How to Clean Motorcycle Wheel Spokes

Motorcycle wheel spokes contribute to the aesthetic appeal of motorcyclists but they also have hard-to-reach places that are difficult to clean. With the right tools and steps, you can ensure your motorcycle’s wheels look clean. This article describes ways you can clean your motorcycle’s wheel spokes.

Wheel spokes are the rods that connect the center of the wheel, tire hub, to the rim and support the structure of the wheel.

A motorcycle tire contains approximately 80 chrome-plated spokes and cleaning them is not easy. While alloy wheels exist, many motorcyclists prefer spoked wheels because they are easy to fix and more durable. Aside from that, alloy wheels are easier to clean. Spoke wheels can improve a motorcycle’s look and are more lightweight.

To give motorcycles a neat look, it is important to clean the spoke wheels no matter how hard and difficult that is. Following are discussed the items as well as the ways by which you can clean your motorcycle wheel spokes.

Dirty wheel spokes are not very easy to clean so you need some products to do so. The following are what you need to clean the wheel spokes:

• Warm water
• Soft brush
• Wheel cleaner or liquid soap
• A soft piece of cloth
• Spray bottle
• Liquid rust remover
• Microfiber towel
• Gloves
• Safety goggles

It is important to wear gloves and safety goggles to protect your hands and eyes. Rust remover contains chemicals that can be harmful for your skin, so it is better to wear protection. You can also wear overalls to protect your clothes. Make sure that any cleaning products you use do not contain acidic chemicals since they may damage the protective coating on the spokes.

Park your motorcycle with the kickstand down and turn off the ignition. Spray warm water on the wheel spokes or you can even mix wheel cleaner in it.

Mix wheel cleaner with warm water in a bucket and pour it on the edge of the wheel and the spokes. This will remove the layers of dirt stuck on the spokes. Make sure the liquid covers all of the spokes. If you have access to steam, use it to remove dirt that is harder to remove.

After a few minutes, use a soft brush to rub off the dirt. Don’t rub the brush too hard or you risk damaging the coating on the spokes. A soft cloth or wipes can be used as an alternative to a brush. If the dirt does not come off easily, spray on the water and cleaner mixture and leave it to soak for some time. Using circular or to-and-fro motions, rub off the dirt using a clean cloth. You can use a toothbrush to clean the areas that are hard to reach with a bigger brush.

After rubbing off the dirt, use a microfiber towel to wipe and dry the spokes. A microfiber towel will remove moisture from the spoked and give it a shiny appearance.

Take a shoestring or a shoelace and apply aluminum or chrome polish on it, especially in the middle area. Loop the shoelace a couple of times around the spoke and pull it from both ends so that the polish rubs the spoke, removing all the grime.

Apply metal polish after you have cleaned the spokes. Get a small piece of polish and rub it individually on each spoke until they shine. You can easily obtain a wizard's metal polish. This polish looks like cotton candy.

If the wheel spokes get rusty, it becomes harder to clean them. So now is the best time to bring out your rest remover. Apply rust remover on the spokes, scrub the rust off with a sponge, and use wipes to clean the surface. Apply a protective coating of rust remover for insurance.

• You can buy expensive products such as wheel spoke brushes and other liquid cleaning agents, for touchless cleaning. In this way, you won’t have to get your hands dirty. Spray the liquid on the wheel spokes and rinse it with high-pressure water.
• Steel wool should only be used on the spokes covered in rust that is difficult to remove. Otherwise, you risk damaging the coating on the spokes. Damaged coating will make it easier for more dirt and rust to build up.

Kerosene will clean off grime from the wheel and remove rust from the wheel spokes.

You only need warm water and liquid soap to clean oxidized wheel spokes. Kerosene is also a great cleaning agent.

Motorcycles with wheel spokes are easier to maintain and repair in the long run. Wheel spokes consist of thin metal rods that connect the rim to the center of the tire. It takes some effort to clean them, but they give motorcycles an aesthetically appealing look. You can use a shoelace or a soft brush to clean them. A microfiber towel is necessary to remove moisture left on the spokes. Spraying warm water in the Stuart will loosen the dirt and rust particles off the spokes. Also, the warm water will go deep in the places where your instrument can't reach. Applying metal polish in the end will give a shiny luster to the wheel spokes. Viking Bags has many parts and luggage options you can install for a better riding experience, including motorcycle sissy bars, fairing, handlebars, crash bars, sissy bar bags, and saddlebags.