Simple mind, Simple question

I am storing (restoring) my bike in an unheated garage. In early December I had my sidecovers, fork tubes and all polished , some to a mirror finish. In the last fourteen days we had fifty degree temperature swings from real cold, up and back down. Everything is actually sweating and soaking wet! Four days ago I was out there in a Tshirt, today it is Zero F ambient.The corrosion on the aluminum is worse then when I bought the bike! I had coated it with WD-40, and it still is, but it looks like $hit! I am trying to figure if it would be better to coat with a high quality automotive wax and just leave it on, or something more in line with grease, When metal is stored for a long period it is coated with cosmoline, but that is real hard to get off and I don't know where I would buy it anyway! Really a bummer after all that hard work to see it this way! A couple grand in parts so far, and this is what I am looking at! I left the new gas tank and side panels in the basement, in future years they will be exposed to this also. I do not want to take it somewhere for winter storage, as this is when to tear things down for service and I want it home. Anyone have a similar situation that can recommend a product greatly appreciated. The garage is uninsulated with an open ceiling, it would be a fortune to heat and a loosing battle to boot.

The steel cools in the cold temps, when the temps get back up the air is laden with moisture which as the steel stays cold longer it condenses out onto. WD40 is not a preservative, it evaporates too quickly, I wipe an oil impregnated rag over the chrome, wax the alloy and leave a few sheets of anti rust paper stuffed in behind the engine and in the battery try. The oil wipes off in the spring and the paper goes in the bin.

An anti rust paper also known as VCI paper, it lasts a few months and protects steel within 12 inches in still air, longer in enclosed spaces.


http://www.ukpackaging.com/general-pack ... tor-paper/

Tough situation. If you are storing the bike, buy a bike bag. Roll it in and seal it. Maybe a Christmas tree disposal bag might work; roll it in and seal it.

http://www.vac-bag.co.uk/index.php?_a=category&cat_id=1

http://www.learchem.com/products/acf-50.html

L.A.B. said:

http://www.vac-bag.co.uk/index.php?_a=category&cat_id=1

http://www.learchem.com/products/acf-50.html

Click to expand...

Made for Lear Jets, this sounds scary! Have you used it?

mooskie said:

L.A.B. said:

http://www.vac-bag.co.uk/index.php?_a=category&cat_id=1

http://www.learchem.com/products/acf-50.html

Click to expand...

Made for Lear Jets, this sounds scary! Have you used it?

Click to expand...

I haven't (as I have heated bike storage) but it gets consistently good reports from UK users.

http://www.acf-50.co.uk/motorcycle.htm

LAB. Spot on with the bag, Not used one, but will keep the moisture out.

I use ACF-50; works great. Holmeslice put me on to it.

Now ya know why i Never capitalize wd40 and never use for anything but a cleaning solvent and terminal drier, NEVER as rust protect , not even over night on surfaces like bores or journals. Moisture will float the cheap formula wd40 on top the water ions directly on metal. Also Do Not trust Li white spray on 'grease' either. Spray wax is hard to beat and easier to deal with than cosmoline like stuff.
A bag is a great idea but put some moth balls in there to keep mice/rates,bugs from boring in for nests. I should set up shop to clear anodize parts sent polished or cost more to touch up here. I have tried about everything else wax and show car rub in coatings and sprays to clear wheel paint to only get a couple years of preservation. I'd put a bag or can of descant or bag of Charolais in the sag with the bike.

