One of the fascinating parts of motorcycling life for me is the people you meet just because you share a common interest.
This time I’m talking to Dave at Bulldog BDX in County Down. Dave works for MDS Lubricants, the manufacturer of BDX, and had called us as our Motorcyclists Christmas List had increased the traffic to the BDX website, and they wanted to say “Hello”.
A poor mobile phone signal and Dave’s Irish lilt were an interesting mix, but most likely, my English ears were the issue. Perhaps if I sprayed them in Bulldog BDX, it would help smooth out the conversation.
We got chatting, and any conversation that begins, “You may have heard, we do a bit of bike racing over here in Ireland”, was going to be interesting.
Bulldog BDX
Shamefully, until recently, I’d never tried BDX. You would have had to be in deep hibernation to have missed all of Bulldogs BDX activity on social media, yet I’d never had a need and so not bought a can.
There are numerous glowing recommendations for it, and once you become aware of it and the stylised silver and orange can, you start to see it everywhere.
The sceptical part of my brain wondered if Bulldog BDX was any good or if it was another wonder fluid supported by an active marketing campaign.
There was only one way I was going to find out, and that was by buying some and trying it.
Rusty Nuts
As I’m one of those fastidious and annoying people who suffer from constantly clean motorcycle disorder, I don’t have any rusty nuts I need to loosen.
Whereas I would like to replace the exhaust on the Multistrada with a complete decat system, I’ve double-checked the garage, but sadly, there isn’t an Akrapovic exhaust hiding there.
As a result of this disappointment, the header bolts on the Multistrada, which are likely to be the hardest to remove, don’t need to come out, so I’m devoid of a good challenge.
A Google search introduced me to numerous people who had completed tests with rusty bolts. The favourite test is to tighten a bolt to a known torque setting and then – somehow – get it rusty.
They then prove that it can’t be undone at the known torque setting, so apply Bulldog BDX, and after a few minutes soaking in, the nut comes loose. A thoroughly scientific test. If only real life happened this way.
Very Rusty Nuts
What I was looking for were some real-world examples. Something that wasn’t a controlled test or a one-off situation. I wanted an ongoing project where Bulldog BDX had been the answer to several questions.
The kind of problems where a hacksaw or a blow torch would typically be the weapon of choice.
Car & Classic have been restoring a Rover 800 Vitesse, which has seen many winters, a mountain of salt and was built at a time when the materials could have been better.
Rust, salt, age and bolts that would rather snap than come undone because they were made from the finest craponium. Perfect.
You can read Car & Classic’s review of BDX here, but if I condense it down to a few words, “F——g Brilliant” seems to sum up their opinion.
What’s In It?
While talking to Dave at MDS Europe, I had to ask the obvious question, “What’s in it?” I know it is a lame question, but the cynical part of my paranoid brain won’t shut up and, despite all of the evidence, is having trouble grasping the reality of what BDX can do.
Dave wasn’t going to tell me what MDS put in their secret sauce, but it did highlight that BDX was developed in-house by MDS and didn’t use proprietary products from other manufacturers.
MDS Europe started 20 years ago manufacturing lubricants for aggressive environments.
Anything with extremes of temperature, high-stress load, dust, abrasive or corrosive conditions across industries as diverse as heavy construction, food production, manufacturing, oil exploration and transport is their market.
Somewhere in this mix of environments and customers came the request for a spray-on releasing lubricant, fuelled mainly by frustration with what was available.
There are several great spray-on, oil-based lubricants available. I use WD-40 so much that I’m given cans of it as birthday presents. Yet, the WD stands for Water Displacement, and the 40 indicates the 40th formula they created in perfecting it.
WD-40 is excellent but wasn’t designed as a spray-on, releasing lubricant. It just so happens that if you use it on a rusty nut, it can help.
In the same vein, I could fit OE tyres to my motorcycle. They are black, round, are tyres and do an OK job. Alternatively, I could fit a set of Dunlop Roadsmart IVs.
What Else Can I Do With It?
I’m still looking for that complete Akrapovic system in the garage or even a rusty nut to release and set free, but I’m coming up empty.
So, what else can I do with my can of Bulldog BDX?
I’ve been around the Multistrada and lubricated the obvious parts. It is a good habit, especially for things like suspension linkages that don’t get much love, but I’m not exactly pushing any boundaries.
Taking my life in my hands, I asked the internet, and surprisingly, despite words such as lubrication, nuts and penetration, the replies were quite sensible.
♦ Chain lube was a popular reply, with BDX reportedly having the added benefit of not spraying off onto the rear wheel. It also appears to be good at cleaning old chain lube from wheel rims.
♦ Cleaning shotgun barrels was an unexpected reply, whereas stopping Spada and Sidi boots from squeaking was mentioned a few times.
♦ Keeping padlocks moving freely, along with silencing up-and-over garage doors, were popular uses.
♦ We were unsure whether Bulldog BDX could loosen someone’s grip on their wallet when it was their round at the bar.
♦ Another suggestion was that it helped to get BMW riders out of coffee shops (a little harsh … Ed.)
♦ There was a reported case of BDX being used to remove oil trodden into a carpet. Considering the trouble they were already in for the oil, spraying BDX to remove it was a brave – but reportedly successful – solution.
♦ But the award for the most obscure use for Bulldog BDX had to be keeping spiders, and their webs, away from CCTV cameras. It seems spiders are not a fan of BDX.
Where Can I Get Some?
Currently, website sales only offer Ireland and the United Kingdom as shipping destinations. MDS do ship to other places. For more information, get in touch with them through the MDS Europe website.
Alternatively, I’ll have a can with me on a trip through the Netherlands and Germany in early May. If you have any rusty nuts, let me know.
