Hello everyone, motorcycle fanatics! Surely you have ever thought about cleaning the exhaust pipe of your motorcycle. First of all we want to tell you, that both methods we are going to propose you can be a bit dangerous for your bike and for you. And that's why we really recommend that if you get to the point where your exhaust pipe is in bad condition or affecting the performance of your bike, we recommend that you either buy a new one or take your bike to a professional.

That being said, if you still want to clean it, we are going to explain the benefits of cleaning your bike's exhaust, what you need to do, if there are different ways to do it and how to do it step by step so you can leave your bike's exhaust as good as new. Let's get started!

Benefits of cleaning your motorcycle's exhaust pipe

It is important to keep the exhaust of your motorcycle always clean, because if it is very dirty it is very likely that your bike will consume more fuel, and not only that, but it will be more forced because it will not be able to expel the gases it generates. By going more forced can wear out the engine and impair the performance of your bike.

For all this is why you should always keep your bike exhaust in a good condition. If you take care of the exhaust you will not force your bike so much, and extend the lifespawn of your bike.

How often do I have to clean the exhaust of my motorcycle?

It is usually recommended that you clean your motorcycle's exhaust (and if possible the whole exhaust system) once a year. This way we will always have the exhaust in good conditions.

Although the previous option is the recommended one, you should do it in the previous revision to pass the ITV without any problem. Even if you understand motorcycles and know your bike well, you could do it when you start to notice that the bike loses some power, although as we said at the beginning, if you reach that point, it is possible that it is best to buy a new exhaust pipe.

Black motorcycle exhaust pipe

What materials do I need to clean my motorcycle's exhaust pipe?

Having explained the benefits of cleaning your bike's exhaust and how often to do it, let's explain what materials you need to have on hand before you start cleaning the exhaust.

We are going to give you 2 options to clean the exhaust, although we recommend the second one. The materials needed according to each case are the following:

  • Option 1: Rod or brush with strong and hard bristles.
  • Option 2: Screwdriver, bucket, caustic soda, boiling water, hose, gloves, goggles and a mask.

Instructions for cleaning the exhaust pipe of your motorcycle

Wand

  1. First, you have to take the wand or stick that is as long as possible, so that it reaches the bottom of the exhaust.
  2. You simply have to insert it inside, rub the internal walls of the exhaust and make all the dirt inside the exhaust jump out. You need to repeat this several times, in order to clean the exhaust pipe as much as possible.

The only thing to mention is that you have to be careful when doing it, and do it with a certain delicacy. If not, you can scratch the walls of the exhaust, and therefore it is very possible that you end up damaging its interior.

Caustic soda

  1. First of all, you have to disassemble the exhaust of your bike. This can be easier or more complicated depending on the model of your bike. To avoid problems, we recommend that you take a look at the instruction manual of your bike.
  2. When you have it disassembled, you must cover one of the two ends so you can put through one of them the solution that we are going to fo next, without it coming out of the other end.
  3. Once you have disassembled the exhaust pipe and you have plugged one end you must put the exhaust in a bucket big enough to take the whole exhaust. Once you are at this point, you must protect yourself with gloves, mask and goggles, and if you can carry out the following steps in a well ventilated place, all the better.
  4. Now with the exhaust pipe inside the bucket, you will have to pour approximately 1 kg of caustic soda into the bucket from the open end and move it so that it spreads all over the inside of the exhaust. When you have done this, introduce 2 liters of boiling water very carefully. Then you will have to fill the bucket of water, submerge the exhaust with the solution that we have added inside and leave it for 24 to 48 hours.
  5. When this time has passed, carefully remove the exhaust from the bucket and remove all the contents from inside the bucket and deposit it in the bucket. Once this is done, you should rinse it well with a pressure hose if possible. And now you will only have to let it dry and mount it again or mount it and go to ride a little with the bike, so that the gases given off at such high temperatures dry the inside of the exhaust so that it does not rust.

You need to be very careful if you use this method, because it is very dangerous and you can damage the exhaust of your motorcycle and also harm yourselves in the process, because caustic soda is very dangerous. Don't do it without the precautionary systems that we have discussed in the post.

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