To WD40 Or Not..

36 Posts | Latest reply on 08/06/2012 20:33:30 by rockchickeelicious | Go to original / last post
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rockchickeelicious

In: Newcastle
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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.. Big smile                                                                                                                                                                             
JP's Profile
JP

In: Birmingham
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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                                                                                                                                                                              
rockchickeelicious's Profile
rockchickeelicious

In: Newcastle
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OK.. I Shall Not get a Can of WD40... Thank you JP!!!                                                                                                                                                                             
Matt's Profile
Matt

In: Veldhoven
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why not use WD40 JP?  I mean - nowhere?  Like what about on your radiator?                                                                                                                                                                             
JP's Profile
JP

In: Birmingham
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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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Laffo

In: Bumblethwaite
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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...Thumbs Up
                                                                                                                                                                             
wax's Profile
wax

In: southend
Posts: 1
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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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Laffo

In: Bumblethwaite
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"makes polishing hard..." exactly,

my screen and forks look like a bio hazard.Dead                                                                                                                                                                              
Gibson's Profile
Gibson

In: Sutton
Posts: 29
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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 Smile                                                                                                                                                                              
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Deleted Member

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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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Ooops we'd40 sorry WD40 lol                                                                                                                                                                             
Minnie the Minx's Profile
Minnie the Minx

In: Cheshire
Posts: 2009
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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                                                                                                                                                                             
GreyGra's Profile
GreyGra

In: Durham
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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

In: Durham
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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.                                                                                                                                                                             
rossoandy21's Profile
rossoandy21

In: ashford
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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...                                                                                                                                                                             
JP's Profile
JP

In: Birmingham
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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                                                                                                                                                                              
rockchickeelicious's Profile
rockchickeelicious

In: Newcastle
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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!                                                                                                                                                                             
chris.sheridan's Profile
chris.sheridan

In: MK
Posts: 122
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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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Deleted Member

In: NA
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to further muddy the water I`m a GT85 user                                                                                                                                                                              
rossoandy21's Profile
rossoandy21

In: ashford
Posts: 1621
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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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