cleaning your bike

[Jono mud slogger]

looking for some advice. I thought it may help others to share your ideas and methods / secret formula.

I always have a problem after cleaning down the bike, I try not to jet wash the bike, people say that is bad,

1) Do you use dish washing liquid and a soft brush, how long does it take you and is there really any substitue for elbow grease ???

2) How do you best clean the chain ???. Its always been a problem to me. I hate the black gunk that accumulates on the surface. ?

Do you even need to clean the chain after a ride, or do you just put that fancy tacky chain lube stuff on a dirty chain.

Some people after every ride pull the chain right off and soaking it in something over night, I really can't be bothered doing that, I've been tempted to jet wash it but I feel that to is a bad Idea..... Perhaps you should clean it with a blast of a solvent in a can like CRC 5.56.

There must be some ingenious and simple way of cleaning these chains out there somewhere. would love to hear your ideas and methods.

[hrpufinstuff]

I've got an o7 Beta and you really have to be careful with water, especially around the engine. You're going to get a bunch of different opinions here but here's my recommendation.

I use oxy-clean (about 1/4 scoop) per gallon of warm water. Dish soap works fine too. A garden hose, with or without a spray attachment. I rinse the bike, then use a brush with a handle(to save knuckles) to scrub off the dirt. Then rinse again carefully. blast around the rims and fenders but gentle around bearings and the motor.

Avoiding sticky (clay) mud, if at all possible, is a good idea because of the work required to remove it.

For the chain, I usually use the same brush to clean it. The key is to start with a clean chain, then don't use gummy tacky lube that requires you to scrub off the dirt every time you ride. A new chain comes with crap all over it. Diesel fuel will remove it.

This statement will cause some people to jump up and down in protest but I've done some testing and found that using nothing but wd-40 on my chains has produced the longest life. That's from actual testing on new chains and sprockets. I've also had good luck with honda chain lube. It's about the closest thing to wd-40 at five times the cost but if it makes anyone feel better, it's made for chains.

After washing, wipe the chain with an old rag, then spray it thoroughly, then wipe it off again. That's what works best for me.

[Pro_Marinero]

I use oxy-clean (about 1/4 scoop) per gallon of warm water. A garden hose, with or without a spray attachment. I rinse the bike, then use a brush with a handle(to save knuckles) to scrub off the dirt. Then rinse again carefully. blast around the rims and fenders but gentle around bearings and the motor.

You should type in all caps for this part. That way it will read like Billy Mays is TELLING YOU HOW TO USE OXY-CLEAN!!!!

[imc188222]

Ditto ^ on the WD40. I'm not real particular on how clean the chains are on my machines but spraying the chain with wd40 then holding a rag around the chain and turning the tire (by hand ? ) works good to clean most of the crap off, then spray the chain again. I do this every time I ride, my chains have lasted fine.

[polarity3232]

Hey there , I agree 100% with the guys regarding the WD-40 , the best way to go period. less crap on = less crap to scrub off !! and as far as washing there is no real way I have found other than old school elbow grease ! But for drying might I recommend another GREAT product from BILLY MAYS !! The Zorbie

Enjoy !! ? chad

[Frutta729]

You guys wash your bikes??

[ChrisDB]

Mean Green spray solution, avail everywhere - kicks tail. Wet bike to get most of the dirt off, spray w/ mean green, rinse, you're done. May require second application if really dirty. Won't harm plastics, rubbers, aluminum. This stuff disolves dirt. Fire bike up after slight drying, make sure rad fan kicks in a few times. Lube chain, park for next ride.

[BlackSCRunner]

Hey there , I agree 100% with the guys regarding the WD-40 , the best way to go period. less crap on = less crap to scrub off !! and as far as washing there is no real way I have found other than old school elbow grease ! But for drying might I recommend another GREAT product from BILLY MAYS !! The Zorbie

Enjoy !! ? chad

That video was awesome!...you're good to go son?

[Boom Boom]

I am a "greeny", washing bikes wastes water:moon:

Find your closest stream and ride until clean:banana:

[polarity3232]

I am a "greeny", washing bikes wastes water:moon:

Find your closest stream and ride until clean:banana:

Youre no "GREENY" You are an Imposter ! NO ONE so green as to not waste a few gallons of water washing it,would ever consider riding a (most likely) 2stroke off road machine spewing waste into the atmosphere

[2PLY]

About the same here.. Simple Green in a spray bottle for the naughty parts, a light wipe with washing mit on the rims and plastic, spray rinse avoiding the back of the fan motor and electrics at the flywheel, then dry the easy parts.

