ACF50 lacking - Alternatives

[jedibiker]

Morning all.

 

My mrs bike has really struggled with rust this winter. it lives outside and we do ride all year. Now, I did ACF50 it not long ago with a compressor and spray gun, good coating and wiped done as per instructions.

But some areas still rust pretty quick. Rear metal on pipe for brake, lower nuts on brakes, rear sprocket nuts (they move fast so not surprise product doesnt last) but i thought it soaked in.

Gear lever is rubbed with acf50 regular and still rusts.

My faith in this is low, but the online videos and reviews are good.

 

So, what are your experiences and is there a better product. We are looking at new bikes soon but still want to sort this.

[manxie49]

Like you I ride all year, no option!  I also do the ACF50 treatment, and again, like you, find the odd bits of rust creep in.  I've seen the hype about just making sure it's done before winter then leaving it till spring without further application, but this isn't good enough. I find I regularly have to give the bike a quick spray over.  What I did find that really helped was washing it of with a solution called salt away.  I use it regularly after riding on the crappy, gritted roads.  Not only does it wash the road salts off but it also leaves a protective barrier to help prevent rust.  It's mainly designed for the marine industry, and IMHO you can't get much more severe an environment than that.  Theres also a similar product that also works well called Blu Thru.  I have tried other products, as oppose to ACF50,  but in my experience, although not 100% effective, I still find it the best option.

[Fozzie]

I used to ride in all weathers for 8 years, and let me assure you, if you could see what would have happened if you didn't use ACF-50, you'd sing its high praises. 

I ended up shelling out about £400 to replace all sorts on an old CBR600F when I went all winter with nothing other than basic washing down, and following this protected it over Winter with ACF-50 to try and stop that expenditure happening again. I gave it regular cleans and used WD-40 on the bits that did show corrosion. And the difference was night and day by the end of winter.

 

My advice is keep up with the ACF-50 treatment, then monitor it if the bikes are used regularly. When corrosion starts to appear, a rag and some WD-40 to clean it is a good start. At the end of winter, a dremel with a brass wire brush is of good use for the tidying up the rust, and reapply the ACF50. I know it says it can last up to 12 months, but it does 3 reliably in my experience. 

 

[jedibiker]

cheers guys, oddly her chain went really bad in 3 weeks of the bad wind, i usually clean it with chain cleaner, then wipe over with acf50 before chain lube. luckily it cleaned but i think areas that move fast or get the wind direct rust quicker, it must wear off in wind simply.

But i have the big bottle so will carry on. have started spraying GT85 on parts after a wash down to add a little extra around headers etc. seems to have helped.

 

mine lives inside all warm and toasty.

[TimR]

Xcp rust blocker sticks and is thicker

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by TimR

[S-Westerly]

XCP is what I use and I've had very little corrosion. My bike's now tucked up for the duration of my trip in a nice dry garage. Hopefully it will be good to go when I hopefully get home in late June. Always assuming the E10 fuel in the tank hasn't become a weapon of mass bike destruction.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I ride in all weathers and regularly ride past the salt mine where most of the UK's rock salt comes from, so the bike gets well coated in salt even when the roads haven't been gritted.

 

I use ACF50 sparingly but rinse the bike down frequently. I keep a hose by the gate to wash the muck off. I get very little rust but then it's a 2006 Honda when the metal used was better quality.

[jedibiker]

2 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

XCP is what I use and I've had very little corrosion. My bike's now tucked up for the duration of my trip in a nice dry garage. Hopefully it will be good to go when I hopefully get home in late June. Always assuming the E10 fuel in the tank hasn't become a weapon of mass bike destruction.

E10 is another story, getting 40 miles per tank on that crap.

[MikeHorton]

I'll take a look at the salt away. Acf is great but I have the same issues and find the acf grease is good for coating on the brake pipes and any nuts and bolts it sticks really well and prevents any issues. Chains are always pretty vulnerable I find gear oil is the best option. 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

Without wanting to reopen another chain lube conversation I have to say that on my workhorse the Gidibii oiler I fitted (same as the Nemo 2 just direct from the factory where they are made rather than via a middle man) has kept the chain in brilliant condition over this winter. I have been using up all the old half empty cans of various oils lying around the garage, from gear oil to cheap 20W50 engine oil. Everything works well in it.

