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We Are A Dedicated Bunch.... Clean... Ride, Clean... Ride!


mags
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I hope I'm not the only one doing this... please tell me most of you do it???

Once home from a days ride on our bikes I spend the next 2,3,4 days cleaning and prepping the 2 bikes for next ride! That can be as soon as the next weekend!

First off I remove chains as they were getting tiny spots of corrosion from washing bike with them on, then removing. I have made a long tray that holds two chains flat and pour in kero and wash them easier now. Dry in sun when clean and leave in fav lube for a 1/2 day and hang to drip for a 1/2 day.

Next is washing the bikes.... remove tail sections, cover air filter inlet (cover ecu area on Cota), plug exhausts, remove radiator shrouds. Carbon fibre fork and swing arm covers off, wash and dry them for re-attach.

I have to gurney the tyres to get them pretty clean as we have bikes inside house at times to practice static. The rest of bike is hand washed and dried with a motorcycle drier... its like a hair dryer for motorcycles. Warm air comes from largish nozzle!

I also use water from my rainwater tank to wash them so no spotting of any surface with heavy mineral content water. This means after dryer no more needs to be done as far as removing water marks.

Every third ride day its change oil and filters on both bikes. Cota is a drama removing the casing but its a noble duty! Hehehehe. I have fitted hour meters now and that will cut down the over-servicing I was doing. I was changing oils every 3 rd ride day which could be a little as 6-7 hrs running. I'm happy with 12 hrs (recorded) and has doubled my ride days before changing stuff.

Then I go over bikes.... if no oil stuff I remove bash plates and clean them and under them. Clean chain guides.

Clean sprockets, lube where necessary, clean wheels, check spoke tension front and back, check tyre pressures, re-fit all pieces and Mr sheen the plastics. Look over stuff... check head stem for play et cetera, Re-fit chains, check tension.

She sparkles again !!! Ready for next ride....

I've never seen a dirty trials bike come off a trailer... only going on one! So many trials people must be the same??? Cleanliness and maintenance does alert you early to "issues" for fixing but I'm pretty proud pulling a sparkling bike out of van ready for first ride!

The other thing I've noticed... we seem to a very mechanical bunch in the main. No trial's workshop in my capital city! We all seem to do a heap of mech work ourselves?

Its great pastime and its a shame more kids don't learn some mech ability verses flicking buttons on the xbox controller.

Mags

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Having clean bikes is great. You are over cleaning on the chains. Nothing wrong paying attention to the chain. Just not every ride. Might be the lube you are using? We are a cheap bunch. Rarely do trials riders pay for mechanical work! Glad you are enjoying it.

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Well......you either love you bikes a lot or you are bored

Never met anyone who removed and soaked his chain every ride or removed the bash plate every ride

Good on ya for your dedication though

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Yeah ok! I'm overdoing it I see! It is our only hobby (motorcycles) and I do enjoy fiddling with them.

Good to see if I miss a clean or two its not the end of the world!

I might just say its pretty dusty and mostly dry where we ride...

Mags

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Johnny,

I use a WD40 type lube on the chains not a dedicated chain lube... found out the hard way its way to sticky for off-road. Its called INOX (theWD40 type stuff) and is a clear fluid. Its an Aussie only thing maybe?

Mags

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Hi Mags, Looks like the chain in the photo is due for adjustment as well as lube.

I spray my chain every ride, take it off to wash couple of times a year or as crud builds up. I use a good quality chain lube that is not sticky and dries a white colour. Since new 11 months ago and after riding twice a week, I have just had to adjust the chain for the first time. I'm not going to comment on time you spend on your bikes, I found time to clean/polish the spokes this week.

Cheers Taff

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Good pick up there Taff! Chain adjusted AND un-dusted! Hehehehe

Spoke polishing huh! I'm envious!!! (waxyWink) I've mucked around with a few show cars and have some trophies from motorcycle shows... a little of that has transferred to the trials bikes I suppose. Doesnt stop us getting them muddy or dirty though!!!

Mags

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I must be a horrible Trials bike owner.

Ride it, put it away.

Ride it, put it away.

Ride it, got really muddy, put it away, wash next day with power washer, put it away.

You get the idea, I don't spend a huge amount of time on cleaning my bike. (2003 so it is not exactly Show room condition), but if something breaks I fix it. Wash air filter a few times a season (3 or so). Lube chain just before every ride (Bel-Rey Super Clean)

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Johnny,

I use a WD40 type lube on the chains not a dedicated chain lube... found out the hard way its way to sticky for off-road. Its called INOX (theWD40 type stuff) and is a clear fluid. Its an Aussie only thing maybe?

Mags

I only use WD as a degreaser and water dispersant but never as a lubricant, it's pretty much kerosene or light solvent but it's a bad lube especially in high load situations

I don't even spray it on squeaky door hinges anymore cuz a couple weeks later the squeek comes back

If you don't like sticky, try chain lube but spray it from the inside of the chain

Then spray down a rag with WD and wipe the chain clean so the outer links don't have the gooey lube on them and nothing to stick to

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i really do see where you are coming from, i actually enjoy cleaning my bike but i cant see the point in doing certain jobs after so many hours, the only thing i do that with is my engine oil but other than that, in the UK, the weather changes by the hour some days or we can have long spells of dry hot weather and then long spells of rain (not so much spells of dry hot weather) or all four seasons in one day so my bike gets cleaned according to the last ride, it will always have a clean and i always check everything over but sometimes a bucket of water will do it and others i get the pressure hose out, the other thing i have noticed is, since having a trials bike i seem to keep on top of my car maintenance, i used to be really bad with cars but now i seem to enjoy it, even cleaning it.

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I clean my bike after most rides, but I don't dismantle it to do it. I don't have the time or feel the need when it is only going to get dirty again next ride.

I check it over usually night before a ride, before I load it in to the van, oil and adjust the chain if needed then ready to go.

I change the gearbox oil every few months depending on how much riding I have done.

TLTEL

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I did not mention, but cleaning my bike after a ride is, for me, not just running the hose over the bike but also looking for loose bits or damage. I also have a log book where I record purchases, repairs and services. I often grab a beer and flick through it and it's amazing how time gets away and I forget that the job I thought I did the other month was actually a couple of months ago. I had a new guy test ride my bike earlier this year (Sherco 07 200) he came back and asked if I do my own maintenance, I said yes regually, he said " it shows, a nice tight bike". Turns out he is a motorcycle mechanic, made me feel good.

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