How to Wash Your Dirt Bike
Love it or hate it—regular maintenance is an important part of owning and riding a dirt bike, especially when it comes to cleaning your motorcycle after every off-road adventure. The last thing you want to do after coming back from an epic trail ride is to clear away all the mud and grime from your machine. However, if you leave your motorcycle covered in mud for a long time, the dirt will wear down your bike’s finish and possibly affect its performance, too.
Washing your dirt bike will make it last longer and it will also look great when you take it to the track all sparkling clean! That’s why Cool Springs Powersports, your local dirt bike shop near Nashville, TN, has created this brief guide to help you get started. If you’re looking for off-road or street bikes for sale, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at our dealership in Franklin, TN.
Essential Supplies
Before you get your hands dirty, you need to make sure you have gathered all the essential supplies. You’ll want a sponge or rag for cleaning big spots and a soft-bristle brush for the detailing. The cleaning solution and other products you use should be made specifically for a dirt bike, as these products won’t include chemicals that could damage the paint or finish.
Where to Wash?
The spot you choose to wash your bike is also important. Avoid too much sun, as this can cause the soap and water to air-dry too fast, leaving unsightly streaks. Make sure you have plenty of room to work and that the bike itself is cool enough to wash without worrying about damaging any parts. Don’t forget to plug the exhaust using a rubber plug, rag, or glove to prevent water from pooling inside.
Spray it Down
Start by rinsing down the top of your dirt bike and work your way down to loosen the caked-on mud. Make sure that your motorcycle doesn’t dry out in the middle of cleaning it. Preferably, you should be using a hose with gentle water pressure. If you only have a high-pressure hose available to you, just be careful about aiming it at parts that could be damaged, like the seat, chains, brakes, and electronics.
Scrubbing the Motorcycle
As you scrub your bike, you’ll want to keep everything fairly wet. If you notice the section you want to scrub has dried, hose it down before starting again. Rinse your sponge or cloth fairly often to keep it clean, and try to avoid scrubbing things like chains and brakes. A little water is fine, but they don’t need the same type of cleaning as the rest of the bike does.
Keep in mind that some dirt can get transferred to other parts of the bike. For example, don’t use a sponge to clean grease off the wheels and then use the same sponge for cleaning the seat. If necessary, you might want different sponges to tackle different parts of the motorcycle to minimize this kind of dirt transfer. Use those finer brushes to clean the more detailed nooks and crannies.
Rinse and Dry
You’ll want to rinse as you go to avoid dried-on soap scum. Once you’re finished washing, give your dirt bike one final rinse before drying it with a cloth or chamois. We don’t recommend letting your bike air-dry, since this can lead to streaky finishes. If there are hard-to-reach areas that you can’t quite get to, you can always use a compressed air canister to do the job.
The Final Touches
Finally, apply a layer of wax and polish to ensure that your dirt bike is going to stay nice and shiny for a long time. Actually, that protective coat helps your bike hold up to all the abuse it takes on the trails, so regular waxing and polishing is a must. We always recommend using a wax specifically made for dirt bikes, but if you use car wax, make sure that it’s gentle enough to not damage the finish.
We hope this dirt bike washing guide has been useful. If you’re still in search of the perfect dirt bike for your weekend adventures, visit Cool Springs Powersports in Franklin, Tennessee. We have a wide selection of off-road and street bikes for sale, so it will be easy for you to find what you’re looking for! We proudly serve all those in Spring Hill and Columbia.