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Jul 11

Best motorcycle cleaner for 2021: Top 10 products

By General Posts

by Kyle Hyatt from https://www.cnet.com

Cleaning your motorcycle can be a pain, but this stuff makes it a lot easier.

Motorcycle cleaner notes
The visual benefits of keeping a clean bike are pretty obvious, I mean, more shiny is more better, right? But there are some performance and safety benefits, too. For example, if your bike is filthy, it can be hard to see if you’ve suddenly sprung a leak of some vital fluid (usually oil).

Some road crud can be corrosive over time to the exposed steel and aluminum parts of your motorcycle, not to mention the fasteners that hold things onto your bike. You thought changing out that clutch was going to be easy, didn’t you? It would have been if you hadn’t left a bunch of road salt all over the bike for months. Now it’s broken-bolt city, population: you.

The performance benefits are more subtle but no less real. This is especially true when it comes to chain maintenance. Just think, if your motorcycle has to fight the friction of a dry, dirty or corroded chain, then that’s power lost. If you’re on a 200-horsepower sport bike, that’s not a big deal, but if you’re on a 20-horsepower motorcycle like the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 I recently reviewed, you might just notice.

Keep your bike clean with a well-stocked motorcycle care kit, and make your life easy.

Best general motorcycle cleaner overall
S100 Total Cycle Cleaner $15

Best general motorcycle cleaner overall runner-up
Muc-Off Nanotechnology Motorcycle Cleaner $16

Best motorcycle quick detailer
S100 Detail & Wax spray $15

Best waterless motorcycle wash
Muc-Off High-Performance No Rinse Bike Cleaning Spray $18

Best motorcycle chain cleaner and lube
Maxima Clean Up and Chain Wax $28

Best motorcycle chain cleaning brush
Simple Solutions The Grunge Brush $14

Best motorcycle wheel cleaner
S100 Motorcycle Wheel Cleaner $21

Best motorcycle chrome cleaner and polish
Simichrome Polish $14

Best complete motorcycle cleaning kit
S100 Motorcycle Detailing Kit $50

Best motorcycle helmet cleaner
Motul Helmet Clean $8

I love riding motorcycles, but kind of hate the care and maintenance that they require — especially when it’s my own bike. Luckily, I live in a place where things are dry and dusty rather than wet and muddy, so I can get by most of the time. But when it’s time to buckle down and wash the bike, there are a few motorcycle cleaning products I always turn to.

In addition to keeping your bike clean, it’s important to clean and lubricate your chain (if you have one) and make sure your helmet is free of crud and dried bugs. I’ve listed some of the best motorcycle cleaner products here. They’ve been good to me over the years for both purposes and hopefully you’ll appreciate them too.

Best general motorcycle cleaner overall – S100 Total Cycle Cleaner
I’m one of those people who like a clean motorcycle, but hate actually cleaning their motorcycle. That used to mean that I’d just live with a dirty motorcycle most of the time, but not since I found S100 spray cleaner.

This cleaning product is awesome and it’s easy to use. Spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes and hose it off. It does a great job of removing dirt, road grime, grease, dried-on bugs and whatever else I’ve accumulated on my adventures. It’s also safe on plastics like your motorcycle windshield and metals, so no worries about it harming any exposed components on your motorcycle.

Best general motorcycle cleaner overall runner-up – Muc-Off Nanotechnology Motorcycle Cleaner
The Muc-Off Nano Tech bike cleaner spray is awesome. It smells better than the S100 and it’s biodegradable. Muc-Off also sells it in concentrate form, which I love, so you don’t have to constantly buy new plastic bottles.

Like the S100, it’s a spray on and rinse off affair and it does a great job of removing caked on road grime nastiness from all parts of your motorcycle without sending a bunch of harsh chemicals down the drain.

Best motorcycle quick detailer – S100 Detail & Wax spray
Sometimes you just need to touch up your bike before heading out on an all-day ride with your buds. I mean, you don’t want to show up and have the least shiny two-wheeled machine, now do you?

