I needed an alternative to the Alpinestars Web Gore-Tex boots.

So, I had a hunt around and came across these Gore-Tex TCX X-Five.4 boots for the slightly more acceptable sum of £160. I’ve never had TCX boots before, but have heard a few good things about them. I figured £160 was a good price for Gore-Tex motorcycle boots since Gore-Tex always carries a premium for the Gore-Tex guarantee.

The TCX X-Five.4 boots are a fairly standard construction and have an understated design that doesn’t stand out. Black leather outer, a small reflective panel on the rear shin and textured rubber toe cover to protect against the gear lever. There’s some discreet TCX branding on the front shin in a grey and tiny Gore-Tex metal badge, but that’s it. Ideal if you don’t want anything to stand out to wear under your Kevlar jeans for work or a meet down the pub. Further to this, these TCX Gore-Tex boots are not as bulky as the SMXs, so fit a lot better under trousers or jeans.

To fasten up, the boots have a Velcro panel on the inside of the ankle, this reveals a pull-up zip to tighten the boot. The zip has a Velcro tag to stop it from falling down. Behind the zip is a flexible panel to provide waterproofing. I’d consider the boots a 3/4 height (approx 30cm height), they fully cover and protect your ankles, with a reinforced panel, that covers your lower shins. They do not, however, extend as high as my old Alpinestars SMX boots.

Fit-wise, I found the sizing very similar to Alpinestars, a EU46 fits me well in both. The TCX are a slightly wider and looser casual fit, however. Not as snug and fitted as Alpinestars, but the insides are lined with a soft layer which makes them comfortable enough.

I’ve been wearing them through the winter for the last 4 months and have not hit any issues or found anything serious to complain about. They’ve held up well in all weathers, with no waterproofing issues, and plenty warm enough in freezing conditions when paired with some good Merino wool socks. A little more height would have made them a bit warmer mind. The soles have provided plenty of grip on and off the bike and are not showing any signs of wear as yet.

Overall, the TCX X.Five.4 are a good pair of Gore-Tex motorcycle boots you can’t go far wrong with. They’re well made, comfortable and competitively priced, especially considering the Gore-Tex layer they incorporate. I personally preferred the snugger fit of my old Alpinestars SMX-S, but do like the more casual design of these boots and how they fit better under jeans. I’d still like to compare them with the Alpinestars Web Gore-Tex boots, but even now, they’re still quoted as having a 26-week lead time for available stock! We can’t be waiting 6 months, we’ve got riding to do!

Rating: 4/5

Buy the TCX X-Five.4 Gore-Tex Boots from SportsBikeShop

Rev’It! Sand 3 Jacket Review

The Rev’It! Sand 3 jacket aims to tick all the boxes and provide an all-seasons jacket in the mid-price bracket for around £360. Provided for review by Fortamoto.com (the well regarded Amsterdam based motorcycle store), I’ve put it through its paces over the last few wintery weeks in London. Read on to see if it lives up to promises.

On hot dry days remove the waterproof layer and store in the back pocket for unexpected rain showers – perfect for the changeable British summer.

The Sand 3 is a Rev’It textile jacket with the tried and tested design of three layers, where the inner two can be removed. The outer layer utilises polyester ripstop, PWR shell 500D and polyester 600D across different panels, to give some initial water repellence but primarily strong abrasive protection. The middle layer is a removable waterproof Hydratex 3L liner, which gives full waterproof protection whilst being breathable. The third innermost layer provides thermal insulation for warmth. On top of that, you have Level 2 CE Seeflex armour on the shoulders and elbows. An optional back armour insert is available separately for about £35 (which I have in for this review). The philosophy is that in warmer weather you can leave the thermal liner at home, and on hot dry days remove the waterproof layer and store in the back pocket for unexpected rain showers – perfect for the changeable British summer.

It’s clear a lot of thought has gone into the design of the Sand 3 jacket to make it incredibly versatile for use in all weather. For hot days, as well as removing the two inner layers, you have zip-open mesh vents front and back, and the full length of the arms to provide loads of cooling airflow. On colder days the thermal liner provides ample warmth and the neck design keeps the cold wind out. In recent rides in the wet, snow and freezing temperatures the jacket hasn’t let me down, keeping me warm and dry so I can stay focused on riding. Of course, not being a laminate design, the outer layer did soak, but not as bad as I expected (or as bad as past jackets I’ve used from Rukka, Hein Gericke etc) and it was mostly dried out by the following morning. A reasonable level of water repellency in the outer layer is helping here. Overall, no complaints about wet and cold protection, but the final test on how it also performs in the summer will have to wait until later in the year when the weather improves.

