TRO

Your Sport Touring Motorbike Fix
close

Close

Robin DeanMuc-Off.comAug 10, 2023ContentsCommentShare

Unfold our FTC disclosure melodrama here. The following article was last updated on Aug 17, 2023 ...

Muc-Off Puts The Punk In Pressure Washer

Alright, grime hating gearheads. Let's talk about pressure washing your bike and more specifically, the Muc-Off motorcycle pressure washer. It's the big cheese of pressure washers, built for bikes.

Now, before yelling about pressure washers being to motorcycles what flamethrowers are to marshmallows, know that I once agreed.

It might be the most polarizing debate in today's social climate, namely whether or not there's any such thing as a "good" motorcycle pressure washer. It's like asking if ketchup belongs on hotdogs, a controversial and deeply personal exploration of the self. Team "it'll strip my bike down to its bare metal soul" swears this on their mother's grave while team "pfft" either doesn't care or knows better (probably both).

Those who see it as harsh know the dangers. Motorcycles have all sorts of nooks and crannies where water could potentially collect. Those hidden voids are like something out of an Indiana Jones movie.

But the Muc-Off motorcycle pressure washer is the world's first pressure washer designed specifically for bikes and motorcycles. It's as gentle as a baby bunny on bearings and delicate surfaces while still being able to blast all that stubborn road gunk into the next century. Keep in mind, it's not just what we use, it's how we use it. If we take precautions and maintain distance while wielding our mighty water weapon, pressure washing can be greatly efficient! Protocols are the golden rule.

Reasons For Concern

Paint, steel and top secret hidden voids ... they all have one thing in common. When we're riding along at our preferred pace, they're with us for the duration. This means they can take a harsh hit from any wind shy of a tornado but that doesn't mean we want to ignore them at bath time.

If you're a weekend warrior, standing water along the subframe means oxides are catching invites to a rust rave. Best you can do is ride that beast but calendars will be calendars. Maybe forego the masta blasta - or - treat every minute of "me time" to intimate detailing, a sensuous T-CLOCS pleasure that is a motorcyclist's hot yoga.

“Learn the cautionary benefits of power washing your motorbike. Then, be less cautionary thanks to the Muc-Off motorcycle pressure washer!”

Moreover, fragile-ish parts exposed to direct pressure may respond poorly, much like any of us thrown into our current job role with zero training. We survived (barely). Now, every day is another adventure in hoping nothing breaks catastrophically.

Less Concern: Use A Muc-Off Motorcycle Pressure Washer

The Muc-Off motorcycle pressure washer's 11-in-1 bundle includes all sorts of goodies. Three different lances cater to your specific cleaning needs. Their two-year warranty suggests they're confident their product won't crap out on you after two uses.

If we take precautions and keep our distance, it's actually a greatly efficient method. Pressure washers are compact and save money in the long run by cutting down those scrubbing hours significantly. That and they're great for fending off the very same weekend warriors who contest our every move via text from a porcelain throne.

Let's make up for their missing mileage using methods, techniques, tutorials, you know ... book learnin'.

First Off, Try And Always Aim Down

I won't bother telling you not to blast out your radiator. We both know you're going to. So am I.

But do remember those multi-day, multi-destination sport touring rides where you got caught in a downpour. Did you stop? Heck no! You've taken intermediate and advanced level training of some variety and know how to keep thrills within skills, even while bustin' out the soap-on-a-rope to multitask. What I'm saying is, you knew then that your bike wasn't going to melt because (keyword) DOWNpour means your plastics are doing their best to behave like roofing shingles.

Blasting water up into where the sun don't shine? Try that on yourself first. Should you survive that enema, get your money back.

The Muc-Off motorcycle pressure washer comes with a Snow Foam lance, which transforms your bottle of Nano Tech Motorcycle Cleaner into an avalanche of filth-fighting foam. The 1200W motor power has a rated pressure of 70 bar. It wears its own waterproof dry bag for easy storage and transport so you can take this party on the road anywhere there are dirty bikes awaiting salvation.

