Best rust inhibitor 2025. PLUS Ceramic coatings TESTED

Properly clean your bike then prep it for winter and it’ll survive the salt that can lead to corrosion and rust damage. Products like ACF-50, XCP Rust Blocker, Scottoiler FS 365 and TechCote ACS TC200 are popular among bikers when it comes to keeping rust at bay, but how good are they, and what about inhibitors like Waxoil, Dr Downpipe and more? And then there’s ceramic coatings – do they work?

In this article, we test them all, as well as show you how to apply them…

The best motorcycle rust inhibitors

In order to test how well the most popular corrosion protectants stop your bike from rusting, I cut multiple fresh mild steel plates and thoroughly cleaned them before coating them with each product as per the manufacturer’s instructions, then leaving them for 48 hours to fully dry.

The plates were fixed into a sealed box and sprayed every day with a 5% road-salt solution.

Every weekend the plates were thoroughly hosed off with clean water.

The video below shows the THIRD test of corrosion protectants that I’ve carried out, and finds the best rust inhibitor based on all of the results, covering the following products:

• AC-90

• ACF-50

• Alphalan AL101

• Ammo .308

• Ballistol

• Bulldog BDX

• Carbon Collective Helix Anti Corrosion Spray

• Dr Downpipe Corrosion Guard

• Fluid Film

• GT85

• Jenolite Waxoil

• Lanoguard

• LPS3

• Motorex Moto Protect

• Muc-Off Ceramic Coating

• Muc-Off HC B-1

• Muc-Off Motorcycle Protectant

• Nasiol Metal Guard

• Olive oil

• Oxford Corrosion Control

• Rokit Ceramic Spray

• S100 Corrosion Protectant

• Scottoiler FS 365

• Techcote ACS TC200

• Ulti-Moto ceramic coating

• Valvoline Multi-Spray

• WD-40

• Würth Corrosion Protection spray

• XCP Clear Coat (new) aerosol

• XCP Rust Blocker aerosol

 Some products are applied in different ways, such as from an aerosol, spray bottle or compressor, while others – like the Muc-Off ceramic – were tested by wiping on and through an airbrush.

Best corrosion protectant

Pro & commercial rust proofers and ceramic coatings tested

In the previous tests, XCP did very well, with Tech-Cote also performing brilliantly. You can see the earlier rust inhibitor tests at the end of this article, but here are the results:

Dr Downpipe, Muc-Off HC-B1, XCP Rust Blocker and XCP Clear Coat all gained recommended awards in the latest test, proving to offer the best balance of corrosion protection, material safety, stickiness and appearance. There is a word of caution on the Muc-Off HC B-1 though, which showed a small amount of swelling on the test O-ring.

It must be said that Lanoguard performs well too, though it tended to be more noticeable on the surface applied to in my testing, so just misses out on a recommendation here. Another issue is that using a spray bottle doesn’t let it cloud up into the deepest crevices of a motorcycle as well as an aerosol could, though it is possible to use a compressor.

Best buy corrosion protectant

Due to its complete material safety, minimal stickiness and good appearance – but also the fact that it can be applied with a compressor – I choose to use XCP Clear Coat on my own motorcycles.

The latest test has shown that the new formula performs as well if not better than the XCP Rust Blocker, which has a thicker, more yellow tinge to it.

By using a compressor to apply it just once a year, the XCP is blown deep into the nooks and crannies of the bike – as well as the wiring loom – to give excellent protection that will last.

For the more exposed areas, after washing the bike I give them a quick once-over with XCP Clear Coat from an aerosol can, then wipe them down with a microfibre cloth that I keep in a ziplok bag for this purpose.

Other recommended corrosion inhibitors

Due to their good performance in the previous tests, the following products are also recommended for motorcycle use:

• ACF-50: Staying more liquid that others, ACF-50 looks good, but doesn’t offer anything like the rust protection of XCP in all of the testing I’ve carried out.

• S100 Corrosion Protectant: A good product but beaten in my corrosion tests by the others for outright performance.

• TechCote ACS TC200: This did very well in the previous test, but not quite so much this time. It’s material safe though, and still a good performer. The problem is it does tend to look a bit thick, and in the latest testing that really lets it down.

