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Great tip for cleaning your bike and keeping it lookiing new

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azdirtrider75:
About a year ago a fellow KX rider friend of mine suggested I use WD-40 to clean my bike. My first reaction was "no way, why would I put oil all over my bike" Well a few rides later I was cleaning my bike (jetting was rich) and was trying to get the black goo from my exhaust, plastic, and swing arm. I was also in need of a good chain cleaning. I remembered my friends tip to use WD-40, but because I didn't have any, I used a similar penetrating oil spray that I had. It worked great! After every ride I rinse the bike, spray it with soapy water, rinse, dry, then get what's left with the penetrating oil (WD-40 or similar liquid wrench stuff will work). Not only does this pull of dirt but all of the unwanted oil and grease. Tip: don't spray direct on the bike, spray on paper towels. You don't want this on your breaks or getting into your bearings. After I get the dirtiest parts clean, I wet a clean paper towel and wipe down nearly the entire bike; plastic, engine, pipe, swing arm, forks, etc (not the seat). I use this on the chain too. It pushes the water out from the recent wash and preps it for your chain lube. I can't believe how great my bike looks. This would be a great tool for prepping the bike for sale. Once I used a silicon spray but it lasted too long on the bike and a little dust stuck to it on the ride after.Keep in mind that gaskets and seals can dry out (I live in AZ) I figure this is also helping the various engine gaskets, etc to stay good (not dry, crack, and fail). I've been doing this now for nearly a year and I'm sold.

Give this a try and let me know what you think. Also share what you do to keep your green machine clean.  :-D

Nate in AZ (azdirtrider75) Chandler AZ 2002 KX250

GeriatricNoob:
I've been using the WD-40 as a final coat for a while, but I usually spray directly onto the bike.  I use non-chlorinated brake parts cleaner to get the tough gunk off during the wash, and also to clean the brakes after the WD-40 coating.  My bikes have never looked better! 

KevinTwoStk:
Maxima Clean Up is awesome!

It's good as a chain cleaner (I use it with a Grunge Brush) but it also works well as a general degreaser. Spray it on, wait a minute or two, and hose it off. Heavy grease requires some brushing or scrubbing, but Clean Up gets rid of grease like nothing else I've ever seen.

I have also read that Shout laundry spray works well as a degreaser. It's inexpensive and does not attack plastics. I have yet to try it.

If Shout works well, I think I'll use Shout for general stuff and save Clean Up for the chain, sprockets, and engine. I would keep using Clean Up for everything, but the stuff is pricey enough that I'm looking for ways to stretch it a little further.

ben:
I always refer to coating a bike with WD-40 when you are trying to sell it as giving it the old WD-40 pimp shine.  :-D

Ims Roll:
a buddy of mine few years back used to work at a car dealer cleaning cars, he used to use a mixture of water and armorall and it has the same effect, and makes the bike extremely shiny

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