Home
Bike Gear Reviews
Williams Waterless Wash and Wax Review With Carnauba
Review Date - 29 September 2016
By Sharon Parker
I do enjoy cleaning my bike but sometimes it is dark when I am getting home and time is of the essence. So a full hose down, then wash, then dry, then polish is not on the cards. Other times it is cold and damp and putting a bike away still wet after a hose down is counter-productive. It would be better to leave it dirty than make it soaking wet so rust can begin its evil work.
So in such situations I decided to try Williams Waterless Wash and Wax with Carnauba. Now the name says it all...it is waterless. I was dubious such a product could work but as I had been given it as a present I had nothing to lose in giving it a try.
Williams Waterless Wash and Wax
I was truly amazed at the results. The product wipes away dirt with ease. You do not even have to wait. Spray on and wipe off. So effective is this cleaner that it even wipes away easily the dreaded chain lube that is spattered all over your back wheel and number plate. Plus with the addition of Carnauba you are also giving a nice shine and protective layer to you paint work all at the same time. So this really is a great all in one product with no additional de-greaser or polish required.
Spray on - wipe off even on tough tacky lube
If you do not have access to a water source this is the perfect product for you. If you are short of time this product is perfect for you. In fact it is pretty perfect no matter what situation.
Since using it for the first time is has become my cleaner of choice on a day to day basis. I still use my hose and my Muc-Off Cleaner when the bike is really heavily soiled when it has been doing some off-roading and it is comes home filthy and muddy. I also still like to occasionally give the bikes a good coating with a PTFE spray to add an additional protective layer. But for every day dirt and grime Williams Waterless Wash and Wax is one handy fast and effective cleaning product.
You can buy this product from various outlets. Prices very so have a good shop around. You can generally save money by buying the large 5 litre bottle for around £25.
Highly recommended 10/10
Reader's Comments
Ren - The Ed said :-
In the interest of full disclosure - Sharon is NOT sponsored by Williams! If only she were, if only. She received the cleaner from my mother would you believe. I think my mother got it off QVC or similar for reasons far beyond my comprehension.
29/09/2016 11:29:51 UTC
Pocketpete said :-
'If you are short of time this product is perfect for you'
God I misread this sentence sorry hobbit dwarf persons. I thought it said
'If you are short this product is perfect for you"
Must be post holiday eyesight problems.
Sounds good stuff any idea where it can be purchased Sharon. Was thinking of half my bike in acf5p and the other half in this stuff.
30/09/2016 12:20:01 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
I shall not laugh at your comments Peter because I am in perpetual fear now. We ought not to mock the vertically challenged otherwise we may end up on the wrong side of a severe ankle bite.
01/10/2016 07:52:10 UTC
Sharon said :-
Pocketpete,
Seems you have been hanging around with little uns so long you see short in everything :-).
As for Williams Wash and Wax you can buy it on Ebay or Amazon and various other outlets. I have found Amazon to be the cheapest option. You can buy a small 500ml bottle as a try out.
But as for doing half of your bike in the Williams and half in the ACF50 please be aware that these are both completely different products. The Willaims is a cleaner and wax in one with the added benefit of Carnauba that give a small degree of protection to the paint work.
However the likes of ACF50 and Muc-Offs Motorcycle Protectant are dual lubricants and protective sprays. They go on after the clean not instead of. They lube mechanical parts (DO NOT GET ON ANY BRAKE PARTS), they disperse water thus helping reduce the risks of rust and give a protective layer to the bike.
The main difference between ACF50 and the likes of MUC-Off is ACF50 claim not only to prevent rust but to kill the corrsion? I have never used it myself so cannot comment on these claims.
ACF50 is also usually applied only once at the beginning of the Autumn. The idea is that you do not wash the bike again until the spring. Therefore most people use it when they put there bike to bed for the winter or use it very occasionally on dry bright sunny winter days. ACF50 is sticky so dirt and such will adhere to it.
I use the Muc-OFF because it is less sticky and therefore attracts less dirt but it has to be re-applied regularly unlike the ACF50. Muc-Off is the best option for me because as I ride often throughout the winter I also clean the bike regularly too. I could not leave it all through the winter without a wash down so ACF50 would be pointless for me.
05/10/2016 11:24:44 UTC
Ian Soady said :-
F2 motorcycles (the well known Ural dealer) actually did quite a good test on ACF50 against other products but the report seems to have vanished from their site although there is a reference to it (see below).
www.f2motorcycles.ltd.uk/service.html...
05/10/2016 11:33:17 UTC
Pocketpete said :-
Just had my cb500x in the garage don't ask me how but I broke the rear brake cylinder mounting bracket with my foot.
I simply don't know how I did this I stood on the steps when on the centre stand and my boot slipped and somehow the rear brake cylinder fell off. It's tucked away behind the foot peg mounting bracket so I still don't know how I accomplished this. But just cost me £ 121 to replace it.
But I got a nice bottle of acf 50 at the same time. Gave the bike a really good clean. I was ashamed just how grubby it was. The covered the brakes with plastic wrap then sprayed the bike with the acf. I was told not to put it on the seat or screen and brakes. It stinks and is extremely greasy and sticky.
I rubbed it down with a cloth and spread the gunk around.
2 hours later it has spread itself around and seems to remain semi liquid. Roll on spring we shall see if it's protected the bike.
15/10/2016 19:42:41 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
OH NO!!! I've just had a look at the bike and, well, er, erm, I dunno how the devil you managed to kick the rear brake master cylinder. Tell ya what, blame the Mrs, she must have caught it with her little feet and loosened it up for you.
I'd be interested to hear about the ACF50. My only concern for a definitive test is how various people use and store the bike. You may ACF50, WD40 or wax the bike then only do 2,000 dry miles a year and the bike lives in a warm dry and aired garage, of course it's never going to rust. Where as another rider with no garage and no car for winter use may have quite a different outcome.
