Tips and Tricks to Cleaning a Motorcycle

HINTS

 * 1) HINT brushes are very handy to have on hand for cleaning the many crevices and hard to reach places a motorcycle has such as the engine, drive chain, wheels, under the seat, etc. A dish pan brush is a good place to start. A special chain cleaning brush, like the Grunge brush, make chain cleaning a whole lot more efficient.
 * 2) HINT buy a box of disposable rubber/vinyl gloves for dirty tasks like cleaning and lubing the chain or changing the oil. Used motor oil is carcinogenic.
 * 3) HINT liquid dish detergent and car wash detergent are not the same thing liquid dish detergent will remove wax.
 * 4) HINT put some kerosene or diesel fuel (they are the same thing) in a plastic dispenser bottle like the plastic bottles restaurants use for ketchup or old spray bottle to use as a chain cleaner and grease remover. WD-40 can be used instead but will be more expensive.

DOS

 * 1) DO use kerosene, WD-40 or other grease remover to clean the exterior of the engine and the chain castoff from the rear wheel and other parts of the bike before cleaning the bike with water and detergent. This will allow the detergent wash to remove the oily residue of the degreaser.
 * 2) DO apply a spray on wax/polish after cleaning to protect the paint and plastics. Recommend Cling.
 * 3) DO use ArmorAll or other vinyl protector on the seat if it is not leather.
 * 4) DO always rinse off road salt as soon as possible as this accelerates rust.
 * 5) DO clean the chain roughly every ~600 miles/1000kms. Clean the chain before, not after washing the bike as this will spray the bike with dirty cast off degreaser. The actual frequency of chain cleaning will depend on how dirty and dusty your chain gets. See the Chain Maintenance WIKI. A grimy and gritty chain will wear out much faster.
 * 6) DO buy a Grunge brush or some other brush to clean your chain. It makes the task a lot easier.

DON’TS

 * 1) DON'T clean your tires with tire cleaner or brightener or Armorall. This will make them slippery and reduce traction.
 * 2) DON'T use corrosive cleaners on your bike like oven cleaner to remove stains. There are many aluminum parts that can be damaged. Only use aluminum safe products.
 * 3) DON'T get chain lube or degreaser like WD-40 or kerosene on the tires as this will make them slippery and the motorcycle dangerous to ride. If you do, wash it off with detergent and water before riding.