With nice weather and the workday safely in the rearview mirror, you decide it’s the perfect time to take your motorcycle out for a joyride…only to pull it out of the garage and find it’s a greasy, stained mess. It’s hard to feel good about riding a motorcycle that looks like you dug it out of the junkyard, so what can you do?
Well, we’re glad you asked. With this guide on the top 5 helpful tips for cleaning a motorcycle, you’ll never have to worry about riding a filthy hog ever again! So let’s not waste any more time and jump right into things!
- Cover Up Your Motorcycle
Before you start cleaning your motorcycle, one of the first things you’ll want to do is place protective covers over the exhaust, mufflers, air filter, and switchgear. This is so water doesn’t leak into them while you’re cleaning the motorcycle, which can cause some nasty damage if you’re not careful. You should also cover up all exposed electronic components to prevent water damage or electric shock.
Getting cover is also important after cleaning your motorcycle. Getting a waterproof or cloth cover to protect your beloved motorcycle will help shield it from the elements and keep it clean when stored outside.
- Temperature is Important When Cleaning a Motorcycle
Another important aspect of cleaning a motorcycle is making sure you keep the temperature in mind. For example, you should try to use cooler water to clean your motorcycle in the fall and winter seasons. This is because your motorcycle can pick up corrosive rock salt placed on the ground to stop snow during these seasons, and hot water will accelerate the damage the salt does before you clean it off.
You should also give the engine time to cool off after running it before you clean the motorcycle. Otherwise, the coldness of the water against the heat generated by the engine will put your motorcycle through thermal shock. This will damage both the exterior and inner parts of your motorcycle.
- Materials and Order of Operations Matter
You should also make sure you pay attention to what materials you use to clean your motorcycle. Fort example, make sure to dilute any powerful cleaning agents you use so you don’t scratch away any of the paint.
Paying attention to what order you clean the bike in is also important. You’ll want to start from the bottom going up so you’re rubbing less residual dirt across the paint.
- Don’t Neglect the Chain
If your motorcycle uses a chain, you should make sure to lubricate and clean it during the cleaning process. This helps the chain keep moving and not get stuck while the motorcycle is in operation.
- Drying a Motorcycle Properly
Finally, you’ll want to stay away from using towels to dry your motorcycle and aim for compressed air instead. This is because towels are rougher on the motorcycle exterior and require more work on your part (arduous scrubbing) to get the motorcycle dry.
Riding Off Into the Sunset
Now that you have this guide to the top 5 tips for cleaning a motorcycle, you’re ready to spritz up your ride and head off into the sunset! And if you’re looking for more tips on motorcycle care and maintenance, make sure to check out the other posts on our blog!
