Removing ACF50?

[veracocha]

Due to the change in weather conditions I took the bike out yesterday for a short bimble. However, the collection of crud that seems to be as a result of the heavy coating of ACF50 is a problem. I'll get the stuff off with a good clean but next time I'll strip the bike of the stuff first. Any recommendations for an effective solution to start with?

[Gerontious]

You mention a 'heavy coating' - this was a mistake that a lot of people make with this product. it should be the lightest coating possible.

But that aside. ACF is essentially nothing more complicated than a very thin oil so any decent degreaser will remove it. There are all sorts of products that will do the job. Cheapest, though perhaps not the easiest is a very basic car shampoo in warm water. Though there are better products than that - because part of the crud will be gritty - you do need to be careful as any kind of scrubbing will damage painted and some coated surfaces. it will be like rubbing it with sand paper. so be careful.

 

If it were my bike I wouldn't touch the ACF until the spring when any chance of salt on the road is well and truly over.

[Pie man]

I use this XCP Professional Cleaner & Degreaser - 1 Litre Spray - SPORTSBIKESHOP

 

But as above, I would leave till Spring. When applying the ACF I usually apply to a cloth and wipe over the parts where I can, or spray and then try to wipe with said cloth. 

[Phil1]

I would think a good wash with some snow foam would break down most of it. 

[RideWithStyles]

Gero is correct, Id just leave it be till spring now.

If your desperate just wipe and buff with brush and cloth.

if salt contamination is ingrained just a normal bike cleaner is safer, brush and wipe will do the trick of getting contaminated acf off.

heavy coating is always possible with acf50 depending on how you apply it even there own spray bottles are crap as it just shots blobs at best or just drips out. The other is to put some on a paint brush and stroke away.

Ideally a proper fine sprayer, compression or washing kit with lance attachment is best but i dont have one yet .

xcp clear coat spray can is good for it i found out recently, reminds me of oxfords wax / silicone range for some reason.

[Stu]

Washing the bike does not remove acf50 easily it would take a lot of washes! It's designed not to be washed off

 

It sounds to me like you have applied too much which is what I do all the time! 

 

Just leave it and wash the bike after each ride and eventually it won't be as bad 

[mealexme]

Ah yes, the old 'too much ACF50' jobby. You aren't the first and won't be the last. Did you also get a lot of smoke from the engine the first time it warmed up? 

 

I'd try just standard washing up liquid and hot water myself. If you ever talk to anybody that wax's their car, they always tell you to stay away from washing up liquid because it removes wax's/oils etc that people put on to protect the paint. I'd assume it would work with ACF50 too,

[veracocha]

Thanks all. Lesson taken from all this is apply a thin coat only. I managed to get it all off with soapy water and WD40 where it was caked up. Washed out with a power washer. Didn't want to scrub it for fear of scratching. Reapplied a very light coating with a brush. Strange thing I noticed is there is some paint loss on the sump. Not a problem but on a 23 plate with 1k on it seems a bit strange. Tracer 7GT. 

[mikeyd]

U got any pics of the paint loss? 

[Nick the wanderer]

14 hours ago, veracocha said:

Thanks all. Lesson taken from all this is apply a thin coat only. I managed to get it all off with soapy water and WD40 where it was caked up. Washed out with a power washer. Didn't want to scrub it for fear of scratching. Reapplied a very light coating with a brush. Strange thing I noticed is there is some paint loss on the sump. Not a problem but on a 23 plate with 1k on it seems a bit strange. Tracer 7GT. 

Hi,

my XSR uses the same motor as you and you should not have any paint loss. I have noticed some with poor finishes on the engine but because yours is well in the warranty I'd be taking that straight back to the dealer and make them aware of it. 

[veracocha]

11 hours ago, mikeyd said:

U got any pics of the paint loss? 

 

Here is a picture of the paint loss in a few area's of the sump.

 

[husoi]

That looks like a Monday job. 

Prep work seems to be appalling.

[RideWithStyles]

Agree, similar but worse than painted swing arm woes.

think BMW can trump those...Roadster r1200's probably the nicest looking with nice touches (my opinion) for a long time but hampered by anything that had paint chrome or lacquer like casings, wheels, forks, frame, pretty much everything was thin, bubbling mess. Not including electrical and components problems ontop of the normal bm things.

 

Edited January 11 by RideWithStyles

[Nick the wanderer]

1 hour ago, veracocha said:

 

Here is a picture of the paint loss in a few area's of the sump.

 

I think the sump comes off in situ, you want a replacement. Also because of that you want to have a good look at all your other finishes, make sure there is nothing else while you're at it.

