Help On 'Bulletproofing' the bike for winter

Hi folks, just wondering if anyone had any good advice / tips on maintaining the bike for winter, i have a K8 SV650s and was wondering what problems i should keep an eye out for regarding wet weather etc and also any products to recommend.

I hav'nt passed my test yet, its booked for 4th of october, but im just thinking that by the time i get to ride it the weather wont be at its best so just thought id try get any advice well in advance.

Also ive noticed that the nearside fork (lower painted bit) is corroded and the paint is flaking off, just wondered what would be the best way to make it look decent again. i thought of cleaning it up and spraying it but id probably make a mess of it so just wondered if there would be an easy way of making it look tidyer.

Cheers,
Danny

spray lowers black is one option.

Ensure the brakes are cleaned out is one option. ACF50 all over the bike is another option.

Not sure if the pointy is the same but the forks on my curvy were just lacquered so I sanded the lacquer off with wet and dry and then polished them up with some autosol. The lacquer was a bit pitted before but they look stunning now . Just bare aluminium but they're really shiny. Will have to polish them after every wash to keep them like that but they look so much nicer.

Apart from that, replace as many bolts and fasteners with stainless ones and ACF-50 the bike after every wash.

[mikerj]

The fork lowers can be stripped and resprayed (the silver paint designed for car wheels from e.g. Halfords is quite tough and a pretty good match), or you could get them powder coated (tougher than paint) but you would need to strip the forks down. Or you could strip them and polish them up, but you'd need to keep them polished to prevent rot setting in.

Stock up with a few cans of ACF50 and use it liberally if the bike gets wet, and if you get salt on it then give it a thorough wash prior to the ACF. Never leave the bike to sit after riding on salted roads - it will rot before your eyes.

Whats acf50? I`ll be using my bike for some of the winter, although probably not the worst of it I hope.

Cheers for the replys, i dont wanna sound daft but where should the acf-50 be used? ive never heard of the stuff before reading through this forum so dont really know what it does or where to use it etc

Cheers again

It's a spray that you put on your bike after a wash and it has been proven to stop corrosion. It leaves a film which is said to stay on for over 12 months if you don't touch it. It's used in the aviation industry so must be decent stuff . It costs about £15 a can but is worth it IMO.

My Curvy is used all year and doesn't have a spot of rust.

Originally Posted by cluffy

Cheers for the replys, i dont wanna sound daft but where should the acf-50 be used? ive never heard of the stuff before reading through this forum so dont really know what it does or where to use it etc

Cheers again

Everywhere apart from the brakes, chain and plastics.

Hmm.. Looks like i might have to invest in some acf-50... Whats the best way to use it, say once a week, or after every wet ride/wash.

Cheers

Na, once a week is overkill. Use it after you wash it. I only wash my bike once a month at the most tbh.

Although it comes in an aerosol can I've found the best way to apply it is with a paint brush; Spray a bit into the lid that comes with the ACF50 and then brush it all over the frame, wheels, forks, swingarm and bolts etc. Then leave it. It creates a film over the bike which protects it from the salt and stuff. Hope that helps.