Winter use and preparation

[david095]

Hoping to be using my Fazer8 as much as possible over the winter months, any one got tips or nuggets of wisdom/experience on what to use and how to keep it in as good nick as possible?
 
cheers
 
David

[Adrian6171]

ACF 50 is the way to go i also use the bike all year round,will soon be giving the bike a good clean then adding the 50 buy using a cloth to put on. It,s expensive stuff but it does,nt  take much to cover the bike,just make sure if you use it don,t get it anywhere near the brakes.

[Hamos]

Give the bike a really good clean then cover everything (not brakes tyres etc) in ACF-50.  Also remove callipers and give the pistons a really good clean.  These really gum up once the salt hits the roads.

[His Dudeness]

Porridge in the morning.

[lew600fazer]

Salt about leave it in the garage or if you must a really good wash down with a pressure washer , avoid the direct jet near the wheel bearings.
As said previous post a good corrosion inhibitor.
Lew

[Hedgetrimmer]

Where's the best place to get ACF-50? Ta in advance.

[Dave48]

Any good bike shop should stock/be able to obtain. I have NEVER used a pressure washer on a bike but after washing use my leaf blower to get residual moisture out all the nooks & crannies before spraying protective coating on-pay particular attention to electrical connectors!

[Frosties]

Where's the best place to get ACF-50? Ta in advance.

Here you go Nick, do it yourself or make sure it's done properly for £60. Chuck in your postcode fella 

[Hedgetrimmer]

Where's the best place to get ACF-50? Ta in advance.

Here you go Nick, do it yourself or make sure it's done properly for £60. Chuck in your postcode fella 

Sorry, did you mean to put a link in there Frosties?

[noggythenog]

M&P have some, not sure if the cheapest, but easiest to remember being a bike place


[font=.HelveticaNeueUI]http://www.mandp.co.uk/productInfo.aspx?catRef=540911[/font]

[Hedgetrimmer]

M&P have some, not sure if the cheapest, but easiest to remember being a bike place


[font=.HelveticaNeueUI]http://www.mandp.co.uk/productInfo.aspx?catRef=540911[/font]

 
Cheers Nog, seems cheap enough.
Are there any places you must not apply it apart from brake pads/tyres? And do people's experiences bear out that one treatment will last a long time, doesn't wash off in first downpour etc? And (questions, questions!  ) how many applications will one can do?
I've used WD40 to help protect certain parts of my previous bikes, but it's not ideal.

[JZS 600]

I give mine a good clean once a week, other than that, 3 winters and still lookng good!

[noggythenog]

Last year i used a whole can in 1 go on my bike prior to winter layup.


The bike was dripping in it, used a rag to spread it round, apart from the brakes i dont believe there was much that didnt get coated & didnt get any adverse reactions.

[Hedgetrimmer]

I give mine a good clean once a week, other than that, 3 winters and still lookng good!

Not using ACF then?
I'm thinking I've got to do a couple of things before the winter really sets in. The exhaust studs and nuts aren't looking great (although I don't think mine's seen much winter use by previous owner), and would like to replace with all stainless items. Also, would like to get the EXUP serviced and copper-slipped (although working fine at the mo), but I can't do these jobs myself and bike shops don't like to do them either, unless you're having a big service or something done with it...= ££££££!
Having said that, I don't know yet if it'll get much use this winter!

[richfzs]

Google "all year biker"

They're the folks that do the full & comprehensive acf50 treatment

[Buzz]

Get it from Ebay, should be about £15 inc. del, you'll probably pay an extra fiver delivery from M&P. 

[JZS 600]

Can't say I've ever used ACF or anything like it, a good wash sorts it out 

[Frosties]

Where's the best place to get ACF-50? Ta in advance.

Here you go Nick, do it yourself or make sure it's done properly for £60. Chuck in your postcode fella 

 
Sorry, did you mean to put a link in there Frosties?

    What a dick.


Try this, it may help Nick  [size=78%]http://www.allyearbiker.co.uk/Booking.html[/size]

[slimwilly]

When i washed my bike last winter, the water stayed in the disk pads and against the disk,,now got rust marks on the disks,,crap, but how do you get the water from there?

[noggythenog]

When i washed my bike last winter, the water stayed in the disk pads and against the disk,,now got rust marks on the disks,,crap, but how do you get the water from there?

A leaf Blower!!!


Theres an excuse to go buy some more tools slim

[Hedgetrimmer]

Where's the best place to get ACF-50? Ta in advance.

Here you go Nick, do it yourself or make sure it's done properly for £60. Chuck in your postcode fella 

 
Sorry, did you mean to put a link in there Frosties?

    What a dick.


Try this, it may help Nick  [size=78%]http://www.allyearbiker.co.uk/Booking.html[/size]

 
Interesting stuff. When you first posted without the link, I thought, why do I want to pay £60 for someone to use a spray can on my bike!
I begin to see it now tho, and will seriously consider having the full process done (lots going on right now, so may have to start watching the pennies a little more closely soon, so can't do it right away). I think I ought to get those rusty exhaust studs replaced first tho, but if I don't get around to it, or find it's stopping me from getting the ACF treatment done, perhaps I'll go for it anyway and worry about the studs after. My bike comes up pretty good after I wash it myself, would be interesting to compare the difference after these guys have had a go. Have you had them do yours?

[Frosties]

Had my Tiger done 2 yrs ago at the High Wycombe open meet - well worth it and matches the site's before & after pics. Was looking to get both done this year.


Might get a home visit booked with a few mates. Failing that then will go to the Farnborough meet on 19th & 20th October - 2 bikes in 1 day.

[bigbluebear]

Hoping to be using my Fazer8 as much as possible over the winter months, any one got tips or nuggets of wisdom/experience on what to use and how to keep it in as good nick as possible?
 
cheers
 
David

Get a winter hack and put your F8 in the garage.....ice, snow, sleet, slush, salt, grit, grease......if you come off a winter hack then no worries.

[Hedgetrimmer]

Ice and snow conditions I won't ride in - seems like a pointless risk if you have other options (lessons learned a long time ago!). Cold and rain I can deal with as long as both the bike and myself are protected. But winter does sometimes present some nice days if you're wrapped up, so mine will remain taxed, insured etc throughout.

[andybesy]

I did my pre-winter ACF 50 treatment last weekend.

Started with a really good clean, trying not to get distracted by detailing, just getting all the muck and grease off so I've got a good clean base to apply the ACF-50 to.

Then once clean and dry masked off the brake discs and callipers with newspaper.

Sprayed directly from the can on to the engine block, exhaust headers and can, the electrics up under the tank, the electrics under the seat, the rear suspension and linkages etc.

Used a cloth to spread around as required, by which pint you have an ACF-50 soaked cloth you can use to apply to more sensitive areas near tyres etc.

It goes on like a light oil like WD-40 or similar. If you've ever used on of the PTFE based predecessors it's much the same. Don't be shy with it.

It brings the black plastics and engine block up a treat, all looks nice and shiny after you're done. Things are left a little greasy but not so much as to be a problem.

Left it for a couple of hours because I always worry about fire, but then test rode it and no problems with electrics etc, although rather a lot of smoke!

Naturally the exhaust headers soon burn it off, but I think a proper coating as described above followed by a quick treatment once a month a so during winter is £15 well spent.

Andy

Oh just to add that I've never had any problems so far with it on electrics, felt a little nervous spraying it on the relays and spark plugs etc but it's been fine so far.