16/10/2016 06:58:29 UTC
Ian Soady said :-
I've found the test I mentioned for ACF50 versus others.
f2mcltd.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/winter-salt-protection-acf50-fs365-or.html...
16/10/2016 09:43:00 UTC
Pocketpete said :-
Yes still can't figure out how I broke the damn thing. Maybe it was paula as we are generally 2 up and she has little feet but I'm pretty sure it was me. I remember standing on something and I though paula has left the passenger footpeg in the down position.
It may have caught on a bootlace or my trousers. Not sure but bloody mad about the cost. I cable tied it on which held it but I was scared it would fall off and into the wheel or suspension.
The acf50 seems to cover well. A quick spray and rub it in the bikes looks good and shiny but I'm expecting salt and dirt to stick to it as it remains tacky. We shall see when spring comes what's hiding underneath.
From all the reviews it seems pretty positive. Especially as I'm using the bike as much as possible for as long as possible till the freeze stops me.
17/10/2016 12:43:45 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
F2 Motorcycles certainly demonstrated the purpose of ACF50 Ian.
Let's see how Pocketpete's bike fairs through a winter's riding compared to my own CB500X. Mind you I bet Pcoket will clean his bike from time to time too...
17/10/2016 15:03:47 UTC
Pocketpete said :-
How dare you say I will clean my bike that's a terrible thing to say...lol my inzuma was washed by the dealer once.
I will wash it in April to get the acf50 off but that's it's yearly treat. I was hoping the dealer would clean it but they don't offer that service unlike suzuki.i must admit I am torn with the Honda cb500x. I actually love the bike so I am tempted to care for it a little bit more than I usually do.
I'm one of those people who treat bijes and cars as a tool to get me from a to b that's why I swap em every 3 years so no mot stuff to deal with and usually no repair stuff.
17/10/2016 16:07:33 UTC
pocketpete said :-
I have finally followed all of sharons cleaning advice and given my bike the major clean it needed. As you are aware I used my bike all through the winter come rain shine and the odd bit of snow. its wasnt a particularly icy winter but the gritters were out fairly often.
I liberally sprayed it with the acf50 on a couple of occasions once in november and a further spray in January. The stuff sticks like glue and remains tacky but it does attract every bit of grit and grime.
I was worried about rust as I have heard of several rusty CB500x bikes on the forum. I did see a bit of rust on the ABS ring and on the edge of the pannier mount.
Following its full clean it has survived with no visible rust at all the rust on the abs seems to have been removed by a quick scrub with the williams cleaner and the pannier mount seems ok as well. So Im pretty impressed with the acf50 but by god its hard to remove. it does seem to have completed the winter in one peice.
28/05/2017 18:54:20 UTC
Borsuk said :-
Pocketpete: I had my bike treated by All Year Rider in January and the way they spray on the AFC50 it doesn't remain tacky like when you apply it your self. The also applied some other stuff om top, i think it was a wax but can't remember. The end result is nice shiny non tacky bike which is still looking good after 4 months of sitting in the rain and crap weather.
28/05/2017 23:06:14 UTC
Pocketpete said :-
Yes just had a look at all year rider and a couple of videos on the Internet. They are doing something similar to what I did.
I spayed mine with wash and wax. Cleaned the bike and the spayed acf50 on. They seem to be then polishing with nanotechnology ptfe Polish like Sharon's mucoff on top of the acf50.
Cost on the site around £ 70.
Which looks pretty good as I've spent £ 40 on cleaning stuff plus it looks like they do a better job than I would.
I will see what happens this year with my protective muc off Polish on the bike. Maybe worth a bash this November.
29/05/2017 12:03:04 UTC
Borsuk said :-
He did a good job. The also use a degreaser during the cleaning process which fairly shift the crud. I think he was about 1 1/2 hours doing my bike, mind you it was a cold day and there were several stops for tea.
29/05/2017 15:08:08 UTC
Sharon said :-
Pocketpete
All your cleaning stuff you purchased will last far longer than one wash, so value wise doing it yourself is by far the cheapest option. Also as we discussed cleaning your bike leads to you checking your bike over. Any defect will generally be spotted at the earliest opportunity when you know your bike well by constantly cleaning it.
I spotted my leaking gasket early and a lose fairing all while cleaning. Noticing a few chips on my radiator again while cleaning made me aware it was vulnerable to damage and therefore to purchasing a radiator guard to protect it.
Of course it is all a matter of personal choice and budgets but as time consuming as it is I prefer to do what I can on my bike myself. Will anyone actually care for my bike more than I do myself?? I doubt it.
29/05/2017 18:40:32 UTC
Pocketpete said :-
I think I've got enough stuff to clean my bike for 3 years. But it's remarkable stuff. For example my freezers are sparkling. Tried it on my car dashboards now sparkling.
A stubborn oil stain on the carpet now removed. I also washed the bike with the muc off bike wash and it's great to see dust and muc just wash off where I've used the ptfe Polish.
I'm going to start on those hard to reach areas next which will need the toothbrush. So I might not need the winter bike clean after all.
29/05/2017 19:41:06 UTC
Borsuk said :-
If you run out of things to clean Pete I can give you my wife's phone number, I am sure she can make you a list. Though Paula might have a list of her own with your newfound love of cleaning.
I might clean mine next time I am over for more than a week, though to be honest I have only managed about 1000km since I had it Riderised, though it has been out in the weather all the time. No warm garage for it. Nor me either, seems it rains every time I go to do something.
29/05/2017 23:45:09 UTC
Name
Comment
Add a RELEVANT link (not required)
Upload an image (not required) -
Uploading...
Home
Bike Gear Reviews