Exhaust Silencer; Cleaning - APRILIA RS 50 - 1999 Manual

Clean your motorcycle regularly. Your
motorcycle will look better and work better
if you keep it clean. You will find you will
need to clean it more frequently if it is
used in the following conditions:
– Polluted areas (cities and industrial areas).
– Areas characterized by a high percent-
age of salinity and humidity (sea areas,
hot and humid climates).
– Particular conditions (use of salt and
anti-ice chemical products on the roads
during the winter).
Do not allow contaminants such as in-
dustrial dust, tar spots, dead insects, bird
droppings, etc. to remain on the painted
portions of your motorcycle. They will
very quickly etch into and damage the
paint.
Do not park your motorcycle under trees,
since some trees ooze resins that contain
chemicals which can damage the paint.
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88 use and maintenance RS 50
 
WARNING
A f t e r y o u r m o t o r c y c l e h a s b e e n
washed, the brake functioning will be
temporarily impaired because of the
wetness of the discs and pads. Do not
ride in traffic until after you have dried
the brakes by repeated braking from
slow speed.
Always after washing your motorcycle,
carry out the preliminary checking oper-
ation, see p. 47 (PRELIMINARY CHECK-
ING OPERATIONS).
To remove dirt and mud from the painted
surfaces, use a low pressure water hose.
Carefully wet the dirty parts and remove
mud and dirt with a soft car sponge. You
may use proprietary car shampoos (2-4%
parts of shampoo in clear water), to make
this easier.
Carefully flush so that no dirt or girt re-
mains on the paintwork, and dry with a
clean chamois or clean terry towel.
To clean the engine and other non-painted
parts, use a mild solvent and a bristle
brush, along with plenty of rags.
 
CAUTION
Polish with silicone wax only after hav-
ing carefully washed your motorcycle.
Do not wash the motorcycle in direct
sunlight, especially during the summer,
when the paintwork is still warm, since
if the shampoo dries before being
rinsed away, it can damage the paint.
Do not use solvents or water hotter than
40°C to clean the plastic components of
the motorcycle.
Never use a high pressure washer, a
steam cleaner, or an air augmented wa-
ter jet to clean your motorcycle, espe-
cially the wheel hubs, handlebar con-
trols, brake reservoirs and cylinders,
instruments, electrical components or
exhaust silencer. Such cleaning ma-
chinery will force water into critical por-
tions of your motorcycle, which could
damage your motorcycle through corro-
sion or short circuiting.
Do not use alcohol or other solvents to
clean the rubber or plastic parts, or the
seat, use only clear water with a mild
soap.
 
WARNING
Do not apply any protective coating to
the seat, such coatings tend to make
the seat too slippery.