Fit-wise the jacket has a longer design, coming to below the waist. It has plenty of adjustment straps to tweak the fit, even down to a tweak-able collar fastener for different neck buffs. All of which was perfect for me as a tall skinny chap at 6’1″, I usually take a UK40/EU5, roughly equating to the Medium-Large borderline in Rev’it sizes, but I opted for the Large for arm length and shoulder breadth, then pulled in all adjusters to fit my skinny frame. The jacket then fit well, but I did find some of the waist adjuster straps like to loosen off on their own after a while. All the adjusters are also great to pull in the fit after the inner layers have been removed. The arms are nice and long, which is a refreshing change as I find many jackets a bit short leaving a drafty gap. I found the cuffs better suited to wearing gloves underneath, the layers were a tiny bit bulky when tucked into my large gauntlet-style Gerbing’s heated XR12 gloves. Much of this is down to how the waterproof and thermal liners often creep out when putting on, or pull out when taking off the jacket. This appears to be because they’re fastened by poppers to one another giving some slack, also the thermal liner fastens with only a single popper at the wrist and the waterproof line has one popper set back further up the arm due to zip opening.

Pockets are where things get interesting on this jacket. First up are the two huge front pockets with ample space for phones, wallets, passports and other junk, kept secure with a Velcro and popper fold-down flap. Although outside the main waterproof liner layer, these pockets do keep stuff dry in a storm. They also have a secondary pocket behind with a side opening, which is great for keeping your hands warm when off the bike. My only reservation is these pockets give some stiffness to the jacket front which disrupts the natural moulding of the body when hunched forward on a bike. Probably less of an issue on a more upright adventure bike, but a little uncomfortable on a sports bike. On the lower back of the jacket is a huge pocket intended for stowing away the waterproof liner when not in use. Although practical, this does however make your arse look big! Inside there are small pockets, one on each layer, so you’ve always got one handy. Though I’m not sure why two are on the left breast and one is on the right side…

This jacket really is packed with loads of very handy features. There are shoulder straps to mount a camera, neck brace compatibility, attachments for a slot in cooling vest challenger insert and a hi-vis connector vest and HV chest connectors, seemingly a universal standard. The Rev’it hi-vis (£35) would beat faffing with zipping up an additional hi-vis over the top and so will be on my shopping list. A neck brace is not something I’d consider essential for London commuting, but the option of a clip in a water-soaked cooling vest (at ~£60) is intriguing.

It’s clear this is a decent jacket with a lot going for it, but for me, the big question is whether spending £360 on a three-layer jacket is a good plan when there are now many laminate waterproof textile jackets on the market at a similar price? With waterproofing laminated to the outer layer, you can avoid soaking out, getting chilled and the longer drying time. As such, you have to stack up the Sand 3 against the laminate likes of the Halvarssons Walkyr (£500), Oxford Mondial Advanced (£250) and even the Rev’it Horizon 2 (£310). The Mondial Advanced is a budget brand option and only includes level 1 armour. The Walkyr is quite a bit more but does include a removable hi-vis (£35 extra from Rev’it). The Horizon 2 is surprisingly cheaper than the Sand 3, but the Sand 3 offers far more features aimed at some serious touring and adventuring. The three-layer design also allows for a very cool jacket in hot weather. Such versatility definitely has some advantages if you need a single jacket for all seasons or plan longer touring through many different climes.

So far, I’ve been very impressed with how this Rev’it jacket has performed. It’s held up very well on some really cold and wet rides. It’s stuffed with practical and well-designed features, handy day to day and invaluable on a longer tour. There are cheaper alternatives, but none with as many features at this quality level. There is some compromise, with the useful pockets causing bulk that affects the look and flow of the jacket, but this is minor. The all-season versatility of the Sand 3 jacket is the big plus point and something I’m keen to try out over the coming summer months. I expect it to be a very cool jacket to combat those hot days on the bike, check back here for my long-term follow-up Sand 3 jacket review.

Find out more about the Rev’it! Sand 3 jacket black and other colour options at Fortamoto.com.

Rating 4.5/5

Update: The Rev’It Sand 3 jacket has now been superseded by the Sand 4 jacket.

