ACF-50

[bill lumberg]

As winter approaches, my thoughts turn to those few days a year where frozen precipitation, or the threat thereof, endangers my ability to ride every day, or to do so without damaging the bike due to salt on the roads.

I have been been able to largely avoid salt, and, where I couldn’t, judicious rinsing when I got home prevented any notable corrosion. Then, last year, I accidentally found myself on wet, heavily salted mountain roads for a whole day. I had misjudged the conditions at elevation, basing my guess on conditions near my home. Despite rinsing everything off, the 1/4 inch growth of salt and filth I accumulated that day aged some fasteners and attachments by a year or two.

I have had a can of ACF-50 for a while, but never used it. A Google search reveals that this stuff is pretty heavily used among some motorcycling circles, both UK and stateside, for winter weather and salt exposure.

Any of the fjr intelligence community use the stuff on their bike, or have experience with it of a vehicular nature?

[bungie4]

It's good shit. I've got a buddy that treat his cars with it. I've never seen rust on any of his vehicles. Caution, it's spendy.

[raYzerman]

Yep, spray it on mostly the underside of the bike/swingarm area and it sticks for a while..... I'd say do it once before you go on that ride.
I got some unintended salt once, spent a lotta hours taking stuff apart and cleaning it up.... and I shot some AC50 on the aluminum bits.

[Canadian FJR]

I used it last winter on the Ural. If you look at that beast the wrong way it will rust. Great stuff, it does a good job of finding its way into the hard to reach places.

My only word of caution is try not to get it on your matte paint. It could cause glossy spots.

There are a few you tube videos of folks in Europe spraying the whole bike.

* I recommend not buying the aerosol can, buy a large jug and pour it into a spray container.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qNtTxFgw3eQ




Canadian FJR

[mcatrophy]

I've ridden a lot on salted roads. Started using ACF-50 a few years ago, it certainly keeps corrosion under some sort of control.

It's also useful as a corrosion cleaner, spray it on, leave it for a few minutes, rub it off with a rag. It takes a lot of the corrosion with it. Then spray more on as future protection.

I've also used it to help free corroded threads. Again, spray it on, leave for a few 10s of minutes or maybe overnight, it seems to creep into the thread and at least soften the rust. And, once undone, use the "spray on, wait, wipe off" technique to help clean corrosion off the freed threads.

[Spininprop]

Used in the aviation industry and i believe formulated by Lear. Good stuff as mentioned above.