Professional Motorcycle Detailing: A Specialist Skill
Why do UKDA offer a separate course in detailing motorcycles?
At a basic level they’re no different from cleaning a car, right? Same roads = same contamination, surely?
Whilst the environments are the same, motorcycles differ from cars – aside from the obvious lack of wheels – in quite a few ways, and knowing how to set up, address and problem solve the common issues you will encounter is not something you can really muddle your way through without some insight into the techniques and preparation required.
Why Detailing a Motorcycle Is Its Own Skill.
Different surfaces and finishes
Surfaces and materials are a bit more complex for a start. Anodised finishes are usually a custom option on cars – however, with the amount of bare metal on motorcycles, it’s quite common to see a protective and decorative anodised finish on frames and wheels. You also have a variety of exposed surface such as leather or vinyl, electronics (which are waterproof, but not necessarily chemical proof), and lubricated surfaces, which whilst can be cleaned, may also need re-lubricating correctly. Using the wrong chemicals or techniques on any of these areas could prove an expensive mistake to fix!
Handling and safety
How do you safely work on motorcycles? If you’re not used to a range of bike sizes and styles, the safe handling and standing of motorcycles whilst detailing is something that could trip you up – and if you’ve never used a paddock stand before, it’s not something you really want to try as you go. You also need to take extra precautions, such as exhaust bungs, and know all the places that need cleaning – not just the ones you can see from the side of the road.
The fiddly bits: fairings, chains and screens
We look at the intricacies for a deeper detail – fairing removal, chain cleaning and re-greasing, perspex screen correction and a range of techniques to efficiently clean and protect motorcycles without risking a nasty insurance claim. These are all high value upsells, which are only easy if you know how and have the necessary equipment and skills. We ensure you have a chance to perform all these tasks so you know what to expect when your first customer rolls in.
Why add motorcycle detailing to your business services?
Simply, because most don’t. It’s a valuable source of additional work which, if you can demonstrate a high level of competence at it will potentially be attractive to a whole new audience (most of whom incidentally also own cars you can detail). Most either don’t offer the service because they are not experienced with bikes and are worried they will tip over, or they have a go and don’t get called back because they treat it like a car valet and miss crucial aspects.
Despite assumptions, it’s not limited by season – in Autumn, people are starting to think about putting motorbikes away for winter, Winter is time for projects whilst its off the road, Spring is time to bring them back out again. A put to bed and wake up service is in demand, along with general detailing and enhancement, and is something riders are willing to spend some money on – with the potential for more involved work whilst the bike is stored for the Winter.
The Motorcycle Detailing 1-to-1 course is available to book via our usual booking calendar availability options. We run Group motorcycles days as a lower cost, small group option should you prefer that, usually every six months..