Buy the Rev’it Sand 4 H2O Textile Jacket from SportsBikeShop

Upon collection, final fitting checks were done and positioning of knee armour was fine tuned to ensure everything fits perfectly. First impressions are very good, they’re definitely a heavy duty trouser, but once donned you don’t notice the weight and they fit well. For me the length immediately stood out as they drag on the floor when bare foot – don’t think I’ve had trousers that do that since I was a kid! Of course, once boots are on or I’m sat on my bike the length is perfect. They do have a slightly looser fit than previous trousers I’ve had, but past trousers have always been very tight to pull over my boots and had much thinner thermal liners. Hideout have obviously tailored these trousers better for me and whilst wearing them in the summer with no thermal liner they will be looser.

Traditional textiles tend to be a 3 layer design; an outer abrasive protection, a middle waterproof liner (e.g. Gore-Tex) and then an inside thermal layer. Fine, until the outer layer soon becomes sodden in a storm, where upon you feel cold and the damp will slowly wick through. Worse, that outer layer can take ages to dry out, so expect to be putting back on half wet gear for the commute home or next mornings ride. The laminate textile design avoids this by bonding the outer and waterproof layers together into one layer that water runs right off, then adding full abrasive protection underneath which never gets sodden. The downsides? It’s a tough fabric to construct and so costs a premium. Hideout use the Schoeller C_Change fabric in their laminate which is waterproof, breathable and exchanges heat well. Beneath this Hideout place a full Kevlar layer, followed by the optional zip in Thermalite quilted layer. This is then supplemented with D30 armour in the hips and knees to give a very high level of protection should the worst happen. In in that unfortunate scenario, Hideout can often repair your gear.

In practice the Hi-Pro trousers hold up very well as I recently found out on a stormy ride up to Wales. No leaks whatsoever, even when splashing threw deep puddles, surface water, getting sprayed by trucks or drenched from heavy rain above. Only the outer layer got wet, my legs only felt slightly chilled through the trousers and they dried out pretty quickly between storms. My old Rukka jacket in comparison, while it did keep me dry was soaking on the outside, heavy with water which cooled my body and arms right down and it was still damp the following morning.

Price wise, with the my choice to include armour and thermal liner the Hi-Pro trousers came in at £700 fully tailored. It’s a lot of cash, but compared to other premium trousers with a laminate construction from Rukka, Klim, Dane etc, it’s only a little more and you’re getting a fully tailored made to measure service. Extras Hideout offer are additional pockets for a more adventure style version and vents for use in hot climes. That said, being tailored you can discuss pretty much any option you like with them and they’ll do their best to arrange it.

If I was to pick any criticism it would be the pocket. Firstly I would have liked a second pocket on the left. I turned down the option of extra adventure style pockets on the thighs, but didn’t realise that would leave me with just a single pocket. I’m sure Hideout could have added it upon request had I realised. Secondly, the pocket has a seam crossing it, which can make it tricky to slide your phone in, feeling like a false bottom halfway up (see video for more detail). That said, the pocket is actually pretty roomy.

Overall, I’ve been really happy with the trousers, dead impressed with the quality and effectiveness when out in a storm. If you’re in the market for a set of high quality all weather textile gear that will fit perfectly and last well, definitely give Hideout’s fully tailored Hi-Pro range consideration. I’m now just saving up to get a matching jacket…

Review Score: 4.5 /5

Find out more about Hideout Leathers Hi Pro textile range here.

Last month I started the process of getting some bespoke made to measure Hi Pro textile trousers from Hideout Leathers. This week they were ready for a trial fitting, where I could try on an early first cut to test for size and see what further tweaks are required.

It was great to see the trousers taking shape, check out the makeup of the layers and get a good feel for what they’ll be like. And they felt hot! The trial fitting was of course with the thermal liner in situ to ensure it’s not too snug, which with the current heatwave we’re experiencing was very toasty. I had to put current temperatures aside and think ahead for when I’d be wearing these trousers in the cold, wet autumn and winter months.

For the trial fitting, I wore the same base layers and boots I’d expect to wear with them, to confirm they fit over fine. I also had to perch on my bike to ensure the knee armour was positioned correctly and I had enough length to avoid the hem riding up (a big issue with my current Rukka trousers).  Throughout this, Kate and her team from Hideout checked all measurements and marked any final alterations required.