This S100 Detail and Wax spray is great because it’s specifically geared towards motorcycles and does a good job of shining paint and powder-coat. It’s easy to use, too. Just spray on the detailer and wipe it off with a good microfiber towel.

Best waterless motorcycle wash – Muc-Off High-Performance No Rinse Bike Cleaning Spray
What do you do if you have a dirty motorcycle and you don’t have access to a hose? Either take it to a coin-op car wash to use the pressure washer (which kind of sucks) or grab the awesome High-Performance Waterless Wash spray from Muc-Off.

Like basically every Muc-Off product, this bike cleaner is easy on the environment while still being tough on stubborn dirt and grime. All you have to do is spray it on, let it soak for a minute and wipe it off. After you wiped the dirt off, get a new clean microfiber cloth and buff your bike until it shines. It’s super easy and packs into a backpack or side case for easy motorcycle cleaning on the go.

Best motorcycle chain cleaner and lube – Maxima Clean Up and Chain Wax
Keeping your motorcycle’s chain clean and lubed is a miserable task, but it’s critical if you want to keep your chain and sprocket in tip-top condition. There are as many different products and techniques and old-timey sage wisdom for cleaning and lubing motorcycle chains as there are stars in the sky, but I’m going to recommend what works for me.

The Maxima products — Clean Up chain cleaner and Chain Wax — are the perfect one-two punch for chain maintenance. Clean Up does an excellent job of removing dirt, debris and and acting as a degreaser for old gross lube while at the same time being gentle on the delicate O-rings inside your chain. Chain wax is a spray-on chain lube that goes on wet and then dries into a waxy coating that resists coming off and doesn’t encourage dirt to stick to it. The best part is that Maxima offers it in a combo pack with a decent penetrating lubricant as a bonus.

Best motorcycle chain cleaning brush – Simple Solutions The Grunge Brush
As we’ve already established, cleaning motorcycle chains sucks. It’s greasy, grimy work and depending on how nasty you’ve let your chain get, it can be hard work, too. Having a good chain-cleaning brush in your cleaning kit is a huge help and my personal favorite brush is the Grunge Brush.

The Grunge Brush has stiff bristles that clean your chain on three sides at once, plus longer bristles at the other end for getting into your sprocket teeth and so on. It’s cheap and effective and it even has replaceable brushes, so you’re not constantly buying new ones. When paired with a good chain cleaning solvent like Maxima’s Clean Up, this makes the work of chain maintenance a whole lot easier.

Best motorcycle wheel cleaner – S100 Motorcycle Wheel Cleaner
There are a zillion different wheel cleaners on the market and they all do something a little different, but one of the things I like best about the S100 motorcycle wheel cleaner is that it is a thicker, more gel-like formula which sticks to your wheels better. It does a great job of getting brake dust, dirt and other grime off as well.

The other nice thing about the S100 Motorcycle Wheel Cleaner is that it’s gentle, which means it’s safe on all kinds of wheels — be they painted, powder-coated, aluminum, magnesium or stainless steel. If your bike’s wheels are too dirty for normal bike wash to take care of, grab a spray bottle of this.

Best motorcycle chrome cleaner and polish – Simichrome Polish
Unlike most cars these days, it’s easy to buy a brand new motorcycle with a bunch of chrome. And chrome looks great until it starts to dull or pit, but then it looks like crap. Thankfully the solution to that dull chrome problem is easy: Just polish it!

If you’re going to undertake that task, you’re going to need a good chrome polish compound and one of my personal favorites comes straight outta Germany. It’s called Simichrome and it works really, really well. All you need to do is apply the elbow grease with a microfiber towel using this metal polish and get ready to be blinded by the shine.

Best complete motorcycle cleaning kit – S100 Motorcycle Detailing Kit
If you’re detecting a theme with the S100 products here, you’re not mistaken. The fact is that S100 offers some of the best motorcycle-specific cleaning and detailing products around and at reasonable prices. Still, what if you don’t necessarily want to buy each product by itself? Thankfully there’s a motorcycle cleaning kit.

