Just like frequent oil changes, cleaning your motorbike is just a part of "healthy" motorcycle maintenance, with the difference that you will likely clean your bike a lot more often!

If you are like most people, you will like your bike a lot better when it is nice and shiny. I am sure you also prefer not getting your clothes messy when mounting and dismounting your ride. Your passengers may like your bike better, too, when it is clean!
Keep in mind that there are certain agents like gasoline, for example, that may eat at your paint after an accidental spill at the gas station. Some countries overseas prefer to de-ice their roads with mineral salt and if you live near the coast you may need to consider the ocean climate, as well, as a mixture of saltwater and oxygen can speed the build-up of rust.
As you see, cleaning your bike after every ride can become a real necessity at times!

I would like to share a few steps I take when cleaning my motorcycle - here we go:

1.Use hot soapy water and a soft sponge to loosen up dirt and bugs.

2.Always clean from top to bottom - gravity always washes dirt DOWN!

3.Rinse soap off promptly to keep it from drying on your bike. Use filtered or distilled water on the final rinse to prevent ugly hard water stains.

3.Use a "fuss"-free cloth to PAT-dry painted parts - don't rub or you might put tiny swirls into your paint job. Just wipe off the chrome and stainless steel parts.

4.Apply wax ("Turtle"-brand wax works well) to the painted parts only, let it sit for a minute or two. Make sure to avoid putting wax on rubber and plastic pieces. Then polish all the parts with another soft cloth until all wax is removed and everything is perfectly shiny!

5.Apply appropriate lube to your moving parts, such as the drive chain, as suggested by the motorcycle manual, to keep your bike not only clean, but also in proper working condition.

6.If you like, you can use chrome cleaner for all your chrome accessories, tire cleaner for the tires (avoid putting cleaner on the thread as it can make your tires slippery and endanger you on the road) and leather treatment for seat and saddlebags as needed.

7.Always use quality products to clean and shine up your ride following the instructions provided on the container - products of lesser quality can ruin the looks of your bike. Keep it nice!

And now- HAPPY CLEANING!

Learn more about this author, Petra Sando.
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