After April showers bring May flowers, June is bug season. Lately I’ve noticed a thicker than usual crust of splattered bug guts on my bike, my gear and—above all—my faceshield. (Quick: What’s the last thing that goes through a bug’s mind when it hits your windscreen?) On the 900-mile press launch ride for the Triumph Sprint GT, we were plagued by bugs throughout Scotland and England, which turned my Arai into an entomological graveyard. At gas and coffee stops, another editor and I were belles of the ball whenever we whipped out the Clear Shot Cleaning Kit. Everyone wanted a squirt of fluid and a rubdown with the cloths, and they were impressed by the cool all-in-one kit.
Encased in a rugged, ABS plastic case are two microfiber cloths—blue for the big chunks, white for final cleaning—and a 1-ounce spray bottle of cleaning fluid. Microfiber is better than plain cotton because it removes dirt from the surface rather than just pushing it around. The patented cleaning fluid is biodegradable and nontoxic, won’t streak, fights fog and is safe for any optical surface. And the PET spray bottle it comes in is recyclable and refillable.
The case’s patented design has two side-by-side cylinders, one for the cloths and the other for the fluid, that are sealed by rubber pop-tops. To help you remember which side is which, the long cylinder that holds the fluid bottle has round pop tops, and the other cylinder, which is split in half to hold the two cloths separately, has octagonal pop tops. Instead of abrasive paper towels or uber-skanky gas station squeegees, the clothes and cleaning fluid can be used to clean faceshields, goggles, sunglasses/eyeglasses or windscreens (though the latter would quickly use up the small bottle of cleaning fluid). It can also be used on any optical surface, such as cameras, binoculars, etc.
Most riders, if they carry any lens cleaner at all, have just a small spray bottle of Windex and a piece of an old T-shirt thrown in a plastic baggie. The Clear Shot Cleaning Kit keeps everything in one place, and prevents it all from getting crushed. The case measures 5 inches x 3 inches x 2 inches, and the full kit weighs just a few ounces. It can be easily stashed in a tank bag, saddlebag or backpack, though it is bulkier than just a cloth wrapped around a small spray bottle. The only downside is that the rubber pop-tops create a nearly air/water-tight seal which keeps the used cloths damp—they’ll eventually mildew if not aired out. Clear Shot recommends machine washing and drying the microfiber cloths regularly, and the case can be washed in the sink.
The Clear Shot Cleaning Kit is a very cool, useful piece of gear. It can be purchased online for $19.95 or from select dealers (see list on website), and replacement cloths and fluid are available. Kits come in four colors: Cobalt Blue, Racing Red, Safety Orange and Matte Silver.
For more information: Available for purchase on Amazon
