How to look after the bike during winter

[froggy128]

whats the best way to look after bikes during winter
ive got some scottoiler spray.
What can i spray on the paintwork to protect it?

[eli_74]

Where dya get the scottoiler spray from? i'm after some...
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Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation.
bn125 Eliminator / En400 Vulcan / XV250 Virago

[froggy128]

you can get it from cmc

[dodsi]

www.scottoiler.co.uk

£30 with free shipping for 5 litres, cheaper than shop prices.

wax polish your paint up, thats the best stuff to use, wax the frame etc aswell. stops shit sticking so well.

[craigs23]

There's a similar thread in the New Biker's Section (or is it the Workshop Section?)

[kb-zxr]

[flat spot]

Easy Peasy.........

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/flattyman/bigbag1.jpg

......put it in a big bag and use the car.

[eli_74]

[dodsi]

A bike is for life not just for summer.

[dransy]

You stole my sig bitch
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Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles

[dransy]

well my old one
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Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles

[dodsi]

Yer what dick ed' (said in chav voice)

[extreme3d]

Lots of water, and I mean lots - it's ironic but the best way to stop corrosion is with lots of water so use a hose. Use car shampoo such as triplewax which has wax in it to wash the bike with. This will leave a film of wax over the paint, engine, frame etc. If you ride everyday YOU NEED TO DO THIS EVERY DAY PERIOD. If you don't it will rot plain and simple REGARDLESS of make (Yes even Honda).

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v171/dodsi2000/771016.jpg

Once a week use fairly liquid. I don't care what people say about it being to harsh - bull sh*t. We are not talking about using it neat or in a pressure washer - just a squirt in a bucket of hot water and a sponge. Let the suds to the work by squeezing the sponge over difficult to reach areas so soap suds pour down into it. You will soon have the bike degreased/desalted including if you wish all the chain oil of the rear wheel and sprocket. (fairly liquid works wonders for stripping chain oil - *read below before you all jump on me for this*) Next and this is crucial - use car shampoo again, as yes the fairy liquid will strip off all wax from the paint.

Get a towel (i have a couple ragged ones for bike/car use only) and first dry the exhaust cans, downpipes and engine casings (to prevent spot marking). Then turn on the engine and let it idle whilst you dry the rest of the bike. The trick is to let the engine's heat dry the INSIDE of the bike. This is important as the bike will not dry off overnight in the garage during winter. It also gets water out of the HT leads etc.

Once the bike is dry then the paint will be protected and you are good to go next day. Once a weekend when you have more time then yes you can polish the paint work to make it gleam but there is little point as come monday you will just wash all the polish off again!!! Polish is more for summer when you need only wash once a week and need to protect the paint during the gap.

This may seem a lot, but once you get the hang of washing it need only take 5 minutes.

Now as for removing chain oil from the sprockets/wheel/chain. I find fairy liquid removes this muck in seconds as its an active degreaser. But you MUST oil the chain again after or it will rust. The best way for winter riding is to fit a scottoiler as the oil is water based and normal car shampoo will remove it no problem. The wax in it will provent rusting.

Finally as you have discovered spray the bike with Scottoilers FS365. This contains salt inhibitors and will neutralise and prevent the salt corroding the metal. It has one downside and that is dirt will stick to the oil making the bike look grubby. But as it's water based as soon as you hit it with the hose it all wash's off.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v171/dodsi2000/so_0040_45_2300_detail.jpg

There is no need to spray the whole bike as you will soon use it all up if you do. I concentrate on the following areas:

Front and Underside of the engine.
Exhaust Collector Box (where downpipes join together)
Rear shock.
Fork lowers - Use a paper towel soaked in the spray to avoid disks.
Radiator and/or oil cooler
Bottom of Yokes
Foot Pegs

It is also a good idea once a week to squirt some WD40 into all the handlebar switches as all this washing can mean water will start to enter them.

Hope this helps and are you coming on the ride out tommrrow froggy?

[AcIdBuRnZ]

[mr.z]

The easy lazy way...


Give your bike a good going over every two/three weeks, propper through clean with what you'd normaly use...

(when its dry) Then anything shiney, get wd40, spray away, exhaust (will stink + smoke a little when you start up again, just dont sit breathing the fumes!)

Plastics, dunno, you can get some sort of faring wax stuff, but its hardly difficult to wipe them down + they aren't going to rot off like chrome anyway...

Make sure everwhere that should have grease on (springs e.t.c.) has, then get on yer gloves and get a load on the underside of the swingarm and any particuarly exposed parts (get a rear hugger for your monoshock if this applys to your bike!)


Come summer you can just clean all the gunk off, it will look like crap through winter, the wd looses any shine you had got, the gunk will collect dirt (make sure to replace gunk reguarly) but when spring has sprung all your shiney bits will still be

(been doing this for the past couple of years and its worked great up to now)


*Tesco sell packs of 3 toothbrushes, very very cheap, worth geting for chains and other smaller fiddleyer bits
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[Teaman]

dont use washing up liquid to wash your bike though,, it contains loads of salt
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There is no point in ranting about someone stupid because there is nothing u can do about it. There is no cure for stupid.
Someone stupid does not realise they r stupid.stupidity is indistinguishable from malice U just have to accept that some people are thick as p1gsh1t and work around them.

[extreme3d]

As i wrote, rinse the bike again with car shampoo after. Also just how much salt is two drops of fairy liquid per bucket of water going to contain??

[mr.z]

[extreme3d]

Well i've seen many a 'shiny' bike but when you actually get close......

[palmer]

cover it in wd40...

[extreme3d]

If you prefer the engine gleaming do not use WD40 on it. It will perish rubber hoses/o-rings and burn onto the downpipes.

[bish777]

Hose your bike off once a week. Be careful not to get water into airboxes etc. Im especially cautious due to having pods fitted-i put a plastic bag over them. If you get water in your pipes run the motor up after to blow/steam it all out.

Ensure cables etc are GREASED. WD40 is good only for free'ing up stick mechanisms and getting out water. Get proper grease for everything else.

Paintwork and chrome etc can be protected with good ol mr sheen.
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GSXR1100J