Stopping corrosion

[littleade]

I've tried acf50 but am not a big fan as I like my bike to look clean. The bike soon looks dirty and it reacts with any shampoo you want to use on the rest of the bike getting rid of all the suds completely. So I've switched to fs365 for this winter after some old tosser from this parish recommended it. I hope it's good stuff as I just bought 6L of the stuff off fleebay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401215735395?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[sven]

So what do you use for the engine, Sven? It seems that most of the corrosion issues people report relate to the engine paint. Are you saying it's a simple choice of crud stuck to ACF50 or crud stuck to Dynax UC?

I'm not sure what the answer is. Mine is mostly stored over winter in a concrete garage, so condensation was an issue last winter due to the mild and very wet weather. FS365 didn't do the trick as the engine started corroding and it was replaced in April under warranty.

I've cleaned the bike with Rhino Goo ready for winter storage, so it looks like new at the moment, and plastered the engine joints and exposed machined services with FS365 at the moment, but I'm not sure what else to use

 

[Davey B]

What is down on your floor Sven ? Mine is plain old concrete so I have covered it with 2 tarpaulins, then 60cm interlocking 'foam' squares (on off for a tenner a pack at Halfords) and topping it all a roll of versaroll from Costco. Cost me about £140 all in but has altered the atmosphere in the garage quite a bit. A fair bit of fannying about laying it all (moving stuff about etc) but well worth it
http://www.costco.co.uk/view/p/versaroll-pro-pvc-flooring-228-x-610-cm-174714

 

[tanneman]

I don't like the way the Dynax melts on the engine and then grit and dirt sticks to it. It's OK for other parts though

Any bit that gets warm. Dynax degreaser gets it off eventually but GT85 is good at removing it from the harder to reach spots. You need time when you decide to make the bike shine again. Otherwise just leave it on and top up the bits that rub off.

 

[Engineer]

I've tried acf50 but am not a big fan as I like my bike to look clean. The bike soon looks dirty and it reacts with any shampoo you want to use on the rest of the bike getting rid of all the suds completely. So I've switched to fs365 for this winter after some old tosser from this parish recommended it. I hope it's good stuff as I just bought 6L of the stuff off fleebay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401215735395?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

it is water soluble so keep applying it if you ride in the wet.

 

[tadhgocuilleain]

I don't believe in annually applying temporary protection to the bike. I believe you're far better off applying a proper paint protection once and being done with it. This old adage applies to most things:

Good and cheap isn't fast,
Good and fast isn't cheap,
Fast and cheap isn't good.

Some of you may have seen the thread I put up here a while back about the protection detail I did on my R1150GS Adventure: R1150GS Adventure Protection Detail. Some people thought I was crazy spending so much time working on it, but I think most people spend more time in the long run applying the likes of ACF50 every winter.

The basic idea of paint protection is to seal it off from anything that can damage it. ACF50 and the likes will seal it off from chemical attack (water, salt etc), but they themselves are subject to chemial attack. They dissolve in water or vehicle detergent, so they have to be reapplied regularly. Quartz coatings (like the ones I used in my protection detail) are basically liquid glass so when they've cured, they are impervious to chemical attack from water, detergent, and even tar remover.

The other main cause of paint damage is mechanical attack (stone chips and debris thrown up by the front wheel and other vehicles). Nothing you wipe/spray onto the paint will protect it from that. To protect my engine, I installed an Extenda Fenda to the front mud guard and I applied paint protection film to the front of the engine. I chose XPEL Ultimate PPF because it's the most durable and it's even self-healing. When the PPF is past its best, I can simply remove it and replace it with more.

I've done about 10k km on my GS since I performed the protection detail. I've done a fair bit of green laning, and riding on dirt tracks and bog roads. The bike regularly gets covered in all sorts of crap, but the majority of it comes off simply by power-hosing. To get it properly clean, I give it a hand wash. The one thing that doesn't come off easily is tar spots, but because all my paint protection is resistant to tar remover, I can simply spray tar remover onto the spots and wipe them off with a microfibre towel and don't need to worry about reapplying paint protection. I've used the same protection products on my 2015 Ford Ranger and after 125k km, the paint is still immaculate.

 

[littleade]

it is water soluble so keep applying it if you ride in the wet.

Thanks, I've been applying it through the summer months since I took the acf50 off in May and have some left in the original 1L bottle but need some more to get me through the winter as I won't stop riding, but will pick my days to avoid the worst of the weather. I give my bike a spray over after every wash

 

[Engineer]

Thanks, I've been applying it through the summer months since I took the acf50 off in May and have some left in the original 1L bottle but need some more to get me through the winter as I won't stop riding, but will pick my days to avoid the worst of the weather. I give my bike a spray over after every wash

I get through at least one bottle a month

 

[sk8mutie]

I rode back from Derry/L'Derry last night to an hour north of Glasgow. Got off the ferry at Cairnryan and A77 North was shut in both directions with a diversion down the A75 and up over the A714 to Girvan.

Extra hour and a half on the journey (I may have missed the sign and was heading for Dumfries)...anyway, -4.5 degs C with salt everywhere (apart from the surface water running across the rode that had me and the bike slipping sideways...at this point, the 22 wheeler backed away thank feck).

So I now have Dynax UC caked in grit and have only sprayed Muc-off on it and hosed it down (no access to pressure washer). I may have soaked the damned thing in FS365 as the Dynax is currently in Ireland and just re-read this thread that suggests not to mix them...anyway, it's too late and the Dynax is still on there.

My question: Is it a wise move to just leave the Dynax on there with all the 'shite' stuck to it??...lots of salt although I have done a taste test an any bit that looked suspect and ran fresh water on until it was 'tasteless' of salt.

And can I just whack more on there even if it's over the top of what appears to be the grit from the salt? I know Bilt Hamber say it is preferable that it goes on a clean surface, but will it get behind any grit and attach itself to the bike?

I ride all year round and want the bike to last....fashion doesn't function, so I'm happy that it looks like a dogs dinner until such time as the temps rise enough so as Scotland eases off it's salt frenzy on the roads!!

 

[EVskiy]

I drown the engine paintwork in FS365 after each weekly wash, if the FS365 gets washed off by wet roads or rain I re-apply it. I hand brush ACF50 onto fasteners and other vulnerable small areas.

Same for me Engineer. After each wet trip or any time when salt is about its a visit to local jet wash followed by drowning in FS365 on return home. Instructions on FS365 suggest regular use and I even carry a litre in pannier for spraying mid trip.

Blimey lads, I wish I had as much time to wash my bike as you do. I use mine daily regardless of weather conditions, only stop riding and drive if conditions are to dangerous for riding bike.