Next, my trousers will be finished off over the coming 3-4 weeks, including having the outer layer sent away to a specialist company for bonding the waterproof layer in. Can’t wait for the finished trousers, it’ll be quite the novelty to have something quality to protect me from the elements and also fits perfectly!

Read my full review after receiving the finally finished Hi-Pro trouser here.

Tucked away in the Essex countryside a short distance from Saffron Walden, Hideout Leathers have a small store and workshop, where they sell many decent brands off the peg from the likes of Rukka, Dane, Halvarssons and Lindstands.  But uniquely they offer their own range of custom tailored motorcycle gear, an alteration service for off the peg item and an repair service for older gear.

Passionate about ensuring every customer is kitted out with great looking clothing that will protect well on the road

Their workshop and the highly skilled leather workers and machinists are where Hideout Leathers really excel. Able to repair and alter your old most loved items, and create high quality, advanced gear up there with the best. They are passionate about their work and pride themselves on ensuring every customer is kitted out with great looking clothing that will protect them well on the road or track.

Originally producing custom leathers in all manner of styles from classic biker through to full on race outfits.

Over the years they’ve protected many, all the way from Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, the Police and other emergency services, disabled riders to John Holden and the Barnes sidecar racing team you may have seen at the Isle of Man TT. Hideout also offer their own high end laminate textiles under the Hideout Leather Hi Pro brand, featuring top quality abrasive protection and a high tech breathable laminate waterproofing. Something of particular interest to me as year round commuter whatever the weather.

Quality gear that fits perfectly and keeps out the great British weather

Which brings me up to last weekend when I visited Hideout Leathers to be measured up for a pair of Hi Pro trousers I have been offered to review. Definitely an exciting prospect to get some quality gear that fits perfectly and keeps out the great British weather and ensure I stay warm and dry. Having worn textile gear from Hein Gericke, Alpinestars and Rukka in the past, I was keen to see how the Hideout Hi Pro ranges compared.

Hideout Leathers Tailored Fitting

For the fitting I was given some leggings to don to protect my modesty (I wasn’t wearing any base layers), then I had all my vital measurements taken. With special attention given to account for my motorbike boots the trousers need to go over and my inside leg length with knees bent as though on a motorcycle. There were many options to choose from on the trousers, whether I want armour (yes), thermal liner (yes), vents (skipped), colour (black) and make of waist joining zip. The last is great if you intend to mix and match brands of gear.

Now I just wait for the skilled Hideout crafters to do their job. On average expect 6-8 weeks for a leather suit, 10 weeks for textile due to additional complexity of construction. A test fitting is planned halfway to double check measurements and finalise any last minute tweaks. Watch this space to follow the progress and find out my review of the finished product.

Read the Leather Hi-Pro review of the finished trousers here.

Key features are the 500D Cordura material, which is lightweight and breathable, a fully waterproof Drystar lining (very similar to Gore-Tex), a removable thermal lining, CE knee and hip armour and a long leg over boot cut. I went for a Small size, which suits my 32″ waist pretty well. I normally wear a 30″ waist Levi’s or a Euro 46 Alpinestars leather trousers, the small Drystars, should sit between a 30-32″ waist (Alpinestars size-chart), but were fractionally loose on me. They have just enough length for my 32″ inside leg, zipping over my Alpinestars SMX-4 boots fine.

Overall, the Drystars are very comfortable, but as I bend, they do slip down at the waist or ruck up at the ankles a little. No big deal, I am an odd skinny and lanky size!  A pair of braces do a great job of keeping the trousers up, but I still find myself pulling the legs back down over my boots every time I get off the bike. The length is fine standing upright but crouched on the bike the ride up a bit. The problem is they don’t slide back down again when dismounting. A long leg fitting would help, but this only seems available on those higher up the range. Nevertheless, the knee armour always remains in the right place. There are two zip-up front pockets, both deep and have plenty of room for a phone, wallet and keys. The fly has a waterproof panel behind, which is good for keeping the crotch dry, but gets in the way when going to the loo.

