All that extra stuff you buy to clean, shine, polish, wax, lubricate and even fix your dirt bike isn't necessarily just for dirt bikes.
Many products serve a dual purpose and if you think outside the box a little you'll figure out real quick what an arsenal of cleaning and all-around everyday use products that hang out in your garage.
But first you should know what doesn't crossover that you think might crossover. Oil. You'll notice some dirt bikes and motorcycles use, for example, 10w-40 or 15w-30 weight oils. So do a lot of cars. But that doesn't mean the oils traverse. Oils made for 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines have specific additives and other properties to meet manufacturer's specifications for specified engines that could harm or not provide ample protection for an automobile's engine and vice versa.
Yes, you could get away with it but we don't recommend it.
Now for the good stuff.
Battery Tenders
A battery tender is a must-have in the motorcycle world especially if you live in an area where it snows all winter and hitting the trails or Motocross track waits until spring. Where battery tenders come into play when not keeping your dirt bike charged is on boats which usually don't operate regularly to keep the engine charged or for vehicles left in storage for some time.
Grease
Grease is grease. What you use to grease and lubricate the ball bearings or chain and sprockets can also be used for dozens of other projects around the house like keeping the garage door opener operational. Try dabbing a little on the hinges of car doors. Your lawn mower engine isn't too far removed from that which powers your dirt bike. Keep that big moving part lubricated and protected from the wet grass you're about to cut.
Tools
Owning a dirt bike means owning wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, T-Handles and pliers among a plethora of other tools many which duplicate as normal everyday garage tools. It's a good bet you're already using some of the tools used to perform general maintenance on your dirt bike for small jobs around the house or large ones in the garage.
But some riders don't mix and match. The tools for dirt bikes are for dirt bikes. Period. And for good reason because more often than not you'll remember the wrench set you desperately need is still sitting upstairs in the guest bedroom. But you're at the track.
Cleaning Supplies
Maxima SC1 works wonders on a car's black trim. So does Pro Honda Spray Cleaner. Speed wax sold for dirt bikes is an easy way to get your car to a showroom shine. In fact, just about any of the wash products and waxes that clean and shine a dirt bike after a day in the mud works just as well on cars.
Riding Gloves
Yes, riding gloves. Of course we wouldn't recommend buying a slick pair of riding gloves solely for chores around the house but a pair you don't like or that's seen better days on the track work pretty good when mowing the lawn, pruning trees, picking weeds and even chopping wood. Hunters like them too and do you fish? Relive last summer's races and see if those lucky gloves help reel in the biggest catch of your life.
Loctite
Tired of that kitchen cabinet screw coming undone? Use Loctite. The must-have in dirt bike tool boxes is probably one of the most versatile products since it can be used on nearly any fastener with a thread. We'd recommend the Blue 242 version since it's a medium strength adhesive and comes apart using hand tools.
Anti-Seize
Now if you don't want nuts and bolts to stay put permanently, apply anti-seize especially when fastening a metal screw into a metal frame. Once rust or corrosion seeps in you've got natural Loctite but worse! Have you ever tried to remove a screw only to have the head rip off like it was butter leaving the threaded part stuck with little to no way of removing it? That's where anti-seize comes in play. It also acts like grease offering protective properties and works on car lug nuts and metal door hinges, too. Any metal fastener that tends to rust when exposed to the elements could use a dose of anti-seize.
Grip Glue
Need superglue? Try some grip glue. Grip glue comes in two forms: superglue or rubber cement. Both formulas work in place of the commercial equivalent. That said, if you've got superglue lying around and discover you're out of grip glue and need some for ride day, use the superglue. But as far as using grip glue for something else? We like Pro Taper's stuff best because it dries in five minutes.
How about you? Had you already figured out some of these suggestions? Better yet, let us know what other products manufactured primarily for dirt bikes that you've successfully used elsewhere.
