Age old winter question, but I don't fit the age old answer

[-Ralph-]

So, new bike

And it is as good as brand new

http://www.adventurebikerider.com/forum ... steed.html

FS365 or ACF50

I know a thousand age old forum users just let out a groan - "Didn't we answer this last October/November? And the one before that?"

I know, I know, I've read this stock question a million times before too.

But the stock answer seems to be if you are using it every day and don't have time to wash it, ACF50 and leave it dirty the whole winter.

If you are going ride occasionally and wash after every ride, use FS365 and reapply each time.

I'm somewhere in between. I'll not wash it after every ride, and I don't use it every day, but I will wash it regularly. Use it 2-3 times a week, wash it once every 7-10 days will be typical throughout winter.

I will wash it as it's almost brand new and I won't be able to cope with seeing it plastered in crud while hoping ACF50 is doing it's job underneath.

So which should I use?

[mrdelmonti]

Personally I use acf50 on the hard to reach places I might otherwise miss and use fs365 on the rest.

Make sure you top up your fs365 after each ride especially if it has been wet.

[AndyB]

ACF50 and leave it. If you've been out in really heavy rain then just spray some more on top and you'll be fine.

The best way to apply it is to warm it up so it flows better then spray it on with a paraffin gun set to a fine mist if you've got a compressor or apply it with a rag and then spray it where the rag can't reach. You can buy it in a bottle rather than an aerosol then either use a paraffin gun or buy one of the pump up dispensers you can get from DIY stores and either will work out a lot cheaper and easier to use than an aerosol.

[MarkR]

ACF50. Tried and tested.
I notice that clean freaks just cant cope with its honest to goodness dirty rat bike quality.
But underneath it will all be nice and shiny

[-Ralph-]

Nope, I definately can't cope with leaving it dirty.

So what happens if you wash an ACF50'd bike? Does it wash off? It's supposed to be waterproof isn't it?

[Locksmith]

Needs to be washed of with Muc-off etc , a degreaser .

[MarkR]

Doesn't wash off easily. The crap that gets stuck in it stays there. A sort of blackish grey sticky layer. You can rub it off and probably jet wash it off but I use a degreaser in the Spring.
Your bike will not rust under it though. I dose the bike up with it about this time of year (before the salt) and then just leave it over the winter. Dose up any areas that look a bit shy of it over the winter.

But I'm a scruffy git

[gsdman]

I have come from a sports bike background, ride for a couple of hours and clean it for another couple , but I have got my head around the ACF50 it and leave it theory.

I bought a new 990 adventure in 2012 and prepared it for winter with said stuff. It killed me using it and leaving it all through the winter but come spring I stripped it down and degreased and it is still as good as new, not even minor corrosion.

The only thing I did after riding when salt had been on the roads was to hose the bike down with cold water through the garden hose just to neutralise the salt.
It will be getting the same treatment this winter.
Tez

[Redmurty]

Use both ACF 50 it allow to dry the use the Scottoiler stuff on top then wash with cold water after your ride.

Or just use ACF 50 and wash after every ride in cold water.

I remember the good old days of "Waxoil" :pinch:

cheers Spud

[-Ralph-]

Use both ACF 50 it allow to dry the use the Scottoiler stuff on top then wash with cold water after your ride.

Or just use ACF 50 and wash after every ride in cold water.

I remember the good old days of "Waxoil" :pinch:

cheers Spud

And does the bike then come clean when you wash it?