Corrosion?

[iCraig]

Just wondering how people fight off corrosion when using bikes in this weather?

As I seem to be loosing the battle with my GPZ, as I keep spotting patches of rust everyday!

So what do you do to ward it off?

[Zoffo]

Clean it and use plents of WD40 to keep the crap out.

[McJamweasel]

I ignore it and hope that it just gets bored of me and goes away.

It works too.
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BCF: Be yourself, just don't be an arse.

[JonB]

I just spray with WD40 after every ride.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[haGGard]

I haven't cleaned my exhaust in a long time. God knows what it looks like underneath all the crap I will clean it over the weekend though, ive got some autosol too just in case
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[Villers]

Ive been using the scottoil protective spray. It neutralises salt and leaves behind a residue thats water soluble thats makes washing the bike easier.

Just ride and spray.

My bikes been going all winter, no corrosion. My mates ZX6r has been in a garage under a cover and its got a few crap little patches of rust!

go buy, now!

[instigator]

Craig, wtf are you doing wrong mate?!?!?!

My er5 is spotless and all I do is give it a rub down with a rag and some wd40 every week, ensuring theres no standing water on the bike. I keep my bike on the street too, so I do it quickly.

The er5 build quality is a myth, mines as solid as a rock

P.S There is some stuff that mcn recommended last year(product of the year) FS 365 made by scottoiler. Same sort of stuff as wd40, but is contains a water percentage less than that of WD, so its better in general coating of the bike. All apparently of course, I haven't tried it yet.

[Simple]

i try and wash the salt off the varadero after every time i ride it, the engine is covered in oil/ vaseline
the exhaust is resprayed as soon as it gets rusty


works for me...bloody hard work though


simple

[stinkwheel]

Scotoil FS365

Spray over everything. It is as if you have washed your bike without actually washing it. A lot less messy than WD40 as it is water soluable and doesn't make the bike all greasy.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[divuk83]

Yup, scottoiler FS365 is the best stuff I have used, just coat the bike in it regularly.

Dave

[Walloper]

FS365. It's made in Scotland so can't be bad! And it works fine without washing the beast first.
Rgds,
Corrosive Scot

[iCraig]

[Walloper]

Chrome pitting is probably due to abrasion, impact or the layer is now too thin/was too thin and the steel cylinder rod is now not protected by the electro plating.
Maybe you need new forks. Or find a good engineers to grind-re-chrome-grind the rods for you. Costs too much though.
Perfect reason to go out and by an 05 Sprint.
You asked for it.

[map]

Another vote for Scottoil FS365

I have one of those pump up bottles for spraying garden chemicals. Fill with clean water and spray the bike to start removing the salt and crud (beats getting a power washer out each time) and then spray with FS365.

I've just come across ACF-50 after seeing it recommended by users on another site. I'll going to try and get some, strip the bike down a bit and then spray this in the hard to get at places and see if it makes a difference.
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[Kickstart]

[mchaggis]

Besides replacing the forks, what can be done about pitting? A combination of gravel rash and water being trapped between the L-plate and the fork has caused it to start to deteriorate.

I'm not sure I am mad keen on trying to find spares for an updated version of the CM125, since it doesn't exist in this country.
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Discovering the delights of Hammerite and a 3/4" brush.

[instigator]

What is "pitting" exactly?

My forks have what look like stone chips all over them, dark grey dots. Is that what you call pitting?

[Walloper]

I worked for a Chroming Co for a couple of years. (Until I got off the weed, horse and drink I must have been on to take the job.)

The process used to provide good protection is:
1) Grind the rod to get a uniform surface.
2) Wash then soak in acid.
3) Lay on the initial layers of copper or nickel using cathode/anode electroplating method in a bath of the copper nickel solution.
4) Lay on the first layer of chrome by electroplating (in a solution of chrome).

This produces a chrome finish, which is as rough as 600 grit sandpaper. (Or a Badger's Bottom)

5) Grind this layer to get a uniform surface.
6) Wash/Acid bath.
7) Re-chrome.
8) Grind and then polish to get a smooth final finish.

That's why chroming is so expensive. Labour is not cheap.
Not very environment friendly either.
There are alternatives now, one employs the use of a jet engine to blast ceramic earth chemicals onto the surface at above mach 1 (The speed of sound) this, it is said, lasts longer than chrome.
Teflon coatings are used too.

Maybe motorcycle makers don't do the full process to keep cost down.....

https://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=33073&page=1
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[iCraig]

I always thought pitting is raised little dots on the chrome surface of the stanctions, not a big problem in themselves but if you start getting them in the suspension travel they can rip through the fork seals and then the seals begin too leak.

I've had this happen before on the GS500EM I had, and replacing the fork seals is no use either!

[Zoffo]

[instigator]

[stinkwheel]

Cut 'n paste from the last time I relayed this bodge

You can do a bodge repair on pitted forks that is very effective although not all that aesthetic.

Firstly, clean all the rust off, down to bare metal, make sure you get rid of any flakes of chrome and scrape the rust out of the pits with a stanley knife blade.

Degrease the stanchions thoroughly using a solvent, you must completley remove all traces of oil clinging to them.

Now get some Araldite epoxy resin, it is improtant to use the original slow setting stuff (now marketed as precision?), NOT araldite rapide which absorbs water and swells over time.

Mix it up and skim over all the damaged parts of the fork stanchions, try to use as little as will fill the defects whilst still having it standing a little proud of the surface.

Leave to set for AT LEAST 24 hours.

Now using progressivley finer grades of wet and dry paper, polish down the araldite 'till it is perfectly smooth and level with the rest of the chrome surface, finish off with a cream polishing agent like autosol then a wax polish.

This works, I have done it many times. The critical parts are 1) How clean and grease free you get the surfaces. 2) The amount of elbow grease expended polishing.

Don't let them get in such a shit state again, fit gaiters if you can't be arsed cleaning and polishing them. Treat any new pits using the same technique as soon as they appear.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[mr.z]

[divuk83]