The results of my ACF50 treatment by All Year Biker....

[roddy 845]

Hosting a event sounds interesting?

[Guest SimonR]

good feedback on the two products, ta

[Guest DH1900]

Another quick tip for ACF-50, Muc-off pairs really well with it. My engine block went from looking like a frying pan that hadn't been cleaned in a year to the day it rolled out of the factory with nothing but a few enthusiastic sprays of the pink stuff and some hot water. I buy budget microfibre cloths from the supermarket and discard them after a wash (a bit wasteful but they're about 20p each and large enough to cut in half, just work from the top of the bike to the bottom), on flat surfaces this works far better than a brush or sponge. You could throw the cloths in a washing machine but do you really want carbonised grease in the same machine as your whites? Also, I discovered that the platinum version of a well known green washing up liquid seems to have magical properties for removing grease from skin as well as grit soap without lacerating your hands.

[Guest Tumbleweed]

That's an interesting tip DH - misting is good for some parts of the bike.

I spent just 40 minutes with a couple of artists' brushes and the ACF50 cap on Saturday.  Working leisurely whilst drinking a cup of coffee and sitting on a stool, I think I got every exposed nut, banjo, plain steel bracket and jubilee clip.  I think I used about one 5 second burst of ACF50 to do the lot.

 

Mike

You can now get ACF50 grease. I got some in a tube at the classic bike show in Stafford. Ideal for most of the items mentioned above.

[Guest Smidsy]

Just got a litre bottle of acf50 through the post so I guess it's Christmas come early for the bikes, not going out Friday night as picking up the mrs from her Xmas do so will out in the garage applying it all over I suppose..

[Guest Smidsy]

I saw acf50 grease on the net, was wondering if it's any good for the chain ?

Edited December 17, 2013 by Smidsy

[roddy 845]

DH1900, always thought it best to use cold or the very least warm water when washing a bike? Like you I use both muck off and acf50 together , interesting to hear about the acf50 grease though.

[Guest DH1900]

DH1900, always thought it best to use cold or the very least warm water when washing a bike? Like you I use both muck off and acf50 together , interesting to hear about the acf50 grease though.

It's best to rinse with cold water first, this dissolves the salt and removes any larger bits of grit so when you wipe you don't scratch the bike. I use hot water in a bucket because it cools quite a bit by the time the rag/sponge reaches the bike and helps to melt the somewhat sticky grime that remains from the ACF. If the grease isn't melted then the detergent doesn't have a chance to emulsify it. Very hot water can damage some finishes so it's not good to pour it directly on the bike.

 

Smidsy, do bear in mind that ACF drips quite a bit if you spray it on directly so it's best to apply it over some tarmac or put down a few layers of newspaper so you don't stain the garage (or get it on your tyres, it won't damage the rubber but it can cause the bike to slip quite easily).

 

Another useful thing to keep at the back of your mind is that if you find yourself without a bucket, a bin liner in a waste basket (or even a sturdy box) suffices quite well (this also works for really dirty cleaning jobs so you don't have a grimy bucket to clean out afterwards because whatever grease doesn't get emulsified by the detergent will stick really well to the plastic). You can also put the ACF in between the container and the liner so it's kept warm for a post drying spray down.

[Guest EasyTiger]

Has anyone used ACF50 but also tried Scottoiler FS365, and can therefore make comparative comments about their respective protective capabilities...?

 

I've used FS365 for several years on various bikes and thought is was good, but I've not yet used ACF50 so I've no idea how they compare but I know they both have their fans.

http://f2mcltd.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/winter-salt-protection-acf50-fs365-or.html

[Guest SimonR]

Good link EasyTiger, ta.

 

That F2 Motorcycles review of the various products is very interesting and should be required reading for any of us considering one of these. The FS365 does need repeated application, not done in the test possibly, and thats obviously a phaff anyway. But it is certainly clear that in that test the ACF50 performed better than the others.

[Guest miguelsanchez666]

Quick questions lads as I don't want to start new topic. I have bought 1l bottle and little spray bottle of ACF-50 and would like to ptotect my bike. Now, do I apply it all over the bike? I mean plastics panels etc.? I know breaks and tyres are not to be covered with it but what about everything else? Also what's the best method of applying? Spraying or rubbing it on with cloth?

It's my first bike so even basic stuff is something new for me.

Edited February 24, 2015 by miguelsanchez666

[DMB 1,341]

http://f2mcltd.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/winter-salt-protection-acf50-fs365-or.html

 

Jeremy - Many thanks for a fascinating link.  I'd gone and bought FS365 thinking it was as good as ACF50 but it's hard to argue with the evidence.  Nothing quite like a good, honest, unbiased, scientific test!

[Mike5100 2,061]

Quick questions lads as I don't want to start new topic. I have bought 1l bottle and little spray bottle of ACF-50 and would like to ptotect my bike. Now, do I apply it all over the bike? I mean plastics panels etc.? I know breaks and tyres are not to be covered with it but what about everything else? Also what's the best method of applying? Spraying or rubbing it on with cloth?

It's my first bike so even basic stuff is something new for me.

get some artists paintbrushes of varying sizes and after rinsing and drying the bike spend 10 minutes with a semi dry paintbrush dabbing ACF50 on the following:

all banjos and associated metalwork on the brake lines 

small badly painted steel brackets (mudguard stay brackets, radiator brackets etc)

all mild steel bolt heads - particularly the ones that are in recesses.  You don't need to do stainless steel ones

jubilee and other hose clips

philips head screws (such as end of handlebr weights)

 

all other bigger surfaces just wipe with the acf50 soaked cloth (keep it in a sandwich sealable plastic bag

Mike

[Guest Southerner]

Can ACF be applied to the exhaust system? I would have thought not but I'm sure I've seen it mentioned somewhere that some riders have done that.

[Guest Southerner]

Oh, and does ACF have a 'best by' date? My can is probably three years old now but being the mega size it takes a while to get through the stuff.

 

It's probably more practical and economical to buy a new smaller size as I might not end up wasting it through non use.

[Mike5100 2,061]

Yes rather surprisingly it does have a use-by date.  I think it's a couple of years but I have wondered whether this is just a device from the manufacturers to sell more stuff.  You need so little to provide protection that there's always going to be loads left.

You can put it on the exhaust but IMHO there isn't much point as you get clouds of smoke and my guess is it's gone within minutes of running the bike.  The end can doesn't need it of course as it's stainless.

Mike

[rjp996 1,091]

i first tried to spray it from the can (to thick), and then put it on with a rag - worked but hard to get into the little bits. I apply it now by spraying a little in a plastic lid and using a 1inch / 1/2inch paint brush and paint it onto all I can get (exc tyres and discs...). found it a quick way to get it on before I lost the will.....

[Tigertail 64]

rjp996,  Before spraying put the can into a  jug of hot water for 5 minutes.  It'll spray a fine mist once it has been heated.

 

As for it going out of date, all oils and greases do but 99.9% of the time they are fine to carry on using.  In the Air Force we had to get all products retested (a sample of each batch would be sent away for testing by the manufacturer).  If it passed the tests then the whole batch would be given another year or two (and in 25 years of RAF I only ever came across one or two products that were rejected by manufacturer and had to be scrapped).