Cleaning MX bike?

[NDECNT]

Bit of a newbie question but whats the best way/process for cleaning your bike.
What stuff do you use etc?
I always waterblast mine but this time I cannot get it clean (rode in a lime quarry, may not have been the ebst idea)
What parts need checking/lubing etc at every wash?
Just want to keep my bike in the best condition for as long a possible.
Any input appreciated.
Cheers

[takitimu]

Almost like asking what is the best oil :)

Personally

If really dirty
- Water Blast

After Blasting or if summer/sand
Repeat twice
- Spray Dynamo ( 1/5 solution ) & leave 10 minutes
- Hose Wash

CRC/WD40

Normally does the trick, I've heard good things about Truck Wash to, but liquid dynamo seems to do ok.

[vazza]

CT18 works perfectly, cheap as chips from repco, makes your bike look like new. Spray on, wait 15minutes then waterblast off. Such good stuff.

[Reckless]

Almost like asking what is the best oil :)

Personally

If really dirty
- Water Blast

After Blasting or if summer/sand
Repeat twice
- Spray Dynamo ( 1/5 solution ) & leave 10 minutes
- Hose Wash

CRC/WD40

Normally does the trick, I've heard good things about Truck Wash to, but liquid dynamo seems to do ok.

Same except I stopped using a water blaster about 2 years ago so my seals and bearings would last longer.
I just hose off then, remove the filter and put the filter bung thingy in, Dynamo (using it on my boots and Pressure suite hanging on the fence as well), by the time I've done the bike and then the gear its time to hose off the bike! All done in one easy system. Then crc the bike, oil the chain, oil the fork legs, put it away for next ride.

B4 the next ride fit clean filter, give the chain another squirt and check tension, Sometimes a little brake clean on the disks because the soap residue makes your brakes shit, the ride it like you stole it LOL!!!!

[barty5]

Same except I stopped using a water blaster about 2 years ago so my seals and bearings would last longer.
I just hose off then, remove the filter and put the filter bung thingy in, Dynamo (using it on my boots and Pressure suite hanging on the fence as well), by the time I've done the bike and then the gear its time to hose off the bike! All done in one easy system. Then crc the bike, oil the chain, oil the fork legs, put it away for next ride.

B4 the next ride fit clean filter, give the chain another squirt and check tension, Sometimes a little brake clean on the disks because the soap residue makes your brakes shit, the ride it like you stole it LOL!!!!
buy an xring chain then you wont need to check its adjustment they dont really stretch after they settle in mines don 2 set of sprockets and still mint. adjust one every 20 hrs if yah lucky

[NDECNT]

Personally

If really dirty
- Water Blast

After Blasting or if summer/sand
Repeat twice
- Spray Dynamo ( 1/5 solution ) & leave 10 minutes
- Hose Wash

CRC/WD40

Normally does the trick, I've heard good things about Truck Wash to, but liquid dynamo seems to do ok.



That process sounds good! Which parts do you crc/wd40? and I take it that means dilute the dynamo 1:5?

And ive never checked the chain tension so I better do that :eek5:

RECKLESS - What do you oil the fork legs with

Sorry for all the daft questions

[B0000M]

reckless - on the no waterblaster thing...

where do you ride? anywhere other than sandy ish stuff?

if i was to want to not use a waterblaster, there would be no way my bike would ever get clean in most of the places i ride, but most of the dirt is heavy clay based rather than easy to remove sand or pumice

[RJM]

If my bike is super dirty I head to Washworld, drop a couple of $2 coins and get the majority of the mud off.

When back at home I spray the magic 1:5 Dynamo mix and use a small Karcher waterblaster. Just a little one from Bunnings (approx $120) which is perfect for cleaning the bike.

After washing I put the bike up on a stand and spin the rear wheel while applying some chain lube, give the engine / electrics a quick spray of CRC and put it away.

Reckless - what kind of boots do you have? I used Dynamo on my No Fear Trophees and after only riding a year (80 hours of riding) my boots have had it. Lost all the plastic coating and they leak like you wouldn't believe. Guys at Cyclespot said Dynamo is a no-no on boots, which was backed up on BRT last Friday during the Alpinestars clip where it said hot water and a bit of elbow grease is the key.

[NDECNT]

If my bike is super dirty I head to Washworld, drop a couple of $2 coins and get the majority of the mud off.

When back at home I spray the magic 1:5 Dynamo mix and use a small Karcher waterblaster. Just a little one from Bunnings (approx $120) which is perfect for cleaning the bike.

