is there such a thing as over using ACF50?

DottyDuck · Nearly there... Joined: 12 Nov 2012 Karma :

i washed my bike on the 8th of december and coated it with acf50 ... anyways it needs washed again.. its filthy and i cant bear it being dirty any longer! so will be washing it this afternoon... do i need to re apply the acf50 or will this not be necessary?

Noxious89123 · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Karma :

I think the film of ACF50 should last a few washes before it needs reapplying. If it was me and I had the time, I'd probably go over it again with a rag and reapply a little, just for peace of mind.
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Jane · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 17 Jan 2012 Karma :

I lather my Gixa with ACF-50 through winter and used to be to the point of obsession about keeping the bike clean.
With the weather being so aweful lately I've not even had chance to get out on the bike if I did I aim to leave the 'muck' on the bike until better days because there's not much chance of keeping a bike clean at the moment.
Bike cleaning in winter is not a pleasent thing to have to do, cold damp conditions sod it! the bikes clean under all the winter crud.

defblade · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Apr 2009 Karma :

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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Karma :

Teflon-Mike · tl;dr Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :

Err... Yeah... this is a bit of a dilemeh.
I am not an ACF50 addict.
I am not an Auto-Glym freak
Nor a fan of Scot-oilers;
Oil 'Enhancer' treatments
Redex-Fuel Treatments

Or other such, err..... 'ideas'.

Nike is a Chinese Fake-Away, and EVERY-ONE will have told you you had better lagger it in ACF50 or it will dissolve before your eyes.... DONT SHOUT AT ME... just repeating the 'lore'. It has some 'truth' behind it. Chinese bikes do not have a wonderful reputation for great quality control or finish, hardiness, durability or resistance to anomolouse British weather.....

Now, was talking to some-one else the other day, who is an ACF50 fan, and who has discvovered 'Super-ACF50' in the form of old fasioned Finnigans 'Waxoil' sill treatment..... bear with me.

Both treatments are like a waxy film that sit on top of the metal and provide a soft protective barrier, somewhat thicker than wax polish.

So, question posed to me was; "What do you for rust prevention"... ansnwer 'Nothing'.... which was met with slightly puzzled expression. Well, I DONT use anything 'special' like ACF50 for rust prevention.... THATS WHAT PAINT AND CHROME ARE FOR.....

Well, they do have a decorative property as well, BUT, stuff made of steel or iron rusts; stuff made of aluminium tarnishes, and PAINT or CHROME or ANODISING is the propper metal 'finish' to stop the oxidisation.

If rust is coming through the paint or chrome...... its not doing its job...... so sticking anything on top of the paint is rather shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted...... its already rusty!

If its not YET rusty..... well, then polish, or treatment is rather 'redundant'... paint or chrome is doing its job.... so you don't need it.

THAT is my 'Logic' here.

So, if you see rust; means that the thing needs replacing, re-painting or re-plating.

So full answer to what I do against rust, is not an awful lot, until there IS rust.... then its a matter of putting up with it, if its not critical, or replacing or refinishing the component.

Since I renovate bikes for fun.... this is all 'part' of the fun to me, and I probably get a bit of perverse glee from seeing rust.... its a chance to get the spanners out and play Mechano......

But that 'interest' (obsession/merversion/masocisom) originates from old school aprenticeship in bikes, where 'Real Bikers Build Thier Own'... as it was only way we could AFFORD a bike! And I was lucky in as much as my main mentors were old-time club-sport riders, rather than classic freaks; and instilled at VERY young age was the importance of maintenence.

"Brand New Skoda will Beat Clapped out Ferarri, Every Time" I was told, "'Cos you have to cross the finish line to win, and you cant do that if somethings broke.... you take what you got and you make it as 'New' as you can before EVERY event"

Consequently; we had post ride rituals; and after a trial, bike would get washed, the drive chain slipped off and dropped in a jar of oil to 'pickle'... "Never park up a Dirty Bike" I was told "They always rust worst when you aren't looking!" Then day before the next event; chain would be pulled out of its jar, and dropped into a saucepan of hot grease, to re-lube it, then hung to dry, then cables done likewise, while spokes were checked for tightness, mudguards removed and all the awkward to get at places cleaned, and everything put back together, going over all the nuts and bolts checking everything was tight and straight and aligned right, suspension worked, steering worked, brakes worked; almost a complete over-haul EVERY event. Didn't stop me falling off..... a LOT.... but at least I couldn't blame the bike!

That sort of obsession with maintenence, is total over-kill for an every day road bike. For a competition machine? Well, it may be a tad excessive, but, walk round teh paddoc at any meet and the number of riders blaming their lack of podium placing on a mis-fire or a blown oil seal or something else wrong with the bike? Well, if they had prepped the bike properly, they wouldn't have had that excuse, would they?

"Dirty Bike will Never Win a Race" I was told.... then clipped roun the ear when I said, "But its a Scrambler!"

Anyway.... Road-Bikes; same principle, but to a different standard. This is the Scot-Oiler Effect.

Bike needs its chain lubing, and checking, every 250 miles or so.

So, when I commuted every day, err, 25 miles to and from, 50 miles a day, 5 days a week... so, once a week then.... before going out for a blast on a Sunday, time to check the chain.

WHILE I'M HERE...... AND I have the spanners out......

I'm turning teh back wheel, to spray the chain lube on.... I'll look at the tyre and inspect the tread wear and side walls.....