Here a test, it is in dutch but the pics speak for themselves, I guess
onbehandeld = untreated
roomboter = cream butter

http://www.motorstophelder.nl/anti-corrosie/index.htm

Personally, I dissolve vaseline in something like terpentine, and apply that with a brush to anything that may rust on my winter bike, beemer R80. Works great. Side effect: is good for the environment, the bike cleans the air as it picks up all the dirt it meets.

hobot said:

Now ya know why i Never capitalize wd40 and never use for anything but a cleaning solvent and terminal drier, NEVER as rust protect , not even over night on surfaces like bores or journals. Moisture will float the cheap formula wd40 on top the water ions directly on metal. Also Do Not trust Li white spray on 'grease' either. Spray wax is hard to beat and easier to deal with than cosmoline like stuff.
A bag is a great idea but put some moth balls in there to keep mice/rates,bugs from boring in for nests. I should set up shop to clear anodize parts sent polished or cost more to touch up here. I have tried about everything else wax and show car rub in coatings and sprays to clear wheel paint to only get a couple years of preservation. I'd put a bag or can of descant or bag of Charolais in the sag with the bike.

Click to expand...

Spray wax??????? Are we talking about something like furniture polish (Pledge?) Have You used this successfully? You are correct about wd40, I prefer Kroil. I was told to use this by a friend with a heated garage.
The only reason I had it around is to remove tar picked up from the road!

Dances with Shrapnel said:

Tough situation. If you are storing the bike, buy a bike bag. Roll it in and seal it. Maybe a Christmas tree disposal bag might work; roll it in and seal it.

Click to expand...

I have the bike on a stand right now, no wheels. Waiting on a fella to lace me up some! BTW, I have a re-chromed rim for sale, I found a new old stock and do not need it now.

Automotive aluminum wheel treatment.

slimslowslider said:

Here a test, it is in dutch but the pics speak for themselves, I guess
onbehandeld = untreated
roomboter = cream butter

http://www.motorstophelder.nl/anti-corrosie/index.htm

Personally, I dissolve vaseline in something like terpentine, and apply that with a brush to anything that may rust on my winter bike, beemer R80. Works great. Side effect: is good for the environment, the bike cleans the air as it picks up all the dirt it meets.

Click to expand...

Looks like an awsome test, I cannot read German, but I get the drift. Thanks

German would help a bit but it's Dutch
Butter looks as a good good option , at least as good as WD40 !

slimslowslider said:

Here a test, it is in dutch but the pics speak for themselves, I guess
onbehandeld = untreated
roomboter = cream butter

http://www.motorstophelder.nl/anti-corrosie/index.htm

Personally, I dissolve vaseline in something like terpentine, and apply that with a brush to anything that may rust on my winter bike, beemer R80. Works great. Side effect: is good for the environment, the bike cleans the air as it picks up all the dirt it meets.

Click to expand...

Tectyl Valvoline is not sold in the usa or Canada, wonder why? It is the clear winner of the Dutch study!

slimslowslider said:

Here a test, it is in dutch but the pics speak for themselves, I guess
onbehandeld = untreated
roomboter = cream butter

http://www.motorstophelder.nl/anti-corrosie/index.htm

Personally, I dissolve vaseline in something like terpentine, and apply that with a brush to anything that may rust on my winter bike, beemer R80. Works great. Side effect: is good for the environment, the bike cleans the air as it picks up all the dirt it meets.

Click to expand...

Danke for the translation!

slimslowslider said:

Here a test, it is in dutch but the pics speak for themselves, I guess
onbehandeld = untreated
roomboter = cream butter

http://www.motorstophelder.nl/anti-corrosie/index.htm

Personally, I dissolve vaseline in something like terpentine, and apply that with a brush to anything that may rust on my winter bike, beemer R80. Works great. Side effect: is good for the environment, the bike cleans the air as it picks up all the dirt it meets.

Click to expand...

Just enough terpintine to create a heavy mixture such as syrup?

I wonder if Tectyl Superwax sponsored the test.

When I got my Speed Triple, everything was coated with Cosmoline. PITA to remove, but everything stayed corrosion-free.

I think it's the dead air that's the problem. When your storage warms up ,of coarse, condensation occures. My bike is also stored for the winter cold. On those rare warmish and humid days, I juust open the garage door and let fresh air flow through. There is still some condensation if really a big temp swing but for the most part the fresh air flow will keep your bike dry.