Other rust proofers to consider

Scottoiler’s FS365 missed out on a recommended as I’m looking for products that offer protection in just one coat. However, if you ride every day throughout winter, it’s important to keep the salt and grime rinsed off as much as possible. Using a hose is one way, and it’s clear that the best performing products in this test show little degradation due to a strong rinse down, but if you don’t have easy access to a tap when you get home with the bike, FS365 could be an option worth considering, though I’d still suggest the brakes are rinsed with water as much as possible (especially if you have old Tokico six-pots).

XCP has also developed a water additive that’s said to neutralise and help rinse away salt, but I’ve been unable to develop a reliable test of this yet.

Bulldog BDX 01 was one of the big surprises, given that it’s a multi-purpose spray; to have out-performed ACF-50 in one of the previous test methods is very impressive. I use this regularly at home for general lubrication, so while it’s not the best corrosion protectant, it does have a fair crack at it and easily outperforms WD40. It also proves to be extremely useful to have around the house and garage.

Do ceramic coatings prevent corrosion?

Based on my testing, ceramic coatings DO NOT act as effective corrosion protectants; they are designed to enhance and maintain the finish of your motorcycle or car’s paintwork.

I contacted three major suppliers of professionally-applied motorcycle ceramic coatings, and only Ulti-Moto was willing to coat a sample plate for me to test. The company does not recommend ceramic coatings for corrosion protection, instead providing customers with a professional application of a dedicated rust inhibitor (provided by XCP) as part of its service. You can see an interview with Ulti-Moto in the video above, as well as testing of Muc-Off’s ceramic, and the Rokit Dura Coat ceramic spray.

As to ceramic’s ability to maintain your bike or car’s paint: I was sceptical, but based on the testing of a limited range of products over six months, I’ve changed my opinion having seen some good results documented in the video above.

Best corrosion protectants for cars

I’ve been testing products for motorcycle use where almost everything is on show, but on cars they’re applied to the chassis, which tends to be out of sight. For that reason, based on the testing I’ve done, I’d recommend the following rust proofers for car, vans and trucks:

• Waxoil | Very high performance, this is also something that Professor Bob Eden – an expert in corrosion science – told me he uses on his cars. It leaves a matte finish, and is almost impossible to remove, so I wouldn’t use it on motorbikes.

• Lanoguard | Very good performance, it only narrowly missed out on a recommendation for motorcycle use as in my testing it remained a little too noticeable on some surfaces.

• LPS3 | An exceptional rust inhibitor, I’d happily use this under my car. It’s too nasty looking for motorcycle use, and showed in my testing to not be safe on all plastics.

Are rust proofers sticky?

If a corrosion protectant remains sticky after it’s been given a chance to dry it can hold dirt and grime that spoils the look of your bike. I’ve tested them all by sieving sand onto treated plates, then weighing them to find out how much is retained.

To simulate normal washing, I also rinsed them with the shower pattern on the hose, then washed them more thoroughly with the fan pattern (which was also used every weekend during the corrosion test).

The most impressive performer was Waxoil, but this also leaves a matt finish that spoils painted parts on your bike, and – most importantly – is incredibly hard to remove.

ACF-50 does well, but that’s because it stays quite liquid, which also leads to it running off surfaces more quickly, leaving them exposed.

XCP Rust Blocker is quite sticky, though the sand does tend to clean away, but the XCP Clear Coat tends to leave a much better finish, and the new formula performs very well.

To see how all the products performed, check out the videos.

How safe are rust proofers on plastics and rubber?

In the Best Motorcycle Cleaners test I tested the safety of 69 products on various materials to find out if they could damage the plastics, metals and finishes used on motorcycles. Worryingly, some were incredibly harmful, and it certainly changed what I use on my bikes. Fortunately, the safe alternatives are also some of the cheapest, so do check out the guide.

I’ve also tested the material safety of the corrosion protectants, and found all except these two to be totally safe:

• LPS3 caused cracking to acrylic, so I wouldn’t recommend it’s used on motorcycles.

• Muc-Off HC B-1 caused very slight swelling of the O-ring. Some chemicals can cause damage to rubber, so while this was very minor, it does mean I need to give a word of caution.

Thanks to Evotech Performance, manufacturers of exceptional motorcycle parts & accessories, which used its UK factory to cut the samples of steel.

