Most people wax their bikes because they love that deep shine. Yes, auto wax does a great job of reflecting light for a gloss look, but there’s more to waxing your vehicle than aesthetics.
A fresh coat of wax protects paint, plastic, rubber, metal, and leather from UV and moisture damage – particularly important if you leave your bike outside for extended periods.
Regular cleaning and waxing get much more life out of your machine than letting it sit and slowly degrade.
WD-40 Specialist Motorbike Wax & Polish
Easy Application, Great Results
An excellent product at a decent price.
Easily applied and protects all components of your bike.
Muc-Off Speed Polish
Quick and Easy High-Quality Finish
Lives up to its name by being one of the quickest ways out there to create a high-gloss, protective layer on your motorcycle – good stuff.
Best Motorcycle Wax Reviews
Let’s dive into our top picks.
WD-40 Specialist Motorcycle Wax & Polish
WD40 are synonymous with the chemical preparation of the same name but produces a range of more highly-specialised products too.
This wax & polish is from their motorcycle-specific line and works great after cleaning with their motorcycle wash from the same product range (though any auto-wash will do a similar job).
Carnauba wax and beeswax create a deep, wet-look shine, forming a protective barrier around all your components.
This stuff is easy to apply with a single cloth, doesn’t leave any streaks or hazy residue, and is a step up from most other spray-on solutions.
Recommended for anyone who’s tried other spray waxes and was disappointed.
Pros
Rugged, shiny protection- Easy to apply
Rugged, shiny protectionCons
- Not really
Not reallyMuc-Off Motorcycle Speed Wax
This super-convenient polish+wax in one might not represent the same kind of value as some of the other options on our list. But it’s as simple as spraying it onto a clean bike, waiting a few moments, and buffing it to a shine.
For many of you, this convenience will make it worth the price. It uses beeswax and carnauba wax to form a surprisingly durable, shiny protective coat.
This stuff won’t last as long as liquid or paste, but it deserves a place in most people’s garage for how quick and easy it is.
Safe to use on metals, plastics, and rubber, Speed Wax creates a decent hydrophobic seal that lasts longer than we’d typically expect from a spray wax solution.
Pros
- Decent protection
- Great shine
- Smells OK
Cons
- Not as durable as WD40’s solution
Wurth Silicone Spray Shine
German manufacturer, Wurth have been producing chemicals, industrial fittings, automotive hardware etc, since postwar Germany.
This silicone spray is a favourite of many riders and mechanics for its superior dirt and water-repelling properties and its high-gloss finish for a silicone-based product.
This can also be applied to squeaking, moving parts like electric sunroofs or car windows, used to revitalise old plastic and prevent rubber from cracking and degrading.
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Many dirt bike riders use it on their plastic faring to restore colour and create a barrier between dirt/grime and the plastic.
The pros often keep a small can of this around for detailing the rubber and plastic parts of their bike. Silicon has a much longer shelf than many waxes and a can of this stuff will last you a long time.
Pros
- Great for rubber and plastic parts
- Long shelf life
Cons
- Not as shiny as wax
Autoglym SRP001 Super Resin Polish
Autoglym Super Resin Polish is a superior protective and aesthetic solution for all paintwork.
It contains synthetic waxes (resin and polymer) and silicon, so it provides excellent protection and can still produce a decent shine after buffing.
This can be used to restore colour and reduce the appearance of minor scuffs and scratches on any painted surface.
Overall, this is an excellent one-stop-shop for people who want a single product to apply to the painted parts of their bike for an OK shine and decent protection.
An even higher gloss finish or longer-lasting protection can be achieved using additional Autoglym products but this alone will do a decent job on your tank and frame.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Good single-purchase solution
Cons
- Ideally, you’ll want another product for non-painted surfaces
Turtle Wax Hybrid Spray Wax Sealant
This high-end mix of polymers and carnauba wax creates an epic shine and a rugged seal, especially for a spray-on product.
This is one of the longest-lasting wax-sealant type finishes available in a spray format.
Non-toxic, safe, and easy-to-apply, the wax uses hard, natural wax and synthetic sealants to ensure the best aesthetic results while also offering superior protection from dust and moisture.
Many riders (and drivers) use this stuff as a top-up wax in between washes. It’s liquid enough when first applied to help break down any minor grime or dirt that has build up then polish to a shine.
