Cleaning Tires & Wheels

Your bike's wheels (rims) can dramatically enhance the appearance and performance of your motorcycle.  Motorcycle wheels can also present a substantial cleaning challenge as heated dust particles from brake pads bombard the wheel and bake into the finish. If left on the wheel, a phenomenon known as galvanic corrosion sets in, which will eventually destroy the wheel's appearance. 

Unfortunately, typical bike wash soaps and household cleaners are not strong enough to break the bond between brake dust, road tar, road grime and the wheel.  Plus, proper wheel cleaning is often hampered by difficult access.  However, to maintain your bike's appearance and value, you must maintain the tires and wheels.

To properly clean wheels, the bike care industry has developed two groups of wheel cleaners:

1. Acid-based Cleaners -- These are widely used by detailers who need to clean wheels in the shortest possible time or with the least amount of effort.  Acid-based cleaners are typically 2% solutions of oxalic, phosphoric, and hydrochloric acid.  While acid-based cleaners pack the greatest cleaning punch they can easily etch the surface of your wheel and surrounding finishes if allowed to dry.  Care must be taken not to use acid cleaners on wheels with pitted or chipped surfaces, or on wheels with a painted or anodized finish. The acid will quickly ruin these finishes.
    
2. Acid-free Cleaners -- These are mild solutions of alkaline solvent, usually ethylene glycol, with a wetting agent. These solutions creep under the dirt and brake dust, loosening and lifting surface grime. Non-acidic cleaners usually require some surface agitation (brush or sponge) but are safer to use and will not etch the wheel's finish.  I only recommend using acid-free cleaners.

Tire Care Challenge
Your bike's tires have several formidable enemies: water, formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, ultraviolet light, and ozone. Water washes away the natural oils in rubber that keep it elastic. Formaldehyde and petroleum distillates act as a solvent, eating rubber on contact. When ozone, an odorless gas which is part of the air we breathe, is combined with ultraviolet (UV) light, a reaction occurs that attacks the tire and its polymers (the agents that bind the rubber).

To protect against ozone and UV damage, a stabilizer molecule called a competitive absorber is blended with the tire polymer. Competitive absorbers work by capturing and absorbing UV radiation and converting it to heat which is dissipated harmlessly. All tire manufacturers use the same competitive absorber, called carbon black. This is why all tires are black.

These absorbers are sacrificial; they expend themselves in performing their function of converting UV light to heat. However, as carbon black loses its ability to perform, it turns gray. This is one reason why black tires discolor as they age.

To protect from further ozone damage, tire manufacturers add a wax compound to their formulas. Tires flex when they are in motion, causing the wax molecules to migrate to the surface. This forms as a protective barrier between the air (ozone and oxygen), water and the tire polymer. In the tire trade this is called blooming. When tires are parked for extended periods, blooming does not occur and ozone quickly attacks the tire polymer. With UV light and ozone working in concert, the degradation is accelerated, resulting in drying, discoloration and cracking.

To combat the negative effects of water, solvents and UV light on tires, the bike care industry has created tire dressings. These dressings condition the tire, restoring essential moisture. Tire dressings fall into two groups:

1. Liquid Silicone Oil Dressings – These penetrating-type silicones form a flexible protective shield on rubber.  Liquid silicone seals small openings with a film to prevent penetration of moisture and dirt.  Most silicone dressings leave a never-dry gloss film.  There are many myths regarding silicone, specifically the negative long-term effects of silicone on rubber and vinyl.  The fact is, silicone is an inert material.  The benefit of silicone is its ability to easily penetrate the tire’s surface and not evaporate. Some silicone-based dressings contain petroleum distillates as a cleaning agent.  Petroleum distillates are harmful to rubber and vinyl, and will cause rubber and vinyl to crack.  If you decide to use a silicone oil tire dressing, make sure it does not contain a cleaner.
    
2. Water-Based Dressings – The water-based dressings do not contain silicone oils, petroleum distillates, waxes, or other dangerous solvents that can harm and dull the surface of rubber and vinyl over time.  Most water-based dressings use a water-based silicone, which offers a non-greasy, satin finish.  The best products  contain UV blocking agents to help keep tires and rubber from cracking, fading and hardening.

