Cleaning off bugs when on the road

Unless you ride a naked cruiser without a helmet you have to deal with cleaning dead bugs off of your helmet shield and/or windscreen while you are traveling.  They don't just look bad, having to look through a dirty or bug carcass littered visor or screen will cause you to get mentally tired faster as your brain has to process the bugs out of your vision when looking for car drivers texting and wandering into your lane, or yard sharks (dogs) deciding to try and commit suicide under your front tire.

There are thousands of special products out there for you to clean your gear with,  all of it expensive and either has to be mail ordered or bought at the motorcycle shop.   And I'm here to tell you that all of it is junk.   I have tried it all and found what works the best and you can make it at home to bring with you.

What I have is a three step process with one step being performed before you leave on your trip.  You start with washing your bike with standard car wash soap that does not strip wax.  Dont bother with the Special  BMW Motoraad wash number 47, Honda unique special farkle polish, or Harley Bad ass Bike Wash now with more added bad ass ness and leather scent,  go to your local bog box store or car parts store and buy the cheapest gallon of "car wash soap" they have.  You now have enough soap to wash your bike perfectly for the nest 2 years.    After washing dry and wax the bike.  At this point I now diverge to a "special" product but only because I find it works great.   I used to use a very expensive plastic polish and protectant called Plexus.  It's $25.00 a can and is designed by scientists in a secret bunker using captured alien technology to protect your motorcycle windscreen...   Until I discovered that it actually is nothing more than "Pledge" furniture spray polish without the lemon scent.  (The lemon version seems to attract bees for a short time after applying it) I actually spray my windshield with a little bit of pledge and then buff it to a perfect shine after I made sure it was very clean.   This gives me a non-stick layer to keep the bugs from gluing themselves to the screen and helmet visor, it also makes rain bead up faster and run off faster.   I typically do the outside only with the Pledge polish and wipe up everything,  be sure to not get any overspray on your seat or controls as it is very slippery.  I try to get the "environmentally friendly" pump version and not the aerosol can. because it makes the next part easier.

Now you have the windshield treated,  you can make your travel kit.  get two small travel spray bottles from the cosmetics and hair products section of your local big box everything store.  in one of them, fill it most of the way full with tap water, and then add about 1/16th the water volume of car wash soap to it.  I cant give you exact amounts because I dont know what size bottle you bought.  If you bought a 2 ounce spray bottle, add about 12 drops of the soap for a comparison.  you do not need a LOT of soap,  in fact too much will cause problems so be stingy with it.  you can adjust this later to your own taste.   This is your cleaner, you will spray the shield down with this to get the bug guts off.
Now to make a small bottle of your high tech polish,   dump some of the pledge bottle into the second travel bottle.   If you only have the spray can, then go outside downwind from your bike and spray it into the bottle trying not to breathe the fumes and get yourself all coated in wax.

How I use these depends on what resources I have.  I try to carry with me a 3 or 4 of 2 foot squares of old cotton T-shirts cut up  ziplocks as well as some paper towel, although I have used old cotton socks as well.  I never ever scrub with the paper towel, I only use it to lay over the bugs to keep the soap and water in contact with the bugs for a bit to soften them up.   take some of your drinking water and get a single paper towel wet,  spray down your windscreen with the soapy water bottle and lay the paper towel over the bugs, wait about 3  minutes and then remove the towel and wipe clean with one of your microfiber cloths.  repeat as needed.   when you have all the bug guts cleaned off,  very lightly spray the screen with the pledge and then use the second towel to buff it clear and shiny.  Most guys that claim that Pledge does not work are using way too much,  typically it will be the old guy that thinks that more is better so they blast it heavy all over the helmet or windscreen.  Just spray on a small amount and wipe it around evenly, it's not going to be instant, you have to wipe the windscreen or helmet for at least 30-60 seconds to get it on evenly,  add more if it is not covering but only a tiny bit.  Some guys try to make the Pledge dissolve the bugs, and it will, but that is using a ton of the stuff and it will not buff out clear.  so If you need to get a very stubborn bug off you can add some pledge as a solvent but then you need to use a paper towel to remove some.  be careful as paper towel will scratch plastic.

