Fixing on your beloved bike is easy when you know how to fix a water damaged bike after unfortunate water contact. Water and motor engines are not one of the best pairs there are, and preventing damage that one can cause to the other is one of the priorities a bike owner must take care of and be mindful about always.
Floods due to heavy rainfall are one of the main reasons a bike can sustain water damage. Water seeping and logging inside the bike’s engine can cause minor up to significant damage depending on the length of time the bike is left unattended. You must try fixing damages as early as you can reduce the risk of expending much more than you should have.
Steps For Fixing Water Damaged Bike
Repairing a water damaged motorbike is less costly than repairing a water damaged car, but it doesn’t mean that you can leave it for a while. As urgent as it can be for a car, it is also the same for a bike.
As an owner, you must be decisive in taking action towards water damage. Water in your engines is something that you would not like, so here’s how you fix a water damaged bike.
Step #1. Precautionary measures
Before anything else, you must undertake precautionary measures. First and foremost, you must never attempt to start your bike, especially if you need to fix the water damaged engine. It may cause further undesirable damage, not only to your engine but to other electrical components as well.
The subsequent precautionary measure you must take is to take pictures of your bike, not for bragging or posting purposes but the repair. The image is to identify where to place the parts you will remove during the repair process.
The other one is to remove any electrical components your bike has. Disconnect electrical components to avoid damaging the parts.
Step #2. Wash and drain
After taking precautionary steps, now you can start to clean off water and mud on your motorbike. Before washing your bike, drain your motorbike of fluids, such as oil, gasoline, and any water lagged in the motorbike.
Once done draining the fluids, wash your motorbike using pressurized water to ensure the removal of floodwater and dirt. Clean the fuel tank with gasoline and apply compressed air. Check thoroughly and clean the couplers of CDI, starter relay, and winker.
You must also clean your wiring cables and apply corrosion inhibitors to avoid rusting and damages to the insulation. Clean and apply grease on brakes and pivot points. Also, remember to lubricate your steel ball bearings.
Step #3. Test components
Now that you are done cleaning your bike’s components, it’s time to check if the parts are working correctly. Check your speedometer, lights, and switches. Also, check if your wiring and cables are working as intended.
Step #4. Finish up
If all is good and working well, you can now proceed to reconnect your electrical couplers. Affix any part that you’ve temporarily removed before you started the repair.
Attach them the way they were before and attempt to start your motorbike’s engine. If there are some issues that you do not know how to fix or if you are still staggering, you can always consult your local automotive repair shops and get your motorbike checked.
What happens when water gets into your motor?
Water entering the motor’s engine can cause significant damages to the piston and cylinders. Water can make its way to your motor’s engine through the air intake of the motor. If there is still water in the engine, it may lead to compression issues due to the lack of exit points for the water inside.
When this happens, pistons may tend to bend and eventually break if the operation continues with water inside. Another thing that may occur is that the water logged inside the motorbike may lead to rusting, which can cause structural issues in the long run.
Can water be flushed out of a bike’s engine?
Yes, you can always flush out water out of the bike’s engine. Just open and drain your engine’s oil spots where you think water may be logged. Add three tablespoons of gasoline and let it clean out the remaining oil, water, and dirt that is still logged inside the engine.
To ensure that no more excess fluids are inside the engine, you can apply compressed air to flush out any liquid inside thoroughly. After that, fill your engine with oil to its required volume. Also, try to clean your air intake valve to prevent residual dirt from entering your engine and damaging the motor.
Conclusion
At this point, we sure hope that you learned something on how to fix a water damaged bike. Water damage is present almost anywhere, whether inside your house, outdoors or with pieces of equipment.
Water is beneficial in many ways, but it can get destructive depending on the material. Fixing water damage may vary with different types of equipment and materials, but they all require attention. After all, the earlier you act, the earlier you can get things resolved.