Cleaning your dirtbike

KDXFORU · Mar 19, 2005

I looked around on the search feature but really wasn't sure what to search for. Anyway here goes.

Whats the best way to clean your bike to keep it in tip top shape. (I know soap and water) no I am saying do you strip all the fenders and all the little stuff off so you can get in all the nooks and cranys. Or high pressure wash and a rag on a stick to get in there. I know it takes time and I am willing to put that it, heck i made it dirty i don't mind cleaning it. Just wondering if there are any tricks of the trade.
Steve

css_elfers · Mar 20, 2005

After washing my bike with soap and water I take Mr. Clean and spray my bike down everywhere and wait a couple of minutes then hose it off again. That keeps it pretty clean. Every so often you'll have to take it apart and clean it up good.

ELF

RACINRAY · Mar 20, 2005

i wash after every ride just so i can get a good visual on everything i like to call it the damage report every second ride i service it [ 2 stroke ] what i do for washing i use the same wash i use for the truck and after i am done that i will take a brush to the chain scrub it a bit then hit the hard parts engine,chain,trailing arm,rims, with simple green let sit for 5 minutes hose off bike looks like new. :cool:

G. Gearloose · Mar 20, 2005

Different shape brushes truely make it easier and more effective.

A toilet brush,snipped on one side with wire cutters (roll the sharp edge onto itself) is great for the tight, small stuff.

Use soap for dirt and degreasers for degreasing (for instance, simple green is a fantastic on dirt but a lousy degreaser,

Having one product for each, you end up using less total chemical.

Knobbyjake · Mar 20, 2005

I tried Eagle One all wheel cleaner on my kid's bikes yesterday after reading about using wheel cleaner on the Woodsrider.com board. Hosed off all the heavy mud then sprayed them down with wheel cleaner. Both bikes came out excellent. I got the cleaner at Big Lots for $1.49 a bottle. I would think any wheel cleaner as long as it's ALL wheel cleaner( aluminum, chrome, plastic hubcap etc., safe) would work. I'm sold! :cool:

domino dave · Mar 20, 2005

After doing this for a lot of years,I use dishwashing soap and a variety of different shape brushes (lemon fresh Joy is my favorite .... smells good!).I stay away from high pressure washing. Don't want to blow any water into my bearings.One tip I was given a while back was to wipe down my plastic with Armor All to keep the mud from sticking so bad.Can't say it helps that much,but sure makes my bike look better. Dave

KDXFORU · Mar 20, 2005

Thanks All that was the info I was looking for. :cool:

cicone · Mar 20, 2005

...and if you want your plastics to have a gloss finish, you might apply an acrylic floor polish like Future...works for me

Casper250 · Mar 20, 2005

Power wash my bike after every ride. I have a vegatble sprayer filled with Simple green and water at an 80/20 ratio. Spray down the bike, let sit, and spray off. Works good if you clean your bike after every ride, doesn't let the dirt sit and dry up. Another trick is to lay your bike on it's side and power wash it. You can get to more places that you would over look if it was just on it's stand.

fundgh · Apr 27, 2005

I learned a lesson yesterday...Certain Degreasers will screw up your aluminum finish! I have an "All Purpose Cleaner and Degreaser" that I bought at the Auto Parts store. I used it to wash an old CR that has a fairly dull finish on everything and it seemed to work ok, especially at cutting grease! But when I sprayed it on my KDX (which the previous owner had Polishid ALL of the Aluminum) and washed it off, I got $*&#ed. It looks like the degreaser has ill effects on Aluminum. There are spots and drip marks on all of the polished surfaces, and even the wheels. It sucks that my shiny bike now looks like a used dirtbike, but I don't ride in parades or anything. But be careful what you spray on your bike! After seeing this I read the bottle and it says Don't use on : blah blah, Aluminum, etc.
Oh well, lesson learned!

ellandoh · Apr 27, 2005

i found that armor all doesnt help me with mud but it does make dust stick badly other than that i use a power washer and dont blast the bearings. i would guess a good power spray isnt much worse for lubed points than chemicals

GAT · Apr 27, 2005

I have to agree with fundgh about certain cleaners on your aluminum. I had the same problem with the kind that Home Depot sells. But I found that Super Clean...the purple cleaner from and auto parts store does great on everthing. Also what I found that works great for me is after the bike drys I take some WD-40 and spray my whole bike down(except for the seat.....it does the same as armorall....you will slide off for sure). The WD-40 seams to help with the dirt and grime from sticking to the bike so well.

