Triumphrat

Harley

Hi All,

i am the extremely cheesy grinned owner of a B-E-A-Utiful 05 Girlie in Silver and Aluminium with all the extra's. She is bloody gorgeous. She rides better than ANY women and possess's curves that attract admiration from wherever we go.

Question - as i am not the least bit mechanically minded, (sorry, but that's the truth), what do i need to do to my Girl to help her through the cold,lonely Winter nights in the Garage. I notice that the Battery very quickly goes dead, so is there anything else that might be deteriorating? What can i do to keep her fresh?

Cheers


H

TorqueyT

Hi Harley - welcome on board and congratulations with the new ride!

Couple of tips would be:

- If you ride through the winter, try to at least rinse off the bike with cold water (hot water dissolves more salt/grit, which runs into all the inaccessible places), and give her the full clean every now and then followed by good polish.
- Cover the bike with something like Scottoiler FS365 protection spray, don't be shy with it, cover all panels / metal parts apart from brakes - these sprays are oil based and lubricated brake disks are just bad news..... The point is to get this into all above mentioned nooks and crannies. Bike doesn't have to be cold to do this by the way. If you want to just let the spray dry on the panels and give them a polish with a polishing rag.
(Oh, and yes, the cloud of steam when the bike warms up next time is normal, the FS365 doesn't smell too good but protects well..) If you're worried about spraying the wheels soak a rag in the spray and give the wheels a good rub down.
- Spray WD40 into all electrical switches to drive out moisture and lubricate.
- If you're storing the bike, make sure it goes away dry and is stored dry, otherwise the aluminium goes a bit furry after a while. If you want to be extra cautious, store the bike dry in a sealed bike storage bag.
- Yes, get a battery tender of some sort, wire it in and life will be much easier when you start the bike up again.
- Storing bikes always brings on discussions about empty or full tank. You've got a plastic tank so corrosion is no issue, hence I would probably store it dry, just because petrol goes off after a few months. Lots of swearing when you try to start up again, normally solved with some fresh petrol.

Anyway, my twopence worth, probably a lot of other things as well, but it's a start...

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TorqueyT

blacktiger

Congrats on your purchase. TorqueyT is absolutely right. He should know how to care for a bike through winter living in Glasgow far better than me living in the balmy South.

As for your battery. It shouldn't be going flat as quickly as you imply. I'd get the bike checked to see if there's an unusual drain going on. Wrong headlamp relays is a common one.

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H
'02 Tiger955i in black.

TorqueyT

Quickly dying battery also tends to be due to the bike sitting still at the dealer for too long, by the time the bike is sold the battery's had it... Demand a new one for free from the dealer!

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TorqueyT

Jacqueslemac

I've covered mine liberally with Scottoiler 365 and resisted the temptation to wash it as I was under the impression that if you washed it you had to start all over again with the Scottoiler.

I thought the idea was to build up a gradual coating by spraying it every few weeks and then cleaning the whole lot off when they stop salting the roads.

Am I wrong?

MrGromit

I've started using ACF-50 (after the Scottoil had been used up). From the write ups it does not need repeat applications (good job at £28 a litre). I also use the ACF-50 grease on battery terminals and electrical connectors.So far it has kept the bike pristine although I have to admit to avoiding the worst of the winter salt. Google ACF-50 for the info.Some bike shops even provide a coating service

Harley

Thanks to you all - much appreciated

oldrider

I was reading down the thread and intending to post, Google ACF-50 but I have been beaten to it!

ACF-50 has a range of applications, some are suitable for bikes. (it is an aeronautical product)

I use it in my chain lube oil, anything up to about 25%, it rejects water from the chain in rain and after leaving water crossings etc.

ACF-50 lubricates, penetrates and prevents corrosion.

Google (www.pro-oiler.com) for a modern more technically advanced chain lube system!

I have one on my Tiger and I think it is terrific. Cheers John.

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Blue 2007 Tiger 955i . (referred to as the 06 model) British specification.

Jonny955

That is exactly what I am doing. I've used up my first bottle of FS365 already but by all accounts, it is doing it's job. The only areas I have noticed looking white and furry are the ends of the rear spindle assembly and oddly enough, the chain. I must have turned my Scottoiler down too low then put the bike away wet and salty after a long run. It took me a while to fathom it - weather colder = viscosity of oil lower = turn up scottoiler....plus weather wetter = more oil needed on chain = turn up scottoiler!

After a quick clean up and a very liberal manual oiling, I hope my chain will shrug this off!

According to the blurb, re-application of FS365 neutralises the effect of salt wheras washing simply disolves the salt and moves it around the bike to dry on somewhere else.

Jon

FifeTiger

As above.

Spray with FS365 or equivalent corrosion inhibitor of choice and resist all temptation to wash the bike ! Reapply instead.

Be prepared for some serious scrubbing in the spring thuogh FS365 says it rinses off, but not after it's been on all winter.

MucOff (or similar) a good scrubbing brush, and a slow running hose. Not to mention a spare morning.

Oh yeah, and either try an Optimate on the dying battery to see if it can recover it, or get another. Bump starting is possible, but hard.