After washing I put the bike up on a stand and spin the rear wheel while applying some chain lube, give the engine / electrics a quick spray of CRC and put it away.

Reckless - what kind of boots do you have? I used Dynamo on my No Fear Trophees and after only riding a year (80 hours of riding) my boots have had it. Lost all the plastic coating and they leak like you wouldn't believe. Guys at Cyclespot said Dynamo is a no-no on boots, which was backed up on BRT last Friday during the Alpinestars clip where it said hot water and a bit of elbow grease is the key.


I cant find this magic Dynamo stuff....
DO you use the CRC 808 Silicone to spray the motor/electrics? or normal CRC?
Would WD40 work the same????

[thecharmed01]

Dynamo is from the supermarket.... laundry aisle LOL


No waterblaster here, just a normal hose and the bikes come up pretty clean.
We ride a variety of terrain too.. clay, sand, farm, lime.....
I just use Palmolive Oxy dishwashing liquid and hot water to scrub, then hose it off.....

After it's clean, it gets a rough dry, then the chain lubed and I run it for 5 mins after washing it.
I'm a bit lazy with cleaning the bike though. It's a dirt bike. It's supposed to be dirty LOL

[vr4king]

1. Grab a cold beer
2. Find stupid triangle stand thinggy
3. Hose/pick of all excess dirt
4. Grab the spray bottle of CT18 and spray well
5. Walk inside grab another beer and put gear in washing machine
6. Ask mrs for a after ride root then argue for aprox 10mins
7. Go back out to bike and give the tough spots a scrub
8. Hose off bike
9. Clean out the hollow axle...........(bike specific)
10. Wheel it forward and hose of the dirt you couldnt get of the tyres in previous spot
11. Push it inside garage and hang seat up to dry
12. Go inside and get drunk as fuck
13. (Next day) Put bike on stand and spray crc on the bare metal surfaces not forgeting the hallow axle
14. Then spray silicon all over
15. Check oils etc change filter
16. Sit down with a beer and admire your bike and tell it you love it deeply

[flyingcr250]

1. Grab a cold beer
2. Find stupid triangle stand thinggy
3. Hose/pick of all excess dirt
4. Grab the spray bottle of CT18 and spray well
5. Walk inside grab another beer and put gear in washing machine
6. Ask mrs for a after ride root then argue for aprox 10mins
7. Go back out to bike and give the tough spots a scrub
8. Hose off bike
9. Clean out the hollow axle...........(bike specific)
10. Wheel it forward and hose of the dirt you couldnt get of the tyres in previous spot
11. Push it inside garage and hang seat up to dry
12. Go inside and get drunk as fuck
13. (Next day) Put bike on stand and spray crc on the bare metal surfaces not forgeting the hallow axle
14. Then spray silicon all over
15. Check oils etc change filter
16. Sit down with a beer and admire your bike and tell it you love it deeply

nuff said......

[Reckless]

ok I'll try and answer some of your questions! Anyone that see's my bike knows its always pretty clean but not fanatically so! I'm not saying my methods will work for everyone but they work ok for me!!
One thing I do is clean it as soon as I get home it never usually sits in the shed for the mud to go rock hard and I'm lucky enough to have my hose in that side of the house coming directly off the main house feed before it gets reduced to house size piping.
Just for all your info the main feed is 30mm and mains pressure, Main lines though a house are 20mm and branches off these for showers and taps etc are 16mm ( usually) so your hose could have a bit less pressure than mine if its at the end of a 16mm run with multiple taps off it? My house also has one of those good brass nozzles.

OK
x ring chain I do have one LOL!! I said check it not adjust it just me being anal I guess LOL!!!

Fork legs: I have cut the back out of my bark busters (they wrap around on a ktm) I have a little gearbox oil on a container with a bit of clean rag soaking in it. I wrap a bit of rag around the fork leg and wipe it down leaving a film of oil on it so dry seals don't drag over dry soap engrained chrome tubes on the next ride. Was a tip from Danger at proride to preserve your seals. I do it eveytime.

B000M I ride clay some of the time? Thunder and Ardmore are tacky clay. Dunno mate seems to come off ok?? Sometimes might need a bit of assistance with the carwash brush or a double dose of dynamo?? I mix it 100ml to 5L in a Plessay 5L pressure weed sprayer so about the 1:5 stated here? If you use one of these it applies real easy as well. The dynamo just seems to get it off pretty good but I do crc under the guards as well.

RJM you could be right there my first set of boots cheap old boots lasted ages but the Axo Primes are starting to look a bit sad. Dynamo and a hose off makes cleaning the pressure suit real easy though. Mmmmm note to self have a closer look at my boots??

