Ok, so i've got my 2013 KLX250s, I wash it after almost every ride. Not spit shine, just to make sure theirs no dirt on it etc. Theirs the occasional times I forget too or don't have time to clean it. I do some dirty riding, but mostly street, my problem is, the bike is already started to rust? My rims are all starting to get rust spots, my motor and aswell as the frame. Am I cleaning it wrong?? I clean by pressure washer, although not too close, just to get the mud and grim off, every time I park the bike for a while I spray it entirely with White grease (tip from another forum!) and every few months I do a crazy through cleaning.. This started recently. IT's not bad rust, but it's starting and it's bothering me...

Any advice? Stumped here?

 

I take it you mean corrosion on the rims since aluminum does not rust, nor does the aluminum engine cases. Now the frame may do so.

You must ride in some seriously corrosive soil. I've seen some alloy stained by corrosion from clay mud.

I guess you should clean it more often, even if it is just knocking off the worst of the dirt and using some spray cleaner with towels. It doesn't take much to spray it off occasionally with a garden hose and slop around it with a brush and rag.

One thing that can really set off rust and corrosion on a motorcycle is covering it with a plastic tarp or sheet. They hold in moisture underneath them. It should either be left out in the open or covered with a sheet that will allow it to breathe. A garage or building that holds moisture and condensation is bad too.

Once cleaned up maybe you could rims and stuff like that down with a clean oily rag. I had a friend who rode through the winters, he'd wipe Vaseline over the chrome and alloy. Lets see what others have to say.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

You live near the ocean?

 

that's what I wondered.

WD40. Liberally.
I live in the desert. Rust only happens when you invite it....

 

I live on an Island, so sea air and salt spray, as well as coral sand trails equals major corrosion. My 2010, which I took out of a box in 2012, was fine for the first year. I used a lot of WD 40 after each wash. Now I am facing major corrosion issues a few years down the line. Seems like the new bike is resistant up to a point, then the cancer sets in. I just have to keep fighting it. I regularly chuck out corroded bolts and replace them with new shiny stainless steel bits.

 

I don't live near the sea, although the bike sits under a tarp outside and here in Norhern Ontario it's almost always high humidity, that's all I can figure. Thanks for the answers though, will start cleaning thorouhly a bit more often I guess

 

Does the tarp breathe? Or does it hold the moisture in?

 

I live a few miles from the coast and noticed all my spokes are rusty. Everything else looks fine, but I keep it garaged.

 

It might be easier for the folks here to help you diagnose the issue if you post some pix.

The only time any of my bikes see a pressure washer is when I'm doing an immediate complete dis- assembly for paint or major work, etc. Pressure washers can force water into places you don't want it. Like bearings, etc.

I don't know what your drill is, but after a wash job, I always ride the bike down the street and back, dragging the brakes to dry, it also flings the water off the chain. After that, I spot dry with a clean rag, lube the chain, clutch cable, and put away.

It's nice to take good care of your scooter, but washing every ride can sometimes be overkill, when a quick wipe down will suffice. It's my experience that mud does need to come off though. I found that out years ago the hard way! Some mud can be quite caustic!

Dez