Winter is upon us so!!!

This time of year is going to test ALL the elektrikery connections on the car and the bike SO well worth an hour or so to go around the Guzzi especially.

I usually take apart the 12/15 &3 way connectors clean and reseal them with silicone, I also do the Lucas RiTa ones.

It is also worth pulling the fuses cleaning and replacing them BOTH types can and do corrode on either the spades of the newer ones or the very ends of the ceramic ones.

The ceramic ones are worth cleaning the ends of the actual fuses and the holders then spraying them with mtce spray I have used WD40 for many yrs it works

I also find it is worth checking the bulbs and holders as well as the bullet connectors to the rear and other indicators.

It does not take that long and a corroded connection at a fuse along with just one bullet can cause problems.

IF you have time it can also be worth checking the Altenator connectors and of course the battery connectors get some good old Vaseline, the car also usually needs this job done.

I KNOW for many this is a Grandma and egg sucking BUT hey if it saves just ONE person suffering a NO START on a cold dark morning it is worth it.

The sheer number of cars you see on the road with a head or tail light out bears testomony to checking. Nowadays adding led marker lights on a touring bike adds very little to the power consumption and could just save you from a bump.

I put one of these at the back of the rear rack as on the V1000 a rear rack covers the rear light assembly took less than 10 mins

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOTORCYCLE-REAR-LED-TAIL-BRAKE-STOP-LIGHT-NUMBER-PLATE-LIGHT-BREAK-CUSTOM-BIKE-/330775269692?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item4d03be113c#ht_2219wt_1203guzzibear2013-11-06 18:25:46

Thanks guzzibear, and for the less gifted like me that’s
plenty of WD40 where the sun don’t shine, behind the headlamp, under the tank, throttle body linkages, fuse tray, sundry connectors
then go back and do it again when it gets weathered off.

Phil

just doing the same but with ACF-50, got to the rear wheel area and spotted a nice big screw in the centre of the tyre, removed wheel and took it to a very local (two miles away) bike tyre place and they fitted a Mushroom headed plug to the hole,didnt charge a lot either, went back home but by time I had put the Cali back end together I decided to carry on with the ACF-50 tomorrow, hope I find no more unwanted ‘gifts’
northwest2013-11-07 09:23:23

A proper electrical contact lubricant is far better than WD whatsit. Servisol is one example. Spray it into all connectors and switches.

Well my biking is over for the year unless there is a nice dry mild day. I’ll be doing some oil changes as well as some of the above.
Reason for “winterizing”:
Air temp < 10 degC
Rock salt was put down at junctions yesterday - first this season AFAIK.
There is fresh snow on the Ben. (Wyvis)

+1

WD wotsit is fine for keeping water out of stuff if you don’t want things corroding but that is all. No it is not an electrical contact cleaner (and never pretended to be). I was going to mention here earlier, good idea also to WD wotsit or Vaseline the battery positive terminal, and anything connected to that, therefore making it permanently ‘live’, positive ‘attracts’ corrosion. Why do you think the old positive earthed cars rusted while you watched The power/charge socket on my Bee-Em fell to bits once 'cause I hadn’t sprayed it
Mike H2013-11-07 16:11:26

WD40 is OK but ACF 50 is much, much better.
Have a look at this vid to see how good it really is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBqGZzKN_p4Grubby2013-11-24 16:49:10

Other brands are available

Veering slightly away from electrical issues I have found Scotoiler FS365 spray to be very good for all over bike protection.

Yep it is BUT it is water soluble SO great for a spray and leave till sunny/warm but washes off in salt and wet.

Have to say well before the ACF50 and stuff I used to wipe the exposed polished alloy bits on the V1000 with 3:1 oil , loading a rag (old sock) and wiping it, then popping said sock into an old jar pop the lid on it keeps the sock sorta oily, a wipe over when back from a ride and it keeps the polished rocker covers and fork legs ect from going manky at alot less mhunney than the other stuff.

For general protection a spray oil there are loads

Duck oil/WD40 yadda yadda gets to the bits a wipe can’t and they DO disperse water and leave a film…after all it was developed to keep an Atlas Rocket corrosion free in the salty and very humid atmosphere of Cape Canaveral.

Having been there boy is it humid it was basically a reclaimed swamp.

Thing it it has worked for many years and is easy to find, buy and do.guzzibear2013-11-26 12:12:02

GB, even most of our Guzzis are post Cape Canaveral / Atlas Rocket era.

True enough. It’s not meant to be a one off treatment like some of the others. You do need to reapply it regularly.


\

Mon Brave they were STILL using Atlas Rockets into 2020’s

“The missiles saw only brief ICBM service, and the last squadron was taken off operational alert in 1965. From 1962 to 1963, Atlas boosters launched the first four American astronauts to orbit the Earth. Various Atlas II models were launched 63 times between 1991 and 2004. There were only six launches of the Atlas III, all between 2000 and 2005. The Atlas V is still in service, with launches planned until 2020.”

According to the people there they DO still use their version of WD40 not in a small spray can but the same stuff.

There was earlier this year a brilliant article in one of the classic bike mags on the very subject very interesting reading too. The inventor gave away the formula for th WD40 as we know it for the benefit of all… it would have made him a very rich man indeed.

YES there are newer and all sorts of stuff one CAN go out buying but, if like me, funds are limited it tends to do most jobs and heck it works well.

Plus gas is the best for freeing off stuff BUT if you aint got it and it is a wet Sunday, WD40 will do a good job on 99% of stuck fastners.

There is all the ACF and Scott stuff BUT if you ain’t got none and y’want to protect the polished alloy …it has worked for me for 20+ yrs, Have to say I find it works a hell of alot better then the Scottoil spray on ESPECIALLY if you buy from the trade the non spray stuff that you use a pressure bottle to spray it on

ACF50 IS fantastic stuff BUT it takes a hell of alot of getting off come Spring…

Dear GuzziBear - WD wotsit v the rest? Suggest using a can of worms next time.

The trouble with can o’ worms is that it is a known destabiliser.The dangers to the ozone layer are well known though lack scientific proof.It is also extremely disliked by many religious groups especially the hard liners and some political parties refuse to have anything to do with it.It is probobly ok to use it on mainstream Japanese bikes but anywhere near a Moto Guzzi and you risk your reputation if not your life.

Always amazing how much friction a mention of WD40 creates.

Light the blue touch paper, stand back and watch.

I read somewhere that WD40 is actually de-odourised fish oil!
All the best,