Okay to Clean Wheels with Kerosene?

Pseudo-Fed

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Saw on the sister site folks sometimes clean chain with kerosene then hit wheels with it. Tried it on my gold FZ1 wheel and it wisks away grease like nothing else. Should this be okay long term? Thanks.
 

CanadianFZ6

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I use WD-40... I have used it for years with no harm to paint or rubber... I only use WD-40 for cleaning purposes only, though... I can't speak for kerosene... But, I can't see it being any different than WD-40....
 
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Motogiro

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Kerosene should be fine. Just a little on a rag and keep it off the rubber as you would any petroleum product.
You are talking about the wheels and not the tires right?
 

Pseudo-Fed

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Kerosene should be fine. Just a little on a rag and keep it off the rubber as you would any petroleum product.
You are talking about the wheels and not the tires right?

Wheels, yes. Thanks. Wonder why Kerosene is recommended by Yamaha for cleaning the chain. Is the O-ring not rubber?
 

Pseudo-Fed

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I use WD-40... I have used it for years with no harm to paint or rubber... I only use WD-40 for cleaning purposes only, though... I can't speak for kerosene... But, I can'r see it being any different than WD-40....

Thanks. I have no problem using WD-40 for cleaning wheels, but since I'm trying to get away from it for the chain, I was wanting to determine if kerosene can be safely used for both.
 

Motogiro

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Wheels, yes. Thanks. Wonder why Kerosene is recommended by Yamaha for cleaning the chain. Is the O-ring not rubber?

The 'O' rings are probably a type of neoprene. I don't think they use rubber very much in anything today. I guess some petroleum products are so modified today that they will attack the 'O' Rings.
There is the issue of permanent lubricant behind the 'O' rings that might become emulsified and lost as a result of the cleaning with certain products.
 

Red Wazp

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I find Kerosene is the bomb for cleaning the chain but it does leave a slight oily residue so be sure to wash wheels etc (except the chain!) after using.
 

Humperdinkel

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Kero is fine to use , so is WD-40 :thumbup: For a killer clean used kero first then WD-40............. Then top it all off with a killer shine using Mr Sheen :D the wheel will look amazing :drool:
 

SovietRobot

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Kerosene is about the only thing that works for me, cleaning the chain, undertail, swingarm, etc. Just don't leave an unsealed bottle of it in your car...
 

FinalImpact

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Perhaps O/T but has anyone ever driven through kerosene in the rain? It softens the rubber FAST! I'd use it but be very cautious of getting it on the tires surface. . .

Ps - a truck crash dumped kerosene on a banked corner. It was raining out and the fuel mixed with the water as the autos drove through it. The result was a pile of autos downstream from the spill. You could steer but the car simply went straight. Slippery stuff with O2 applied! I'm just saying. . .

And no, its not like someone is going to poor it on the tire, right?!!! :eek: Be wise if it gets on the chicken strip!
 

04fizzer

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Perhaps O/T but has anyone ever driven through kerosene in the rain? It softens the rubber FAST! I'd use it but be very cautious of getting it on the tires surface. . .

Ps - a truck crash dumped kerosene on a banked corner. It was raining out and the fuel mixed with the water as the autos drove through it. The result was a pile of autos downstream from the spill. You could steer but the car simply went straight. Slippery stuff with O2 applied! I'm just saying. . .

And no, its not like someone is going to poor it on the tire, right?!!! :eek: Be wise if it gets on the chicken strip!

That's one of the major dangers of diesel spills, as diesel is essentially kerosene.
 

pottie

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Kerosene & several small clean rag = blink blink chain..+ Du pont Multipurpose
Found this method most clean and effective way taking care my chain...

Wheels, yes. Thanks. Wonder why Kerosene is recommended by Yamaha for cleaning the chain. Is the O-ring not rubber?
 

iSteve

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I think the big problem is not so much the softening of tires but the fact that it stick to the tire and the asphalt. And as we all know oil and water don't like each other.
 

shoto22

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I primarily use diesel fuel. Ive used kero as well but diesel definitely does the trick. A friend of mine had religiously cleaned his chain on his fz6 with diesel and got over 30k miles on the stock chain. Had to be doing something right..
 
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