Ceramic Coating On Bike And Engine - Is It Worth It?

To me ceramic means a very hard substance that plates etc are made of. It is very brittle and needs a very hot oven to manufacture. How can you put this on a bike? What does it do for all the plastic on modern bikes? Does it cover the protective treatment that the engine aluminium has already got? If you get a stone chip does the whole brittle ceramic coating fall off in bits?
I tend to ride my bike not cover it in snake oil and have never felt the need to waste money on it.

 

In principle yes absolutely, but detailing can cover many things and there are also a huge variety of ceramic coating options on the market with different levels of protection and life span. Think of a ceramic coating as a very long-lasting wax with some offering up to 9H hardness rating that effectively create a protective layer on top of surface

 

Whilst ceramic coating is not a panacea for all components of a motorcycle in terms of protection from corrosion or damage from debris/rocks etc, it does provide a hydrophobic surface once applied to a component, that resists contaminants sticking to it such as brake dust, oil, water, tar etc. It's never going to provide the same level of protection as say a PPF film will, for vulnerable areas of your paintwork. However, for mechanical components, if used in conjunction with a regular maintenance and cleaning regime, it will aid in keeping your bike looking at it's best but it's certainly not the last word in this respect.

 

I bargained for it with the dealer when I bought my 848 last year.

I was given it as a freebee on the whole bike.

TBH I couldn't tell you if it makes a difference. I still clean it regularly and it's no easier than my other bikes.

Being a natural sceptic, and having worked for a period in the motor trade I have to call bullshit on the whole idea.

I'm with a previous poster - Snake oil!

I wouldn't buy it for any of my other bikes as it is pricey and there is zero noticeable or appreciable difference.

 

I dunno about bikes but I have had my car detailed and ceramic coated, plus PPF on the front end.

It's a black car so will show any dirt/defects as you can imagine.

Does it work? Yes, definitely, since having it done nearly 3 months ago I think I've washed the car twice in that time, a quick rinse off every now again rather than a wash seems all it needs week to week.

Saying that, I do have a DI vessel to filter the water, which if you didn't know filters the impurities out of the water = no water stains, so I don't have to dry the car also, that's worth it's weight in gold alone.

Would I ceramic coat a bike though? Probably not, it's far easy/smaller to clean by comparison. I just PPF the bikes and a quick wash after every other ride or so. Again the DI vessel helps no end here, I do use some hyperbaric spray prior to the final rinse though.

 

Dealer applied coatings are rarely worth paying for IMO, the product itself and application are usually sub par.

Ceramic coatings are anything but snake oil but it's obviously personal preference. Same as how some people are fine to take their cars to the scratch city corner car washes where I haven't used one in probably 10 years. Everyone understands a car wax, ceramic coatings are essentially better performing, longer lasting and harder wearing alternatives to a typical wax.

Take a look at my thread if you want to see how a correction detail, PPF and ceramic coating can transform your bike - 1299 Winter Lockdown Project Detail | Ducati Forum

 

Another one for PPF here.

 

Professionally applied by someone that knows what they're doing then it's worthwhile if your fastidious about maintaining the finish of your paintwork. Needs occasional reapplication and care when washing. A dealer offering to add this to a sale is pretty pointless as it's unlikely to be a high end product and the application probably slapdash, quite literally. That's unless the dealer is offering to get a third party detailer to do it rather than the youth that usually washes the cars on the forecourt.

Me, I wash the bike and the car (even less frequently) and live with how it is. Though I do get the bike treated with ACF50 most years.

 

Another vote for ACF50... keeps the bike looking original, kills corrosion and stops it from starting.

 

If it is a paint coating then great - for cars. My 939 Supersport and the R1250RS are mostly plastic, very little paint on either of them.

 

I had BMW protect x on my 320i, in my opinion a total waste of money.
Emperors new clothes springs to mind.

 

I had a couple of bikes ceramic coated a few years ago. Wouldn’t bother wasting my money again.

 

yes, Zircotec is who ducati use in the uk near oxford. Browse my albums for images of my exhaust system before & after.

 

XCP user here, pretty similar to acf50 I believe, no probs seems to do the job.

 

Suppose it depends on what weather you use your bike. I give mine a coating of GT85 after every wash on the metal parts ( apart from brakes) and no corrosion. I only ride fair weather unless I’m caught out. GT85 seems like dirt doesn’t stick to stuff. And it’s cheap !! Also smells nice