Washing it, without reaching what must stay dry

Read the exclusion list before the claims

Nearly every general cleaner states that it is not for brake discs and not for the chain. Those two are the surfaces a hasty wash reaches first — discs because they are exposed, the chain because it is the dirtiest thing on the machine and the most tempting to spray.

Cool and out of the sun

Most cleaners specify a cool machine and shade, because a product that dries before it is rinsed leaves marks on paint and on anodised parts. It is the most common instruction on the bottle and the most commonly ignored.

Work in the published contact time

A cleaner is sprayed on, left for the time its maker states, and rinsed. Leaving it longer is not better: acidic cleaners bite harder on aluminium the longer they sit, and makers publish the pH where they take it seriously.

Keep pressure away from the places water causes trouble

Wheel bearings, linkage bearings, the chain, electrical connectors, the instrument cluster and any seal. A pressure washer aimed at a bearing pushes water past a seal that was designed to keep it out, and the damage shows up months later as a noise.

Dry it, and ride it briefly if you can

Water sitting in recesses is what causes corrosion, not the washing. A short ride dries brake discs and the chain, and both benefit from being used rather than left wet.

Chain last, and as its own job

Clean it with a product published as safe for its sealing rings, let it dry, then lubricate it warm. Doing the chain during the wash is how degreaser ends up on a disc.

The annual look that costs nothing

Once a year, while the machine is clean and on a stand, go round the fasteners you can see — bodywork, mirrors, levers, the rear sprocket carrier, luggage racks and mounts. Vibration works things loose, and a fastener found finger-tight is a fastener found in time. Torque figures for anything safety-critical are in the manual.