The cleanest motorcycle is a motorcycle that is never ridden. Oil, fresh pavement, coolant and grime adhere to a seasoned motorcycle but a film of dirt will conceal leaking gaskets and weeping oil seals. A monthly washing will not only keep your paint's luster sharp it will help you discover any problems with your bike before they become problematic.
Motorcycles are tough and built to stand the abuses of bad weather and worse conditions but for your own good avoid spraying water on a few places. Gas tanks are vented to the atmosphere so that as fuel drains out there isn't low pressure left behind, which would eventually impede the flow of gas, known as vapor lock. For that reason avoid spraying water directly on or around the gas filler cap to avoid getting water in your gas tank. Radiators are known as heat exchangers because they dissipate hot engine coolant by exposing it to colder ambient air via aluminum fins. These fins are fragile and will bend if water is applied directly to them, which can cause your engine to run abnormally hot. If you need to clean your radiator use a pair of tweezers to pluck insects and other debris from the fins. Lastly, your motorcycle chain is coated in oil so blasting water on it will do little more then waste your time so do yourself a favor and give your chain a thorough cleaning when you are done cleaning the rest of the bike.
Before getting the bike wet check out the fork seals and look for traces of oil that would suggest the seals are weeping. Check the cylinder head(s) to make sure the valve cover gasket(s) haven't been compromised then give the engine a quick once over to look for any oil leaks. If you spot oil, look for the highest point where you can find a leak. Gravity will cause the oil to drip down and wind will scatter the oil all around, which can make diagnosing the leak's origin difficult. Start by watering the bike and scrubbing with a 50/50 mixture of Simple Green and water. Since motorcycles are exposed to the elements the lower portions of the bike will be dirtier then the upper portions, which are covered in large part by your body. Oil will drip down and road grim is kicked up, do yourself a favor and start washing the top of the bike and work your way down. When you get to the bottom of the bike break out an old toothbrush and clean the hard to reach areas on your rims, oil pan and bottom of your swing-arm. Spraying Windex on your mirrors, headlight, instrument panel, turn signals and windscreen will increase your ability to see and be seen. Finish off the bike by going for a test ride, making sure all of the electronics are still working properly and save yourself the hassle of drying the bike. The cleanest motorcycle is one that is never ridden, and the dirtiest motorcycle is one with the most miles. But the safest motorcycle is somewhere in between those extremes.
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