UPDATE 10 OCTOBER 2022. SIX NEW PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN TESTED THAT ADD A NEW BEST BUY: www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/reviews/products/motorcycle-maintenance-and-servicing/best-motorcycle-cleaner
I’ve spent the last 20 years in the cleaning and restoration industry and been part of end user product testing. I have to say that’s probably the most thorough and best consumer advice video I’ve seen on cleaning products and you should be proud of this video considering that you also came to the right conclusions! Well done and keep up the good work. By the way, I’ve been using fairy liquid for years now and it works a treat with no corrosion and my hands are so soft 🤣
I washed my new Royal Enfield with Fairy washing up liquid, good result, only lots of water drying stains even though I took it for a good ride afterwards. So I have an electric leaf blower arriving today, £33 compared to double that for a pet dryer.
I can’t of been the only one to be thinking “come on washing up liquid” before it was given a special mention. Don’t use it myself but what an underdog story 😂
As it is a corporate channel that's part of Bennett's marketing I'm sure, hard to see it really as "hidden" ;) But yeah I agree though. Especially I like it as it's corporate channel that ACTUALLY gives you something useful. I'd go so far as to say it's at least one of the best motorcycle publications out there. I mean, I learn more from this channel than much of the dedicated motorcycle media house channels.
I worked for a Ph.D. Chemist many years ago. He always said that the only difference between a safe chemical and a poisonous one was the concentration. Even water is fatal if you drink too much of it. So, basically everything is dangerous with high enough concentration or long enough exposure. Nothing is “totally safe” and we need to always keep that in mind.
Absolute legend. Fantastic test, I *HATE* cleaning bikes but you've actually made me want to do it as well as you do. Can't offer higher praise than that.
@@writestuffmedia Thanks mate! I'm just gutted nobody has noticed the hidden theme to the corrosion protectants video! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wBgF07I7TQM.html
Bloody behemoth of a video, your tests are always so great ! Shouldn't have taken down the previous video, just make it clear there's an update Can't wait to see your future tests
i bought a thing of that pink 'Muck Off' stuff and it actually works pretty good. it cleans the $hit off and polishes it at the same time. i really like it
I knew there was some level of Doctorate behind your work. It would be so helpful if motorcycle manufacturers offer these cleaning products tailored to the materials they use.
Just getting back to motorcycling after a decade and a half away. Your videos are a fantastic resource for information on what's available now, and how good they are, in all things bike related. Almost all my buying decisions from the bike I bought, to the cleaners I''ll use have been informed by watching your videos. And incase your employer doubts the value of your efforts; made me get my insurance with Bennets too!! Keep up the good work.
hands down the best channel I have found that takes so much care into your videos and actually does all the science and gives you all the data you could possibly ever ask for , I appreciate the amount of work you put into these videos , please never stop this high level of work, im pretty sure I can speak for the rest of us when I say it really helps us a lot and spreads awareness of alot of misconception about some products.
Brilliant really enjoyed that… very interesting about washing up liquid… One little trick I use to make my plastics and really pop is using Wetting a rag with WD40 and rubbing it in… works great on wheel rims to and cleans away chain fling in a jiffy 👍🏻😊
I just discovered your outstanding video. What a superb job you did. As a (now retired) university professor, I give you an A+ for your comprehensive and scientific approach and for your clear, informative and enthusiastic explanations. If you consider the tens of thousands of pounds one can pay for a bike, spending a 100 pounds or less on the best cleaning products is an excellent investment. Thank you for the time and effort you put into the project. Fabulous!
Thanks for the great effort: very informative. I have been using S100. I trust it because of my experience in the Porsche air cooled world. It was the only wheel cleaner that would not damage the anodized aluminum finish on the forged Fuchs wheels.
