap and droppings on the outside and gritty on the inside. Wash it or replace it before you put it back on a clean bike, or the first night under it undoes the cleaning.

At the new home, think about where it'll park. If there's a choice between shade under a tree and a covered spot, the covered spot saves a lot of cleaning.

Our Jayamahal packers page covers moving an artist's studio. Here we look after the bike parked beneath the old trees.

Leaves and debris can collect around an electric scooter's charging port and vents. Brush them out and check the port's cover closes. Don't wash the scooter with a jet of water. At booking, tell us which maker built it and whether the battery is removable.