Motorcycle Detailing Tips from a Professional (Video)

By Cameron Vanderhorst - April 2, 2020

Deep-cleaning your bike is well worth the effort. Here’s how to get the job done right without leaving home.

Call us crazy but nothing gets us amped up for riding quite like cleaning off our motorcycle. Maybe we just like to look good on the bike and show off wherever we stop off for food and fuel.

Washing motorcycles is very different from washing cars, though. This video by Car Cleaning Guru on YouTube is a little older, but its detailed information and step-by-step guide are timeless, and it’s a nice little project to accomplish if you’re looking to kill some free time in a fun way without leaving home.

Even though he’s cleaning a crotch rocket in the video, the tips still apply to us Harley guys. With one notable exception — the chain drive, of course.

Thankfully, you probably won’t need to buy any supplies you don’t already own. While the procedures are different, the products are the same. He explains, “You can generally just use most of the products that you’d clean a car with.”

Before you begin, it’s a good idea to cover over exposed electronics with plastic. While these components are designed to get wet, it’s best to not take any chances.

With the engine exposed, cleaning a motorcycle is a lot like cleaning an engine bay. If you’re using a pressure washer, low pressure is best — turn it down a bit before you begin.

Wheel Work

After a pre-soak to wash away loose dirt, it’s a good idea to clean the dirtiest parts of the bike. Usually, the wheels are the grimiest part of our Harleys.

Car Cleaning Guru advises elevating the bike when it comes time to clean the wheels. Of course, they don’t make sport bike pit stands for us Harley guys. However, a motorcycle lift would be ideal for this purpose. If all else fails, you can simply roll the bike back and forth to reach the parts you need to.

For really dirty wheels, it’s good to have a wheel cleaner and a selection of small brushes to work in the chemicals and scrub away the dirt. Make sure that your wheel cleaner is safe for chrome and polished wheels.

Once the wheels are clean, the next step is a thorough degreasing. With the mechanical components of a bike right out in the open, the bike can easily get covered in a thin layer of grime.

Dirt Hidden in Plain Sight

Simply washing the bike now will just spread that grime around. As Car Cleaning Guru explains, “If you want to perform a deep clean, it’s worth degreasing with an appropriate product and soft-bristle brush prior to contact washing.” Make sure that the degreaser you use is gentle on paint and polished surfaces.

This process works equally well on painted parts and on mechanical parts. He continues, “It’s up to you how deep you degrease.” After rinsing, you can move on to a regular wash with soap and a mitt. Start with painted surfaces first before moving on to mechanical parts.

Car Cleaning Guru recommends a two bucket method. One bucket is for loading the mitt with suds, with soap and water. The other has just water, for after you’re rubbed down parts of the bike. This helps to keep dirt from contaminating your wash bucket.

Finishing the Job Right

A towel dry, followed by a blow dry, is the ideal way to dry off a motorcycle. It’s a good excuse to break out the leafblower.

After it’s dry, you can polish and wax your paint, polish your chrome and aluminum, and treat your leather seat. As Car Cleaning Guru explains, “With the paintwork attended to, you then want to address any exposed plastics and trim, as these can be subject to a lot of potentially damaging sunlight.”

Trim restorer works great for this purpose, and you’ll be surprised by just how great your plastic parts look when rejuvenated. It’s an often overlooked finishing touch.

Car Cleaning Guru leaves us with a few words of encouragement. “If you keep on top of it, you shouldn’t have to do any heavy degreasing or wheel cleaning for quite some time.” It’s a ton of work, but well worth it.