Modern Vespa

Okay, here is the story. Public works is resurfacing a bridge where I live. Normally I bypass the bridge and take the long way around. (What a shame to "have" to ride several more miles of country twisties to get to work.). Anyway, I was coming home after dark a few days ago and decided the bridge wouldn't be too bad to cross at that time of day.

Sure enough, there wasn't any backup and I arrived just as the light turned green. There is only one lane across the bridge now, so traffic backs up. The work crew is busy on the other side I'd the divider working away. As I'm crossing, the surface on the bridge turns to a wet muck. Seems the workers have been washing all of the concrete "dust" over to the traffic side of the bridge.

When I got home, I found the underside and back of the scoot completely ash gray, covered in concrete! After waiting for the scoot to cool down, I hose it down to little avail. Today, I went at it with a rag and soapy water. I cleaned off everywhere I could reach, but there are many tight places my hand/fingers won't reach.

I was thinking of using a pressure washer, but then got to thinking about spraying a high pressure stream under the carriage. Does anybody know if this will cause any damage? Are ther sensitive or unprotected connections I should be concerned about? Is there a better way to clean the underside of the mp3?

I use my cold water pressure washer with no detergent on all my vehicles including the MP3. Since it's just concrete dust it should be easy to remove using a low pressure setting. You wouldn't want to aim the wand at connectors and switches anyway and concrete would peel off flexible wiring by hand.

I got into a situation where I was riding on a road being redone with Emulsified asphalt--what a mess! So I know what you are going through, though I would think the concrete might be even worse.
I spent hours and hours scrubbing it off by hand. I found a pressure washer would not do much to clean it off ( carwash). There are still areas with it still there where I could not reach to clean it a year later. Good luck!!

The good news is that the dust appears to be from already cured concrete. I think they were scabbling the surface. So the dust is not hardening on the scooter, but it does stick to the point that a hose doesn't wash it off.

I'll try a low pressure washer with a more focused spray to see if that reaches into the hard to reach areas.

I would go back to the construction site and ask to talk to the site supervisor, they should be paying to get it cleaned off.

Wayne B

try using some simple green full strength and a soft brush to agitate it then rinse and rinse and rinse.

Simple full strength green will etch the aluminum.

Wayne B

A disparate deluded mixture 50/50 of water and hydrochloric acid (alias muriatic acid), wear gloves, eye protection and old clothes. Spray on mixture then flush off with water as fast as possible as it will etch the aluminum. Or if you want a 100% safe cleaner use "Poof". www.concretedecor.net/All_Access/804/Product-Profile-Concrete-cleaning-agent.cfm at www.koverkrete.com/manual/cleaners/poof.php Phone#(407)246-7797. Good luck!!!

Tough luck on the concrete...

There are a number of commercial concrete remover products that work somewhat well in helping to remove dried up cement (without too much damage to the paint). I've used a couple of them on mixers and such with decent results. I would get ahold of the manufacturers to find a local dealer (probably a construction supply house of some sort).

Try any of the following:

- ANKO Products
- RoMix
- Cement-X
- Zep, Inc. - Works well on tools...
- Crete-Buster (from Slick Willie) - works good...

The sooner you use any of the above the better!

Good luck,

Desi B.