And I thought the UK was bad for bikes!

[RDly]

Looking around the forums I have noticed an alarming amount of corrosion to bikes in otherwise 'Mild climates'.

The UK isn't exactly dry at the best of times but bikes never seem to suffer that badly compared to those where you might expect a more forgiving climate!

My 03 FZ6 has a small amount of oxidation on the brake hose fittings, but other than that is as new, so why do others suffer so badly?

 

[Motogiro]

Could it be salt?
I know from the experience of living in the northeast of the country that new cars would start rusting parts quickly in a very short time. It would snow and the snowplows with sand spreaders behind them would spread sand and salt. The salt would keep the snow and ice melted but you were sucking it up in every nook and cranny on your car. Before they started building cars to fight those conditions it only took 2 years to see rust through on lower parts of your car. I drove my car to southern California and it stopped rusting.....

 

[616ah]

+1. The salt and whatever other chloride they spray around here (mostly unnecessarily in the early/late winter) is evil and largly responsible I figure... Starts in October and might be finished by early May, although residuals hang around well into spring. Doesn't take very much rain to carry it onto everything metal and the mega rot begins.

10 years is about the life of a car here, before it either unsafe or to costly to repair due to rust.

Could just be rode-hard-and-put-away-wet though.

 

[Davey]

Yeah the damn salt is eating away my Fazer! It's incredible what damage it does. We've obviously had a freeze that last month and they've been throwing on so much salt. My bike was in really good condition and in just over the space of 2 months of real winter and wet weather riding I've seen a massive difference.

Header pipes are much more corroded - gone is the shiny gold colour
Various nuts and bolts are corroding too, and even getting some spots of rust on the sub frame and radiator guards (no biggie for the rad guards as cheap to re-paint or replace). I should wash her more regularly but I just don't have the time (or a hose! It takes so long with a bucket and sponge :spank: )

It's my only mode of transport and I ride whatever the weather now (she was babied before!). I was hoping to scrape together enough to replace her soon so I don't lose too much in value, but I am seeing the euros fall off her everyday!

Does anyone have any useful tips to stop this evil corrosion? Note: Moving to California is not a particularly useful tip!

 

[Motogiro]

Yeah the damn salt is eating away my Fazer! It's incredible what damage it does. We've obviously had a freeze that last month and they've been throwing on so much salt. My bike was in really good condition and in just over the space of 2 months of real winter and wet weather riding I've seen a massive difference.

Header pipes are much more corroded - gone is the shiny gold colour
Various nuts and bolts are corroding too, and even getting some spots of rust on the sub frame and radiator guards (no biggie for the rad guards as cheap to re-paint or replace). I should wash her more regularly but I just don't have the time (or a hose! It takes so long with a bucket and sponge :spank: )

It's my only mode of transport and I ride whatever the weather now (she was babied before!). I was hoping to scrape together enough to replace her soon so I don't lose too much in value, but I am seeing the euros fall off her everyday!

Does anyone have any useful tips to stop this evil corrosion? Note: Moving to California is not a particularly useful tip!

The simplest and one of the best ways is cold water. Pressure wash it off

 

[alanrim]

Our roads are salted in winter so doubt that is the reason.

 

[greg]

rinse the bike after each ride, and use something like ACF50 or FS365 to protect it

 

[Wolfman]

If ya want you bike to stay rust free, rinse after every ride, blow out any residue with an air compressor, keep everything lubed, and coated in a sealant of some sort....

I have an 06 FZ6 that has been ridden in all sorts of conditions, but has always been washed, garaged, and away from the "Elements" between rides....ALWAYS!!!

Only rust i have ever found, has been on the bottom triple clamp, and the sub-frame...

:thumbup:

 

[Davey]

If ya want you bike to stay rust free, rinse after every ride, blow out any residue with an air compressor, keep everything lubed, and coated in a sealant of some sort....

I know this is really the only way to go, but it's so much work :spank: I'd have to do this everyday....after coming home from work in the evening from an hour's ride in heavy traffic - just not gonna happen really! :ban:

Are there any quick tips or indeed 'must do's' for the commuter with not much time, money and very little equipment?! Seriously I don't even have a hose pipe (I live in an apartment!) let alone an air compressor or pressure washer (which isn't good for bikes anyway). Just the minimum to keep the Fazer from falling to pieces in one winter!

What is ACF50 BTW? Is it similar to WD40 in that it drives out moisture after washing and leaves a thin coat of light oil protecting everything? If so I'd go through about 3 cans a week! And after 5 mins of running the engine it's all burnt off, and after 3 mins of riding in the rain it's all washed off anyway!

I'm beginning to see that if I carry on using the Fazer to commute in winter she'll need either a lot of work, or I'll need a cheap winter hack bike to get to work! If only I had the money!

 

[greg]

ACF50 is much longer lasting, it was originally designed for aircrafts.

with a proper coating it should last for a few months, just rinse off your bike after each ride

there's a few companies in the uk now that will wash and coat your bike in it, as it can be tricky to apply

 

[seb101]

As all above mentioned it's that damn salt, that's why i don't really ride the bike before they wash down the streets in city. The salt is the worst, they put insane amounts of salt overhere on the roads during the winter for the snow to melt quicker but they start cleaning that only when it's around +15 before that time im making sure the CAR gets clean bath at least once a week to wash off most of the salt from it.