Dynamo 2x from the supermarket, tried other stuff it doesn't work for some strange reason??

OH well I've written another book, given away all the tips but enjoy! LOL!!

[takitimu]

9. Clean out the hollow axle...........(bike specific)

Nice list :), good point on the hollow axle, I also spray some water in the little hole under the spark plug ( on my bike anyway ) that drains water so your spark plug does not rust so bad & give under the tank a bit of a wash, wonder why whenever I take it off, still looks like crap.


I cant find this magic Dynamo stuff....
DO you use the CRC 808 Silicone to spray the motor/electrics? or normal CRC?
Would WD40 work the same????
Silicone is really to shine the plastics, though it'll work for the rest, CRC/WD40 pick your poison.


That process sounds good! Which parts do you crc/wd40? and I take it that means dilute the dynamo 1:5?

Yeah 1:5, but it's definitely not an exact science :).

There's motomuck & a few others as well, though I figure you wash the bike that often that truck wash or something else in volume makes sense.

I have to say the guys who use truck wash, their bikes look damn good, though they might just be better @ cleaning than me.

My boots (SG10 Gaerne ) don't seem to object to Dynamo, though that might be because I don't clean them every ride.

[thecharmed01]

1. Grab a cold beer
2. Find stupid triangle stand thinggy
3. Hose/pick of all excess dirt
4. Grab the spray bottle of CT18 and spray well
5. Walk inside grab another beer and put gear in washing machine
6. Ask mrs for a after ride root then argue for aprox 10mins
7. Go back out to bike and give the tough spots a scrub
8. Hose off bike
9. Clean out the hollow axle...........(bike specific)
10. Wheel it forward and hose of the dirt you couldnt get of the tyres in previous spot
11. Push it inside garage and hang seat up to dry
12. Go inside and get drunk as fuck
13. (Next day) Put bike on stand and spray crc on the bare metal surfaces not forgeting the hallow axle
14. Then spray silicon all over
15. Check oils etc change filter
16. Sit down with a beer and admire your bike and tell it you love it deeply


bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

I can SO imagine Anna being SO impressed with that one Nath!

[vazza]

I have to say the guys who use truck wash, their bikes look damn good, though they might just be better @ cleaning than me.

My boots (SG10 Gaerne ) don't seem to object to Dynamo, though that might be because I don't clean them every ride.

The CT18 I use is truckwash, makes my bike look like new. I use it on my Gaernes and they look new as well!

[Rupe]

The CT18 I use is truckwash, makes my bike look like new. I use it on my Gaernes and they look new as well!

where do you get that from?

[thecharmed01]

Supercheap sell it :)

[noobi]

I thought KTMs cleaned themselves? <_<

[NDECNT]

Haha thanks for all the good info, ive got myself some wd40 for the metal/engine bits, some silicone for the plastics and ill go get some dynamo or similar.
:yes:

[RJM]

I can't believe I forgot the first step, definitely a beer!

Silicone is good for shining things up and I used it under the guards in winter, not so much in summer though when it's mainly dust as it just sticks. I made the mistake of putting silicone on the my radiator shrouds once and found it rather difficult to grib the bike with my knees.

Only other thing I bought, only because it was on special, was a Thor rain/mud coat off Torpedo7. This thing is worth the $19 I paid, just chuck it on when washing and finish clean and dry.

[barty5]

1. Grab a cold beer
2. Find stupid triangle stand thinggy
3. Hose/pick of all excess dirt
4. Grab the spray bottle of CT18 and spray well
5. Walk inside grab another beer and put gear in washing machine
6. Ask mrs for a after ride root then argue for aprox 10mins
7. Go back out to bike and give the tough spots a scrub
8. Hose off bike
9. Clean out the hollow axle...........(bike specific)
10. Wheel it forward and hose of the dirt you couldnt get of the tyres in previous spot
11. Push it inside garage and hang seat up to dry
12. Go inside and get drunk as fuck
13. (Next day) Put bike on stand and spray crc on the bare metal surfaces not forgeting the hallow axle
14. Then spray silicon all over
15. Check oils etc change filter
16. Sit down with a beer and admire your bike and tell it you love it deeply


hahaha and after all that there is no end note to point 6 or are you that drunk she tells you got one but you just dont remember it

[vazza]

where do you get that from?

Supercheap auto or repco. Honestly I swear by it, go get some. Dilute it like 1/10

It burns of the dirt/sand. Spray it on everything. I even soak my helmet it in, comes up so good.