Have being washing bikes for decades and I use fairy, a warm bucket of water and a few different size brushes Sometimes gunk degreaser on some parts & a quick polish & wax on necessary parts & metal polish on the obvious - cheers John good effort
Really impressed by your back to back tests (not just this one), I now have a potential new new bike cleaning regiment. You have no idea how happy the washing up liquid result makes me. The XCP is a new one to me. The last bike I owned was 30 years ago and rust was simply a fact of ownership, I'll be looking into this further. Thank you for all the hard work.
Brilliant review thanks. Glad my cleaning regime is safe, I used the old Muc off which didn’t foam, but the new stuff diluted 1 part Solution to 2 water works much better. Looking forward to the chain cleaner and lube tests and hoping again I’ve chosen correctly with SDOC. I like the small cans for touring and the big ones in the garage. I’ve a Bruhl blower / heater coming soon and really enjoy cleaning the bike, something I used to find a real chore. Keep up the reviews, thanks again.
Thanks very much! Chain cleaners will be a while, but the lubes test is in progress... that's a big one in organisation, and I'm using an independent lab for the testing I can't do, so it's been a real challenge. Cheers, John
If it is ever a possibility that you and Project Farm could do a collaboration of some sort, that would absolutely blow up the internet. Thanks for your hard work!
That would be fantastic, though I can't think of anything I could do that could be of benefit to Project Farm; that guy is the gold standard! Unfortunately I also have loads of other stuff in my job outside of videos, so just can't do as many huge projects as he does.
Great video. Funny enough I mention washing up liquid in my cleaning video as it was all I used to use. I’ve recently discovered Auto Finesse Citrus Power as a Pre-Wash and then Meguairs Snow Foam. I’m also talking about cleaning exhaust pipes so I won’t give my favourite product away just yet! As someone who loves cleaning their bike, I really enjoyed watching this. Thanks for all the effort! 😁👍
Honestly Im the kind of guy that cries whenever the bike gets a spec of dirt on it, let alone having to ride it all seasons to work and back on salt-roads of the north, end up giving up half the time, but hey great video very detailed thank you kindly!
Road salt is the Devil's work when it comes to bikes. I've had to rebuild calipers and even had a perforated oil filter because of it. Shocking stuff! Now use the Urban Misery Wagon (car) when they've spread that chemical nightmare on the roads.
Amazing work put into this and great scienctific backup.. I've used furniture polish spray such as Pledge or Mr Sheen with wax in it for years on bikes plastics and bodywork. Spray on a clean bike, polish with a microfibre cloth, it makes the bodywork and plastics shine, fills in tiny scratches, is hydrophobic and makes getting bugs off later much easier. So after a ride spray on a bit more, wait a short while and wipe off road spatter/bugs etc. We warned! Dont polish your seats as you and your pillion may end up on the tar! Paper towels should never be used on polycarbonates, screens, helmets and visors or any polished surface as they are abrasive and will dull said surfaces.. same with TFT computer screens and TV screens ..micro fibre only!
Just put a deposit down on a 2017 Kawasaki Z650, with only 126 miles on it! Closest thing to a new bike as I might ever get :) I wanna take care of this thing so thank you for the informative video.
Love this channel. Makes me wanna choose Bennett’s as my insurer for next year, unfortunately they weren’t able to match my premium. Anyway, love the videos, great channel
I deeply appreciate this. I love that there is so much care put into this. It allows me to pass the TLC onto my bike. This is sincerely awesome. Thank you 🏍❤️
Great well researched comparisons, I used to use Waxoil on my VFR 750 back in the day when I rode all year round, now I still ride all year but use ACF-50
Amazingly nerdish! Thanks a lot! How about a video about how to care for you bike during a one week Trans Euro Trail ride, without access to blow dryers and more? That would be awesome!
Yup, Dr Downpipe + Magnum + XCP + wax, that's what I do now (changed to Magnum following your previous, excellent video, thanks). Not many exotic plastics on my 40 year old bike though
Bilt hamber auto wash. By far the best shampoo I've ever used and genuinely helps fight corrosion. Can tell because unlike other shampoos the brake discs on my car don't flash rust orange.
