Tried and tested: Autobrite Direct Extreme Range motorcycle cleaning products review

Since 2005 Autobrite Direct has been offering an excellent range of cleaning products perfect for keeping cars looking better than new. It’s now launched a selection of motorcycle cleaning products under the Autobrite Extreme name designed to clean motorcycles, bicycles, quad bikes, and even go-karts. We’re testing all of these motorcycle cleaning products, to see whether Autobrite can bring its knowledge to motorcycle care.

Autobrite Extreme All Purpose Bike Cleaner

A cornerstone of any cleaning arsenal is a good all-purpose cleaner (APC) that can be used to clean every surface you can think of. Autobrite’s offering, Extreme Bike Cleaner is a biodegradable APC available in either one of five-litre bottles. Free of harsh cleaning chemicals like acids and solvents, this APC is gentle enough to effectively clean titanium, carbonfibre and aluminium while remaining tough of grime.

The one-litre example we’re testing requires no dilution, it’s simply a case of attaching the trigger head and spraying away. The trigger features a clever folding foaming mesh which means you can easily choose between a thick, clingy foam or a lighter spray, a simple but clever way of making the APC even more versatile. Less good is the trigger mechanism, it’s very stiff and it’ll quickly tire you out.

It’s the cleaning abilities though that are the most impressive, this APC may be a gentle formula but it’s able to cut through grime with an unrivalled ability. It wasn’t just traffic film and ex insects this was so good on, it managed to shift grease with nothing more than a little agitation with a brush.

APCs aren’t uncommon and Autobrite’s offering needs something special to stand out from the crowd. Muc-Off’s offering is cheaper and Oxford Mint Bike Cleaner smells a lot nicer but neither can match the raw cleaning power of the Autobrite option. The fact it manages it without restoring to nasty chemicals is really impressive.

Autobrite Extreme Streak Free Shampoo

A shampoo designed explicitly for motorcycles seems a little suspicious to me, after all, all vehicle shampoos are designed to clean without interfering with delicate mechanical components. This shampoo sounds like a very good shampoo, it’s biodegradable, pH neutral and has a very generous 1:1000 dilution rate, but the question remains whether it’s actually worth buying for a motorcycle.

Added to a bucket it smells a lot nicer than the APC, with an aftershave-like scent to it. It also foamed up really well in the bucket, a good sign that this shampoo offers excellent lubrication. Cleaning the motorcycle with this shampoo showed that it’s a quality product. The wash mitt glided over the bodywork with ease and the gloss it left in the paintwork was nice and deep.

There’s very little that directly competes with this shampoo. Indeed, you’re better off comparing this to motorcycle APCs where it firmly establishes itself as the next step in bike care. It cleans roughly the same as the Extreme Bike Cleaner but does leave a gloss on the paintwork. If you’re more fanatical about cleaning it’s well worth buying, but the bike cleaner will do if just want to clean your motorcycle quickly without buying excessive products.

Autobrite Extreme Duo

One of only two non-biodegradable products in the Extreme line-up, Duo is a polish designed for removing small swirls from both paintwork and metal. Larger scratches (like those typically found on the fuel tank) won’t be dealt with but the small swirl marks noticeable on paintwork (especially black paint) can be polished out leaving a deep shine.

It’s a fairly abrasive hand-applied polish (it can be machine-applied if you want), so care must be taken, but the polishing abilities mean that the end results look fantastic. It’s even infused with glossing agents to ensure the best finish possible. We used it on both bodywork and metal and the results were exceptional. If you’re new to polishing take care but this is a cost-effective way to polish an entire motorcycle.

Autobrite Extreme Ceramic Spray Sealant

Ceramic protection is the best way of keeping a clean motorcycle shiny and protected for longer. Ceramic-infused (SiO2) paint sealants also offer excellent heat, chemical and UV protection so it’s well worth considering for your bike. Add in that this simple spray should offer 12 months of protection and it becomes even more tempting.

Anyone familiar with spray-on paint protection will immediately gel with the Ceramic Spray Sealant, it’s simple to spray onto a panel and buff with a microfibre towel. The trigger is a lot lighter to use than the APCs too, good for ensuring each panel is properly coated in a layer of protection. This sealant is designed to work on bodywork, metal and plastics meaning it’s possible to coat and protect an entire motorcycle (apart from the tyres and seats) with this one product. All it needs is a microfibre buffing cloth to be perfect.

Miscellaneous products

Verdict

The Autobrite Extreme range is a comprehensive kit for the more dedicated detailer. Making use of the latest and best bike care technology, it may be premium but everything is worth the cost. While not every product on offer is entirely essential, nothing left us disappointed. That being said, the Extreme Bike Cleaner and Ceramic Spray Sealant were the standout products in this test and the first things you should consider from Autobrite if you want to improve your motorcycle cleaning experience.

More items to consider

How we tested it

All products were tested on a black 2010 Triumph Sprint ST 1050 making sure to follow the instructions. The motorcycle was moderately dirty, featuring grease, road film and dead insects to clean away. Each product was used in isolation so we could examine each individually before assessing the overall job on the completed motorcycle.

Other products used in this test: Oxford 20L Wash Bucket | Nilfisk Core 140 Pressure Washer | Oxford Microfibre Towels

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