[jedibiker]

22 minutes ago, MikeHorton said:

I'll take a look at the salt away. Acf is great but I have the same issues and find the acf grease is good for coating on the brake pipes and any nuts and bolts it sticks really well and prevents any issues. Chains are always pretty vulnerable I find gear oil is the best option. 

I didnt know there was a grease.. might be best on sprocket

[jedibiker]

wouldnt any grease have the same effect as it creates a barrier

[MikeHorton]

1 hour ago, jedibiker said:

wouldnt any grease have the same effect as it creates a barrier

It does yes but as its a grease it sticks and stays a lot more. You can get a small tube for about a fiver so not expensive. I've used it on 3 bikes and it's kept them in fine fettle all year round. When I part exd my tracer last June I got £700 over the book price as it was still in good order so its worth a fiver I'd say. 

[jedibiker]

Yeah its a grease, but compared to normal grease? fiver nowt like

[MikeHorton]

Even after a good wash down and snow foaming it stays on. I  normally go over the bike in spring with a rag and wipe any remaining excess off and put it back on in the winter.

[Pie man]

10 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

XCP is what I use and I've had very little corrosion. My bike's now tucked up for the duration of my trip in a nice dry garage. Hopefully it will be good to go when I hopefully get home in late June. Always assuming the E10 fuel in the tank hasn't become a weapon of mass bike destruction.

Had the ACF50 treatment back in November, both bikes booked in for XCP treatment on Monday. Commuting everyday and washing them down does water the protection down so to say. There's still plenty of road salt around after spring. 

[daveinlim]

On a side to this, is ceramic coating any good. I've had ads on social media popping up for it cause I'm looking for a new bike

[MikeHorton]

Richy vida a guy on YouTube raves about it, take a look he may have more information about it. 

[MikeHorton]

This company does a ceramic type snow foam rinse which is meant to last for 3 months or so

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/shop/wash/rinse-aids

[onesea]

4 hours ago, MikeHorton said:

This company does a ceramic type snow foam rinse which is meant to last for 3 months or so

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/shop/wash/rinse-aids

I wonder how that will react with ACF50...  Bikes already have fair coating of that...

[Marino]

I don’t ride in winter time, at least not often so little I can say,  but working on board the ship (cruise), I can tell you rinse it daily after ride, and use the cover. Obviously where rust starts to show up it need to be cleaned, at least that is easy in the beginning of rusting process, if you let it for a while it will go deeper in the metal.

Rinse, clean the rust, apply any rust blocker.

And when ever is possible cover your bike.

[MikeHorton]

3 hours ago, onesea said:

I wonder how that will react with ACF50...  Bikes already have fair coating of that...

I think its one or the other rather than both.

[jedibiker]

12 hours ago, daveinlim said:

On a side to this, is ceramic coating any good. I've had ads on social media popping up for it cause I'm looking for a new bike

I use it on painted parts, but thats just more of a polish. there is a proper product which does ceramic coat, had it on my old car and it was great. curious if it would help metal too. also very costly compared to acf50 etc

 

I use this on the paint. not sure if its better than normal polish or wax. https://diamondbrite.co.uk/product/diamondbrite-ceramic-detailing-glaze/

Edited March 3, 2022 by jedibiker

[Pie man]

21 hours ago, MikeHorton said:

Richy vida a guy on YouTube raves about it, take a look he may have more information about it. 

Didn't he have to have it done again, after taking the bike to one of those hand car wash places. What ever they used to wash the bike, it just stripped all the protection off and stained the engine casings.   

[MikeHorton]

Most likely, I'm not a fan of hand car washes the usual go to brick acid wheel cleaner. I like to o ow where products come from. Are they really pH neutral etc