It’s a lovely afternoon! Time to take your motorcycle out for a spin. Upon walking into your garage, there’s something that stops you in your tracks.
Your beautiful bike is covered in nasty brown rust. You’re going to need to get rid of it ASAP. Dealing with motorcycle rust is an inevitable part of ownership, but if you leave it, corrosion may set in.
This could cause you to have to replace multiple parts, which can be expensive. Don’t let that happen to you! Check out this guide to learn how to stop rust from happening first place, and figure out how to get rid of it.
What Causes Rust?
Before we tell you how to stop rust in its tracks, it’s important to know why it happens in the first place. It’s a chemical reaction that occurs when you expose metal to high amounts of oxygen and moisture.
If you live in an area that sees a lot of rain and snow, rust is pretty much inevitable because vehicles are nothing but metal. If you leave it left unchecked, it could cause permanent damage.
Not only does it eat away at the metal, but if it gets into your exhaust, it could cause your engine to overheat. The good news is that you can prevent it, and even if you can’t, it doesn’t have to spell the end for your bike.
Preventing Rust
Even if you live in an area that sees a lot of moisture, rust doesn’t have to be an inevitability. As long as you perform basic motorcycle maintenance, you can stop it from happening.
Cover Your Motorcycle
The best way to stop rust in its tracks is to not leave your bike to the mercy of the elements in the first place. If you have a garage, make sure that you keep it in there.
If you don’t have access to a garage, don’t worry, you can still protect your bike. Buy motorcycle covers at americanlegendrider.com. This will protect your bike from rain, snow, and dew while it sits in your driveway.
Wash and Wax
Before you store your motorcycle in the garage, there’s one thing that you have to do first. You’ve got to wash it. Doing so will get rid of any icky chemicals that cause rust to form.
This is especially important if you drive your bike during the winter. The roads will be covered in salt that will corrode your bike. Just give it a once-over with a wash made specifically with motorcycles in mind.
When you’re done, it’s time to apply a coat or two of wax. You see, if there is any knick or scratch on your motorcycle, moisture will be able to work its way into it. This will leave the metal vulnerable to rust.
Since wax repels moisture, this can give you a little peace of mind. It’s not too hard to apply. Spray the wax on the surface of the bike and rub it in with a microfiber cloth. Turn the cloth over and repeat the process.
Make Use of Anti-Corrosion Products
You’re not ready to pull your bike into your garage yet. There’s one last thing that you need to take care of. Rub your bike down with an anti-corrosion product.
This will stop any rust from setting in. If you already have some rusting going on, skip down where we explain how to get rid of it. Once it’s gone, repair the section of paint that was destroyed and apply the product.
Keep Your Tank Full
Your fuel tank is made with metal like the rest of the motorcycle. This means that it’s as vulnerable to rust. Most of the time, this happens when you leave the machine sitting for a long period of time.
Rust can’t set in if the tank is already full, however. So, before you store it away, fill it up and add a fuel stabilizer to it. This will keep the fuel fresh for a few months while you’re giving the bike a break.
Removing the Rust
Sometimes, even if you follow the tips we’ve provided, rust still has a habit of setting in. When this happens, you’ll want to remove it as fast as you can. If you don’t, it could do permanent damage to the machine.
Wash
The first step is washing the bike. This will get rid of any of the surface dirt and debris. When you’re done, dry the motorcycle off with a microfiber towel.
Scrape
Grab an abrasive material such as a ball of steel wool and begin scraping the rust away. Once most of it is gone, switch over to something a little less harsh like sandpaper or a Brillo pad.
When you’re doing this, make sure that you don’t put too much elbow grease into the scrubbing. If you do, you may scrape the bike.
Apply a Polish
For the last step, you’re going to apply a chrome polish. This will buff out any scrapes and remove leftover surface rust. Once everything is good and shiny again, lock it in by waxing the bike.
Before you cover the motorcycle, apply an anti-corroding product to the areas that were rusted. That should prevent the problem from happening again.
Don’t Let Motorcycle Rust Get You Down
There’s nothing worse than motorcycle rust. Not only does it ruin your bike’s appearance but it can also wreck your paint job. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to prevent it from happening.
Use the tips that we’ve provided to put rust in its tracks. If it decides to set in anyway, take motorcycle care measures to get rid of it before the damage is too great.
Are you looking for more ways to take care of your bike? Check out the Motorcycle section of our blog daily for all the latest tips and tricks.