Bilt Hamber Surfex HD. Can be used down to 1:200 mix and lasts ages. Not PH neutral though, but is non toxic, solvent free and biodegradable. Water based and with it being being able to be diluted so much, your PH will be closer to your water. No motorbike in the name though, so might get overlooked. Would also mention their snow foam and auto wash, which are both brilliant options for the bike. The auto wash is also highly concentrated and has anti corrosion properties also.
I'd simply stress that I tested some cleaning products that have a good reputation in the car world, and in my testing they were not compatible with the materials used on bikes.
My current motorcycle cleaner is a combination of Cleen Green and Dishwashing Liquid, as both are great degreasers. For chain I use it to clean away the excess kerosene before rinsing and relubing the chain.
Thank you so much for putting your time and effort into all your tests. Always informative and thoroughly thought out. Keep up with all your amazing work for us bikers. 😊😊😊👍👍👍👍
Cracking video and great to see that Aldi washing up liquid gets a mention. I tend to stick to baby shampoo on the bodywork and a good quality degreaser on the wheels. Good to get the extra information about things that I previously didn't think mattered that much!!
You have done a brilliant job on this. Every credit. I've always used Silkolene Muc-Off on everything but the paintwork. Based on your results it's a very average cleaner but thankfully not damaging so eventually I'll try something else. Thing is I've got loads of the stuff so it will be a while. The reason I don't use it on paintwork is it seems to strip off the wax. The water doesn't bead after using it whilst with a car shampoo the beading is retained.
Spray down with simple green, pressure wash, scrub with automotive car soap and microfiber, rinse... dry and finish with a spray wax like Turtle Wax ICE. My 1998 Yamaha Blaster still looks showroom...
It may not be available in the UK, but in the US it is hard to beat Dawn dishwashing liquid. This is fairly inexpensive, quite safe and quite effective on grease and tar. It is safe enough that wildlife rescue organizations use it to clean animals that have been the victims of oil spills. The only downside to Dawn is that it can be rough on waxes. I generally use Dawn in the spring to get my cars and bikes clean, wax them and then use automotive “car wash” solutions for normal cleaning during the riding season. These solutions aren’t as capable as Dawn, but remove light dirt and are easier on wax.
Excallent and informative. Now where did I leave that washing up liquid! Note, as an alternative, I use a cheap Titan wet/dry Vacuum (on blow obviously), rather than a bespoke bike dryer. Used on my road/off road bikes and my car, with excellent results, it blows warm air by default and cost £40!
Great video as usual John,a lot of effort put in,and some interesting results,i generally use muc off,but have used washing up liquid on occasion,i love cleaning my fireblade and wont go out on a dirty bike😄
First job clean the chain and rear wheel with a paraffin rag to get rid of chain wax and rinse well.I tend to hose the bike down then liberal use of mucoff, agitate worst dirt with a stiff brush other areas with soft brush then hose bike down again. Snow foam from the Karcher leave for a few minutes then hose down again and use whatever car shampoo is on special with a couple of wash mitts and dry with microfbre drying towels. I'm currently using cheapo Astonish car polish seems to work well and only costs a fiver! Don't think I've ever waxed a bike I've owned because of the residue builds up in all the wee footery bits the cloth can't reach. ACF 50 the bike and wipe the cycle parts down and the use the same cloth on the plastics brings them up like new on my cb650r
Sounds great! Personally I'd probably do the snow foam before the Muc-Off and brushing as I'd want it to dwell and loosen some of the dirt first, but nice work! Cheers, John
@@captainaverage721 Ultimately though, I reckon that as long as people are aware of material compatibility, if there's a cleaning method or product that works for you, stick with it! Cheers, John
Excellent review as usual from Bennets. You may not have to spend a fortune to get a great wash, but you still need a lot of products, a lot of time, and quite some private space with run-off for the dirty water. Not a great combination for those of us who live in apartments in the big city ... I take my bike to a "professional" bike wash, but I have no idea what products they use, I just know that it costs me a pretty penny each time I go there.
