Cleaning my motorbike is a passion of mine. Like cleaning my Nissan Murano, after a good scrubbing, vehicles just seem to run better. Maybe they know they are clean, and that feels good. So, when I was thinking about cleaning Lucy, my new 2024 Triumph Speed Twin 900, I immediately went to the Triumph owner’s handbook that came with my purchase of Lucy. To my surprise, the handbook went at length about specific areas to avoid while cleaning this lovely machine. In short, I had to rethink my process. When I owned my 2023 Moto Morini, I soaked that bike in all areas covering only the exhaust, battery, and ignition key. Triumph made it very clear to me that additional layers of protection would need to be made to minimize the impact to sensitive areas. I put down the handbook, and quickly realized I didn’t know how to clean Lucy without completely making myself a worry wort. I was stump. I watched a few videos on YouTube about cleaning a motorcycle, and each one ignored what the handbook told me. What would I do?
With some researching, I discovered a product called Vulcanet. A French based company that produces cleaning wipes for cars and motorbikes. I watched a few videos on Vulcanet, mostly in French, and slowly started to believe a cleaning solution for Lucy was at hand. Not only would the cleaning wipes by Vulcanet eliminate the need to hose off my bike, potentially harming parts of Lucy, Vulcanet also provides a microfiber cloth to wipe the surface after using the cleaning wipe, which results in a streak free finish. Gone are the need for buckets, and sponges. All you need is what comes in the Vulcanet tube. This seemed too good to be true. I order a tube of Vulcanet and started to strategize my cleaning methods with the wipes and microfiber cloth. Would this really work? I have tried cleaning wipes in the past, mostly for touching up the interior of my Murano. Though they did work, the wipes left streaks and the appearance was shitty.
Once the Vulcanet wipes arrived, I was impressed with the size. Not only is there plenty of wipes for a few cleaning sessions, but the microfiber cloth was big to allow me to believe I could get a good cleaning in on Lucy. I started with the gas tank and worked my way through the handlebars, seat, lights, and tail area. Vulcanet recommended to use 2-3 wipes for an entire bike. Vulcanet also recommended to use the old wipes on the wheels and undercarriage. I followed the advice and sure enough, I used only 3 wipes. My cleaning process was simple. Clean an area on Lucy, then wipe with the microfiber cloth. In less than an hour I had a clean bike. I even cleaned the real dirty areas like under the rear fender and bottom of the bike. Both of which cleaned up fabulously.
The cost of a tube of Vulcanet, with shipping is about $50. This can hurt a bit up front. I honestly feel I will be able to use the Vulcanet for at least 2-3 months depending on how frequently I wipe Lucy. The results were amazing. Dirt just lifted off the surface and a used wipe went a long way on the real nasty bits like the wheels and bottom of the bike. Again, the best practice is between rides. I plan to use Vulcanet once a week. But if things do get real dirty, I will go back to the old fashion way; two buckets, a hose, wash mitt, and automobile cleaner. Below is a list of things I noted about my experience.
A few things to think about:
- Works great on motorbikes with light road grime on them.
- I wouldn’t clean my car with this product. Stick to traditional methods.
- If your bike is caked with dirt best to use traditional methods.
- Works best in the shade like a garage.
- Don’t let the cleaning solution dry on the surface.
- My plan is to use this between rides to keep dirt, etc., down to a minimum.