cleaning dirt

[RyanP]

I'm out here on Iowa Hill Rd near the river right now.. Absolutely beautiful!

I ran the R6S through a portion of dirt/gravel and managed to go through an unbeknowngst loose area and put her down

Cleaned it up and the chain and fairing got a bit of dirt in. Couldn't start her for a couple minutes after a cool down and trying to wipe it down best I could.

How should I clean off the chain and what else should I do to clean? Never have dropped her before even after all these foothills driving I've been doing! I guess its about down for my first drop.

Ryan

[STrider]

An old-timer rider taught me this. To clean the chain, go down to OSH, Lowes, etc. and buy a gallon of kerosene. You won't use the whole thing, but you'll have some for the next time. Ride a few miles to warm the chain up. Maybe you already did this by riding to OSH. Get a rag you don't plan to use anymore. A dirty one will do. Soak a handful of rag in kerosene, and with the rear wheel elevated, hold the rag around the chain rather firmly and begin to spin the rear wheel by hand. Repeat until the whole chain looks a lot cleaner. Throw the rag away. Now, if the chain is kinda soppy, you might want to dry it a bit with another rag. Spray the entire chain with your chain lube of choice. I use the less expensive stuff from Cycle Gear. Resist the urge to go out and ride for a few hours. You're done!

Washing the bike before this process is entirely optional.

[RyanP]

Originally Posted by STrider

An old-timer rider taught me this. To clean the chain, go down to OSH, Lowes, etc. and buy a gallon of kerosene. You won't use the whole thing, but you'll have some for the next time. Ride a few miles to warm the chain up. Maybe you already did this by riding to OSH. Get a rag you don't plan to use anymore. A dirty one will do. Soak a handful of rag in kerosene, and with the rear wheel elevated, hold the rag around the chain rather firmly and begin to spin the rear wheel by hand. Repeat until the whole chain looks a lot cleaner. Throw the rag away. Now, if the chain is kinda soppy, you might want to dry it a bit with another rag. Spray the entire chain with your chain lube of choice. I use the less expensive stuff from Cycle Gear. Resist the urge to go out and ride for a few hours. You're done!

Washing the bike before this process is entirely optional.

Great, thanks for the idea.. i just looked at the chain and it really wasn't as dirty after washing it thoroughly, just needed a bit of a lube.

Thanks!
Ryan