Start by getting the bike clean and dried. Any road dirt, wax, polymer or old protective coatings reduces the ACF50 bonding capability
Spray ACF50 onto a cloth, a Microfibre cloth works best. Aim to get it nice and damp but not dripping. Then simply wipe over any metal parts you can reach. Don't overfuss with nooks and crannies, left on for an hour or so and the 'creep' action will work round most things.
Save your knuckles reaching into awkward areas. A long handled Radiator Brush makes for an easier job. Spray the ACF50 into the can lid until you have a little fluid in there, dip the brush and wipe off excess then brush onto the area your treating.
If you intend to spray from the can, standing it for a few minutes in warm water will increase the pressure. Whether spraying from a can or pump spray be sure to wipe off any surplus liquid from the treated areas.
Avoid getting any on the tyres/brake pads/disks, it's a highly effective lubricant. Using the technique above it shouldn't be a problem. If you do accidentally get a smear on, it will abrade/burn off after a few miles, but go steady before you go for a knee down or emergency stop!
It's perfectly safe to use on plastics and rubber (it used to dissolve latex, but the formulas been improved since then and you don't tend to find much latex on a bike anyway). You can use it to revive trim that has suffered from UV exposure and help keep it supple. Apply it as above, leave a few minutes to be absorbed then buff off with a clean dry Microfibre cloth. Note though, if your trim is discoloured and you intend to re-stain it, do that first and ensure it's fully dry, ACF50 will prevent any dye being absorbed if you put it on first.
Before we start, take a minute to look over your bike. There are a lot of areas you can't reach into, but moisture easily can. Even with a major strip down of seat, tank, fairings etc., there will be areas of the engine and frame, electrics and electronics that remain inaccessible. The retail cans and pump sprays simply don't have enough propellent and power to reach, you just end up with a lot of mess and several hundred times more fluid coating than needed.
General Tips.
A few little tips to help you get the best from using ACF50
ACF50 is designed to protect metal, so applying it to painted fairings and tanks is fairly pointless (unless the paint coating is showing signs of deterioration). These areas benefit more from a good quality wax or polymer coating. Ensure any ACF50 that gets on these surfaces is removed by wiping with a dampened cloth with a little bike cleaner on before waxing, otherwise the ACF50 will prevent the wax from bonding to the paintwork properly.
It's totally safe to use on all electrics and electronics, but avoid getting it on touch screen Sat Navs. If your bike suffers from damp issues ACF50 will often cure the problem.
We avoid putting it on handle grips. It won't do them any harm but if it gets on your gloves it can make wiping your visor leave smears.
Expect some smoking when you start your bike up and the engine gets hot, but relax, it's none flammable and non toxic. After all it was developed to go on jet engines. It will impress your neighbours and fellow road users!
Finally, a little really does goes a long way. The aerosol cans contain enough product to fully treat a bike and keep it topped up for a year. ACF50 has a shelf life of two years , after which the 'active' ingredients degrade to the point where they are ineffective, so only buy in bulk if you know you can use it all.
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Continued R&D means the manufacturers have since improved the product and as of August 2009 the shelf life has now been increased to 3 years
Remember, ACF50 remains fluid, any surplus applied simply congeals. Road dirt and salts thrown onto the bike during riding becomes embedded in this. After a few weeks your bike will look like a farm tractor and take some effort to clean. You will also have trapped any solid particle dirt and salt onto the bike, with the potential risk that, in time, these will eat through the coating, exposing that area.
The goal is to put a thin coating on that will protect while allowing dirt to slide off during rinsing. The techniques shown below should allow you to cover pretty much everything you can reach, easily, quickly and without a great deal of mess,
but for deep penetration the only effective method is to atomise the fluid
. You can see it being done on our YouTube video here
How to -
Apply ACF50 yourself
After Care.
ACF50 is an incredibly effective product, but keep in mind it's not a magic bullet to totally eliminate corrosion, a little self maintenance will go a long way to keeping your bike in great condition. Once ACF50 coated, hose it down as regularly as you can to prevent dirt building up, if you don't have access to a garden hose a watering can will work or use the local jet wash on rinse only. Water on its own will do little to remove the coating. Shampooing should remove the more stubborn dirt, use a mild car or bike shampoo to avoid degrading the ACF50 coating too quickly. Wipe on a new ACF50 coating on exposed areas every few months and where you've used degreaser, such as around the chain area.
