Post-Ride Motorcycle Maintenance: Clean, Check & Protect Your Bike

Why does post-ride motorcycle maintenance matter?

After a good ride, cleaning the bike is probably not the first thing you feel like doing.

But mud, road grime, water and general dirt are considerably easier to deal with before the bike has been pushed into the garage and forgotten about for a week.

A simple post-ride routine is not really about having a spotless motorcycle.

It gives you a chance to clean away the worst of the dirt, dry the bike properly, check for anything that may have worked loose or been damaged and get it ready for the next ride.

For off-road bikes in particular, that can become part of the routine:

Ride. Clean. Check. Lubricate. Protect. Go again.

Should you wash a motorcycle as soon as you finish riding?

Not while it is still hot.

Give the engine, exhaust and other hot components time to cool before starting to wash the motorcycle.

Once it has cooled, getting the worst of the mud and dirt off reasonably soon makes the job considerably easier than leaving everything to dry onto the bike.

This is especially noticeable after enduro, motocross and trail riding, where mud can collect around the wheels, swingarm, underside of the motorcycle and behind bodywork.

Start by removing the heavy mud and loose dirt

Before reaching for bike cleaner and brushes, get rid of as much loose contamination as possible.

A sensible rinse removes the heavy stuff and reduces the amount of grit being moved around the motorcycle once you start washing it properly.

If you use a pressure washer, there is no need to put the nozzle inches away from every component.

Be particularly careful around seals, bearings, electrical components and other areas where forcing water in at high pressure is unlikely to do the motorcycle any favours.

How should you wash a dirty motorcycle?

Once the loose mud has been removed, work around the bike methodically rather than jumping from one dirty area to another.

On the bike used for this feature, MotoClean Gel Bike Wash is used for the main clean.

The important thing is giving the cleaner time to work without allowing it to dry onto the motorcycle.

Depending on how dirty the bike is, areas worth paying attention to can include:

• Wheels and hubs
• Mudguards and plastics
• Swingarm
• Engine cases
• Frame
• Underside of the motorcycle
• Areas where mud collects behind bodywork

Brushes are particularly useful for awkward areas where trying to force the same wash mitt into every gap simply moves dirt around.

Why should you dry a motorcycle after washing it?

The bike looking clean does not necessarily mean the job is finished.

Water can remain around fasteners, brackets, joints and other awkward areas long after the obvious bodywork appears dry.

Drying the motorcycle helps remove standing water and also gives you another opportunity to look over the bike properly.

Once the mud is gone, things such as a loose bolt, damaged plastic, leaking component or other small problem are much easier to spot.

What should you check after an off-road ride?

You do not need to carry out a full workshop inspection every time you wash the bike, but a quick look around it while everything is clean is a useful habit.

Depending on the motorcycle and the type of riding you have been doing, things worth checking include:

• Chain condition and tension
• Tyres and visible damage
• Loose or missing fasteners
• Levers and controls
• Spokes where applicable
• Fluid leaks
• Damage to plastics, guards or controls
• Anything that feels different from the start of the ride

This does not replace the servicing and maintenance schedule for the motorcycle. It is simply a chance to catch something obvious before the next riding day.

Should you lubricate your motorcycle chain after washing?

If the bike uses a drive chain, it is worth checking it once the motorcycle has been cleaned and dried.

Water, mud and cleaning can leave the chain needing fresh lubrication.

For this bike, MotoClean Wet Chain Lube is applied once the chain is clean and dry.

Follow the lubricant and motorcycle manufacturer's instructions and give the product time to settle before riding again.

Doing it at the end of the cleaning routine also means there is one less job waiting for you when the next ride comes around.

How do you help protect a motorcycle after washing?

Cleaning removes the dirt, but washing also introduces water across the motorcycle.

Even after towel drying, moisture can remain in harder-to-reach areas.

A suitable post-wash maintenance product can therefore be used on appropriate surfaces to help displace moisture and leave some additional protection behind.

On this motorcycle, MotoClean Maintenance Spray is used as the final part of the post-wash routine.

Protective and lubricating products must be kept away from brake discs, brake pads, tyres and other surfaces where grip or friction is critical.

What about the brakes?

Brakes deserve their own attention rather than simply being covered in whichever cleaning or protection product happens to be in your hand.

If brake dust, dirt, grease or contamination has built up around suitable braking components, a dedicated motorcycle brake cleaner can be useful during routine maintenance.

It is not something that needs to be sprayed over the motorcycle after every ride.

The bigger point is to keep lubricants, chain products and protective sprays away from the braking surfaces in the first place.

Watch: a simple post-ride motorcycle care routine

The process is easier to understand when you can see it being done.

This MotoClean video follows the bike after riding through the basic clean, dry, lubricate and protect routine.

Watch Post-Ride Motorcycle Care on YouTube →

Does every motorcycle need cleaned after every ride?

Not necessarily.

A dry road ride is obviously very different from several hours of enduro in mud and standing water.

The amount of work the bike needs should reflect how and where it has been ridden.

But bikes regularly exposed to mud, wet roads, road salt or damp conditions benefit from not being put away covered in contamination and moisture.

The aim is not to spend more time cleaning the motorcycle than riding it.

It is to deal with the obvious jobs while the bike is already in front of you.

Why do the work now rather than before the next ride?

Because there is nothing particularly enjoyable about finally getting another chance to ride and discovering the bike is still covered in dried mud, the chain needs attention and something you should have noticed last weekend now needs fixed.

A basic post-ride routine means the motorcycle goes back into the garage clean, checked, lubricated and protected.

Then when the next riding day arrives, there is a much better chance that the bike is ready too.

Ride it. Look after it. Then go and do it again.