How to best wash your childs TAKANI electric dirt bike

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baYPYW5GajU

Hey guys, it's Christian from TAKANI electric dirt bikes.

In this video we are going to explain the best way to take care of and clean your child's TAKANI dirt bike.

Being a dirt bike it’s obviously going to get dirty at some stage. However, because it is an electric bike you can't use a high pressure washer to get rid of all the muck and dirt.

So what do you do? Simple, you do not need expensive cleaning equipment to clean your dirt bike or balance bike. Just garden hose with a spray nozzle and a bucket of warm soapy water. It does make it a bit easier if you have a small sweeper or a something similar. The shape of the sweeper as well as the soft and long bristles help you to get in all the little spots and crevices. You could also use the brush from a dustpan set as again it is quite thin and easy to use in those hard to reach places.

Another good option is to also have on hand a kitchen hard bristled brush you usually use for pans. This gets harder more engrained grime off the bike. You may also want to get some motorcycle washing detergent in a spray bottle, this is great for getting off chain lubricant a little bit easier than just with water and leaves a nice finish after drying. You can buy this motorcycle washing detergent at any motorcycle or bicycle places, or auto store like Super Cheap Auto, Repco or Auto Barn. A 5 litre tub will last you a good 12 months depending on how regularly you are washing your child’s bike.

There are a couple of very important to steps you need to follow before you start using your hose. Let’s go through them.

• First of all pop the covers off your dirt bike and take the battery out, we don’t want that getting too wet. Close the covers.
• Second, make sure that the charging port is covered with the dust cap.
• Third of all, switch the bike off, remove the key, take the fuse out and cover the fuse box.

Once these steps are done, you're ready to start cleaning with the garden hose.

Start the cleaning by hosing off your bike, similar to when you wash a car, let the water run most of the mud and dirt from the dirt bike. Be mindful not to point the water stream right into the electronics. You do not need to have a high pressure hose nozzle, just enough to maintain control of the water flow. TAKANI dirt bikes unlike petrol bikes are electronic so it’s important to note where the electronic systems for you to avoid them when washing your dirt bike.

The Electrical components of your dirt bike are in the following places:

• In the brake levers, throttle assembly and battery gauge
• The dial where you adjust speed and power
• The frame openings behind the plastic shrouds
• Where the motor sits
• and at the rear where you have free access to the battery comportment

See video for a detailed view of where these are located.

When washing your bike do not hold the water stream into the battery housing. Point the water away, so that all the mud, dirt and water get flushed out sideways and away from the bike, not into the bike.

Your mud guards if doing their job are inevitably going to be one of the dirtiest areas. Don't forget to hose down the parts which you don't see from the side, get underneath the mud guard to ensure it’s fully cleaned out.

You do not need to be too precious with the brake saddle, chain or any mechanical component of your TAKANI dirt bike, they are built to get dirty and they are built to get washed.

The area around the front sprocket is often one of the parts that gets overlooked during cleaning. This is where all the dirt and grime builds up. Hold your hose right inside the sprocket point, with the water aimed a little bit towards the rear of the bike to make sure no water enters the battery compartment.

Don't be too precious when cleaning the chain, you can hold the stream of water right onto the chain. Turn your back wheel to rotate the chain ensuring all debris is removed.

While your bike is still wet, cover your bike with the motorcycle washing detergent. This can be used on all plastic and metal parts of your dirt bike but is especially good for the brakes saddles, the wheels and the chain. Let the detergent sit for a few minutes and work its way into the grime.

When you have let the cleaner saturate those areas, just take your brush and or broom
start working on those tricky spots.

Start at the top just as you would if you were washing your car. Use the long bristles of your sweeper or dust pan brush to get into all the tight spots around the break saddles, the wheels and the bearings. Don’t forget your foot pegs, motor area, the rear swing arm, the side stand and the chain.

If you have a few stubborn areas that are still muddy, dirty or have oil stains, take the brush with the harder bristles and try to get rid of it with a firmer bristled application, a bit of elbow grease should ensure all dirt is easily removed.

Give your dirt bike another good rinse again, starting from the top, making sure again that all detergent is completely removed from all parts. Again, be considerate of these electronics areas and that you don't hold the stream right onto these electronics areas as mentioned above.

Drying Your TAKANI Dirt Bike

There are two simple ways to dry your bike now that it’s all clean.

Take a dry cloth or a rag, give it a good wipe down like you would a car or any other motor vehicle, and let it sit in the sun for a few minutes.

If you are after a quick dry, you can take an air compressor, with the air hose, blow the water out of all of the crevices and over the bike to remove any left over drips.

Starting Up After A Clean

If you should ever come across a situation where your dirt bike doesn't start up after you have washed it, don't panic. It's not a big deal if this happens just follow the steps below.

1. Put the bike out in the sun for drying.
2. Open up the covers.
3. Use a blower or air hose (if available) and remove water droplets from all electrical components you can reach.
4. Let it dry for two to three hours and then you try again.

In most cases it will come back up to life…no issues there usually.

If you have any problems with the bike after washing, please contact us, we are more than happy to help you.

Rider Care and Maintenance

The care and maintenance of a dirt bike is about learning responsibility, it is always a good idea to get your kids involved in the cleaning process after they have had a fun time. They shouldn't do it alone, but it is good when they join you and help under your supervision. This ensures they learn early on how to take care of their dirt bike and maintain vital components which is an important part of the learning process.

When your child is using a TAKANI dirt bike, please make sure they avoid very wet and muddy areas, make sure they wear complete and approved protective equipment, make sure that they only ride on private ground or on a private property and monitor and supervise the rider at all times.

If you were happy with our video and if you would like to know more about new products, tips and tricks, maintenance, or service for our TAKANI bikes, please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel here: 

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