Universal Bike maintenance during monsoon

[lalitp]

Hello All,

As we already know the monsoon have already knocked our door. I would like to know the techniques and ideas to maintain bike in perfect condition.

Bike owned: Yamaha SZ-R
Daily Commuting: Around 10-15 Kms, with few weekend rides.
Parking shed: No
Parking Cover: Available but a bit old

Please share your thoughts, techniques and ideas to maintain the bike during this season. What precautions should I take to keep it running smooth, it may not be possible for me take bike out for 2-3 days due to rainy season, also bike does not have kicker so tips to maintain the battery during this time will be much appreciated.

Please share your though which can be very useful for me to maintain my bike.

Cheers!

- Lalit

[Noor]

Thread approved and moved to universal

[aargee]

No parking shed? First thing to get is RJay's motorcycle cover

[ka600]

very good topic! my first monsoon with my bike!

i dont have a cover,is it really necessary? i have a 4k km old p220...

[aargee]

is it really necessary

Don't know what to say!!! Crazy buggers like me clean the vehicle every Sunday no matter its monsoon or summer, park only at shades, take care of the vehicle like a bro. Point - If you're crazy buy the cover, or, choose to wipe.

Another option is to wax your vehicle well using Collinite 845 that will help prevent less dust accumulation as well as easy to clean.

[Honda_CBF]

*Keep your chain clean and lubed (don't overlube) even if its got chain cover. dust, moisture, water every thing seeps in.
* put one drop of clean engine oil even on your ignition lock, fuel tank cap lock and other locks.
*if you'r not going to operate your bike and afraid battery can die, then you can just disconnect the negative terminal for the time being.
And a garage is always good to park your buddy.
Happy monsoon..

[Pinaki]

Wax is a good idea aargee .. I wax my bikes all over at the onset of monsoon with old waxpol cake and let it dry without buffing or polishing . The wax coat hardens and stays on for months , then I just re-apply the coat until the end of rains . . It does get dirty at the end but stays pretty water resistant . Good full polish after the end of rains . Also bit more oiling and grease-ing during rains at every joint . Don't forget to take out the seat and check for rust underneath .
I do have covered dry parking area , but I never use a bike cover . The bike will get wet if your ride in rains / wet roads and it is worse to cover a wet bike than to leave it open to rains . Trapped moisture rusts and corrodes worse and it doesn't dry out .
Other things I have done on one bike or other sometime
a) had the inside of the spoked rims ( Rx 135, crux , splendor ) cleaned of rust and painted with anti-rust primer and black enamel .
b) same treatment for rust prone parts like under chrome mudguards ( rx 135 , crux ) and under tank , under seat parts .
c ) packed the whole cavity inside the handle mounted switches and throttle spindle with hard grease . ( that crux switches were prone to shorts when wet , this solved it forever )
d ) Coat the chain with grease , additionally after oiling it as usual . Coat the inside of the metal chain cover with chassis grease ( Rx-135, crux , splendor didn't care abt the cbz-x as it's black powder coated and I can re-paint it if needed anytime) .
e) regular oil inside all keyholes as Honda_cbf says , very important .

[noobie]

*Keep your chain clean and lubed (don't overlube) even if its got chain cover. dust, moisture, water every thing seeps in.
* put one drop of clean engine oil even on your ignition lock, fuel tank cap lock and other locks.
*if you'r not going to operate your bike and afraid battery can die, then you can just disconnect the negative terminal for the time being.
And a garage is always good to park your buddy.
Happy monsoon..

Not to judge you..but are you sure we can put a drop of oil in the ignition key hole ??....

Well i dont have " Clean " engine oil exactly..i just got the oil changed just 5 days back for the on set of monsoon itself...is it okay if i use that oil ?..is that clean enough ?..

[Honda_CBF]

Not to judge you..but are you sure we can put a drop of oil in the ignition key hole ??....

Well i dont have " Clean " engine oil exactly..i just got the oil changed just 5 days back for the on set of monsoon itself...is it okay if i use that oil ?..is that clean enough ?..

i got my bike at early monsoon previous year and after few days my keyholes used to jam the key while insertion or removal, because of water in every locks..
And oiling method helped me a lot.
And also i used the engine oil from my bike's sump, with the help of dipstick.
So, its 100% safe for me!

[noobie]

i got my bike at early monsoon previous year and after few days my keyholes used to jam the key while insertion or removal, because of water in every locks..
And oiling method helped me a lot.
And also i used the engine oil from my bike's sump, with the help of dipstick.
So, its 100% safe for me!

Nice...thanks...did the same dip stick technique...

Btw i noticed some rusting on one of the bolts near the engine...i wiped the rust off for now..but ill need some better solution..visited the local hardware store for a Anti Rust spray ( Zorrik-88 )..they didnt have one in stock. Is there any other option that i should look out for ?.. preferably tried and tested for motorcycle ones ?

[Pinaki]

Anti-rust sprays ,oils ,grease etc won't last long . With bikes , you have to remember that it will be exposed to the elements all the while . While oil/grease/polish etc works .. but they will wear off soon and has to redone periodically , which becomes a chore ( I'm a lazy bum too ) .
Rub off the rust with a piece of steel-wool wet in kerosene . Wipe dry with clean cloth . With a medium-fine paintbrush , carefully paint the visible parts with well-stirred aluminum paint . Ride on , but avoid rubbing the part for a few days , until the first coat hardens . Then ,two coats is better than one .
Honda_cbf is correct , the ignition key sometimes jams on water exposure and there is no harm in oiling it , all the authorised service centres does that too . Hold the keyhole shutter open with a thin screwdriver or matchstick even , and pump the darn hole with a oil-can ; I keep EP90 gear oil in mine all the time .

[bookie]

Water inside the tank

HELLO BIKE LORDS

Recently I left my bike under heavy rains and the result is my bike wont start now. I have heard it that when water goes inside the petrol tank this kind of problem comes up.

So my question is.. What shall I do now to get it started. The bajaj ASS is quite far off from my house and I cant take it up till there without getting it started.

Also please tell me how to avoid this problem in future.

PS: On one previous occasion I got my tank cleaned due to presence of water at the ASS. So please suggest something other than this.

Thanks in advance.

[Noor]

Thread approved and merged

[aargee]

Also please tell me how to avoid this problem in future.

Don't leave your bike under heavy rains

[pankajshirke]

Nice...thanks...did the same dip stick technique...

Btw i noticed some rusting on one of the bolts near the engine...i wiped the rust off for now..but ill need some better solution..visited the local hardware store for a Anti Rust spray ( Zorrik-88 )..they didnt have one in stock. Is there any other option that i should look out for ?.. preferably tried and tested for motorcycle ones ?

You can also try WD 40 or WD 80 anti rust formula.
It is also available at many automobile spares(two and 4 wheeler) and lubricant shops.
I got it from TVS authorized service center Century TVS in Pune
Basically TVS and Bajaj service centers have it.You can try asking them