I fire it up for a spin and get the fan to cycle at least twice while dragging the brakes and spinning the water out of the chain. I shut the gas petcock and run most if not all of the fuel out of the float bowl and then spary the chain with WD-40 at the rollers on one side only as I spin the tire with the bike pushed over on the kick stand.

I alternate the WD-40 with Tri-Flow about every other application.

When out camping, I take along a garden style pump sprayer that holds about 2 gallons and use that to wash the bike with creek water or water I bring from home. Works really well with very little water and the wand makes it really easy to reach the muddy spots and it keeps me out of the creeks which is a sore spot for the Fish and Game department and our Greenie Spys that would love to photograph such activity.

[1992yz125]

I wait for all the mud to dry then brush it off with a soft brush. All of the mud just crumbles to dust and falls right off. then I give the bike a good spray, cover everything in Simple Green or Fantastic, let it sit for a few minutes, and then spray or brush the dirt off, depending on how stubborn it is. Get's the bike clean enough for me...

WD-40 has never worked for me. Only collects dirt becoming an impossible to clean mess. I found this Honda Lube stuff lying around, and it seems to work much better for me...

[redrider7202]

where do u guys buy simple green?

[2PLY]

where do u guys buy simple green?

Just about everywhere! Grocery stores, Home Depot, Costco, any place that sells cleaning supplies. I get it in the gallon bottles at Costco.

Don't waste your money on that Cycle-Wash stuff. It's really good but very expensive. Simple Green comes very close to doing just as good of a job.

[redrider7202]

yea... wow... i just looked on walmarts website... 40 bucks! i was like OMG! so then i googled them... their site is 6 bucks.

[treehopper]

I would like to officially announce that the smell of simpo-green makes me nauseous. Not just figuratively, but literally. It has the same smell as the stuff that the janitor used to soak up vomit in elementary school. Some kid would throw up on the first day of school, every year until the fifth grade it seems like. I was trained early in life to associate that smell with the act of hurling.

I wash my bike with soft brushes and car wash/wax. The wax seems to make the dirt not stick as bad. I have several brushes. Parts washer, pot scrubber and bottle washer. If there is a real pile of greasy dirt, I will scrub it with Gunk from the jug. I think some of the cleaners like Castrol Super Clean )they don't make it anymore?) are too aggressive around aluminum.

Also, I only wash my bike before an event, or if I get it muddy. I'll never understand guys that wash their bike every day. What do they think, some hot chicks are going to be out in the woods, and would be turned away by a dirty bike? ?

I use some bicycle chain lube, I forgot the name. It looks like mineral spirits, but it has some kind of EP lube in it, and it almost drys up, and doesn't attract dirt.

[Boom Boom]

OK polarity3232, you bit on me being a smart ass with the greenie coment. I honestly figured Laser or Fester would have been quicker on the draw to slam me.

At a number of events you will find bridges built across stream crossings to keep all the greenies happy.?

Strike up another vote for simple green and a long handle soft brush.?

Trust me, I am all to familiar with the power of the greenies, I am in the excavation business and have to deal with the regulations every day only to watch the local farmer let his cattle wander in the same stream that I have protected for fear a bit of dirt from my job site might wash in:banghead:

[redrider7202]

Quick thing about simple green. Do u guys use the basic regular stuff or that "extreme simple green precision equipment degreaser"? just wondering. i picked up the latter since it seemed more specifically designed for this stuff. it specifically says aluminum and carbon fiber safe. Anyway, if u guys use the regular stuff let me know, it's a buck or so cheaper and i can get the big gallon things of it.

[polarity3232]

Hey boom boom , its all good !! Im actually relieved that you WERE kidding !!

Cant fault a guy for bustin ya on that one , served up on a silver platter and all !! ? chad

[FESTER]

simple green,and wd40 all pivot points,and use your choice of chain lube.that way we dont get into a big shpeel about friggin chain lube.yz titen your chain a bit ,index finger between the cheek and gum.that way we dont get into a big shpeel about chain tension,what is a big shpeel is doogies birthday,poor kid was born in a manger in a 3rd world country with farm animal poop all over,and he miraculosely walked across the pond and resides in boston,home of cheers,happy b-day!