La Cram Photography

 

Whenever you hop on your motorcycle or scooter and head out onto our glorious British pot-holey, salty, gritty, oily, bumpy unmaintained old roads, you will be getting your silver dream machine dirty. All the aforementioned contaminants will coat your bike with a thin film and start their job of causing deterioration. Without your attention and some serious cleaning, this coating of dirt can surreptitiously lead to real damage to your bike and shorten its lifespan.

Some of the problems which can arise from a dirty bike are as follows:

 

Abrasion
Dust grit, sand and salt can stick to the moving parts of your bike and form an abrasive mixture which can grind away at chains and sprockets for example, even stretching the chain or deforming the teeth on your sprockets over time. Brake components can get uneven wear from grinding damage caused by grit adhering to them.

Corrosion
If mud and water are allowed to coat steel parts, they can form a localised electrolyte layer which accelerates oxidisation. Moisture can be trapped against the metal and lead to crevice corrosion of chains, sprockets and bolts. If there is salt in the air if you live or ride by the sea then salt in the air can lead to a reddy brown ferric oxide coating the metal, which can progressively flake and weaken it.

Cooling
Air-cooled engines need to have clean fins for heat dissipation so a layer of mud reduces their effectiveness and can lead to the engine getting overheated and increase wear and tear.

Electrics
Water and grit can get into the connectors and cause corrosion, blocking connections and leading to electrical resistance or short circuits. This can cause misfires or stalls. 

Visibility
Dirty lights and indicators can reduce safety by reducing visibility. If headlamps are dirty and reflectors can't reflect due to a layer of grime, that can seriously impact safety.

 

So it makes sense to keep your motorcycle spick and span and here are a few pointers to make that easier...

Easy tips for cleaning:
Make sure that you don't clean your bike in direct sunlight. This can cause water and cleaning fluids to evaporate too quickly, leaving mineral spots which can damage paint work.
Let the engine cool down properly before you spray water onto it so that the cold water on the hot metal doesn't create micro cracks.

1 Get two buckets ready or a bucket and a hose, so you have one for soapy water and one for rinsing
2 Get your motorcycle wash or shampoo ready
3 Have a handy microfibre cloth ready
4 Get a small brush ready for the small spaces – an old toothbrush is good
5 Chain cleaner
6 Microfibre or chamois cloth for drying
7 Chain lube and protective spray

Rinse
First rinse the bike with a gentle wash to loosen up the mud and dirt so that it will come off more easily. Start at the bottom to pre soak the dirtiest bits which are nearest to the road like the tyres, chain and swingarm.

Soft Soap
Paintwork
Using a PH Neutral cleaner and a microfibre mitt clean the painted surfaces in straight motions to avoid circular scratches.
Engine and Frame
Scrub the engine and frame with a nylon brush, don't use a steel one which might scratch the coating.
Chain and Sprockets
Manually rotate the rear wheel and clean the chain with a chain cleaner.
Brake Discs
Wipe with soapy water don't use lubricants or oil anywhere near the brakes.
Radiator Fins
Wash gently with a soft brush and flowing water from the back side forwards and be very gentle so as not to damage the fins.
Rinse
Wash off all detergent residues really well to get rid of any leftover soap and alkaline deposits which might attract dust and make the paintwork dull
Dry
Dry the bike carefully using a microfibre cloth, making sure to pay particular attention to the electrical components.
Dry the chain and sprockets well to make sure they don't get rusty.
Check the brakes after washing to get the water film off the brake pads and discs.

Protection after washing
After you have washed your motorcycle thoroughly you will need to restore its protection against the elements. 
Apply a good chain lube to restore its anti-corrosion film.
Apply a wax or sealant to the paintwork to help form a hydroponic barrier and prevent dirt from sticking to it.
Spray exposed metal like bolts, chrome or footpegs with a thin film of anti corrosion spray.
Use a spray to resist water on electrical connectors to stop water getting in.
Clean your bike every time you go out in the mud.

While you are cleaning you can do a visual inspection of things like brake pad thickness and the condition of your discs. The tension of your chain, Tyre tread and foreign objects which might have become embedded. The integrity of your rubber seals and grommets. It is a good opportunity to do some checks just to make sure that everything is looking ok.

While you're at it make sure that your helmet gloves and boots are clean and dry too.

Riding Cleaner
Try to avoid flooded streets and puddles, as mud can get into your radiator fins and chain guides and water can get into your electrics.
Keep your distance from other vehicles so that you don't get sprayed with grit and water from the road ahead.

Rinse your machine after riding in salty areas or when the road has been salted due to ice as the salt will accelerate the corrosion rate.
Keeping your motorcycle clean is actually a form of preventative maintenance, not only cleaning off the dirt but meaning that you can perform visual checks at the same time and maybe prevent a future disaster.

Cleaning and maintenace products are all available from Wemoto.