The S100 detailing kit comes with everything you’ll need to detail your motorcycle short of a hose and water — including a drying towel. Even better, it comes in a tidy little carrying case, so you can keep all your motorcycle cleaning supplies together and not let things get lost in the back of some dank, daddy longlegs-infested garage cabinet over the winter.

Best motorcycle helmet cleaner – Motul Helmet Clean
Everybody knows that riding with a motorcycle helmet is a good idea — hell, it’s even the law in most places. What people might not know is that while keeping your helmet clean is a good thing, using chemicals is a huge no-no — even on the outside. Luckily, there are a few great helmet cleaning products on the market and my favorite comes from Motul.

The Motul helmet spray not only does an epic job of loosening dried on bugs and dirt from the shell of your helmet, it also offers up a nice shine that is more resistant to getting bugs stuck on it in the future. Spray it on, let it soak and wipe it off.

For the inside of your helmet, never try and clean the pads and liner when they’re still inside the shell. Always remove them and wash them gently according to your helmet manufacturer’s guidelines.

Dec 02

AMA News and Notes December 2019

By General Posts

National and Regional News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Transportation Safety Board called on federal regulators Nov. 19 to create a review process before allowing automated test vehicles to operate on public roads, based upon the agency’s investigation of a fatal collision between an Uber automated test vehicle and a pedestrian on March 18, 2018, in Tempe, Ariz. The NTSB said the Uber Technologies Inc. division’s “inadequate safety culture” contributed to the fatal crash. the 2017 Volvo XC90 was equipped with a proprietary developmental automated driving system. The vehicle’s factory-installed forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems were deactivated during the operation of the automated system. The NTSB said the operator of the Volvo was “visually distracted throughout the trip by a personal cell phone.” The AMA believes that thorough testing of automated vehicles should be performed before they are permitted on public roadways, where they can endanger the lives of motorcyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced companion bills to reform the Renewable Fuel Standard by reducing the harmful environmental effects of the corn ethanol mandate and advancing biofuels that they say reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The GREENER Fuels Act (Growing Renewable Energy through Existing and New Environmentally Responsible Fuels Act) would phase out the corn ethanol mandate and immediately reduce the amount of ethanol in fuel by as much as 1 billion gallons by capping the amount of ethanol that can be blended into conventional gasoline at 9.7 percent. The AMA, the National Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club support the bill. The AMA objects to increased amounts of ethanol in the nation’s fuel supply, because none of the estimated 22 million motorcycles and ATVs in use in America is certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to operate on fuel containing more than 10 percent ethanol.

State News

PASADENA, Calif. – The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Friends of Oceano Dunes, directing the lower court to allow a lawsuit to proceed against the California Coastal Commission and California State Parks. The lawsuit, filed in 2017, claims that the agencies are violating the federal Endangered Species Act by issuing permits and approvals for new dust control measures at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. “Dust control” is used to restrict use of the area for responsible motorized recreation. A U.S. District Court judge in Los Angeles stopped the lawsuit in 2017, but the appeals court held that the district judge did not follow the law in the ruling. The lawsuit is against Coastal Commission Executive Director Jack Ainsworth and State Parks’ Director Lisa Mangat.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The Air Pollution Control District decided Nov. 18 to close 48 acres of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area to campers and off-road enthusiasts. The four-dune area is scheduled to close in January. District officials said the decision was made in an effort to reduce air pollution. California State Parks has pledged to reduce air pollution in the area by 50 percent by 2023. Fencing eventually will be used to restrict access to the area. But signs will be used until approval for the fence is obtained from the California Coastal Commission. The closing means 50 percent less beach side camping.

