Tech series part one: the wash up

Whether you’re fixing, maintaining or just loving your ride, the first port of call is a thorough clean. From dirt bikes caked in mud, to Sunday specials covered mainly in dust, having a spotless bike to work on makes all the difference.

Plus, taking the time to properly wash your bike has other advantages. It’s the obvious time to check on tyre condition, chain slack and engine oil level. But there’s much more a good clean will tell. Like loose spokes, missing screws, broken panel tabs, paint defects, leaking seals, loose bearings and even rego due date. And don’t forget the tail and stoplight.

But how do the pros clean bikes and what can we learn?

Yamaha’s Australia’s service technician, Darren Thompson, has cleaned more machines than he’d care to remember and takes us through the process of turning a FZ1 test bike new again in nine simple steps.

ONE: THE PREP
Wash your bike on a hard, flat surface, preferably near or over a drain. Try and get it in the shade so the water doesn’t dry dirty.

You can use a bucket, hose or pressure washer to clean your bike, but the pressure washer will obviously shift more grime quicker. Having the back wheel off the deck (on a pit stand) will greatly aid wheel and sprocket cleaning. Take the key out of the ignition and remove anything from under the seat, including soft luggage

If the end can(s) of your bike are higher than the engine (as on most dirt bikes), use a bung to block the exhaust off to stop water heading towards the engine. If your bike has a full fairing, now’s the time to take it off (only if you have to work on the engine). Put a blanket under the bike to avoid scratching the panels during removal.

TWO: THE PRE-WASH
Before any water touches the bike, use a stiff brush and degreaser on any area as needed. Work the liquid around the front and rear sprocket and into the chain only if it’s a non O-ring type. Don’t clean O-ring chains with degreaser, as it removes vital lube that’s trapped between the chain’s seals. Brush around the top of the swingarm, sidestand and anywhere chain oil gets flung. Lightly spray the whole of the bike with just water to soften any other dirt.

THREE: THE SCRUB
There are certain areas that will need a bit of elbow grease to get clean. Stainless exhaust downpipes rediscover their shine with a kitchen scourer, and dead bugs can be removed with a fingernail or specific product. At this stage you want to remove everything that won’t disappear under the wipe of a soapy sponge.

FOUR: IN A LATHER
Diluting the wash solution as per the instructions on the bottle, rub the mix into all areas of the bike with a car wash sponge. Starting at the highest part of the bike, wash front to back, top to bottom (as the suds dripping from the top will help clean the bottom – and dirtiest – part of the bike). Use the fact the bike’s on a rolling stand to get to those parts of the wheels you normally miss. Don’t forget mirrors and lights.

FIVE: THE FINAL WASH
Ready the bucket, hose or pressure washer and give the bike a soaking (though read step eight before you go drowning the poor thing). Chase the suds off the bike and rewash any bits you’re not happy with. Spin the back wheel and wash any degreaser that might be on it off. Place your chamois over the saddle and soak that too.

SIX: THE DRYING
You’ll quickly find out just how much that $2.00 chamois is worth as you constantly chase the water around the bodywork. Invest in a decent one and it’ll half the job and last for years. Roll the bike into the sun if possible to help the process and keep the cloth moist rather than wet by wringing it out often and prolong its life by putting it back in its holder damp. Take your time to chase all the water off the bike to avoid annoying streaks when you ride off.

SEVEN: THE RECTIFICATION
Looking at the clean bodywork for this long will let you know exactly where any scratches or damage is. Light scratches are normally in the clear coat above the actual colour and can be polished out with rubbing compound (from your local car store).

Don’t use anything more abrasive than this unless you want to learn how to respray your bike. Then polish the whole bike with nothing fancier than a can of furniture polish from your local supermarket. On decent bodywork, that’s all you need. To bring engine finishes back to life, silicon spray or WD-40 will do the trick. Spray pivots (footpegs, brake levers) with the straw that comes with the can for a more precise outcome. Re-lube the chain.

DO NOT

NEXT TIME
We attack a full lube service, letting you know what to put where.