[Gerontious]

1 hour ago, Nick the wanderer said:

I think the sump comes off in situ, you want a replacement. Also because of that you want to have a good look at all your other finishes, make sure there is nothing else while you're at it.

 

I would be extremely surprised if that is treated as a warranty issue.

 

They will just use clause 2 of the warranty to get out of it. and blame the weather. or the salt/grit mix we use in this country.

 

 

 

 

 

I would rub it down and then cover it up with an appropriate paint. myself, before it spreads further.

Edited January 11 by Gerontious

[Nick the wanderer]

Yeah doesn't look good from that. I dug out my warranty and it doesn't say anything like that, only it should be kept clean in accordance with the hand book. 

I would defo be taking it back to the dealer and asking the question. A 2023 bike with only 1000 miles on the clock, we've had very little below freezing salt conditions, it shouldn't be like that.

Only one way to find out ..

[veracocha]

Just got back from my local dealer, not the one where I purchased the bike. They cleaned it up, inspected the paint loss and then got it up on their lifter so see if there's any other area's of concern. They confirmed all else was well. Yes, they confirmed its unusual but they are not confident Yamaha will give them the go-ahead to work on it. They referred to that particular clause as above (2). The dealer will update me asap and I'll advise on this thread as to any progress. 

[Pie man]

I had something similar with the MT07, "Stone chip", I was sternly told. There was no point arguing with the idiot who's computer says no.  

 

Touched up with some high temp black paint, hardly noticeable afterwards. 

 

Could be worse, I have a KTM with complimentary condensation 

 

(Thankfully not in the oil)

Edited January 11 by Pie man

[veracocha]

My mistake was taking it to a dealer. I nearly came home with a different bike I was so tempted by the Tracer 9GT+

[Gerontious]

7 minutes ago, veracocha said:

My mistake was taking it to a dealer. I nearly came home with a different bike I was so tempted by the Tracer 9GT+

 

Well obviously its now practically worthless.. so why not? 

The dealer won't be bothered by that little bit of missing paint. nor will the next buyer until he notices it. (obviously)

 

Life is too short. if you like the new bike. get it.

[RideWithStyles]

If i was to be arsey id say its on the sump and should be right if tour gonna paint the thing make sure its actually done.

If your one of those brush up ur back types....well if the manufacturer didnt bother to paint it much it cant be that important, they know better-.

 

well depending on if you actually own or pcp it? Leave it be and hand it back after your tender, where theyll have a good clean bike apart from the hard to ignore bare metal sump and engine casing... "well if yama actually cared and bothered" and get a different manufacturer bike afterwards. 

if your own it now and tend to keep it very long term id be tidying it now as you know yama aint gonna accept they're suppliers shoddy workmanship, and see how it goes.

[Throttled]

On 10/01/2024 at 13:11, Stu said:

Washing the bike does not remove acf50 easily it would take a lot of washes! It's designed not to be washed off

 

It sounds to me like you have applied too much which is what I do all the time! 

 

Just leave it and wash the bike after each ride and eventually it won't be as bad 

 

Any idea about washing when the bike is still hot? I am wondering if I have made a mistake by hosing the bike down whilst the engine and exhaust is still hot and if that will take off the coating?

[Gerontious]

2 hours ago, Throttled said:

 

Any idea about washing when the bike is still hot? I am wondering if I have made a mistake by hosing the bike down whilst the engine and exhaust is still hot and if that will take off the coating?

 

Its an oil. so no amount of plain water will wash it off. it  might push any excess around. but it won't remove the coating which in most instances is so thin you can't even see it. you only know its there because you might see particles of dust and grime adhering to it.

 

In addition to being an oil its also a super-thin fluid - though its doesnt appear so when cold and out of the can. but it is and these behave in very strange ways. This is why its used on jet planes/ jet engines. and applied as a warm/hot fine mist. If we had the ability to do it in the same way at home. a normal sized can would last 10/20 years. 10/20 applications. at a bare minimum. but we dont. we slap it on with a brush. or wipe it on with a cloth. or spray it on with a pump spray.  But its still a super-thin fluid and does the job it was designed to.

 

if you think about its use on jet planes and jet engines. just think of the pressure. air streaming over it. water hitting it at 300 miles an hour etc. and it still doesnt come off. so a hose isn't going to do much.

Edited January 14 by Gerontious

[veracocha]

Update: Dealer just called and said Yamaha want them to replace the sump. The parts have arrived so can I bring the bike in tomorrow. Not what I was expecting but good news for sure. 

[Nick the wanderer]

Yay, I'm pleased about that, not just because I have the same engine but the damage was obviously not wear and tear. Good to see Yamaha doing the right thing.