DENVER – The application deadline is Dec. 2 for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife 2020 Off-Highway Vehicle grants, which combines OHV registration and permit fees with federal Recreation Trails Program funds. Organizations or agencies with management responsibilities over public lands may apply for Good Management Trail Crew Grants or Programmatic Project Grants. Federal, state, local government agencies and nonprofit OHV project sponsors are eligible to apply for grants of up to 100 percent of the project cost. For more information, to download an application or to review the full OHV grant application process, visit www.cpw.state.co.us.

LANSING, Mich. – The AMA, working with ABATE of Michigan, supports S.B. 528 as a fix to the current discriminatory situation Michigan’s motorcyclists find themselves in when it comes to insurance claims. S.B. 1 was signed into law this year, making wide-ranging changes to Michigan’s No-Fault insurance system. Under S.B. 1, a motorcyclist is only able to claim medical expenses up to the cap chosen by the other driver on their insurance policy. These caps can be as low as $50,000 and could potentially fall far short of the expenses incurred by a motorcyclist involved in a crash with another driver. However, the same is not true for drivers and pedestrians who are able to claim medical expenses under their own insurance policies and can therefore chose the cap they feel is appropriate for them. S.B. 528 is a simple legislative fix that allows motorcyclists the same rights as other drivers and pedestrians by allowing them to file a claim under their own insurance policy and no longer be restricted in claiming medical expenses by the choice of a cap made by the other driver.

ALBANY, N.Y. – A bill passed both chambers of the New York State legislature and is waiting for Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s signature that would provide more incentive for the state to repair hazardous road conditions. A. 1235, sponsored by Assemblyman Thomas J. Abinanti (D- Westchester County), and S. 5422, sponsored by state Sen. Timothy M. Kennedy (D-Buffalo), expand the state’s liability for damages suffered by road users due to defects in state highways, if the state Department of Transportation was notified of the defect and failed to repair it. Currently, the state is liable for these damages for part of the year. This bill expands that liability year-round. While bad potholes can be a frustration for drivers, they can be a deadly threat to riders. The AMA supports this bill because it provides a strong incentive for more prompt repairs of road defects and could save motorcyclists’ lives. The AMA urges New York residents to contact Gov. Cuomo, a fellow motorcyclist, and request he sign this bill into law. Click here to contact the governor.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The state Department of Natural Resources’ Forestry Division bought 1,405 acres to add to the Pike State Forest and double the size of the forest’s All-Purpose Vehicle area. APVs include dirt bikes and ATVs. The state is using State Recreational Vehicle funds to buy 1,005 acres now and the 400 acres next year. The funds come from APV registration fees. After construction, riders will have an additional 40 miles of trails. A shelter house, APV camping area and 4 miles of trails opened at the forest in August.

International News

WARRENDALE, Pa. – Honda has joined the Automated Vehicle Safety Consortium, an international group of car makers and technology companies collaborating on the development of best safety practices for automated vehicles. Honda is the only member of the consortium that also manufactures motorcycles. Other consortium members include SAE International, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Uber ATG, Daimler and Lyft. The AMA believes that automated vehicles may eventually help make the roadways safer for motorcyclists, but only if the vehicles can adequately detect and properly adjust to motorcycles in their immediate vicinity.

BUCHAREST, Romania – Motorcyclists have been successfully battling plans to enact an environmental tax on all cars and motorcycles. MotoADN, the Romanian member of the Federation of European Motorcyclist Associations, got motorcycles and scooters excluded from the tax, according to a FEMA report. The tax was intended to reduce air pollution in the city. MotoADN argued that air pollution is less affected by motorcycles and scooters than by cars and trucks.

Industry News

IRVINE, Calif. – Erik Pritchard assumed the role of chief executive officer and president of the Motorcycle Industry Council, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, Motorcycle Safety Foundation and Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association of America. Pritchard joined the associations as general counsel in March 2014 following more than a decade supporting the associations as outside counsel on a variety of litigation and non-litigation matters. He was named president of SVIA and ROHVA in 2017. One initiative Pritchard will oversee is the long-term, industry-wide effort led by the MIC to boost motorcycle ridership-more riders, riding more. Details about the plan were announced Nov. 21 at the annual MIC Communications Symposium in Long Beach, Calif.