I thought KTMs cleaned themselves? <_<

You'd think so aye noobi!

[vr4king]

I used to use a water blaster but strayed away from it as im a tight ass and dont like fixing my bike for reasons that i can avoid

And also used to use Dymo but after reading the stuff on here about how it loves to ruin grease i stopped,Plus my crc,viscoten,silicon,ct18 and general shit sponser helped my decision too

I also give the bike a real good once over checking fluids spokes wheel bearings brakes etc etc etc

Im one of these guys that gets hasseled for having an exceptionaly clean bike but its just how i John Rowles and id happily take the shit if it means i know the condition of my bike before i go out on it

Oh Ive never been drunk enough to forget having a root hahahahahaha

[LVN_CR250]

Have not been able to find the dynamo 2x pack in my local supermarket , Looks like they have changed the formulla wonder if it will still work?..

[tommorth]

park in garage till mud is dry take it outside start it up ride up and down drive until mud falls off done . there seem to be lots of how to clean your bike threads.

Reckless i've also been oiling the fork lowers afer cleaning and before rides seems to make a bit of difference to fork action.

not sure about the dynamo eating grease doesn't like the exhaust spooge or the oil that leaks from my pv adjuster maybe is because of the mixed in dirt.

[Reckless]

Every damn bearing on a bike has a seal if the dynamo or Ct18 is getting at the grease either your seals are fucked or your blasting the cleaner in there with water pressure and its breaking down the grease!! Its not rocket science?

[camchain]

Reckless i've also been oiling the fork lowers afer cleaning and before rides seems to make a bit of difference to fork action.
Big fan of oiling fork tubes as well. You can definitely feel smoother action and seals just have to last longer. But since my seals finally crapped out, I don't have to oil 'em any more. Nice.

[vr4king]

Every damn bearing on a bike has a seal if the dynamo or Ct18 is getting at the grease either your seals are fucked or your blasting the cleaner in there with water pressure and its breaking down the grease!! Its not rocket science?

Hence why i dont use a water blaster and well my ct18 is free so may as well use it

Also if you rock white boots try some jiff and a tooth brush makes em look like new

...............Id love a job detailing bikes but the pays not to flash hehehehehe

[Reckless]

Hence why i dont use a water blaster and well my ct18 is free so may as well use it
Yep same haven't used the water blaster for a very loooong time since I discovered Dynamo!
But I might give this CT18 a go seems like its getting good raps here!

[barty5]

Ok so CT18 can get for good $$ noramlly $60 for 6L can do for $45
1L rrp $20 can do for 18
better deal is the 6L bottle neatly makes it 1/3 of the price

[takitimu]

Repco is $50 for 6 litres, $150 for bigger, 25 litres ?.

First try I got 6 & now I know why the truckers and contractors bikes alloy swingarms always look so shiny, that stuff on metal is really good, a better degreaser than dynamo ( a good thing ?? ), but I reckon dynamo still wins on plastics and boots :).

Price wise it's about double the price at ~ $3 a wash, but a damn sight easier to manage than liquid dynamo which clogs up the spray washer all the time.

I'll use up the 6litre as a full test, but convenience and the job on the engine will mean I stick with it I suspect.

[Rupe]

Ok so CT18 can get for good $$ noramlly $60 for 6L can do for $45
1L rrp $20 can do for 18
better deal is the 6L bottle neatly makes it 1/3 of the price

you want to go halfs on a 6l?

[IIIRII]

Ok I went straight to the end just to ask will I learn anything from this thread that I didnt learn from the other million or so threads on how to clean a bike ??

[Reckless]

Ok I went straight to the end just to ask will I learn anything from this thread that I didnt learn from the other million or so threads on how to clean a bike ??

Nattering about bikes is the same as talkin about beautiful women!
Same old, Same old but shit its fun!!!!:woohoo:

[IIIRII]

I use a tried a true method, seems to work ok

Noobie / Clean the bikes

Sorted

:P

[Keithf]

I have started using motomuck and swear by it.

[camchain]

Ok I went straight to the end just to ask will I learn anything from this thread that I didnt learn from the other million or so threads on how to clean a bike ??
Not so fast there, big G. We haven't discussed why 2-strokes are better/easier to clean than 4-strokes (Or vice versa).

[barty5]

Not so fast there, big G. We haven't discussed why 2-strokes are better/easier to clean than 4-strokes (Or vice versa).

A 4Twould have to be better greater mass of motor therefore less space for the mud and crap to collect hahahahahahah:bleh: