hmmm...notice a theme here?

My poor bikes have suffered the last few seasons amidst the crazyness (I mean black hole) of housebuilding. I recall giving this one a cursory once over with a bucket and sponge last spring and possibly cleaning and lubing the chain, but that's really it. I'm sure it was giving my completely anal-bike-maintenence-guy neighbor a near heart attack every time he came over, because until this afternoon, it was the sorriest smut covered excuse for Italian design that you'd ever find (well, maybe with the exception of the 998 that Boy bought and rode home from Boston) and there was just no possible way I could live with myself or it without giving it an intense going over. And it was way overdue for a valve check and it's a dang good thing we got around to that little project a couple of weeks ago because we found two valves that needed adjusting in the "so bulletproof they almost never have valves out of spec" Rotax motor). Ah yes, my Aprilia, the problem child.
Did I mention yellow bikes are cranky?
Anyway, with it being first Thursday tomorrow and all, and not just any first Thursday but the anniversary of the day Boy and I met, I figured I had better get my (other) baby cleaned up and ready to roll.
So here's to clean bikes and dirty, ruined fingernails. Oh yea, and the other reason (besides ruined fingernails) I hate washing motorcycles, the five or so bloody cuts and scrapes I get on my hands from trying to get all the nooks and crannies clean. But hey. There's nothing like a spanking clean and shiny yellow motorcycle to make you smile, right? Just as soon as I put the bodywork back on it that is...