Thanks to accident repair specialist 4th Dimension for painting the steel samples.

Thanks to Skidmarx for supplying the samples of acrylic, which are offcuts from the production of its excellent aftermarket screens.

Thanks to trail and adventure parts manufacturer Rally Raid products for supplying the aerosol lids that I used as sample dishes, from its sister company Masplas Mouldings.

Thanks to Hoco Parts, distributor of premium motorcycle parts and accessories in the UK and Europe for supplying the chain O-rings.

Best value corrosion protectants

When considering the price of these protectants, you need to take into account how thickly you apply them, how often, and whether they’re a multi-purpose spray, in which case they might offer you increased value. However, it’s been out of the scope of my testing to look at lubrication performance – where relevant – and this is a test that’s purely trying to find the best way to stop your motorbike from going rusty…

Note that the Ulti-Moto ceramic coating price is for a professional application, and will vary based on the type of motorcycle. This does not include the Total Protect package, which the company recommends for both paint and corrosion protection, with prices starting at £279.

We can see there’s a huge disparity between the cost of these products, but do also consider how often you’re likely to be applying them. The longer they can provide corrosion protection, the less you’ll have to use them.

How to use ACF-50, XCP and other products

Before applying any rust inhibitor, it’s important to get your bike thoroughly clean. Also, while many claim good water dispersing properties, you’ll get far better results if you dry the bike off well.

To find out how to clean and dry your bike in three easy steps, as well as the cleaning products you really must avoid, click here.

Then it’s simply a case of spraying the corrosion inhibitor onto all the metal surfaces, avoiding the brakes and tyres. Do not apply any of them to the brake disc carriers as centripetal force could carry them onto the braking surfaces. The main thing is though that you want to get the products deep into the hidden areas of the bike, and protecting the electrical connectors too, which is why aerosols can be effective (or better still a compressor).

Avoid any overspray on matte-painted surfaces as it creates a patchy look. You can clean this off of course, but check out the cleaners review for more matte-paint care advice.

For the best results I use a compressor I bought from Aldi (I used to use Machine Mart, but had very poor customer service) and a basic paint gun as I find it gives a much better mist than a paraffin spray gun. Both XCP Rust Blocker and Clear Coat, and ACF-50 pass through this gun without any need for thinning.

ACF-50 can be a little reluctant to come out of the aerosol can on a cold day, so keep it indoors for a while, or put it in some warm water.

Finally, most of the corrosion protectants here benefit from a quick wipe down with a clean microfibre cloth to remove any excess from exposed surfaces, but use that same cloth on unpainted matt-plastic and they’ll typically come up with a lovely deep, black sheen. I keep the cloth I use for this in a plastic bag so it’s already well saturated.

How often should I apply ACF-50, XCP or any of the other products?

How often you have to put rust preventers on will depend on their performance, but also how often you clean the bike.

My testing shows that the best products resist hosing well, and I’d expect them to be pretty resilient against a neutral PH foam or shampoo. However, anyone riding in the worst weather will likely be cleaning their bikes more frequently and with more powerful degreasers or bike washes, so I’d suggest giving your machine a quick once over after every wash; you don’t need to use a lot, and the protection in the deepest reaches of the bike will be  less likely to have been affected by washing.

Previous corrosion protection tests

The results shown in this article are a combination of tests carried out since 2018. Here are the original videos:

Best rust proofer 2021

The second test of corrosion protectants

Despite describing it as ‘an ideal winter protectant’, Muc-Off asked us to include this comment after the poor performance of its Motorcycle Protectant: “Muc-Off Motorcycle Protectant is not intended as a stand-alone dedicated corrosion protectant, it is formulated to protect your motorcycle by dispersing any remaining moisture after a thorough clean and removal of other corrosive substrates, the product therefore is not designed for the type of use seen in this test which intends to replicate a motorcycle being ridden through winter.

“Ultimately no protectant will ever be a replacement for the appropriate level of care and it is only this combined with the correct products that will help you enjoy your motorcycle all year round.”

Fortunately, Muc-Off’s HC B-1 is a far better performer.

Best rust proofer 2018

The first test of corrosion protectants (Note that I do NOT use Surfex HD for cleaning my bikes any more).