ROME – Mahindra’s European two-wheel subsidiary is taking over the entire Peugeot scooter division from PSA and plans to introduce seven new scooters during the next two years. Mahindra already held a 51 percent stake in the company. The buyout ends Mahindra’s partnership with the PSA Group, which sells Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel and Vauxhall cars.

TOKYO – Kawasaki Heavy Industries has acquired 49.9 percent of Italian motorcycle manufacturer Bimota, through the Kawasaki subsidiary Italian Motorcycle Investment. The remainder of the stock will be retained by B and Motion S.A., formerly known as Bimota S.A. Bimota will continue to be an Italian company, based in Rimini and employing Italian designers and craftsmen. Going forward, all Bimota motorcycles will be powered by Kawasaki engines. In the past, Bimota licensed engines from different manufacturers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Motorcycle Riders Foundation has named Tiffany Cipoletti its director of government relations. In her new role, she will focus on carrying out the MRF’s legislative strategy and provide support for the group’s national motorcyclists’ lobby day, Bikers Inside the Beltway. She will retain her role as editor of American Bikers Journal. As part of the change, the MRF also contracted with JPK Services for membership services, day-to-day accounting, phone services and event support for Bikers Inside the Beltway and Meeting of the Minds.

AMA News

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – The 2019 AMA Legends & Champions Weekend is Dec. 6-7 at the Hilton Columbus Downtown in Columbus, Ohio. The 2019 KTM AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Dec. 6 will welcome the Hall of Fame Class of 2019: rights advocate Mark Buckner, off-road racing champion Kurt Caselli, motocross champion Ron Lechien, trials pioneer Wiltz Wagner and museum founder Dale Walksler. On Dec. 7, the 2019 KTM AMA Championship Banquet will honor the national champions in all disciplines sanctioned by the AMA. In addition, the AMA will host its annual AMA Congress on Dec. 6-7, where AMA Commission members will discuss rules governing AMA-sanctioned events. Tickets for AMA Legends & Champions Weekend are available now at http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=vw9ldxbab&oeidk=a07egk6666t3e98bda6. Tickets also can be purchased over the phone at (800) 262-5646. Reservations can be made at the Hilton Columbus Downtown at https://book.passkey.com/event/49921089/owner/9521521/home.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – Three U.S. ISDE teams took top honors in their respective classes at the 94th FIM International Six Days Enduro, winning the World Trophy, Women’s World Trophy and Club team divisions. The U.S. Junior World Trophy team finished second place in its class. The United States won its first World Trophy crown in 2016, and all three of its Trophy teams finished as runners-up in 2018. The full story is available at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/american-teams-win-three-titles-at-2019-isde and in the January issue of American Motorcyclist magazine.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – Get your tickets and make your plans to be at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, July 10-12 for 2020 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. AMA members can purchase discounted tickets now at www.amavintagemotorcycledays.com/tickets. AMA members save an additional $5 off the already discounted early bird pricing. AMA members can also call (614) 856-1900 to order their tickets. A fundraiser for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days showcases classic motorcycles of all makes and styles, and honors the riders who made them famous. Activities at the event include the AMA Vintage Grand Championship, which features road racing, motocross, hare scrambles, trials and flat-track racing. In addition, North America’s largest motorcycle swap meet is packed with parts, bikes and memorabilia from all eras. Bike shows feature some of history’s most beloved motorcycles. Attendees will be entertained by stunt shows, demo rides of current production bikes and live music, while seminars on numerous topics by noted motorcycling experts keep them informed. Non-AMA members and those reserving RV spaces must purchase tickets through Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. These tickets will be available in December online at midohio.com or by calling (419) 884-4000. AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is a family-friendly event. Admission is free for children under 12 accompanied by a ticketed adult. Free parking is also available on site.