That is all there is to it.  for less than the cost of a single can of Plexus you can have enough cleaner to last the life of your bike and your buddy's bike.  Plus you have a portable kit to take with you for on the road cleanings.  The motorcycle world is full of overpriced "special" snake oil that companies are desperately trying to get you to purchase.

NOTE: you will find a lot of guys on motorcycle forums of all types that swear by or swear at using Pledge on their bike, almost every single time it's someone that is using way too much that is having the problem, or they expect it to act like a spray car wax.   It's not going to act that way.  You have to learn how the product works and work within it's needs.   A LOT of guys in the recreational aviation world use Lemon Pledge on their windscreens that cost significantly more than even an OEM BMW windscreen could from the Beverly Hills BMW dealership.   They trust it and use it for years on their toys that cost way more than our bikes.   All I know is that from my experience on trips the dead bugs come off easier and faster and in the 20 years I have been riding it has never ruined a windscreen or helmet visor EXCEPT for a pinlock anti fog insert.  but you cant get anything on those I tried cleaning one with pure water and it damaged it.

Tips for making a long motorcycle trip more enjoyable

You are packed, your bike is ready and maintained, you have your route and are ready to go.  But how can you make things easier for yourself on the road?   I have some tips to make it a lot more enjoyable, many of these were updated from my recent 3 day trip.

Don't drink local water, drink only bottled water when on the road or drink the water from the soda fountain if it's a purified type (Coke machines at McDonalds for example)  The reason for this is that local water changes can upset your stomach and cause issues.  If you are used to city water and hit a place with very high iron content, you could end up needing the porcelain throne for a few days.  That is the last thing you want when on the road.  Sticking to bottled water will eliminate that.  I suggest having a couple of fresh bottles of it in your bike luggage or bags and replace them at every stop if you drank them.  Stay hydrated and you will have a better ride. I leave the house with about 4 bottles of water and replace them at fuel stops.

Schedule your meals at "Odd"  times.   Everyone will be hitting the restaurants at 8 am, noon and 6pm.    Why cause delays and get jammed up with everyone else? Get breakfast very early or wait until 9-9:30 am so you can have a leisure and calm meal.  Eat a little less than you would at each meal, you do not want to feel full and an excuse to stop should be always welcome.

Don't eat or sleep in "tourist towns"  Popular destinations will have the prices increased from 50% to 200% or more higher than honest pricing.   For example, 10 miles south of Mackinac City, MI  an ice cream stop was on average $2.50 for each rider.    In Mackinac City,  $7.25 was the price of an ice cream cone,  Motel rates went from $50 a night to $133 a night.  Expect prices to go higher on holiday weekends.

Carry a short thin metal cable with loops at both ends.  you can run it through the jacket arms and lock your jacket to the bike with the helmet lock if you need to.

Bring flushable baby wipes..  Don't question it, just do it.  Nothing sucks more than the toilet paper at gas stations and restaurants.   Not having them also sucks when you are on the side of the road behind a bush.

Take a camera and take photos,  LOTS of photos.  And yes take the cheezy selfie photos of you and your bike in front of the sign as you enter the town, or cross the great divide, etc...   Bring a small collapsing tripod as well,  There are some tiny ones that work great for this use. Go Pro cameras can be set to take a photo at a regular interval for even cooler photos that you don't have to even think about.

If you wear synthetic cloth socks and other garments instead of cotton you can wash them easily at night in a sink and let the m hang to dry overnight.  That way you can go several days without starting to smell horribly.

If you are stopping for the day, pick a campground or hotel/motel on the outside of town in the direction you are headed.  That way when you leave in the morning you do not have to deal with traffic through town.


Wear earplugs.   I do not recommend the high price motorcycle earplugs, Just get some cheap foamies that you can throw away.  Even if you wear a full face helmet, having earplugs in will significantly increase your enjoyment of the ride.  If you end up riding on a superslab, you will be thankful for those earplugs if you get stuck next to a semi-truck for any distance at all.

Be realistic of the distance you ride each day.  Honestly more than 300-400 miles a day and you will start to hate your trip.   Some days you might not make 150 miles.  And never ever think you can ride as far on the back roads as you can on the Freeway.  Enjoy your trip, don't make it into an iron-butt contest.  Also remember if you are riding with others or with a passenger, they may not be able to ride as far as you do, don't make it miserable for others.  If you did not get a good night sleep the night before,  you can expect to almost half the amount of miles you can safely ride.  Take more rest stops on those days,  even a mid afternoon nap. 

If you are traveling east or west, Schedule breakfast and dinner for the hour or two after sunrise or before sunset.  Riding into the sun utterly sucks, so try to be off the road so you don't have to stare into that big ball of fire that is trying to blind you.

Drink more water.  No you have not drank enough.

If you are typically a clean shave man or only have a Goatee or other small beard, do NOT think you can go a few days without shaving.  At about day 3 your stubble will grab at the helmet strap and drive you nearly insane as it tries to act like velcro and the strap tries to rip hairs out of your neck.  Either shave every day while you ride or go mountain man for a week before your trip and have a nice beard.

Yes you CAN get sunburned through your helmet visor,  get some sunblock on or you will have a really weird looking sunburn/suntan. If you are the no helmet type,  you can easily get far more sunburned even through a head-cloth, I get my shaved head burned right through that Harley branded head wrap at Bike events every year.  Get and wear high SPF lip balm.  Even if you ride with a full face helmet and the visor down all day.   sunburned lips sucks,  that same lip balm should go on the nose as well.

Get in the habit of checking everything at every stop.  check all straps and make sure all your gear is stowed.  you will be amazed at what can come loose after a hundred miles.

Bring something to clean your windshield and helmet visor.  Paper towel will scratch it bad and you really want the bug guts off before it etches the surface.  Bring a couple of soft cloths, and if you can soak a towel and let it lay on the dead bugs for a bit to soften them up.  Paper towels are great for this so you do not have to carry a wet towel with you, do not scrub with the wet paper towel.   I also carry a plastic windshield cleaner to spray on and buff to make the next day's bugs not stick as hard.

Get a spare key and hide it in a spot on the bike that is not obvious but you can remember.  Being stuck without a key really sucks. Spare house key as well if you want to get back home and then inside. If you are riding with a passenger, they can carry the second key set.

If you are yawning,  time to stop.  If you are still a good distance from where you can stop for the day, then get some energy drinks or other stimulants in you, but be aware that the clock is ticking on your boost of awareness, when the clock runs down you will lose a lot of awareness and focus.


If you ride a motorcycle that is actually designed for long distances,  like something with an adjustable windshield on a sport touring or touring, you will actually find the big superslab highways to have less wind buffeting than the 55mph 2 lane highways.   If you are mentally exhausted from dodging idiots on the side roads constantly pulling out in front of you, the big interstates give you a break as there are no side roads for people to pull out from.

Bring some electrical tape or duct tape to cover up spots on your helmet that may create a whistle.  I had a 45 mile stretch where I was distracted by a whistling in my helmet that was driving me nuts.  It took some of my attention away from the road.  The whistle was only there at 45mph and this was a very long construction zone.

If you ride a higher performance motorcycle that needs high octane fuel, get a bottle or two of "octane booster" and carry it on the bike.  Riding in rural areas it is actually uncommon to find anything higher than regular gas, so you need to carry something that will not cause problems by running the wrong fuel on your bike.  You can help reduce the chances of having to buy rural small town one pump gas by filling up every time you can at larger chain stations in bigger towns.


Check the weather often,  get a weather radar app for your phone so you can look at your route and see if there are any surprises down the road.  If you are riding into rain,  stop and get gas and put on the rain gear there.  NEVER put on rain gear in the storm under an overpass.  It's dangerous as all those cars are blinded by rain and will be driving 3 feet from you at 90mph.  Don't be afraid to wait out some thunderstorm cells and take an early lunch.  Light rain is easy to ride in, I can tell you first hand torrential rain and hail really really sucks to ride in and no rain gear on the planet will keep you dry in it. Your rain gear will make your comfortable in 10-12 degrees cooler than your riding jacket will typically keep you comfortable,  so it rocks as a windproof layer.

remember your trip is all about enjoyment, if your trip stops being fun then you will be miserable the rest of the time.  Stop, take a breath, enjoy a side trip.  And honestly if for your safety you have to get to work a day late,  then do it. Tell the boss to stuff it if he would rather you be dead or in the hospital  than late.  If you really are worried about the possibility of being late back to work after your trip, then shorten it by one day and plan to be home 2 days before you are to get back to work so you have time to rest or have a buffer in case you have to delay your return.