Pros
- High gloss
- Decent protection
Cons
- Some reports of streaking
WD-40 Specialist Motorcycle Silicon
Another motorcycle-specific product from WD40, the Silicon Shine is suitable for application to metal, plastic, rubber, carbon fibre, and just about any other material you can think of.
Rubber, in particular, benefits greatly from this product and it can be used to prevent the drying out and cracking of hoses and other rubber parts.
Apply this to a clean bike for an immediate shine – no need to buff.
The results from this applied on its own are more than enough for me but those wanting a higher level of shine can use WD40’s Wax & Polish product on top for the best results.
This stuff is great on its own but we like that a more traditional type of wax can be applied on top for the best of both worlds.
Pros
- Can be applied to all parts of your bike
- No need to buff
Cons
- Not as shiny as a wax product
Shine Armor Waterless Wash And Wax
This is a waterless wash and polish type solution that while convenient and worth having as a back up (or for top-up polishes between washes), won’t achieve the same results you can expect from a more traditional solution.
This system uses a thin solution that removes lightweight dust, dirt, and grime, evaporating to leave behind a shiny and reasonably protective wax layer.
We’ve tried similar solutions in the past and never had much success with them. This product seems to have a higher wax content than some other products despite the thin liquid that comes from the applicator.
Pros
- Does a decent job of polishing and waxing
Cons
- Expensive by volume
Considerations and Options
Liquid, Paste, Or Spray?
Liquid
This is the kind of wax most older riders will be familiar with.
The slightly viscous goo usually comes in a bottle and can be harder and more time-consuming to apply evenly and buff to a high-gloss shine compared to the other types of wax. The durability of this type of wax is incomparable to the other two, however.
These types of waxes take a little time to get right but give you the best possible finish, offering the longest-lasting protection.
Pastes
A happy medium between the hard-to-apply but durable liquid wax and simple but short-lived protection offered by a spray wax. A paste can be applied evenly with a sponge faster than liquid, allowed to dry slightly then buffed to a protective shine.
Spray-on wax
Easy to apply quickly and evenly to all the surfaces of your bike and promptly buffs to a shine. The downsides to this type of wax are that it doesn’t last long (in terms of shininess or protection) and a can of this doesn’t last nearly as long (time-wise) as the same volume of liquid wax or paste.
How To Apply And How Often
You don’t need power tools to buff your bike to a professional-level shine. A clean microfibre cloth or hand sponge can do the job just as well (if more slowly) but be sure to check that the wax you’ve bought can be applied using the method you intend.
Which method you use comes down to how much free time you have and how much of it you want to spend on motorcycle maintenance.
Bear in mind, some auto wax (particularly high-end, expensive stuff) doesn’t last indefinitely. Don’t be tempted to buy a large volume at a discount only to throw it out when it separates and becomes useless.
How often you wax your bike depends both on how often you ride, what kind of conditions you ride in, and the quality of the wax you use.
Inferior, cheaper waxes are often easier to apply and buff but don’t form the kind of lasting, protective barrier and finish that more expensive waxes can produce.
Read:
Kinds of Wax
Carnauba wax
Derived from the leaves of a Brazilian tree, is the most common naturally-occurring wax used for auto polish.
Typically, more expensive, handmade or small-batch products will use this type of wax as their base due to its natural status and excellent gloss and protective qualities.
But because it’s a natural product, this type of wax can be harder to apply evenly and buff to satisfactory results.
It does, however, form an excellent and durable seal around your bike’s components.
Synthetic Wax
It is made with the same polymers and resins used in paint sealant. It’s slightly easier to get an even application and finish with this type of wax.
And it’s cheaper too.
The trade-off is that the protective coat and gloss finish don’t generally last as long as those from carnauba-based products.
We’ve often used a can of synthetic, spray wax when we know our bike is going to get filthy and we want a short-lived but effective barrier to make cleaning easier later on.
For more durable protection from everyday dirt, water, and grime, wax applied with a cloth (either natural or synthetic) generally works better.
Silicone Sprays
Silicon chain lube is effective because it repels water while providing lubrication without attracting dust and dirt.
For the same reason, some people use sIlicone products on their tank, fairing, frame, and engine to achieve a dirt-repellent layer.
This works similarly to more traditional types of auto wax and is suited to extending the lifespan of rubber parts, in particular.
Manufacturers now offer silicon products that are specifically designed to be buffed to a shine. It’s worth investing in a small can of silicone just to treat the rubber parts of your bike if it’s often exposed to heavy UV/weather.