Cleaning Motorcycle Handles
Over time, your motorcycle handles or grips will become dirty. This is because dead skin, dirt, sweat, and other grime from your hands slowly builds up after driving your bike for month after month during riding season. Your once sparkling white or other lightly colored rubber grips are now hazed over and dingy, which takes away from the overall appearance of your motorcycle. Plus, they may develop a sticky nature that just doesn’t feel good. This build up will cause rubber deterioration if left untreated for years at a time. Some people just toss their grips out when it comes to this; however, washing them takes very little effort! If you’ve been meaning to give them a good cleaning, now’s the time to do so. Cleaning motorcycle handles is easy, taking just a bit of elbow grease if they’re really caked up. Incorporate this quick routine next time you wash your bike. After you get them washed up and looking new again, we’ll also show you how to prevent build up from happening again.
You’ll need the following:
- Mild dish detergent
- Rubbing alcohol
- Armor All, Pledge, or similar product
- Scrubbing sponge
- Toothbrush
- Baking soda
- Clean cloth
- Mix your dish detergent and warm water in a bucket.
- Dip a scrub sponge in the water and wash the handles (Be sure to give special attention to small crevices).
- Dry the handles with a cloth.
- If handles still appear dingy, wet another cloth with rubbing alcohol and wipe the handles.
- Dry grips. To enhance shine, apply Armor All or Pledge.
After completing these steps, you may find that your motorcycle handles are still sticky. In this case, you can also mix baking soda and water together to create a paste. Apply it with a toothbrush and scrub until the stickiness is gone. Rinse the rubber grips clean and dry with a cloth.
How are your grips looking? Refreshed? We hope so! How can you keep them this way? It’s a smart idea to pack antibacterial wipes with you for every ride. These will easily fit in your saddlebags, backpack, or other dedicated storage you have on the bike. Once you’ve returned home or come to a rest stop for the day, take a wipe and clean the grips. It’s quick and easy, taking just a few minutes to rid any new dirt. Getting into the habit of wiping your handles down offers several benefits. Grime won’t build up, lessening the number of germs and bacteria present on the handles. It’s important to consider the unseen grime too, not just the stuff that collects on your grips. As you touch door handles, gas pumps, your gear, and whatever else, your hands naturally pick up bacteria. So while your handles might look clean, they probably aren’t! Essentially, keeping your grips (and hands, too) clean will help you stay healthy! This will also help prevent that stickiness from returning, which can be a pain to remove. Make it a point to fully wash your bike and grips once a month. By washing your motorcycle grips on a regular basis, you’ll be able to prolong the life of your rubber grips. Who doesn’t love saving money where they can? Plus, you will be able to discern when cracks develop so you can promptly change them out.
Now that you know how to clean motorcycle handles, you can keep them looking sharp throughout the year. Even if you have white, yellow, or other light-colored grips for your motorcycle, following this guide will bring those colors back to life. When your bike looks its best, it doesn’t get any better!