Make Way For The Muc-Off Motorcycle Pressure Washer

Leave at least 3' of space between the nozzle and your bike. We're not engraving our name or washing that freak family member's backside. The goal is to soak, sud and bathe (by hand). Only after this should we blast lovingly and rinse. If distance/pressure looks too harsh, it probably is.

As for the Muc-Off motorcycle pressure washer itself, how do you use this contraption? Glad I pretended you asked! You connect it to a main power source and water outlet, then give your bike a good rinse using just water.

It's a known foreplay in pressure washing circles (or so I hear).

Next comes the Snow Foam. Connect the aforementioned lance to your included bottle of Nano Tech Motorcycle Cleaner, adjust accordingly based on how much fun you want to have foaming your ride and let 'er rip. Once done, let it soak for 5-ish minutes, agitate any stubborn grime from existence with a brush or sponge before rinsing everything thoroughly.

Washing our bike shouldn't feel like work until that very last detail that is detailing. During the Muc-Off wash, if you think to yourself "I can probably wedge the nozzle between the cam lobe and valve adjuster", step back and think "microfiber, detailing and beer(s)". With this, you've successfully tamed the bull in a china shop.

The logic I'm going for here is that when a task becomes either too easy (chainsaw to butter) or too hard (chainsaw to clutch housing), we've let ourselves coast out of bounds.

Gloves Give Loves

Going back to the sudsy bath, a soaked bike has already begun cutting into the nasty remnants of bird poop encrusted bug cadavers. While an up-close-and-personal pressure washer might shave 'em off, that again goes against our wisely situated distance rule. If your pressure washer has a soap distribution nozzle, adding a bit of detergent to the mix won't hurt.

Leave it standing while you fill a bucket full of water that's as hot as you can tolerate.

The best massage comes from our investment in a reputable pair of car wash gloves. By "reputable" what I mean is whatever's available at the nearest automotive or box store. These things need to be replaced once in a while. They shouldn't stand up by themselves courtesy of past washing events. I mean, unless you want meaningless, gravel track damage lines in your body work.

Afterwards, use one of the Muc-Off motorcycle pressure washer bundled microfibre cloths to dry your bike before applying some Motorcycle Protectant.

Precaution Over Caution

Something I've not yet mentioned is Muc-Off's Project Green. That's their commitment to environmentally friendly practices across their business. They've set themselves an ambitious target, namely to eliminate over thirty tons of plastic by 2023. They're doing so by including biodegradable Nano Tech Bike Cleaner formulas which act as eco refills. All total, that cuts down on 75% of plastic used.

The short of it is, if you love both Mother Earth and having a motorcycle that's cleaner than every euphemism in this article, get yourself a Muc-Off motorcycle pressure washer.

At the end of the day, using a pressure washer to clean your motorcycle is just another method in the vast array of cleaning techniques available to us. It might require you to stand a little further away than you're used to, but that doesn't make it any less effective. The power and efficiency of a pressure washer can cut through the grime and dirt that accumulates on a bike, making it shine like new.

However, it's important to consider that using a pressure washer requires a certain level of precaution. Before you start, make sure you have a plan in place. Know which parts of your bike can handle the pressure and which parts need a gentler touch. If your fellow riders give you a hard time about your method, use it to clean the inside of their exhaust. They'll never contest your approach again.

Lastly, it's crucial to remember that a pressure washer isn't the solution to all of your cleaning needs. There are certain parts of your bike that simply aren't meant to be cleaned with high pressure water. The inside of your fuel tank, for instance, should never be cleaned with a pressure washer. Same goes for your battery. And your helmet.

Checkered Flag

Do You Use A Muc-Off Motorcycle Power Washer?

There are other great moto-washing products on the market. Which ones do you prefer and why? Your input is invited. Leave a comment!

Share Link ...

Robin Dean

About Robin Dean

Motorcycle advocate, enthusiast and traveler. Founder, The Riding Obsession (2014). MSF RiderCoach credentials: "loosely regarded adult supervisor, probably good enough for rock 'n' roll" ~ Tidal Playlist

Click Me!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *