The sort of trips we do you can't really get away without a proper wash down afterwards so water it has to be. Auto Glym is one of the best polishes IMHO, Mer nearly as good. I use a Muc Off spray to loosen the worst of the dirt, Comma cleaner in 5 litre cans for the chain oil on the rear wheel and brake dust on the calipers. Also use a pressure washer but not on full blast, only have to use a bit of sense around the bearings and electrics and it works fine.

One trick for drying the bike: get an old vacuum cleaner and you'll be amazed at how it gets water out from awkward places like those orrible little fins on the crankcase just behind the top cylinder and inside the heads of cap head screws.

Be careful with some of the "intensive" cleaners as they can be a bit aggressive and shouldn't be left on the paintwork for too long !

You're right, and if you have anodised bolts you're better off avoiding it, use a non - caustic solution ie. motrax Xtreem wash and after wash aswell if you like. I've seen the test, 2 pots with a bolt in, after an hour (not that you leave your bike for an hour - but meant to be after time) the bolt colouring comes off,and paint work goes streaky... The other one to use is something called Hippo, but motrax one is really good and come down in price now at 4.99 or 16.99 for a 5 litre bottle.

becareful on autoglym too, great stuff, but the visor/screen polish leaves a residue, as someone pointed out, it does, but most people don't realize that if you don't get that residue off straightaway and leave traces, it starts rotting the plastic and looks like it's eating it. I know of someone fighting a case on his visor, it became brittle after use of this stuff. and my mate andy used the xmas pack he got containing the screen stuff and only when i told him about it, he showed me his bike and the same thing is happening on his screen.

Autoglym are good, but bin the screen and visor polish it's not worth it.

Oh and WD40 is great, but don't use it on rubber.. - like around the bolts or anything as it rots them too!

Great on plastics though it brings the black back to black! :)

Hmmmm...that ties in with what my BHCN mates told me on Sunday. I've always been puzzled why the screen on both my bikes and the indicators on my ST nearly always develop a sort of crazing on them - very fine little cracks in the plastic and the general opinion is that certain types of polish can do that - and I use Autoglym....

yes, fraid that's your answer. I got this guy with the Arai helmet and visor both brittle and broken to write to Phoenix (the distributor) and they came back to me asking if he uses autoglym?

how did they know you ask yourself?

Of course he did, so he then wrote to autoglym and they've given him a small amount of money back, but really it's not fit for it's purpose so should be removed from the market, and as this chap had a small amount of money from them, surely they're admitting they're wrong and their products for that use needs re-working.

One of the only visor cleaners on the market that's any good and is completely water based with no chemicals is the NikWax visor proof £4.99 for 125 ml bottle, and Phoenix shift-it cleaner £3.00 for 50ml altho i don't believe that one has no chemicals is any good!

Don't use anything else, if in doubt just use water!

I only use water on my crash helmet and visor. I just would not feel comfortable using any products. I cover the lid and visor with wet kitchen roll and leave it to soak, then clean the whole lot with a v2 sponge (£2 well spent) and dry with a clean non abrasive cloth.

Just had a load of Wurth products delivered for suscribing to Bike magazine. Just about to find out if they are any good.

for lid i use the inside of the Arai bag.... after doing the kitchen towel jobbie that is.

well done guys that's good... :) ha ha sorry i feel like i'm a teacher about to give you house points! haha