Okay, I went out Saturday and got my bike dirty (muddy, actually) for the first time. Not just the first time for the bike, the first time for me, ever on a bike. It was incredible. I knew it was going to be fun, but I have thought of little else since.

Anyway, my question is about cleaning. I basically just sprayed the bike of with my garden hose attachment. I have seen my neighbor using a pressure washer on his MX bike, but I am little nervous about forcing water into places where water ain't 'sposed to be. Is this recommended? Are there cleaning solutions recommended?

Deej said he used Purple something. How would this or any other product be used. I would assume one should spray off most of the loose mud, then spray the bike with a solution, then scrub where needed, then spray again.

I realize that this may seem like reading the instructions on a bottle of shampoo (wash/rinse/repeat), but I really am a little nervous about getting things wet that shouldn't get wet. I know that pretty much anything on the bike is fair game when we are running through water, mud, etc., but I just wonder if there is a difference if there is sustained exposure and so forth.

Anyone want to take me to school. Don't worry about insulting my intelligence. What little intelligence I have is pretty thick-skinned, so insult away.

Thanks,
Chris

 

You can use a presure washer but be carefull and use the wide spray attachment and never hit the chain or any bearing areas like where the axles are. Any seals or electrical parts can be damaged by a presure washer . I use one to clean my ATVs and they get real dirty just use some caution. Sometimes it works best on the engine as it gets hot and bruns the mud to it but the rest of the bike can just be hosed off and sprayed with any cleaner as deej uses .....

 

I use a 2400psi power washer on mine. Not every time but more often then not. I just use regular dish soap and water as the cleansing solution. Like BadBear said, stay away from the bearings with high pressure. I do spray the crap out of the chain though, and then as soon as it dries I lube it up real good. A frequenly cleaned and lubed chain is a happy chain

like the bottle says, wash,rinse, repeat

 

All right, I am just going to lay it right out there and show just how very little I know about my new toy. Where exactly would I expect to find bearing? I am assuming at each axle. Any other areas. Also, it looks like there are little electrical connections all over the place. It looks to me like a pressure washer might be more trouble than it is worth with all of the areas that I would have to avoid, unless I am just being overly paranoid. I can't afford to screw this baby up though.

Thanks for holding my hand.

 

By the way, here is the bike after my foray into the mud hole. It doesn't look like much in this pic, but it looked pretty good.

The main reason I am posting this is to practice posting large pics. We will see if this works.

 

Dish soap is the last thing you want to use on any motor vehicle with a painted surface. Dish soap is made to break down oils, which is what your paint is made of.


Here's a quote from the Turtle Wax site about dish soap:
Q: Why should I use a formulated car wash and not a dish detergent to wash my car?

A: Household detergents even "mild" dishwashing soaps are designed to work in hot water and cut through grease. Household detergents can strip away wax, leaving your paint unprotected. Zip Wax® Car Wash is specially formulated to remove tough dirt and grime. The non-streak, pH neutral formula gently cleans, rinses thoroughly and leaves no spots.


Even the cheapest automotive soap would be better then dish soap. Soap is cheaper then re-painting. I always use an automotive soap that has "wax" in it, as well, that will help keep the paint "wet" in between waxing/polishing sessions, that I try to do twice a year, though, usually only once a year, with spray waxes a couple times a year.

I don't use a pressure washer. I use a regular hose with a spray head attachment, sheep skin mitt and a soft acrylic bristle brush, made for automotive cleaning. Then, I use a leaf blower to dry it off, to prevent rust.

For grease and chain lube flung on to various parts, you can use Simple Green and other various cleaners like the Purple Power cleaner, though, it says on some of them to not use on coated/non-coated aluminum, plastic/paint, so, watch the warning labels.

I'm not saying that pressure washing is bad, but, I rather not take any chances.

Laters,
CRT_Leech

 

Use caution when you are cleaning the areas that have decals. Pressure washer will take them off if you are not careful.

 

I just take mine to the local car wash. I just blast all the non sensitive parts and carefully shoot the rest without the trigger pulled. Then I ride her dry. No soap. I polish the plastics and tank with a dry towel when I get home. I also have a plug for my Muzzy so I dont get any water in there.

[IMG]local://upfiles/1617/AFD8E42BBB8443938C7546495BB9B910.jpg[/IMG]

 

Hey cwgoff - that bike is PERFECT the way it is - don't clean it!

 

Only thing I see wrong with that bike and it will only take a minute to fix is the seat strap Looks real without it and the longer its on there the bigger imprint it makes in the seat IMO