How To Wash A Motorcycle At Home

I love motorcycles, they are wonderful, especially for the summer. They allow you to enjoy the good weather, travel at a suitable speed and feel very free on the road. In addition, motorcycle fans are at heart and have many meetings to live their passion in a social way.  Some of the best known in Spain are the concentrations that take place in Jerez or Pingüinos, spectacular events and great fun if you have a motorbike to go with.

Do you know who invented the motorcycle?

Sylvester Howard Roper (1823 – 1896) can be considered as the first inventor of the motorbike or motorcycle. Roper invented a cylinder steam engine that was powered with the help of coal.

We would have to wait until 1885 to discover a motorcycle whose engine was no longer powered by steam. It would be a motorcycle with a frame and 4 wheels that had an internal combustion engine and that reached 18 km / h, thanks to its 0.5 CV. This version of the motorcycle was invented by Wilhelm Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler. The internal combustion engine that included this rustic motorcycle was invented by Nikolaus August Otto.

Although it already seemed that the motorcycle had laid its foundations, it would not be until 1894 when series production of this new vehicle began. This new vehicle would be presented for the first time in Munich by Hiderbrand and Wolfmüller, who would begin to manufacture it for commercial purposes and would continue to manufacture it until 1987.

The Scooter, one of the best-known motorcycles of all time, was invented in 1902 by the Frenchman Geroge Gauthier and began to be mass-produced from 1914, at which time it would be very well received among young people. One of the most interesting novelties of this new model is that it allowed the driver to sit down instead of astride, which increased its comfort and usability compared to previous models.

In 1910 the famous sidecar would appear, ideal for family or couple trips, and even with friends. Currently the sidecar is practically extinct due to the new traffic regulations.

Is washing a motorcycle easy?

Yes, it’s simple and essential if you want to show off a vehicle that’s up to date and make it the envy of all. We are going to teach you a few simple steps to follow with which to wash a motorcycle from top to bottom and achieve incredible results. Let’s see how to do it. Let’s get started!

What do you need to wash a motorcycle at home?

To wash a motorcycle we are going to need:

• 2 mop buckets
• Cleaning products
• Water
• Degreaser
• WD-40
• Polish
• Autosol
• Sponge
• Gloves
• Chamois rags
• Cotton rags
• Spray wax
• Hose or pressurized water

Instructions to wash a motorcycle at home

Step by step to wash a motorcycle:

1. First of all make sure you have adequate space where you can maneuver and think about the laws of each country. In some places, such as Spain, it is forbidden to clean vehicles on the streets and with hoses. You can do it in private places, such as your garage, or in specific manual vehicle cleaning areas, such as the manual washing spaces that are in any industrial estate in any city and even in some gas stations.
2. Once you have a suitable space to start cleaning, take the bucket you use to mop the floors, remove the wringer from the mop and fill it halfway with water, approximately 5 litres. Use hot water so stains come out more easily. Add cleaning products to the water while you are filling the bucket to create foam. Use cleaning products that do not contain salt or corrosive materials and in this way you will avoid damaging the paint of your motorcycle. Sink a soft sponge inside and let it rest inside. Reserve both items.
3. Next, take an industrial degreaser and apply it to the dirtiest areas of your motorcycle, such as the tires, the chain and the engine. Be generous and let the product work for at least five minutes.
4. Next, with a cotton cloth, the same ones you usually use to clean the windows,  remove the product and leave these places completely dry. They will be ready to clean later.
5. IF you want your motorcycle chain to be really clean, you will have to insist a little more to get it perfect. We recommend that from this step on you put on gloves to avoid staining your hands too much. After putting them on, take the degreaser and apply it to a rag. Raise the rear tire a bit and start rolling it to get the chain moving and it’s easier for you to clean it with the rag on all sides. You will have to dedicate a good time to it to get the chain fully prepared and perfect for cleaning.
6. With the help of a hose, moisten the entire motorcycle well to be able to start cleaning it with the sponge that we had previously sunk in the bucket with soap. Be careful with the electrical parts and remember to have the motorcycle turned off to avoid any problem.
7. When the motorcycle is completely wet thanks to the hose, it will be time to start rubbing it with the sponge filled with soapy water. Pay special attention to the dirtiest parts, such as the tires, the rear suspension or the license plate. They are the places where the most dirt and mud accumulates due to use. Do not forget to remove the degreaser that we had previously applied and removed with a cotton cloth.  The sponge will be essential to clean these places where we had previously applied the degreaser. Lather and rub as many times as necessary to achieve optimal results. If you don’t have access to a hose to help you through this process, you’ll need to use the spare bucket we brought along. You should fill it up and pour it on the motorcycle as you need water.
8. You can apply WD-40 to the engine, tire and chain areas for a better result.
9. Once you have finished with this process, it will be necessary to remove the soap and rinse your motorcycle. You can do it very easily with the pressurized water that comes out of the hose, taking special care not to soak the electrical parts too much. Insist with the pressurized water on the wheels to leave them perfectly clean and free of traces of mud and other substances. Do it delicately and repeat it as many times as necessary until the bike is perfectly rinsed, with no traces of soap, degreaser or WD-40.
10. When you have finished rinsing the motorcycle, it is time to let it dry for at least 5 minutes. Ideally, once these 5 minutes have passed, you move your motorcycle away from the area that is wet and let it rest on the kickstand in another space on the ground that is dry.
11. The time has come to dry the bike properly. With the help of chamois rags, begin to dry the entire motorcycle, except for the wheels, gently and carefully. Make sure it is dry and repeat the movement as many times as you need. If the cloth you are using ends up too wet, it is recommended that you continue working with another one that is completely dry.
12. When the motorcycle is completely dry, it will be time to give it the last touches. We advise you, for example, to use spray wax to spread over the motorcycle chain. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to get it right.
13. You can reuse WD-40 in the pedal area. Be careful not to damage the brake disc. Wipe the WD-40 off with a rag to leave the surfaces completely dry again.
14. To finish and achieve a truly professional finish, don’t forget to apply polish all over the bike. This waxy finish will give our motorcycle a truly incredible appearance, which will shine again like the first day.
15. Once you have finished spreading the polish over the bike with the help of a cloth, let it dry and remove any wax residue with a clean cloth.
16. If you want the pedals, brakes… etc., to be perfect, add a bit of autosol with the help of a cloth on the surfaces and rub them. Thoroughly wash these surfaces with autosol until they are bright and free of traces of dirt of any kind. Let the product dry quietly, and once done, remove the excess with a cloth.

Tips for washing a motorcycle at home

Last tips for washing a motorcycle:

Washing a motorcycle can become a real ritual for you. It is a somewhat heavy and boring process, but the final results are so spectacular that it is worth it, and a lot.

If you want the job to go well, it is recommended that you get a lot of rags, use warm water if possible, as the dirt will come out much more easily, and don’t forget to wear gloves. Washing a motorcycle can perfectly take more than an hour and you will have your hands exposed to water and cleaning products continuously. For this reason, gloves are essential so that your hands do not suffer. You can use scrub or latex ones. I prefer the ones for scrubbing because they are much taller and more resistant to water.