Hopefully this video showed that all you need is a hose, brush and washing up liquid in a spray bottle), but the apartment thing is a real problem. Though one option could be to use a garage forecourt's jet wash area, then take your own brush and cleaner - just use the lance for rinsing. Keep you distance around electrics and bearings and there's no reason not to use a pressure washer. I'd avoid the brush though as it'll have picked up no end of grit. Cheers, John
@@bennettsbikesocial Yes to the soap and brush, but I had also just watched the video on anti-corrosion products (which you had no way of knowing) thus my comment ...
From my experience, i treat cleaners like one would with radiation Exposure time, concentration makes things go bad. Rinsing with lots of water helps a lot Since i do hobby detailing on cars, i have a ton of cleaners for every part and for every material. But everything is "car" orientated After 2 years of cleaning my bikes(and the ones of my mates) with automotive equipment, nothing bad happened to plastics, anodizing etc I have to emphasize that i use the lower conentration and milder mixtures whenever possible If a shampoo says between 1:20 - 1:40 ratio i go for 1:40. Less concentrarion. If i need more cleaning, i go for a second round
Excellent as ever. Something you might like to look at and perhaps comment on are ceramic coatings. There is a whole wealth of investigation to be done there and also directly related to both cleaning and rust proofing bikes....just an idea😊
Thanks very much! I have tried one professionally-applied ceramic coating and wasn't that impressed, the water-beading not lasting particularly well. I am still thinking about way to do more with them though. Cheers, John
@@bennettsbikesocial I am about yo have one applied by an independent on my brand new bike. They reckon it will give 10years cover. Its cheaper than the one offered by the dealer which only gave 3years and only covered the paintwork. This is supposed to cover EVERYTHING and mean the application of xcp /acf etc is un-necessary. We shall see! If you fancy a trip out to see the process or the bike afterwards and again at some point down the line you'd be welcome to. I'm sure they wouldn't mind but I'd need to check with them First. They're booked in on the 18th
@@mattprice3335 I'd definitely be interested to hear how you get on - drop me a line on email (it should be on BikeSocial), or use our Facebook page and PM on there, asking for me. facebook.com/bennettsbike
@@mattprice3335 what I've noticed with SiO2 coatings is that they do not like even a moderately long run in the rain (even spring to autumn). So on my bike which I ride daily it lasted around 2 months and on my car it was wearing off in 3 months. The response I got is that *all* SiO2 products need maintenance application which is provided by specific SiO2 branded cleaners - essentially topping up the surface coating. Therefore your 3 -10(!!) year protection comes with a big *BUT*. (I like big buts, but not in terms and conditions). For me wax is better, but I enjoy the process of cleaning and applying it too.
@@ixifutureproof9286 That's all well and good....but the coating I am having applied isn't SiO2 based so I'm hoping your comments are rather redundant. Polisilazane based ceramic coatings are (apparently) a different animal. I guess I'll see but I appreciate your comment.
When it is only a quick clean (mostly dust and some bugs) I use Motul E1 Wash & Wax on painted parts and water with or without soap on plastic and metal parts. When giving it a thorough wash I use Meguiars NXT Generation Car Wash soap with foam applicator and two buckets method for soap and rinse. Then I rinse the bike, dry it and wax painted parts with Meguiars Gold Class Liquid Wax. So far so good for me. But always open to change if I find something better
Just a thought. With all the emphasis last year on hand washing I reverted to using a bar of soap (as opposed to fancy liquid handwash) to wash my hands and was remarkably impressed by how well it removed the usual oily workshop muck from my hands. Watching this video made me think about using pure soap on the bike. It might need a bit of brushing and would not cope with thick chain fling for instance but it's guaranteed not to damage any surfaces if you have a worry over plastic etc (and works a treat on visors). I buy liquid soap to wash my waterproofs for £4 a litre at Wilko. Next time I have to wash a dirty bike (which could be some while here in lockdown Scotland) I will give it a try and report back.
