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CR Spotless Systems DIC-20

Assistant Editor Will Steenrod puts the DIC-20 High-Output Water System to work on a Harley-Davidson Road Glide, normally a time-consuming task to wash, dry and detail for a photo shoot.

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300 Gallons

At $450 the DIC-20 system is a bit pricey but it’s good for 300 gallons of use before new filters are required. Scroll down to see how de-ionized water works compared to standard tap water.

Since the dawn of motorcycling, riders have been trying different ways to alleviate the time consuming task of drying their bike after a good bath, using everything from tried and true towels and elbow grease to a leaf blower. Now, thanks to CR Spotless Water Systems (crspotless.com), there is another option: nothing. Yup, that’s right, nothing. CR Spotless has taken its de-ionization technology normally relegated to “do it yourself” car wash places and shrunk it down for home users.

What is de-ionization? Why do you need it? Ask any car/motorcycle owner what happens when you don’t dry off all the hose water—you get those nice white outlines of droplets called water spots. These “spots” are caused by dissolved calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) ions, among others, that permeate a water supply and create what’s called “hard water.” As these are naturally occurring minerals there is little concern for human consumption, so your local tap water might actually be quite “hard.” This is where de-ionization technology comes in. De-ionization is a process of removing ionized minerals from hard water so when the water evaporates it leaves nothing behind.

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Windshield, Tap Water

Washing with tap water and left to air-dry resulted in severe hard water spots. The bike had to be rewashed.

Okay, now that the “science guy” lesson is over let’s get down to the nitty gritty. CR Spotless Water Systems lent us their top of the line de-ionization setup, the DIC-20 High Output Rolling System ( crspotless.com ; $450). This system comes ready-to-use and connects to any normal hose spigot. It also features a battery operated water purity indicator to monitor the condition of the output water.

And here’s the coolest part: CR Water Systems claims that with their system you can wash/rinse your bike without the need to dry it after.

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Windshield, CR Spotless System

The same windshield left to air-dry after washing with the CR Spotless system. De-ionized water left virtually no spots. No blower, no wiping, no chamois needed.

To effectively test this system I needed some hard water. Since the water here at our Southern California office is harder than 10 years at Sing Sing, I had a good opportunity to put the CR Spotless Water System to the test. Initially I wondered what color would look the worst with hard water spots, but the answer was easy: black. Thankfully we had two identical high-gloss black Suzuki Bandit 1250s, both in need of a bath. So I sprayed them down with Bel Ray’s Bike Wash and gave one a rinse with regular hose water and the other with de-ionized water. I then purposely left them sopping wet in the sun for a few hours.

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Engine, Tap Water

The Suzuki clutch cover is an example of how the whole engine looked after a hard-water wash.

As promised the de-ionized water left little to no hard water spots, whereas the hose water most definitely did. So much so that I quickly realized I’d have to re-wash that bike. Obviously, if you care about your bike’s finish, you won’t just hose the thing down and leave it to dry. But the point is this: the CR system leaves virtually no hard-water spots to clean up, so any detailing you do will be easier. And if you miss a spot or two after a quick cleaning job, it’s not as bad.

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Engine, CR Spotless System

How does the DIC-20 work on other parts of a motorcycle? Judge for yourself. This bike is ready to ride.

So the CR Spotless Water System works as advertised, now is it worth it? At $450 the DIC-20 system is a bit pricey for the average consumer but there’s also the $250 DI-120 system. The main difference between the two is frequency of filter replacement—the DIC is said to last for 300 gallons, while the DI-120’s rated for 100 gallons. If I had multiple bikes or vehicles—and, well, I kinda do as the guy responsible for the test fleet around here—I would get the DIC-20. For a one bike and car garage I would opt for the DI-120. In the end you have to ask yourself, “How much is it worth to not have to dry off my bike?”

CR SPOTLESS DIC-20 HIGH-OUTPUT WATER SYSTEM

Price: $450/$250
Contact: crspotless.com

MC GRADE: A

Verdict: Great for the owner who indulges in habitual post-ride washes, but also good for the rest of us.