So after getting my bike delivered last tuesday when it was 8 degrees I finally got some riding in since the weather in KC warmed up a bit. I noticed a crazy amount of white dust accumulating on the wheels and it was worse on the rear. I just finished trying to apply a little elbow grease to clean off what I thought was just salt residue left over from all that snow we didn't get. After getting at it for awhile it appears that whatever kind of grease or lube the dealer or factory put on the chain must have slopped onto the wheel, and then add on some road dust. Long story short it is not coming off easily. Any of you guys got a good remedy to remove said gunk from the wheel without damaging the paint? I was thinking of trying some regular old craft store Goo Gone, but I wanted all of your esteemed opinions before I begin. Also, if you had any tips or tricks of things I could check or perhaps redo that the dealer may have screwed up would be appreciated! Thank you in advance brothers!

Try some WD40.

WD40 on white rag
Comes right off

WD40, chain cleaner, simple green .... kerosene works, but it stinks !

Oh and hit with some pledge furniture polish afterwards if you have any laying around ...

* Last updated by: carabuser on 1/18/2015 @ 9:11 PM *

wd40 and kerosene should remove anything. follow up with some 20:1 simple green aircraft

Kerosene. I'd clean that stuff off the chain anyway. SOunds like the factory rust protectant they use. Don't use WD to clean an Oring chain........I know many will agree and disagree on this but I saw the evidence myself. It won't destroy any orings with one application but it wil probably cause some visible deterioration. I found black chunks of rubber on my rear wheel and sticking out between the chain plates. Went to kero and no more chunks.

Did everyones bike have that white gunky crap on the chain when you got it new from the dealer,
or was that my dealers prepping ?

That crap took SEVERAL cleanings to get off, didn't like it at all ... it looked like white grease,
but it was real thick and sticky, it didn't fling off a lot, but when it did, it was a pain in the
ass to get off the rims and swingarm etc ....

* Last updated by: carabuser on 1/19/2015 @ 9:20 AM *

A lot of new chains come with that greaasy preservative all over them. Sometimes it's worth cleaning the chain before using it.

Mad

Keep a bottle of "cleaning grade" benzine. It works on wheels and also under tray, even panels etc without damaging anything. Even Honda puts that stuff on their chains. My wife's bike came back with the chain white and then it goes onto the wheels. Must say it stayed on a lot longer than any of the other chain lubes that I have tried.

Whiskey Delta 40, cleans the grime off the stockers fast. like everyone else said

Smells like armoral, but I experimented with a tire rubber dressing. Sprayed it on the front rim where the brake dust flies onto. 1) It seemed to clean it. 2) Oh look, that rim is as shinny as a new penny.
And no, there is no dealer prep damage to the rims is my guesstimation. The OE chain lube is going to splatter onto the rim no matter the lube. However, homehere simply uses a dry, clean, used, recycled paper towel, removes the marine grease off the rim easier than whipping your ass.

I used simple green a few times on the wheels. Read quite a few people recommending it for rims. I do worry about it having a long term affect on the clear coat, but figure if it was an issue it'd be known by now.

After you get your wheels cleaned try some Wheel Wax. You can get Wheel Wax from Amazon or several other places, really helps keep crud from sticking to wheels and it IS different from regular wax. Been using Wheel Wax for a long time and will continue as long as they make it 'cause it works.

You guys kick ass! Whiskey Delta 40 worked like a charm. I will look for the Wheel Wax as well. So a few of you said it would be best to go ahead and clean off the white grease with kerosene or a similar chain cleaner and then apply some chain wax or lube? So just pull the chain guard off and have at it with a few rags, kerosene and perhaps some latex gloves and apply aftermarket wax/lube? Another question for you gents. I used Cblast's suggestion on suspension settings on the front forks(the rear seems to be good for my weight)However I rode today and it seemed the front end wants to dive down a little more than I like. Where should I start experimenting first preload, rebound, compression? I weight about 235lb. Again, I am coming from riding a Yamaha Raider that has zero settings with exception of the rear shock. Right now on preload I am running with 4 lines showing, should I crank it down a little more?

The o-ring in water displacement formula 40 test has been done over and over and over .... guess what? Same results...who would have thought that would happen again.

Cleaned mine off at 500 miles with good old kerosene, just like Grampa taught me, Motul chain clean followed by Motul chain lube - good for another 500 miles.

Not wise to clean a new chain. Continue to lube chain. If grit is on the chain, think of a release agent like grease. Nice, pressured between your clenched fist around a chain rung. You can't feel a thing when reapplying the grease. Wattaya Doing 40 the hell out of the chain for? I haven't cleaned a chain since switching to grease Nothing to clean off. It all flung off, hello?

Signed,

Ain't My Bike

I just apply gear oil every couple hundred miles, it pretty much cleans itself. Now I still clean the chain every time because i'm crazy but you really dont need to clean the chain that often, just a little lube.

Use a soaked rag and just wipe the excess off the side plates then use a good quality chain lube on a regular basis, won't have any problems after that.

I like Motul chain clean, the Motul chain Lube is good also, but for lube I like
the Dupont - Teflon Chain-Saver, it goes on clear, dries clear, and doesn't fling off
much at all, if you let it sit for a while ...