What every motorcyclist needs

I’ve long been a firm believer in the adage that procrastination is something best left until tomorrow. Or it could have had something to do with the fact that it’s –20C outside with a –40C wind chill (same as –40F). And while that’s the temperature at which Canadians typically put on a sweater before going outdoors, trying to slide a 700 pound motorcycle around on roads covered with ice and snow isn’t anything I’m about to voluntarily do. All of which is to say I decided it was time to winterize my bike today.
The first job was to get the last ride’s crud off the windshield – you know – the bright yellow splotches of some sort of moth, the red splashes of now defunct blood-filled mosquitoes, and those great gobs of the stickiest substance in nature that respond to any cleaning attempt by simply smearing in every direction. And then, of course, it all had a couple of months to ensure a full and complete curing and hardening, so after a few swipes with a wet rag I was seriously considering that a new windshield might be the simplest solution.
But before placing the order I tried the spousal unit’s home-made window cleaner in a last-ditch attempt at a clean windscreen. Eureka! Cleaned it like nothing I’d ever used before. Spray it on, let it soak for a few seconds, and wipe off with a paper towel. Had to do a couple of spots twice, but the bugs were gone, the sticky stuff was gone, and no windscreen-scratching hard rubbing was required.
So as a public service, here’s the recipe:

• 1/3 teaspoon liquid vegetable based soap (Murphy Soap for cleaning wood is the one we use but any will do)
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups water

Put in a spray bottle and shake well before using. Simple.
It also works well on your house windows, but real bikers don’t do windows so that last bit of information is not based on personal experience.