In the wet weather, they perform pretty well, the only issue is your ass feels really cold and damp. It seems the wetness on the other side of the waterproof layer makes the inside feel cold and damp. Not really wet, but you can’t help but question and be mildly annoying. Even refreshing the waterproofness with NikWax SoftShell Proof didn’t help. The pockets zip up and keep your phone or wallet dry in the rain, which is a big plus over other trousers. The thermal liner does a great job of keeping out the cold. I’ve not tested them in icy conditions yet, but on cold mornings hovering around 5-6°C, they’ve been perfectly toasty without resorting to thermal leggings. The biggest downside with these Drystars is I still find myself slipping forward on the seat every time I brake. An issue I’ve had with everything other than leather trousers, but I’ve since resolved this by fitting a Triboseat Rider grippy seat cover.

Pros

1. Very warm.
2. Waterproof.
3. Quality knee and hip armour included.
4. Large zip-up waterproof pockets.

Cons

1. No skinny/lanky fitting.
2. No braces included.
3. Slippery on the seat.
4. Feel cold and damp around ass.

Despite a few niggles, I’ve been getting well with these Drystars whilst commuting for the last few weeks. Granted, I’ve supplemented them with my own braces and grippy seat cover. The slight leak is only noticeable in really heavy showers and hasn’t been bad enough to be uncomfortable or require a change of clothes on arriving at work. They are not perfect, but not bad for the price.

Rating 3/5

Buy the latest Alpinestars Drystar Textile Trousers from SportsBikeShop

it’ll take some pretty extreme weather to stop us from riding and we use our bikes to commute year-round. Granted, in London, the weather rarely gets too bad and very few roads will be impossible to ride in the winter, nonetheless, good motorcycle winter preparation ensures safe riding throughout the winter months. Check out these useful tips to prepare.

Motorbike Winter Preparation

Tyres

As obvious as it may seem, do double-check your tyres and their remaining grip. They may still be legal (minimum of 1mm, all the way around over a continuous 75% width), but when the weather is cold and wet, you need as much grip as possible.

The winter months are not the time to eke out the last bit of life from your tyres. It’s a false economy, as a slide in the wet will potentially cost you far more than putting on new rubber a couple of months early.

ACF50

Give your bike the ACF50 treatment. I’ve extolled its virtues many times on this blog, but it works wonders at protecting your bike from the wet and salt. Spray it all over your bike (brakes excluded) after a good clean, and it will form a protective layer against the elements and halt corrosion. You can buy it in a spray can or visit a specialist who will strip down your bike and then power wash your bike with ACF50. Don’t forget to reapply a couple of times throughout the winter and regularly wash off accumulated salt

Motorcycle Winter Gear

Waterproofing

It’s pretty much guaranteed you’ll be caught out in the wet a few times over the coming months. Hopefully, you’ve already got some decent textiles or an over suit to keep you dry. However, even the best gear needs some regular TLC to keep it effective and prevent leaks. Now is the perfect time to wash and renew your waterproof gear. Most textile and Gore-tex gear can be washed in the washing machine (just rinse out all Biological detergent first) with stuff like the Nikwax Tech Wash and TX Direct products. Nikwax also produces a number of other waterproofing products for leather boots, gloves and so forth.

Base Layers

Before the weather turns super cold, take stock of what base layers you have from last year and purchase some new ones as needed. Be it, tops, leggings, thick socks or fleece neck gaiters and balaclavas. I personally have found Lidl’s own brand base layers very good, but these are unfortunately not available to buy year-round. Otherwise, check out SportsBikeShop for a huge selection of layers, but try to buy them early in the season to get the best prices.

It’s also worth stocking up on lightweight fleeces or Merino wool jumpers that fit well under your jacket.

Visors

Visibility in the winter can be a big issue, often making riding miserable and damned right hazardous. Visors often steam up or rain and spray can obscure vision. Pinlock visors are great at preventing fogging up. If they’re available for your helmet, I highly recommend you get one. If you have one already, now is a good time to remove it, clean it and double-check it still has a good seal when you refit it.

Read more tips on how to stop visor steaming up here.

To help ward off the rain, it’s worth purchasing a good water-repellent product, like NikWax Visor Proof or RainX, which will help water quickly bead off your helmet.  Even so, visors still often get crudded up quickly, so it’s a good plan to carry some cleaner and a soft wipe with you. There’s nothing worse than setting off home from work with a visor still covered in crap from the morning’s ride.

 Buying New Waterproof Gear

As with many things, it makes sense to hunt down gear out of season to get the best prices. Buy your waterproof Gore-Tex textiles during the hot summer months and your leathers in the middle of winter. You can be sure that as soon as we have our first week of torrential rain, all the cheap textile deals will end, bargains on eBay will be snapped up and prices will climb.

