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Technical Motorbike Help

To WD40 Or Not..

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To WD40 Or Not..

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To WD40 or not.. that is the question... Well the first one anyway... My gorgeous lusher than lush bike has a tonne of chrome.. she is pretty much immaculate and sparkly lush.. How do I keep her this way?? And someone suggested after cleaning and buffing and polishing the chrome to spray WD40 over it.. but then another recoiled in shock and horror at the thought... Soooooo... Hints and tips and products required to keep her sparkling and thoughts on WD40 sprayover are needed.. If you please... Asking here instead of googling because google doesn't have the experience you lush lot do..

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rockchickeelicious @ 10/05/2012 17:21  

do NOT spray WD40 over your bike. The only way to keep it clean is wash it dry it polish it if you leave it wet you will get water marks on the paint and chrome

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JP @ 10/05/2012 18:06  

OK.. I Shall Not get a Can of WD40... Thank you JP!!!

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rockchickeelicious @ 10/05/2012 18:45  

why not use WD40 JP? I mean - nowhere? Like what about on your radiator?

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Matt @ 11/05/2012 00:20  

Ok it will remove polish reside from a dark surface with a toothbrush but if you spray it over your bike the dust just sticks to it .

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JP @ 11/05/2012 04:27  

Be very carefull, wd40 overspray on seat, levers, pegs, discs etc... aint very pleasant.

I dont clean me bike very often but if I had a crome bike I'd want to keep it shiney the proper way, shelter it from the elements and after a ride out clean, dry, polish.

Loads of stuff on the market to keep your steed shiney...

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Laffo @ 11/05/2012 19:52  

howdo ,wd 40 .......well must go against tide ,i ride 24 7 ,in winter give bike loads of wd ,yes crap sticks to it ,it looks faded ,but a 10 min house down n all is good ,when riding daily to shit city (london) have found over 20 years of use it keeps salt soot and other nasties of bike .......and stops rust and lubes ,....but if your weekend warrior then no .....makes polishing hard !.........must admit in summer you get nice collection of ant ,flies paper ,and it dont smell to good after a day or so ,....still each to their own .....ps happy biking ,ride safe ,.........no i dont have shares in wd 40 ! tata ....toothpick

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wax @ 11/05/2012 20:56  

"makes polishing hard..." exactly,

my screen and forks look like a bio hazard.

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Laffo @ 11/05/2012 21:18  

WD40 is an excellent cleaner but i would never let it sit on the bike as a way of protecting it.
For metal clips, electrics and moving joints it's great but used as a cleaner i would always wipe off any excess after cleaning

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Gibson @ 12/05/2012 21:27  

Spray on a cloth wipe bare surfaces, fork legs etc, I bought an old xv 750 a few years ago it was a state, we'd 40 and elbow grease took it back and the Yamaha chrome of the time was a nightmare, without we'd 40 it would have been a rust bucket.....ok not on the chrome if you like it shiney but when it was bad weather or away for any length of time spray that bike like its a shower.....

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Deleted Member @ 12/05/2012 22:07  

Ooops we'd40 sorry WD40 lol

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Deleted Member @ 12/05/2012 22:37  

After recommendations from bm peeps I deffo go for ACF50...my cruiser with tons of chrome lives outside & I kept it on the road overwinter and she's still in a state of super-duper shininess....well when I bother to polish her up a bit, anyway. Very pleased indeed cos the chrome is definitely pitted in places (she's no spring chicken lol) but it's no worse than it was this time last year. But whatever you use definitely take care like Laffo says with pegs, gear & rear brake pedal cos your foot could slip off & bash the road.....and especially don't do what I did & liberally spray the wheel rims cos it will run down & drip onto the brake disc and that is seriously dangerous and very very scary when you realise what you've done!....spray it onto a rag and wipe onto places that matter Anyway who cares about dead flies and crap stuck to it so long as it washes off ok....it just means the bike is getting ridden rather than just polished all the time

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Minnie the Minx @ 12/05/2012 23:46  

Wd40 is great, at what it does. And I wouldn't bw without a can In my toolbox. But for Chrome there is nothing better than polish and effort.

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GreyGra @ 13/05/2012 14:37  

Wd40 is great, at what it does. And I wouldn't bw without a can In my toolbox. But for Chrome there is nothing better than polish and effort.

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GreyGra @ 13/05/2012 14:38  

WD40 or similar product sprayed over most of the bike does protect it from corrosion without a doubt,as does a good coat of Turtle wax...however WD creeps into little places that a polish wax never will and in my opinion a good coat of wax followed by a good coat of WD especially into places you cant reach and over linkages,pivots and the like is an unbeatable combination. Yes, U will have to wash it off later with Gunk and soapy water,but its done its job to protect probobly for months...then repeat polishing and WD application...

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rossoandy21 @ 16/05/2012 00:20  

I can see some use for WD40 in cleaning a bike and spraying to give a little protection in the summer. In winter yes spray it over your electices and onto all conections, but agains salt I just dont get it It will make the salt stick to the bike and and do as much harm as good best way to deal with salt is wash off with hot soapy water after riding your bike. As for useing as a lube ? it disoves grease and oil and its to thin so it will do more harm than good, much better to use 3in1 on pivot points and linkages. I will use it on stiff linkages to loosen them up then clean and use oil, and not forgetting cleaning my hands just spray it on rub together and wipe then soap un water works great. it does what it says on the tin (water displacment) rant over

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JP @ 16/05/2012 07:48  

I started this thread.. then headed off to Squires...Came back and couldn't find it... Will read all the comments that you have all be kind enough to post when I get in from work.. Thank you for taking the time.. will devour it all over a coffee!

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rockchickeelicious @ 16/05/2012 08:04  

I tend to agree with JP ... I would be extremely careful about spraying with WD40 --- its great at what its invented for (water repellant on electrics etc) , but it DOES disolve grease and oil, so if it runs into thse hard to get to places, could do more harm than good .... ACF 50 or similar will keep the crap of your bike, will wash off in luke warm water, and take the crap with it, then the bike's ready for it to be re-applied... but keep away from greased bits !

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chris.sheridan @ 16/05/2012 08:24  

to further muddy the water I`m a GT85 user

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Deleted Member @ 16/05/2012 10:04  

we hav to differ then.....as a water repelant it keeps the salty water away! As a penetrating oil it creeps in an lubricates (yes lightly I agree but lubricates where there may be little lub) I agree heavier oil is better in some places too...
It dries leaving an oily film over wherever its been applied..great helps stop oxidisation....
Even brings plastic and paint back to life.....spray on wipe off and se how great it looks and its protected too.
Yes it does atrract the dust and dirt.....eventually you will need to clean and reapply,meantime bikes stayed pristine.
My V11 is in brilliant condition and now over ten yrs old, always had the wd treatment...no rust or corrosion on it anywhere....
I rest my case.....

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rossoandy21 @ 16/05/2012 14:03  

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