At the Women's Sportbike Rally West in July, we had a really great workshop with the owner of Motorcycle Service Centers, LLC in Camarillo, CA. (an excellent metric or harley shop in the Ventura County Area The topic was "How Not to Get Ripped Off by a Motorcycle Shop". It was one of the most informative workshops I've ever attended. Thanks Will!

His main message was "Care and Feeding of your Best Friend" :D How many of us think of our motorcycles as family members? LOL. I know I do. (we are childless so for us it's furry kids and moto kids). His very first tip (out of 5) was to Keep Your Bike Clean, and here's why: 

Nothing tells a shop that you are knowledgeable and actually care about your bike like showing up with a bike that is clean. Clean wheels, clean bodywork, a windscreen you can see through, no covering of dirt and grime. Every shop respects a person that invests just that little bit of time you need to make that happen. Just an hour a week! - Will Kenefick, MC Service Centers, LLC

If you're new to riding and aren't quite sure about things, getting to know your ride up close is important. I am so lazy when it comes to cleaning Goldie and keeping her nice and shiny.

But I'm hoping with this awesome care package from MucOff, it'll help me keep Goldie looking like she's 2012 again. 

I got a thorough list of goodies including:

• Chain lube (wet and dry)
• Degreaser (always an important first step before lubrication)
• Motorcycle Protectant
• Nanotech Motorcycle Cleaner
• Matte Finish Detailer
• Chain Brush
• Soft Washing Brushes, Microfiber Cloth and Chain Cleaning Brushes
• Antifog spray and Goggle/Lens Cleaner
• FoamFresh Helmet Liner and Textile Cleaner

Now I have ZERO excuses for not keeping everything looking pristine. See how disgusting my wheels look? See that awesome clean patch? Normally I use Simple Green to wipe down my wheels but I thought I would give their "Motorcycle Protectant" a try; its like the 409 of motorcycle cleaners. One spray, and then one wipe and it perfectly removed my brake dust. LOVE it. 

I'll admit I haven't used the entire kit yet, but I can't wait until it's not 1,000 degrees anymore so I can sit in my garage without melting to give her a long overdue wash. I'm on my way to the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge near Deals Gap, NC for the Women's Sportbike Rally so I hope the rain doesn't stick around too much so I can give Goldie a good top to bottom scrub. 

But at home, I don't have a hose hookup so using some of these products is really helpful (meh, condos). With just the Protectant I can clean her up top to bottom in a pinch.  If you do want to give your bike a full wash, they offer a Nano Tech Bike Wash (instead of say, dish soap).  

One of my other favorites is the Foam Fresh.

I like to clean my helmet liners every month or so during peak sweaty, humid, hot riding seasons. The Foam Fresh is perfect for that.  Did I mention how much I love Citrus Scents? 

Normally you can hand wash your liners but I am #lazy so I'd rather take them out, then spray and wipe clean to air dry. 

These are just a few of my favorites from their collection I'm excited to use. 

Looking forward to testing everything out, check my Instagram feed for photos and updates in the coming months. 

Shiny Side Up!