Motorcycle detailing can be expensive, ranging from $200 to $600 for a complete job with an optional protectant package. Therefore, it is reasonable to want to clean your bike yourself to save money. To begin, work in a shaded area and wait for the engine to cool down before cleaning. Remove the leather, including the seat and saddlebags, and cover the battery with plastic sheeting. Seal off the exhaust pipe(s) with plastic wrap and a rubber band.
Start by doing a prerinse with plain water to remove surface dust and grit. A fireman’s-style garden hose nozzle is ideal because you can adjust the spray pattern for each area of the bike. A pressure washer can also be used, but make sure to turn down the pressure to its lowest setting and maintain a safe distance to avoid harming the softer metal and plastic parts. Use a gentle stream around wheel hubs to prevent water from entering the bearings.
Use a gentle car wash soap, a microfiber wash mitt, and separate soap and rinse buckets. The prewash is only intended to remove light road dirt and mud, so don’t scrub the really dirty and greasy areas with your mitt. Save those areas for the special cleaners that will be used later. Rinse off the suds and dry the bike immediately to avoid water spots. Rather than wiping the bike by hand, use a power blower, such as the Metro SK-1 Motorcycle Dryer, or compressed air, keeping the pressure below 70 psi. Remove any remaining water with a waffle-weave microfiber towel.
Clean the dash with a gentle cleaner, such as Leather Therapy Wash or Meguiars D180 Leather Cleaner & Conditioner. Then clean the engine, transmission, chain, or driveshaft housing with a spray cleaner. If the S100 product is insufficient to remove caked-on grease, dilute a heavy-duty degreaser 4 to 1 with water or use a mild degreaser like Simple Green at a 50/50 ratio with water. Apply the diluted degreaser and use some elbow grease for the job. Do not use full-strength degreaser on your bike.
Before polishing the chrome, switch to a smooth 100% cotton rag instead of a microfiber towel. You can use an old T-shirt or dish towel as long as you remove the seams first. Seams stitched with synthetic thread can scratch the chrome, and the seams can retain grit. Finally, use the Meguiars M205 polish that was used on the dash.
To clean and maintain the leather seat and saddlebags, use Leather Therapy Wash and Leather Therapy Restorer and Conditioner or Meguiar’s D180. These products rejuvenate and condition the leather without leaving slick additives that could cause slippage. Remove any remaining traces of the cleaners with a new batch of soapy water, rinse, and dry the bike completely. Use 303 Aerospace Protectant to clean and treat rubber foot pegs/rests and pedals, which contains UV inhibitors to prevent rubber degradation and dries to a nonslip matte finish. Seal painted areas with Sonax Polymer Net Shield. To remove old dried-on wax, apply new wax to soften the old wax and wipe it off with a rag. For removing melted rubber from exhaust pipes, use household oven cleaner after testing it first on an inconspicuous spot on the chrome. Spray the oven cleaner onto the melted rubber, let it soak in for a few minutes, and then wipe it off with a cotton towel.
