Your Guide to Washing a Motorcycle

If you’re a first-time motorcycle owner, you may assume that washing a motorcycle is as easy as washing a car. While it’s not necessarily difficult to clean a motorcycle, because these vehicles have no doors or windows, you’ll need to be much more careful where you rinse. To learn how to correctly wash a motorcycle from top to bottom, we recommend reading through our short guide below.

Prep 

Before you grab your hose and sponge, you’ll want to double-check that you have everything you need to get your motorcycle all spic and span. For starters, make sure you have a shady place to park your motorcycle as you wash so the sun doesn’t dry up the suds. You’ll also want to be sure you have the right products on hand, including motorcycle soap, wax, and a helpful lubricant for your chain—as the water will likely wash off a majority of the grease. Finally, don’t forget to buy a scrub brush to handle stuck-on grime, and a few soft clothes to help you dry your vehicle.

Washing and Waxing

If your motorcycle is exceptionally dirty, we recommend using a sprayer to quickly coat your model in a mixture of motorcycle soap and water. If allowed to sit for a few minutes, this should allow stuck-on grime to loosen up, making it easier to rinse off or remove with your scrub brush. Once this is done, go ahead and grab your hose to gently rinse your motorcycle and begin applying soap with your large sponge. Remember to move from top to bottom and do your best to avoid washing the chain or brakes. If you need to, feel free to use your scrub brush to remove any stuck-on debris as well as care for your tires and rims. Afterward, rinse and dry your model, and take some time to reapply lubricant to the chain. Once your motorcycle is completely dry, use a few soft cloths to apply a protective layer of wax over your paint job and give it a nice shine. 

If some of your motorcycle’s components or accessories are looking a bit worse for wear, it may be time to replace them. For help choosing the right parts for the job, or finding an experienced set of hands to install them for you, consider visiting us here at Motorcycle Maxx! Our location in Lewis Center, Ohio offers both a helpful parts department and a motorcycle service center, and we proudly serve the cities of both Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio.