So I bought the bike, had lots of fun in the mud, and now I have to clean it. I have a four stroke so I understand the changing of the oil, cleaning of the air filter, and other usual maintenance. But, what am I missing? I notice that cleaning the chain is a pain in the arse. does anybody have a suggestion for a chain cleaning tool or technique? Do you remove it entirely to clean it? What are your post ride checklist items? I thought it would be better to ask the newbie questions now rather than find out the hard way. Thanks.
Well, I took my XR400 out to Fox Valley last Sunday and my buddy proceeded to bury it in a mud pit. I just brought it home and cleaned it up real good.
Also when you are cleaning the bike, give it a once over and look for any loose or missing bolts. As for the chain, I just hosed it off with the rest of the bike.
I have a "grung brush" to clean my chain. http://www.pitposse.com/grchbr.html
I'm getting my 300 2 stroke ready for the off season now. The suspension is at Ohlins, and I've taken everything else apart. I found two bad bearings in the rear brake lever. Who knew they had bearings there. And a bad bearing in the suspension linkage.
Other than that a lot of cleaning. It should be ready to ride as soon as the suspension comes back.
Clean the mud off before it dries. You can also spray under the fenders with WD40 to help keep it from sticking.
yes wd40 works well
i spray the whole bike after i clean it
when i am done riding i wash it with simple green and water and a sponge let it dry then spray the whole bike with the wd 40