Keeping an ATV spotless is almost impossible. Where I ride the red clay just sticks to the machine and can easily stain the plastics and tires. Over the years I have found some ways to keep the mud off and the best cleaner to use.
Coat It
The first thing I do before I go riding is coat my entire bike with SC1 (ad). This stuff will put a layer of protection on the bike that keeps dirt and mud from sticking. I’ll be honest, this stuff is not cheap. But it does work! So you get what you pay for.
If you plan on selling your ATV, Motorcycle, or Side By Side then clean/shine it with this stuff. It will make your blacks and plastics look amazing.
Cleaning Mud Off
If you already have mud or dirt on your ATV then regular car soap will not work. The mud will stain soft materials like your seat and tires.
You’ll need something strong to get the stains off, but you want to avoid using Purple Power and Grease Lighting as it will destroy the aluminum that your ATV frame and engine is made of.
Some guys like to Simple Green but you also need to be careful with this stuff around aluminum.
The good news is that you can buy a wash/cleaner that is made to attack mud and dirt on quads. I use X-Team Spray Cleaner (ad) for all my machines. The biggest reason is that it doesn’t require me to scrub, just spray it on and rinse off.
Restore Oxidized Plastic
Check out this video below. This guy uses 60/40 paint thinner to boiled linseed oil mix. I’ve done this before and it does work. The only problem is that it doesn’t last. Great way to make an old ATV look new when you’re trying to sell it. If you do try it make sure you try it on a small spot hidden away to make sure your plastics can handle it.