Bike Cleaning 101

I know this is probably a really stupid question but...

I don't have a garage, so I have to keep my bike ('77 Kawasaki Z1000)
under a rain cover. I don't use it when the roads have been gritted,
and I'm fairly good at washing it regularly. However, I live in a
seaside town, so I suppose it's a salty environment.

Over the Winter, the bike has started to show a fair bit of surface
rust on brightwork, including spokes. Also, I can't seem to get the
dirt properly off the engine - it also looks a bit corroded.

Can anyone suggest methods of removing/preventing surface rust, and
generally keeping a SOB looking reasonably good? I don't want
concours condition or anything like it, but I really like the bike and
I'd like to hang on to it for a while.

All suggestions gratefully accepted.

 

Jim Scullion <2s.com> spouted the following in

paint the brightwork with a mixture of grease and oil before the winter
starts, it collects shit and looks bad, but when you blast it off in the
spring, it reveals nicely uncorroded bike bits.

HTH

 

Philistine.

Scottoil do a lovely purpose-made product just for this, called FS
365.

It performs adequately, isn't 'orribly sticky so it doesn't look
feckin' awful and it is water-soluble (!!) so with a little elbow
grease it will come off easily in Spring. You will have to reapply it
over Winter, but it does work well and isn't nearly so unsightly.

 

Yeah, Like I GAF. You buy your posh snot-oil, I'll stick with used sump
oil'n'grease on my POS ta. It fits with my Grebo-biker-hippy image better.

 

Don't Brit Bikes self apply the above mentioned substance too?

--
Dan L (Oldbloke)
My Bike 2000 Honda CB500
M'boy's Bike 1990 Suzuki TS50X

BOTAFOT #140, DIAABTCOD #26

 

"Oldbloke" <> spouted the following in

Stops the iron barrels rusting dunnit.