WARNING: Applying any rubber dressing or protectant to the tread surface of your tire may result in a severe accident.  If you coat the whole tire, wipe off the excess dressing and allow the tire to dry before riding. 

Proper Tire and Wheel Cleaning
To properly clean your bike's tires and wheels, you will need a 3-5 gallon bucket, a tire and wheel scrub brush, a sponge or wash cloth, a water hose and nozzle, bike wash shampoo, and a spray wheel cleaner.  Here are some step-by-step tips to make cleaning easier:

1. Clean one wheel at a time.  If your bike has a center stand, put it up on the center stand.  
2. Clean your tires and wheels first before washing the rest of your bike. This prevents splattering cleaners, dirt and brake dust on your clean bike.  Your motorcycle is also less prone to getting water spots from drying while you wash your wheels.
3. Do not clean your wheels if the brakes are still hot from riding.  Let the brakes cool before you spray them with cold water.
4. Mix a bucket of soapy water with your favorite bike shampoo.  Mix double the recommended strength.  I like and recommend Eimann Fabrik Power Wash+ for tires and wheels.  It’s much stronger than most other bike and automotive shampoos, so it has no trouble cutting through the worst grime.
5. Thoroughly rinse the tire and wheel with water using a hose and spray nozzle.  If your bike's calipers are exposed, rinse them thoroughly to flush away loose brake dust.  Also, rinse up under the fender to wash away road grunge, road kill, mud and other debris.
6. If your tires and wheels have a heavy coating of brake dust or road grime, spray them with your wheel cleaner. Allow the cleaner to soak for 30 seconds (minimum) to 3 minutes (maximum). I like the S100, Shinybike, and Sonüs wheel cleaners for most applications.  They are all safe and get the job done with minimum scrubbing.
7. Use your tire and wheel scrub brush and your soapy water to agitate the tire and wheel surface. Use plenty of soapy water. The soap acts as a lubricant to gently lift dirt and grit away from your wheels.  Follow-up with your sponge or washcloth to wash the remaining dirt from the tire and wheel.  When you can't reach an area of the wheel, turn it (if your bike does not have a center stand, you'll have to move it).  Make sure the tires are scrubbed.  Some people put layer upon layer of dressings on their bike's tires but never clean them.  The result is an ugly brownish mess.
8. If your bike has a plastic inner fender, use your wheel brush and soapy water to scrub to scrub this area, too.   This small detail keeps your bike looking fresh.
9. Thoroughly rinse the tire, wheel and fender. Use plenty of water. You need to ensure that all traces of the wheel cleaner (and your neighbor’s cat) are gone.

After washing your bike, remember to dry your tires and wheels using a 100% cotton terrycloth towel.

Caution: I do not recommend using tire cleaners containing bleach.  Bleaches are used in many tire cleaners to brighten white wall tires, but they can turn tires a dull gray and will stain your wheels.

Proper Tire & Wheel Conditioning
After you clean your tires and wheels, you need to protect them. Tire dressings accent the appearance of your tires and protect against cracking and fading.  Likewise, waxing your wheels protects their finish from brake dust and makes them easier to keep clean.

Your wheels should be waxed, at a minimum, three times a year.  You can significantly reduce your wheel cleaning and waxing efforts by coating your wheels with a high quality acrylic.  I really like Klasse All-In-One for this purpose.   Klasse All-In-One is both a cleaner and a protectant.  If you want quick protection for your wheels, try Plexus.  It's designed to be a plastic protectant and polish, but I've been using it for years on polished, painted and powder coated wheels with great results.  

To apply tire dressing:

1. Use a small foam sponge or foam applicator to apply tire dressing (foam provides even distribution and wastes far less product than a cloth). To avoid getting tire dressing on your clean bike, apply the dressing to the foam applicator, not directly to the tire.  I prefer 303 Aerospace Protectant (matte finish) and Lexol Vinylex (gloss finish) on my bike's tires. These products are all water-based dressings containing strong UV inhibitors.
2. Allow dressings to penetrate into the tire before wiping off the excess dressing. Five to ten minutes is okay, but 30 minutes is even better.
3. If you like your tires to be shiny, do a final wipe down with your foam applicator. If you prefer a satin finish, buff the tires down with a terrycloth towel.