Washing Your Sportster® Motorcycle

Owning a motorcycle means being responsible for its upkeep and care, especially when it’s a great bike like a Harley-Davidson® Sportster motorcycle. One task that is often overlooked is washing your bike. You might not think it’s all that important to clean your bike, but in truth, a good wash can reduce drag and help your bike perform better while also limiting damage due to rust. 

Not sure where to begin when it comes to washing your Sportster? St. Charles Harley-Davidson is proud to be your Missouri Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealer. Here’s a brief guide to help you successfully wash your Sportster motorcycle.

Gather Up Your Supplies

First, find a place to wash your motorcycle. A flat area with good drainage is best. Avoid washing your bike over a lawn as the soap and dirt can harm your grass and introduce weeds. A concrete driveway that drains into a sewer or a patch of gravel is best. Make sure you’ve got all the space you need to get all around your bike. Only wash your bike when it’s cool, not right after you’ve ridden it for a few hours.

Next, gather together all the supplies you’ll need to get your Sportster® sparkling clean. You should have a hose with access to fresh water, a few buckets, some motorcycle washing soap, brushes, sponges, chamois cloths, polish and a microfiber cloth for buffing. You might want to wear some gloves to protect your hands and get a knee pad to kneel on while scrubbing.

Get Ready To Rinse

Plug up the exhaust with a rubber plug or rag to prevent water from getting into it and corroding it. You can apply spray cleaners to the dry bike before you rinse it if you have some handy and want to loosen up some of the grime and muck, like dead bugs or caked-on mud. Now you’re ready to spray your bike down with your hose. Get your bike thoroughly wet so that it’ll be easier to scrub.

Apply Soap & Scrub

The next step is to apply some soap to your sponge or brush and kneel by your bike to scrub it. Start from the top and scrub down so that you aren’t getting dirty water on parts you’ve already cleaned. Rinse your sponge regularly in a bucket so that you’re not transferring more dirt to other areas, too. You’ll want to change your sponge out every so often as well. Try to avoid getting water on the bike’s brakes and chain, too. If you have grime to get out of tight areas, grab a hard-bristled brush to scrub those parts more thoroughly.

Rinse & Let Dry

Once you’ve finished scrubbing, you can spray your entire bike with the hose again to rinse it. Avoid letting your bike sit idly by before you do this; otherwise, soap scum might dry on it and ruin your hard work. 

After you’re certain you’ve gotten off as much soap and residue as possible, you can dry your bike. Use chamois cloths or an air blower if you prefer. A can of compressed air like you’d use for a laptop keyboard can be really handy to get into every crevice of your bike. A dry bike will be less likely to corrode due to water caught in its machinations.

Apply the Finishing Touches

You’ll now want to apply some lubricant to your motorcycle chain since you probably washed away some of it while cleaning, which is fine. Just make sure to get it nice and lubricated again.

Applying a wax or polish to your bike can help protect its finish and make it look nicer. You can even apply tire shine to the wheels and use a chrome polish to get everything gleaming!

We hope this guide proves useful to you in your quest to clean your Sportster motorcycle. Searching for a bike? Browse our website or visit our dealership in St. Charles, MO, to take a tour of our full stock of new and used Harley-Davidson Sportster motorcycles for sale. St. Charles Harley-Davidson welcomes all of our customers in and around St. Louis and St. Peters, MO.