Keep Your Motorcycle Gleaming With These 5 Easy Cleaning Tips

Whether you’re competing or just enjoying a leisurely Saturday afternoon ride, keeping your motorcycle clean is a job worth doing it. From showing off your pride and joy to making sure your motorcycle parts last longer, here’s 5 reasons to clean your motorcycle this weekend and 5 tips to do the best job possible.

5 Reasons to Clean Your Motorcycle

1. Fight Back Against Corrosion

A dirty motorcycle is a sign of a good time. But letting that dirt get too comfortable can lead to rust and corrosion. Over time, corrosion will eat away at your bike, reducing its performance, making it unsafe to ride, and leaving you with a big bill for repairs and replacement parts.

2. Achieve Max Performance

If you want to get the most from your motorbike, keeping it clean is the way to go. This is because accumulated dust, dirt and grime can mean the various parts of your bike, like the chain, have to work harder to achieve less of a result. So to really see what your bike is capable of, make sure you clean it regularly.

3. Save on Repairs & New Parts

We touched on above how cleaning your motorcycle is a great way to prevent rust from taking hold and ruining various components. In addition to this, taking the time to thoroughly clean your motorcycle means you’re more likely to notice loose components, damage, leaks and other issues that may otherwise go overlooked. You can then sort them out before things get serious, saving yourself money and hassle.

4. Stay Safe on the Road

There are three key ways cleaning your motorcycle factors into your safety. Firstly, a clean motorcycle, particularly one with a clean windscreen and mirrors, means you have improved visibility of the road and other road users around you. Secondly, and in addition to the previous point, a sparkling-clean motorcycle will be more visible and noticeable to other road users. This can help minimise your risk out on the road from other traffic. Finally, along with causing rust, an accumulation of dirt and debris can actually stop moving parts of your motorcycle, leading to serious injury to yourself.

5. Make an Awesome First Impression

There’s nothing wrong with taking pride in your appearance, and if you love your motorcycle, you should want to see it look its best too. Regular cleaning will help keep it looking new, preserving the chrome and paint for longer. Additionally, if you ever wanted to sell your motorcycle, a clean one will always get far more attention and a higher price.

Our 5 Top Tips for the Perfect Motorcycle Clean Every Time

1. Wait for the Engine to Cool Before Starting Your Clean

Even if you’ve just had a particularly dusty ride, give your bike — and its engine — a chance to cool down before you get to cleaning. This stops you from accidentally getting burned, along with risking cracking the engine due to the fast temperature change.

2. Start With a Rinse to Make Your Job Easier

If it hasn’t had the time to really stick to your bike, a lot of dust and debris will come loose with a splash from a hose. Therefore, an efficient and effective bike clean should always start with a quick rinse. Just take care not to get water into your motorcycle’s exhaust system, or things can go south quickly the next time you go for a ride. And while it may be tempting to break out your pressure washer for this job, best leave it in the shed. High-pressure water can damage your bike and that’s the last thing you want when you’re trying to clean it.

3. Be Thorough to Catch All the Dust & Dirt

If you want the full benefits of cleaning your motorcycle, it’s important to take your time. So, get comfortable and really tidy up and gently clean each part of your bike. To do so, generally the best thing to clean bike parts with is a soft microfibre cloth. This soft cloth won’t scratch your bike, and will quickly pick up dust and debris.

4. Pay Extra Attention to the Chain

When we think about washing, generally it’s about getting rid of dirt and grease. However, washing your bike comes with a twist. For the chain to work properly, it needs to be well lubricated. Therefore, once you’ve given it a good clean and there’s no more crud clinging to it, don’t forget to lube it up again.

5. Use a Wax for a Sparkling Shine

For the cherry on top, use a special protectant or wax to leave your motorcycle gleaming. This will also help protect the paint and finish, and even make it easier for you to clean your bike next time.

Where to Buy Aftermarket Motorcycle Parts

Regularly and thoroughly cleaning your motorcycle will go a long way to ensuring you get the most out of each and every part of it. However, when the time comes for a new chain, sprocket or something else, you’ll get a great deal on quality motorcycle parts online at VPW.