Woodsquest · Apr 28, 2005

I dip a bucket into the hot tub then add a hand full of Tide powder laundry detergent. The warm soapy water gets rid of all sorts of stains just like on the commercials with the T shirts. The trick is to let the enzymes sit and deslove the crud.
The Super Clean (purple stuff) works good but keep it on aluminum only for a bit. It will etch. Don't use any product with acid. Some wheel cleaners, Lime Away, etc.
For detail; I use a hand operated steamer. The type sold on infomercials where the pretty lady is cleaning the gaskets on her fidge or the baked on junk in the oven. Gets that red clay stain off everything.
I like the toilet brush idea! Thanks!

tominator · Apr 28, 2005

I got tired of blasting my stickers off with my power washer. Simple-Green 50:50 with water washes off easy and cuts the dirt. A toilet bowl brush helps too. Most other cleaners seem to leave a film.

WildBill · Apr 29, 2005

I typically rinse off the heavy stuff with the garden hose and then hit it good with Simple Green. I'll hitthe tight areas with different brushes and then hose it off. So far the best that I have found. I typically avoid the power washer to minimize the risk of forcing anything past the seals.

Protozoa · Apr 29, 2005

For a degreaser I use the concentrate found at Costco. It doesn't etch the aluminum so far (I use a lot less now that I have the bike properly jetted). I also spray a lot of WD-40 afterward to disperse the water from the chain, controls, fork seal area, etc. My bike has fork boots, but on my son's KTM I spray WD-40 on the fork tubes, bounce the bike which makes the dirt stick to the WD-40, wipe it off and repeat until I stop pulling up dirt.

Papakeith · Apr 29, 2005

Wash? what is this wash you speak of? :think:

Green Hornet · Apr 29, 2005

Nothing for nothing-Whats wrong with a good old hose, sponge & cleaner. I think a power washer is a little to much. I use the above and the sponge works great for getting into those hard to reach places. After I'm done the bike is super clean. Of course you may need to justify the purchase of the power washer to your wife-In that case disregard. Just my 2 cents.

Jack

mikej43 · Apr 30, 2005

For two years now have been useing "Pink Stuff" a brand name of cleaner. You mix 48 oz to one gallon of water.
Put it all in a 2 gallon lawn/garden pump sprayer. Around 13 bucks at Walmart for the sprayer. Then just pump it up and spray it on, wait 5 minutes and simply spray off with a garden host. Skip the pressure washers, injects too much water in areas you don't want to force it into. Seal,chain roller, graphics, bearrings. Also carefull forcing soap and residue onto brake pads. Light scrubbing and additional Pink Stuff on especially dirty spots help with finish cleanning.
When all done, simply store the sprayer and keep on hand for next time.

kwb377 · May 1, 2005

I used a pressure washer for awhile, but found it was easier to just use my car wash bucket with soapy water and a brush. I usually pre-soak the entire bike with Simple Green...comes out nice and shiny! :)

KdxChode · May 3, 2005

I use concentrated degreaser too. Every kind I have ever used says it's not safe for aluminum. I haven't noticed any ill effects to my bike but I don't have any polished parts like fundgh. So anyway, I just spray all the mud off, spray with cleaner, let sit five minutes then hose off very well.

Oh yea get a plug for your pipe or stuff a rag in it.

Lance__a__lot · May 3, 2005

I used to use a brush and warm water with a simple car cleaner/wax wash. But now I use a water blaster and have to say its fantastic. Done is quater of the time and it cleans in places I could never get to, especially when tipped on it's side. Awesome for getting that mud mixed with chain lube off your sprocket and chain. And it rips all that mud off your motor and radiators so they look new. I use a citrus degreaser and have had no worries. Things to keep in mind, don't spray directly into wheel and linkage bearings. Or the steering head. Might want to avoid behind the headlight to or it means taking the bulb out to let it dry. I also stuff the airbox with newspaper and cover it with a shopping bag and then i can go nuts and not wet the filter. This means I can start and run the bike as soon as it's finished to dry everything out. Oh and goes without saying to avoid getting water down the exhaust.

The Brown Fonz · May 3, 2005

arrrgh freaking degreaser.

I must stop using that... I'm trying that Eagle One all wheel cleaner.!!

thanks guys

Kwakasaki · May 4, 2005

I have 4 bikes. We wash them after every ride. I use a couple ounces of puprle clean mixed with water in a 2 gallon pump up sprayer. After we hose the mud off i spray them down, let them sit a few minutes without drying and hose off. It hasnt effected any aluminum or color for me and they come out spotless. :ahhh: If I had learned this before I bought a $500 pressure washer I wouldnt have a $500 dust collector now. :bang:

Cleaning your dirtbike

KDXFORU

css_elfers

RACINRAY

G. Gearloose

Pigment of ur imagination

Knobbyjake

domino dave

KDXFORU

cicone

Casper250

Motosapien

fundgh

ellandoh

dismount art student

GAT

Woodsquest

I love DRN!

tominator

WildBill

Protozoa

Papakeith

COTT Champ Emeritus

Green Hornet

mikej43

kwb377

KdxChode

Lancealot

The Brown Fonz

Kwakasaki

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Cleaning your dirtbike

Pigment of ur imagination

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