Motorcycle Cleaning Tips

We’d all rather be riding our bikes than washing them, but sometimes there’s no getting around it. If your bike isn’t all that dirty—or if you lack the neat-freak gene—go with an all-surface cleaner. Spray it on, hose it off, and call the job done. But let’s say you’ve put off washing for so long you’ve forgotten what color your bike was originally or you’re putting the old screw up for sale and you need it to look its best. In this case the wash is more involved, but the results are worth it.

Start with a cold bike, parked in the shade. Cleaners and polishes work best on cool surfaces. Rinse the bike with clean water to sluice away loose dirt and make the cleaner’s job easier. A garden hose with your thumb over the end creates about as much pressure as you should use to avoid blowing water past wheel-bearing seals and under side covers and seats. Covering the brake master-cylinder reservoirs with plastic bags secured by rubber bands during the entire wash helps keep the fluid moisture-free.

Fill two buckets, one with cleaning solution and the other with plain water for rinsing. Get a faux-fleece wash mitt, and leave the sponges in the kitchen. The dirt they pick up stays on the surface of the sponge and can get ground into the paint, creating small scratches. A wash mitt’s thick pile keeps the dirt away from your paint until you rinse it in the clean water.

Start at the top of the bike and work down. Dip the mitt in the cleaning solution, apply it to the bike, and rinse it in the clean water. Don’t use a lot of pressure on the mitt, especially on painted surfaces. Use a soft-bristled paintbrush or a worn toothbrush to work cleaner into hard-to-reach places. Don’t let the mitt get oily, and change the rinse water when it gets dirty.

Rinse the bike to remove any remaining cleaner. It’s okay to use a sprayer to get into hard-to-reach places, as long as you avoid brake reservoirs, calipers, and bodywork covering electrical components. For a final rinse, remove the sprayer and pour water over the bike so it runs off in sheets––this prevents spotting.

Dry the bike with a chamois, or take it for a ride to burn off the excess water. Don’t shut it away in the garage warm and wet; steam rising off the hot parts causes or accelerates corrosion and leaves water spots when it dries. Lube the chain.

If you’re detailing the bike, now’s the time to tackle scratches and swirls in the paint with rubbing compound. Use the right grade for the job or you’ll make things worse. Next do the plastic, vinyl, and chrome, using the appropriate polishes, treatments, and essences of monkey glands for each surface. Don’t spray treatments on the bike; the overspray will spot your just-washed paint. Spray the treatment on a cloth and apply it carefully to the surface. Use Q-tips to get into tight spots on instrument panels and switch boxes. Use polish on the chrome and aluminum, but don’t go all Rambo with them—metal polishes contain abrasives. Although lots of riders put rubber treatment on the sidewalls of the tires, most tire manufacturers advise against it. Don’t use it on the seat, the grips, or the footpegs. Ever. You don’t want every point of contact you have with the bike to be slippery.

Windscreens require special attention. During the initial wash, flush away as much crud as you can with water—pick it off with your fingers, if necessary—then use a chamois or a very soft cloth to remove the rest. Now apply plastic cleaner, swirling it gently using your hand to avoid scratching. Harsh solvents can damage the plastic, causing tiny surface cracks called crazing that weaken and cloud the material. Make sure your bike-wash cleaner is safe for clear plastic, and take extra time to rinse off the surface dirt before you apply plastic-approved cleaner or polish.

What’s On The Neatnik’s Shelf:

» Motorcycle-specific cleaner. Either an all-surface, spray-on-hose-off cleaner like those from S100 or Mothers, or a wash solution you mix with water. If it’s safe for cars odds are it’s okay to use on motorcycles, too, but don’t chance it. Dishwashing liquid is tough on grime but can be tough on paint too, so leave it in the kitchen.

» Wash mitt. Lifts the dirt off the surface and keeps it from scratching the paint until you rinse it out. Avoid oily spots that will stain the mitt. Toss it in the washing machine after each wash so you know it’s clean for the next time. No sponges, no old T-shirts; they just grind the dirt into the paint.

» Gunk rags. Use these to clean up oil and grease you don’t want clogging up your wash mitt. If you buy them in a bag make sure they’re new. Used ones get laundered before they’re packaged for sale, but small bits of metal and dirt can stay behind. Heavy-duty disposable paper towels work well too.

» Brushes. Use them to get into tight spots. Park Tool’s Cleaning Brush kit comes with four brushes of various sizes and shapes for reaching behind sprockets, around frame tubes, between spokes, and for cleaning tire sidewalls (whitehorsegear.com; $21). Paint brushes, dish brushes, and old tooth brushes work well, too.

» Polishes and treatments. One each for vinyl, chrome, plastic, and bare metal. Rubbing compound for removing small scratches; start with the light stuff, and go up a grade if you need more abrasion. Read the packaging; not all of these are safe for every surface.

» Cotton swabs. Put some rubber or plastic treatment in a paint-can cap and dip the swab into it to detail tight or hard-to-reach areas like handlebar switches. Also good for removing excess wax from the insides of emblems with raised lettering or around the edge of tank badges and bodywork seams.

» Drying equipment. A handheld chamois works fine. Don’t wipe the water. Blot it and wring the chamois out frequently. Air dryers are faster, but a leaf blower works 
just as well. You can also ride your bike dry.

» Wax. The final step in a good wash is wax. A coating of wax protects the paint and makes it harder for dirt to stick so the next wash will go faster. Waxes with their own applicators are a plus, saving rags and cloths for other duties. Use care with spray-on wax to avoid spotting areas you just washed. Apply it regularly between washes and you won’t have to wash as often.