How to Detail Your Bike Like a Pro Without Stuffing It Up

Never, and I mean never, wash a bike while the engine or exhaust is hot. I learned this the hard way on a black Commodore once, the soap dried instantly and left marks that took hours to polish out. On a bike, you risk cracking a hot engine block or spotting the chrome. Let it sit in the shade for at least half an hour.

Chuck some cling wrap or a dedicated plug in the exhaust. If you've got an exposed air filter (like on some cruisers), cover it with a plastic bag. Water in the intake is a bad day for everyone.

Walk around the bike and look for oil leaks, loose bolts, or bird droppings. If you've got bat poo on there, get it off gently with some quick detailer first, that stuff is acidic and will eat through clear coat faster than you'd reckon.

I always start with the filthiest part. Apply your chain cleaner and use a dedicated brush. Don't go mental with the hose here; just enough to rinse the grit away. If you leave this until last, you'll just spray grease all over your clean wheels.

Give the whole bike a gentle rinse to get the loose dust off. If you've got a foam cannon, use it. It dwells on the surface and lifts that abrasive Aussie red dust away without you having to touch the paint. Let it sit for 5 minutes, but don't let it dry in the sun.

Use a separate bucket for the wheels. Brake dust is sharp and nasty; you don't want it anywhere near your tank. Use a soft brush for the spokes. Honestly, I wouldn't bother with those 'colour changing' wheel cleaners unless the bike is really filthy, as they can be a bit harsh on some finishes.

Starting from the top (the tank and windscreen) and working down. Use a light touch. If you drop your wash mitt on the ground, chuck it in the bin (or the wash) and get a fresh one. One tiny pebble will ruin your day.

This is where the brushes come in. Get into the cooling fins and around the bolt heads. I use a slightly stronger dilution of soap here. For the greasy bits around the front sprocket, a bit of diluted degreaser works wonders.

A flood rinse (no nozzle, just water flowing out) is best for the paint. It helps the water sheet off. Just be careful around the dashboard and switchgear, they're water-resistant, not waterproof.

This is my secret weapon. Use a leaf blower to blast water out of the spark plug holes, the radiator fins, and from behind the fairings. It prevents those annoying drips that happen as soon as you start the engine. (Your partner might think you look like a dork blowing the bike with a leaf blower, but they'll thank you when it doesn't have water spots.)

If the tank feels rough like sandpaper, use a clay bar. It pulls out the embedded fallout. I once had a customer bring in a bike that had sat near a rail line for a year; the clay bar turned black, but the paint came up like glass afterward.

If you've got swirls from your knees rubbing the tank, give it a light hand polish. Use a dedicated motorcycle polish or a fine car finishing polish. Don't go too hard; bike clear coats can be thinner than you think.

Apply your wax or sealant. In our 40-degree summers, I reckon a synthetic sealant or a ceramic spray is better than a traditional carnauba wax because it has a higher melting point. Spread it thin, let it haze, and buff it off with a clean microfibre.

Use a plastic restorer on the black bits and a metal polish on the chrome. For the engine cases, a bit of S100 Engine Brightener works absolute treats for making that faded black look new again.

Now that everything is clean and dry, re-lube your chain. Do it while the chain is dry, and try to let it sit for a few hours before riding so it doesn't fling all over your freshly cleaned rear wheel.