Oftentimes, bikers overlook the importance of keeping their motorcycle tires clean, and this can cause several problems. As the motorcycle is driven around, dust and debris along with many other substances are collected in the tires. This can make your motorcycle’s tire look very old and bad, and it can also affect the performance of your motorcycle.
So, you can keep your motorcycle tires squeaky clean and shiny, we are here today with a step-by-step tutorial on how to clean motorcycle tires. The cleaning process that we will be explaining below is very simple, and you can do it on your own with ease! Russell Knapp from RoadWeekly has helped us making this guide for you. So, you can bet it’ll be really good.
Let’s get started.
7 Steps to Clean Motorcycle Tires
You may think that you have to take your motorcycle to a bike shop to get its tires cleaned completely, but you can do it by yourself. Just make sure you follow all the steps in this article properly, and you should be good to go.
Step 1: Set up the Motorcycle with the help of its Kickstand
Most motorcycles have a utility kickstand, so your first step will be to stabilize your vehicle with the help of this part. If your motorcycle does not have a kickstand, you can lean your bike against a wall. However, stabilizing it against a wall can be a bit risky, so we’d suggest you get a kickstand if you don’t have one.
Step 2: Use duct tape and plastic to keep other parts dry
Take some duct tape, and plastic to cover the pads, drum lining, and calipers away from the water. If water still gets into contact with these parts, then use compressed air after the wash to dry everything off. This is important because prolonged exposure to some parts of the motorcycle can lead to rusting.
Step 3: Spray the Wheels with Water
Grab a high-pressure nozzle along with a hose, so you can spray your motorcycle wheels with great pressure. Water from a high-pressure hose will exert a large force, and will thus be more efficient in removing debris, dust, and mud. After rinsing one portion of the tires, rotate them to clean the other parts.
Step 4: Dip a soft-bristle brush into a bucket of soap water, and scrub
Into a bucket pour in a gallon of water, and then add about 2 ounces of dish-washing soap, then mix it in well. Submerge your cleaning brush into the soapy water, and then begin brushing. Begin brushing from the rim of the outward, and gradually make your way to the rest of the part.
Step 5: Apply Tire Cleaner to Remove Stubborn Debris
In some cases where a lot of oxidation or deep tar may be present, simply using soap and water isn’t going to be enough. Therefore, you will have to use tire cleaner on those sections. After applying it, wait for about 3 to 5 minutes, and then you can wash it off.
Step 6: Rinse off all the Soap and Tire Cleaner, and Dry all the Parts
Take your hose again, and spray on the tires as well as the rims to wash away all the residue soap and cleaner with high-pressure water. After the tires, and wheels are all clean get compressed air with a nozzle to dry everything. Make sure you have removed moisture from all the tight corners as well, or else they’ll begin rusting.
Step 7: Put some Tire Dressing On Your Tires
Tire dressing is supposed to make your tires look shinier and more black, so your motorcycle looks better. However, there are a few issues with it which is why you want to take a tiny bit of it and apply it on the tires using an applicator sponge. Apply a small amount evenly all across the tires except the lower part of the tire tread.
If you apply a large amount of tire dressing to your tires then your tires will have lower friction with the road. This will increase the braking time, and can also lead to accidents especially when turning or braking. Hence, we would recommend you only dampen the applicator sponge with the tire dressing, instead of soaking it.
After you have cleaned your motorcycle tires, take it out on a test ride to make sure everything feels smooth and comfortable!
Conclusion
Cleaning these tires may seem like a bit of a hassle, but following our thorough guide on how to clean motorcycle tires, it will be a breeze for you. From what you have read, you can tell that you won’t even need many products to get your tires clean and shiny. So, don’t bother taking your motorcycle to a shop for cleaning, do it by yourself from the comfort of your garage!