Biking Tips - Motorcycle Maintenance
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Safety Tip
Always tie your front brake lever down to the handlebar grip so the front brake is on. The bike won't move forward and slide off the side stand or paddock stand as you work. If the bike moves enough it can cause the sidestand to fold up and what could happen next is not good!
 

Chain Lubing
Always lubricate your chain after you have been out for a good run (not before!). The chain will be warm, the lubricant will penetrate the links better and stay there for longer. (use a rag soacked in parafin or WD40 to wipe the chain over first)
 

Getting Chain Lube Off The Rear Wheel
WD40 is the excellent stuff for removing chain lube. To avoid inadvertantly spraying the rear brake disk, instead of directly spraying the wheel, spray into a small piece of rag, saturate it, then wipe the WD40 on the wheel. Wait 5 minutes and wipe the WD40 off. WD40 is a great cleaner, but never mistake it for a lubricant. Pledge Orange and similar household furniture polishes are great to!
 

Grubby Hands! :-(
To keep dirt and grease from getting stuck under your fingernails, scrape your nails on a bar of soap before starting to work on your bike. The soap fills in the space under your nails and then just washes away when you've finished the job. Latex gloves would be better still of course but how many of us use them regularly?!
 

Cleaning Tip
Don't risk scraping your knuckles when cleaning hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. Put your hand in an old sock and your new rag will get everywhere your fingers can.

No Time for a Proper Polish Job?
Use a spray household wax furniture polish - spray on to a clean rag to avoid overspray you'd get applying direct to the bike. Quick wipe over, leave a few minutes and buff up.....quick, effective and effortless.
I've found I can just wipe away any tarnish or water marks on my Titanium cans with Pledge Orange (and I guess any Orange polish), much easier than conventional auto polish.

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