I picked up this Mr JoJo wax up at the MCN show a couple of months ago, cost me a tenner for a 200g tub, with a few sponges thrown in. The sales chap demonstrated it on our boots with a spray can of water. Seemed worth a punt. It’s name, Mr JoJo, doesn’t seem to have any relation to a certain Madame JoJo’s of Soho fame, but is a leather waterproofing and conditioning wax from URAD, which contains Jojoba oil. This oil comes from the little Jojoba shrubbery that grows around Mexico, Arizona and California, and is a popular alternative to Whale oil. The wax is white in colour and has a distinctive sweet smell.

Application is dead easy, you just use one of the provided sponges, dunk it in the pot and then smear it over your leathers. It spreads easily and soon goes clear to leave your leathers looking glossy and supple.

But the proof of the pudding is how well your leathers hold up in the rain afterwards, which turns out to be pretty damned good. Obviously they didn’t hold up as well as my textile gear, but did still keep me dry underneath after a light rain shower on my 45 minute commute. The big problem is my leathers have sections of stretch material, which will never hold up against the rain. Also, some sections of the leathers has small breather holes and being slim fit around the legs, tuck into my boots, which is where rain eventually runs into. Ultimately, I wouldn’t want to ride through a heavy rain storm for long periods with just leathers and this wax to protect me, but it’s perfect to avoid worrying about the odd light shower.

The wax was also great for rejuvenating my tired old leather trousers, moistening and softening the leather. It also helped lube up the zips so they ran smoothly and got them smelling nice. Jojoba oil is a natural fungicide and prevents mildew, which is good to know. This was of particular note when it came to a second hand leather jacket I picked up off ebay recently, which totally stunk of fags – yuck! After a good clean with disinfectant and NikWax leather cleaner, the wax did a good job of getting of most of the stench and masking the slight whiff left.

All in all, I was pretty pleased with the stuff. At a tenner a tub, with still half left after doing a couple jackets, trousers and the kids schools shoes! – it’s not bad value for money. Will definitely be buying more.

Rating 5/5

Buy the URAD Mr JoJo wax from Arthur Carter Ltd – sole UK distributor.

Disclosure: I bought this product with my own hard earned cash and review it here with no association with the manufacture or seller.

The glove waterproofing I used on my Gerbings XR12 gloves, as recommended in their care instructions and on my wife’s Buffalo leather gloves. The bottle has a foam top sponge dispenser type thing, which lets you apply and rub the solution all over your gloves easily. Once dry, the solution is completely invisible, but the palms did feel a little slippery on my grips for a day or two. In the wet, it performed exactly as desired, no water leaks, dry hands – job done, big thumbs up.

The aqueous waterproof wax is intended for boots and works in a very similar manner to the Glove Proof above. To be honest, my Sheltex Hein Gericke boots are pretty good in the wet anyway, but I applied some anyway to the leather exterior. Application is easy and the wax dries and leaves a nice deep black lustre, making my boots look a lot newer than they really are. In the wet the wax works well, water just beads off the boots and your feet stay nice and dry.

The leather cleaner and restorer both come in spray bottles, the idea being to apply first the cleaner, and then follow up with the restorer. I used these on my Alpinestars Bat Pants and my wife’s Shoei leather jacket, both items we purchased second-hand. The leather cleaner did a great job of getting the dirt and grime off the items, particularly on my trousers which had picked up quite a bit of crap from use on the London roads every day. The restorer sprays on as a thick white solution, which is then left on for a couple of minutes and then rubbed into the leather. It made the leather supple again and gave it a nice black lustre. It did collect in the piping of my trousers but did eventually dry invisible. Both of these solutions do pong a bit, but the finished item doesn’t stink much.

The final bottle is Visor Proof, a spray-on water repellent. Just needs a couple of squirts and a good rub and then any rain landing on your visor just beads off. I used other similar products before, both on my visor and on car windscreen, and like those previous this product works OK, but you need to be travelling at least 30 mph or more to really get the most from it. Otherwise, the water droplets just remain on the visor and don’t run off.

Overall, this turned out to be a very handy box to have, and at just £20, less than the cost of a tank of fuel, it’s a no-brainer. I am going through the bottles at different rates though, so when I run out, I’ll have to work out if it’s better to buy single bottles or another box mind.

Rating 4/5

Buy Nikwax Leather care products from SportsBikeShop