Cleaning a motocross bike properly is about more than making it look good.
Mud, sand and grime get into some of the hardest working areas of the bike, and the way you remove them matters. Get too aggressive with a pressure washer, use the wrong cleaner or ignore the areas you cannot immediately see, and you can potentially create more problems than you solve.
We recently headed to K-Tech Suspension to film a complete motocross bike cleaning guide, taking a dirty race bike through the Motoverde cleaning process from start to finish.
In this Clean Ride Guide, we break down the process, explain why each stage matters and show you how to get your bike properly clean without taking unnecessary risks with the components underneath.
Start With the Heavy Mud
Before reaching for Bike Wash, start by removing the worst of the mud.
A pressure washer makes light work of heavy contamination, but the important part is how you use it.
Give yourself enough distance from the bike to let the water remove dirt without concentrating excessive pressure into sensitive areas. Wheel bearings, linkage bearings, steering head bearings, seals and the chain are all areas where you need to be sensible.
The aim is to remove the bulk of the mud, not force water into places it was never supposed to go.
We go into this in more detail in our 5 Bike Cleaning Mistakes Riders Make Clean Ride Guide.
Do Not Ignore the Areas You Cannot See
One of the biggest differences between rinsing a bike and properly cleaning it is what happens underneath.
Mud collects around the frame rails, engine, linkage and behind the skid plate. Leave it there and you are leaving damp contamination packed against the bike long after the visible surfaces look clean.
On a motocross bike, laying the bike safely onto its side makes these areas much easier to access.
Rest the handlebar grip securely on your bike stand, or protect the stand with a cloth and carefully rest the top triple clamp against it.
You can then pre-rinse underneath the bike and remove any packed mud that would otherwise be difficult to reach.
If you regularly ride in heavy conditions, it is also worth removing the skid plate periodically. You might be surprised by how much mud can collect behind it.
For a deeper guide specifically focused on heavy mud, see How to Properly Clean a Muddy Motocross Bike.
Apply Bike Wash and Let the Chemistry Work
Once the heavy contamination has been removed, it is time for Motoverde Bike Wash.
Apply it across the bike, making sure you reach the areas that are easy to overlook.
Motoverde Bike Wash is pH neutral and contains no corrosive salts or caustic chemicals. Instead of relying on aggressive alkaline chemistry to strip dirt away, it uses a more complex blend of cleaning agents designed to lift contamination while remaining safe across the different materials found on a motorcycle.
That is important because a modern motocross bike is a mixture of aluminium, anodised components, plastics, painted surfaces, rubber and seals.
It also means Bike Wash can be allowed to dwell while you work around the bike rather than racing against an aggressive cleaner that needs to be rinsed away quickly.
Use a soft brush where additional agitation is needed, particularly around areas where dirt tends to collect.
Want to understand more about the chemistry? Read Why pH Neutral Bike Cleaners Matter and Why Most Bike Cleaners Are Highly Alkaline.
Give the Drivetrain Its Own Attention
Bike Wash handles the general contamination across the motorcycle, but the drivetrain deals with something different.
Chain lube, dirt, grit and grime combine to create stubborn contamination around the chain and sprockets, so this area benefits from a dedicated cleaner.
Apply Motoverde Drivetrain Cleaner and use a chain brush to work the product through the chain, helping remove contamination from around the plates and rollers.
This is not just about appearance.
A contaminated drivetrain creates additional friction and accelerates wear, which is why drivetrain maintenance should be part of the cleaning process rather than something you occasionally remember afterwards.
We cover that subject in more detail in Dirty Drivetrains Cost Speed.
Rinse Thoroughly
Once the cleaning products have done their job, rinse the bike thoroughly.
If you have cleaned underneath the bike, laying it over again allows you to properly rinse the underside rather than leaving loosened dirt or cleaner trapped around the engine and frame.
Stand the bike back upright and complete the final rinse from top to bottom.
Take your time. There is little point doing a thorough clean only to leave contamination sitting in the areas you have just worked on.
Get the Water Off the Bike
Getting a motocross bike clean is only part of the job. You also want to get rid of the water left behind.
In our K-Tech video we use the Vortex Haus Blower to push water out of the difficult areas around the bike.
This is particularly useful around the engine, controls, fasteners and other places where water naturally collects and where reaching with a cloth is difficult.
Removing standing water also prepares the bike for the final finishing stage.
Finish With After Shine
With the bike clean, Motoverde After Shine finishes the process.
After Shine is a water-displacing finishing spray, so it can be applied while the bike is still wet. It helps push remaining water away from the surface, speeds up the drying process and leaves an even, protected finish.
For motocross bikes, this is particularly useful because you do not need to spend time rubbing every plastic panel dry with a cloth.
If you want to take the finish even further, we explain the different ways to use After Shine in How to Make Your Bike Look Factory Fresh.
A Proper Clean Is More Than Removing Mud
It is easy to look at a clean motocross bike and think the job is simply about getting the mud off.
It isn't.
A proper cleaning routine means removing contamination from the areas that matter, using chemistry that is safe for the materials underneath, treating the drivetrain separately and getting moisture off the bike once you are finished.
Do that consistently and cleaning becomes part of looking after the bike, rather than just making it look good for the next ride.
Watch the full Motoverde x K-Tech motocross bike cleaning guide above to see the complete process in action.