Got the can of oil in my hand... I'll JUST give the centre stand pivot a quick squib... might as well do the side stand too.... Oh, yes, and the brake lever pivot.... Hmmm.... might as well do teh control cables.....

AH! While I have the cables in my hand, I'll JUST check for free play and set the tension..... Oh! Is THAT starting to frey?

Get the idea?

Now some-one says "Hey, Mike; your cranking up high miles, why dont you fit a Scot-oiler? Saves a lot of faff, and you'll get maybe 50% more miles out your chain"

Great idea, hugh? So... buy an oiler, fit it up, and now, come Sunday..... "Oh Sod-It! Chain should be 'OK' I have that oiler on it!"

And all of a sudden, the centre stand stops getting oil; the tyre wear stops getting noted; and those little developing 'faults' like a freyed cable, dont get spotted until they break.

BEcouse its NOT just the chain that needs oil, its the whole discipline of looking after the bike, and being reasonably diligent and thorough in your checks and adjustments.

If you look in the Haynes manual; it gives a service schedule or 'routine maintenence'; ought to be similar in the bikes owners book.

It will tell you what to check and when, whether its every so many miles, or every so many months, as well as whet to check daily or every ride.

FEW people give their bikes the attension to maintenence that even the manufacturers say they need.........

YET, off they go doing stuff that's NOT on the service schedule, and expect some special polish on the petrol tank to make the WHOLE bike last umpety more years.......

No... doesn't quite add up does it?

Start with what the book tells you to do; DO THAT.

anything else, that might be a 'good idea' or notionally 'useful'... well, you can give it a try..... but it is NEVER going to be a substitute for PROPPER maintenence.

Washing and polish is NOT 'maintenence', it is only the START of maintenence.

And Nike... well, to be honest, reputation of Chinky Bikes.... time spent going over checking nuts and bolts are tight; applying a little coppa-grease to threads so they dont sieze; oiling cables, adjusting brakes, tightening head-race bearings, keeping an eye on shock-absorber bushes, and replacing stuff that is broke or rusted or siezed.... THAT is what will stop your bike deteriorating into a heap of scrap.

Cleaning & polishing the pretty bits? It wills till rust and you will just have some prettily painted scrap on top of the pile.
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G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

Islander · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 Aug 2012 Karma :

It depends how deep your pockets are. You certainly can't over apply the stuff (unless it's on calipers or discs... Laughing

).

Teflon-Mike · tl;dr Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

trevor saxe-coburg-gotha · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Karma :

A coat of something waxy is like an additional coat of paint, but one that's a bit flexible. Sure, better to be put on dry surfaces - but that's not too difficult. So anything that constitutes an additional barrier to water and air will hinder oxidisation. Best of all is thick paint on excellent metal, of course. But yeah. On a side note I read recently in one of the bike porn mags that triumph has the thickest paint. Honda, traditionally top, had iirc slipped to third. Don't quote me on that last bit though.

In other news, my ankles had rubbed paint off my K4 japan built suzuki by week three. There's now a 4" patch of naked metal on both sides of the frame. Wtf. Need to get busy with the rustoleum, tractor paint or 'ammerite. Am I right?? Guys - I said...AM I...

ah bloody sod yer then
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defblade · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Apr 2009 Karma :

craigs23 · Mr Muscle Joined: 08 Jun 2005 Karma :

I haven't ODed on it yet...

The stuff's not a miracle cure, but with a bit of built up road grime, seems to add a layer of protection over time, with, given a decent finish underneath, tends to keep the worst of the corrosion at bay. I reckon I cleaned my CB500 3 times over last year's winter/9 months I had it for, and the finish wasn't really any different when I sold it.

Had to get busy with the degreasers/Autoglym come the spring mind...

Walloper · Super Spammer Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Karma :

By the time you've read Tefer's post on the subject you could have a bike washed and put away.
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craigs23 · Mr Muscle Joined: 08 Jun 2005 Karma :

Polarbear · Super Spammer Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Karma :

I know it's not possible for everyone but that's what winter hacks are for. Our hack, a Fazer 600 cost £195 as an insurance right off 5 years ago and it's still going strong (new down pipes and can in that time) with minimal TLC so our 'nice' bikes stay nice.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Karma :

Islander · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 Aug 2012 Karma :

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

Teflon-Mike · tl;dr Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :

trevor saxe-coburg-gotha · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Karma :

Ok, ok. I'll give you that one.

But yeah - definite lulz on the STOOOOOPPPP!!!! It was under a fair bit of stretch, there. Visions of it pinging free and slicing someone's ear off. Then later the frame seemed to be inseparable from the corpse of that bbq. CBBQ, peut etre? Shifty

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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

Rogue_Shadow · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 May 2012 Karma :

With all the crap weather that I don't want to ride in, I thought Id make use of my spare time and clean up my Bike.
polished the downpipe, wax and ACF50.

How do you guys apply it?
I spray abit of a rag, then rub it over anything that "looks" important or moves Mr. Green

However the more I see the term "coat", should I be rubbing it all over the bike?

cb1rocket · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Jan 2010 Karma :

good tip is to have a an ACF-50 cleaning set. That is a rag, sponge that is soaked in ACF-50 and is re used.

The idea is that ACF is expensive. So just get an old rag, spray ACF-50 on it, then when finished, store the rag in a leak proof bag. The ACF-50 will last longer and it stays on your rag for the next rub down.