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Bike Cleaning Procedure


flyingpeach
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I'm new to bikes and wondered what most people do as a general routine regarding bike cleaning, any tips would be appreciated. I know it sounds like a simple question but you never know, some peoples idea of a good thing could be a bad thing in other peoples eyes.

Edited by FlyingPeach
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Many will argue the point, but i like things CLEAN, specially when I must do maintenance. Therefore, on the Sherco I will pull the mudguard and tank, remove the air filter for inspection and plug the hole with a closed cell foam block, plug exhaust and fuel line then pressure wash using soap first then blast the the crapofit!

Everything gets clean, although there a few areas that you do not want to blow water into and be careful such as rear linkage, steering head, mag cover. Too much pressure is not good!

I blast the chain clean with the hot water w/ turning. Wash mudguard and tank separately.

Bike back home on stand, blow out excess water from everything and apply WD or tri-flow to everything that(moves) needs it, including all spoke nipples and chain, polish exhaust, check tightness on items and fix anything that is even questionable. Wipe down all other surfaces with a rag with the WD and spot treat anything that looks like it needs it. Pull mag cover to insure dryness and or clean and treat.

With everything good and clean, I can give things a close look. At least every other trial, depending. Takes about an hour plus any needed repairs od adjustments.

Minor issues may or may not be diferred untill major maintenance intervals when you do things like re-pack all your bearings and such, yet if you do attend to minor issues in a progressive sense, you have fewer added problems and things to deal with along the line.

Things that come to mind, such as loose levers(bushings), worn grips, dirty throttles, bent bars can really add up and detract from your good riding time. Just make a point to do a bit at a time progressively and do not let things run down. As a Happy bike will usually get you a lot further down the line.

My thoughts, ;)

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Copemech... we must have been to the same school! I do the same. My bike ALWAYS looks great. It also gets a quick wipe over with Armorall/plastic polish.

Tip - do not lube the throttle tube to handle bars, and keep it free of dirt.

Hey there Ralphy, I do not disagree with you on the throttle thing, ran that way for a few, yet I have come to apply just a bit of light oil(usually old tranny fluid) to the throttle tube to keep things smoother, as even dry you will get some dirt.

I run a very close fit with the bar ends too, with the ends of the Renthal grips gently ground out with the dremel tool sander.

Occasional cleaning is still a must, but I can go months if I do not drop it in the sand!

;)

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copemech Posted Today, 10:55 PM

QUOTE (NZRalphy @ Nov 25 2008, 02:33 AM) *

Copemech... we must have been to the same school! I do the same. My bike ALWAYS looks great. It also gets a quick wipe over with Armorall/plastic polish.

Tip - do not lube the throttle tube to handle bars, and keep it free of dirt.

Hey there Ralphy, I do not disagree with you on the throttle thing, ran that way for a few, yet I have come to apply just a bit of light oil(usually old tranny fluid) to the throttle tube to keep things smoother, as even dry you will get some dirt.

I am using graphite at the moment. been using for a couple months, seems to do the trick of making it smooth action but does not encourage dirt to stick. So far so good. not sure what I will find out long term.

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I am using graphite at the moment. been using for a couple months, seems to do the trick of making it smooth action but does not encourage dirt to stick. So far so good. not sure what I will find out long term.

Hummm, that is an idea too! ;)

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My god there is someone out there who is as annul as I am. My wife and son tell my buddies that I "floss" not wash my bike. A couple things I do to my Beta. 1) I spray the entire bike down with Simple Green (full strength) and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes or so. 2) Depending on riding conditions (if it was wet and even mildly muddy) I remove brake pads front and rear and clean them with a Scotch Brite pad 3) I wipe down the bike with a sponge and more Simple Green. This is where I usually find broken, bent or missing items. 4) I never, ever use a pressure washer. Don't need it, see item (8). 5)After rinsing bike down I take the bike for a spin to fling all water off chain (and heat it up), rotors etc. 6)Spray the chain down really well with WD (Water Dispersion) as well as all shock linkage and other bike joints. 7) I use a Scotch Brite pad to clean off rotors and brake pads (when removed). 8) I use a good quality car wax every few months to polish up hard to reach places and spots that get muddy easy. This does an amazing job of keeping mud and dirt off making it easier to clean like hubs and wheels. At one muddy ride this year my buddies were baffled at how my wheels stayed clean while theirs were a mess. 9) I always remove ignition cover after washing and spray with WD. Don't throw away old tooth brushes, they are great at getting crap out of places you can't reach, like the carb. A brass wire brush works great at clean crap off the chain.

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What is this "bike cleaning" that every one refers to???? :)

I just blast with power washer, and lube chain. Once a year my air filter gets cleaned whether it needs it or not. :thumbup: Maybe twice if I get real energetic.

:)

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Copemech... we must have been to the same school! I do the same. My bike ALWAYS looks great. It also gets a quick wipe over with Armorall/plastic polish.

Tip - do not lube the throttle tube to handle bars, and keep it free of dirt.

I use powdered teflon to lube the throttle tube and pulley. Works great. I have used teflon mold release with good results as well. Just remove the pulley cover and squirt the powder in.

Ciao

DFW

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I use powdered teflon to lube the throttle tube and pulley. Works great. I have used teflon mold release with good results as well. Just remove the pulley cover and squirt the powder in.

Ciao

DFW

There you go Zipper!!!!!! Powdered Teflon, I have not seen that!

Teflon, slickest substance known to man!

You see, this is where we get into a mute point I think.

I have thought long about this, but for me, the good olt throttle is like sex. You need a bit of lubrication, but not too much, as you also need some tactile feedback on what is going on there! Same with the spring pressure on the slide! Make it too light and there is little feedback plus risk of a jamb! :thumbup:

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There you go Zipper!!!!!! Powdered Teflon, I have not seen that!

Teflon, slickest substance known to man!

You see, this is where we get into a mute point I think.

I have thought long about this, but for me, the good olt throttle is like sex. You need a bit of lubrication, but not too much, as you also need some tactile feedback on what is going on there! Same with the spring pressure on the slide! Make it too light and there is little feedback plus risk of a jamb! :thumbup:

I have a metal throttle tube and don't want to risk galling!

DFW

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something I always try to to before loading the bike up after a trial is swill off the worst of mud etc. A bucket and brush and a puddle or stream makes an awful lot of difference when you get home. If nothinhg available I always atleast try and go home with clean tyres by riding throgh long grass etc. It is amazing how much mud collects in the tread block and is really time consuming to get rid of.

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