Guide to motorcycle gear MAINTENANCE

Good bike kit can serve you well for years, but you have to look after it to make it last. Here are some kit care tips from kit valet and repair specialist Dean Turner from Drop Your Gear.

Gloves

Gloves can be pretty easy to look after, but the problems start when you get caught out by rain and end up with drenched hands. Most people tend to dry them out on the radiator and wonder why their gloves are stiff for a few days afterwards. If you’re going to do that, rub some baby oil on to your hands once the gloves are dry and stiff, put the gloves on and repeatedly make a fist, the straighten your hand out, do this for 10-15 minutes and they should be as good as new. It’s also healthy for the leather to absorb it too.

Boots

Boots are tricky, and a some real patience is required due to the road grease, oil and grime. I use a product called Vulcanet on the plastic areas of my boots. For the stubborn areas on the boots, I use the hard handle part of a scrubbing brush and wrap a Vulcanet cloth around it and scrub. I use a microfibre cloth to see where I have been and what still needs cleaning until I’m happy with it all. As for the leather part of the boot, I use Kleers leather cleaner with a clean microfibre cloth and finish it off with leather protector.

Helmet

I’ve found Vulcanet works well with a microfibre cloth on the exterior of my own helmet. As for the removable padding inside, I take them all out and hand wash them in either diluted fabric cleaner or even carpet cleaner. Instead of using pegs to hang dry them, I tend to place them on a radiator or let them dry naturally as using pegs will change the shape of the pad slightly.

Textiles

Textiles can be tricky, as finding the right product and tools will take time and patience. I’ve had to clean textiles that hadn’t been properly cleaned in three years, only put in the washing machine every now and then. After experimenting on one of my old textile jackets, I found using either upholstery cleaner or even carpet cleaner works best. I also used a clean scrubbing brush and worked the cleaner in using circular motions to get in all of the tricky areas and pores.

Leathers

Much like the boots, I tend to give everything a quick wipe over with Kleers leather cleaner and a clean cloth to get rid of the worst of the road grime and bug splats. With the more stubborn bits, I soak my trusty scrubbing brush in leather cleaner and gently scrub away any bits I need to, followed by another wipe down with the cloth and microfibre. I then wait for it to dry and finish it off with leather protectant and restorer.