I have to admit to letting the routine wash and wax a bike like my Harley-Davidson XL883R should regularly get falls behind into what I will charitably call “irregular.” Oh, I do some necessary spot cleaning here and there, when necessary. But, as far as a complete wheels-to-mirrors wash and wax, well, I don’t really recall when it was done last. It wouldn’t be hard for me to get at it, but the polish and detail part of the job just takes too long. When the weather is spectacular as it has finally gotten hereabouts, I’d rather ride the bike than was and wax it.
When I was at my local powersports dealer, Vetesnik Powersports in Richland Center, Wisc., I mentioned my problem, and the staff suggested a solution. They even offered a sample can of Muc-Off Speed Polish.
The product label claims the Speed Polish “leaves a deep shine on paint, chrome & plastic.” The label also indicates it is fine to apply to carbon fiber. It explains that employing carnauba and beeswax combines polish and wax in one application. The carnauba is to provide a hard, naturally finished surface, while the beeswax is there for a deep shine.
Given the Sportster’s acute need for a good clean and wax, I thought I’d give it a try. It was an unusually hot, humid late spring day with brilliant sunshine when I got at the job. The label instructions don’t specify that the application should be done out of direct sunlight, as is the case for some polishes and waxes. Given the heat, I went for a shaded part of my backyard for the whole project.
After a good top-to-bottom wash job, I went to work on the wax. The label tells the user to shake the can vigorously, spray the product directly on the surface to be waxed, allow it to haze, and then buff to a shine with a microfiber cloth.
With other types of wax or polish, the process usually involves putting the product on a damp cloth, wiping it on, letting it dry to a haze, and wiping or buffing it off. Done carefully, this method can limit or eliminate the amount of white wax/polish residue landing on incompatible surfaces.
The direct spray-on method suggested in the Muc-Off Speed Polish instructions works. However, that’s only if overspray will not put the product on the wrong surfaces, such as the deeply textured surface on the 883R’s engine and cases.
I used both methods to do my Sportster. Areas where overspray is not likely to cause problems were done with direct spray-on. Other areas, such as the exhaust, got the spray-on-cloth application method. Even having done that, a part of the cloth got on the case in one spot and left a small white area, which was difficult to wash off because of that deep texture in the surface.
The polish effect is excellent on all the painted and chrome surfaces. Note that, once dried to the haze state, the polish requires firm wiping to finish. The effect is worth the effort, though.
So, is Muc-Off Speed Polish any faster than other products? If you usually use products that require wax and polish as two separate steps, the answer is yes—if not, then it is about as fast as other similar products. At $11 for a 13.5-fluid-ounce can, Muc-Off Speed Polish is worth the time, effort, and cost when admiring the results.
