PHOTOS: ANDREW FREDRICKSON
PHOTOS: ANDREW FREDRICKSON
here are a lot of reasons why you need a clean bike: you can see stress fractures or cracks in your frame, your bike will perform better, it’ll be less weight on your bike, and just for wear and tear. The more mud and stuff that builds up, the more stuff wears out.
First and foremost, I don’t really wash my seats. I like to either very lightly wash them or just spray them down. So first we’ll take off the seat and then the gas tank and the shrouds. Those are the most common areas where dirt will hide. If you take those three pieces off, you can get down into the frame and really wash the top of the engine and the bike properly.
Next, you’re going to need to plug your fuel line, throttle body, and or carburetor. Cover your air filter with a plastic bag, or if you have a filter cover, those are very nice. (I like to put a white towel in behind the filter cover in case any water does seep through.) Plug your exhaust too—if you spray water in there, you’ll saturate your exhaust packing and get mud and debris in there. You could even spray water as far up into the exhaust itself, and if you have a four-stroke, the valves are open. That water could actually go straight into the engine!
Use the pressure washer to get all the big chunks of mud off, get all the dirt and debris out from under the fenders and off your rims—anywhere that mud collects. Anywhere that you see mud, remove it.
Now, the fun part: the Slick Products Foam Gun! We’re using it with their Off-Road Wash. Go ahead and foam it up really good, then get your tank, shrouds, and the back of your seat that you took off. Keep in mind too, like I said, don’t really spray the seat too much, because you’ll make the foam wet. That’ll make it both stink and break down faster. (If it gets too wet, it can even add weight and throw off the bike’s center of gravity.)
Take a scrub brush and scrub the rims, spokes, and swingarm. Really get into key areas like under your controls. Dirt can hide there, and it’s kind of hard to hit under there with the pressure washer. Just take extra precautions when you’re using the scrub brush. Get underneath the swingarm, around the linkage, and anywhere else dirt might like to hide.
Really rinse that thing down good with a pressure washer. Get the footpegs well, and make sure to lift them up and spray in behind them. Also the pins—make sure you spray all the dirt out of the hole in the center of the pin. Rinse until there’s no soap left.
Next I like to take some aluminum acid and clean the pipe with a little piece of Scotch-Brite. It’ll do wonders for two-stroke and even four-stroke pipes. It’s a mild acid, so it actually just removes any oxidation in the pipe and brings back the true color. Make sure you get all that acid off the pipe with a rinse after.
Now start to wipe it down. Get the big water off with a hand towel, then you can move over to the shop air. Be careful, though. Don’t spray really hard around the electrical components, because it can actually force water into them.
Once your bike is completely dry, it’s time to apply some sort of shine-and-protect—actually a mild lubricant and a water displacer, so it will keep things from rusting and tarnishing. Then we’ll lube the chain. Make sure you do a very good chain lube to prevent rust. I like to apply it on the bottom side of the swingarm. That way, whenever you roll your tire over, it pulls it right onto the sprocket itself. After you lube your chain, you’re pretty much ready to reassemble the bike.
Pro Tips: Before washing, remove any skid plates or accessories. For cleaning bright white grips, use some degreaser first and then some contact cleaner if required. Chain lube tends to get all over the swingarm, so use a degreaser on that area first as well. Good luck, and keep it clean! 
