Four top performing cleaning products
Sdoc100 Motorcycle Total Cleaner Power Gel £15.99 for 1 litre
Highly acclaimed cleaning gel is pricey but does the job. Its PH neutral gel formula clings to the bike while it penetrates deep into grime – after 20 minutes the filth simply flows from metal, plastics and paintwork when rinsed. The formula also claims to help drying by preventing spots and marks so reducing the need for chamoising. It’s also available in a 5-litre pack, which is handy because you end up going through a fair amount of the stuff. It’s that good. motohaus.com
Autoglym Motorcycle Cleaner £11.99 for 1 litre
Autoglym are renowned for their car stuff, but they also make Motorcycle Cleaner which has been formulated to dissolve bugs, road salt, tar, brake dust and all the other contaminates that get thrown at motorcycles. Plus, it does all this without risk of tarnishing exotic finishes. Autoglym advise agitation of highly soiled areas with a brush prior to rinsing, which basically means applying a bit of elbow grease. It’s available in 1, 5 and 25-litre containers. Water based and biodegradable too. autoglym.com
Muc-off Nano Tech Motorcycle Cleaner £9.99 for 1 litre
Muc-off Nano Tech uses microscopic particles to help lift grime away from surfaces. Then it holds it in suspension preventing any cross contamination when rinsing. Free from solvents and harsh chemicals, Muc-off say their cleaner is safe on all materials be they metal, paintwork, brake discs, carbon-fibre, rubber or anodised parts. Squirt it liberally over a wet bike, leave for five minutes, give it a light scrub then rinse. It also claims to leave behind corrosion inhibitor. muc-off.com
Silkolene Wash Off £7.29 for 1 litre
This powerful-but-gentle spray-on cleaner cuts through heavy deposits of salt, muck and crud, without harming finishes. As a basic product it does the job of cleaning very well – especially if you agitate it with a soft brush. However, it doesn’t feature any added benefits other, more expensive, products boast so you’ll need to apply a separate corrosion inhibitor. It’s biodegradable which means it’s safe to wash down the drain and a little seems to go a long way – you’re likely to get four or five washes out of a one litre bottle. silkolene.com