New bikers beware. The crud demons are starting to appear

**Ixion** · 7th May 2005, 15:13

Well folks, winter is upon us.

And when winter comes, the crud demons come out of hiding (as well as the fiends of cold and rain and slippery roads)

New bikers may not be familiar with these little fiends. Because bikes have less tin covering than cages we are more susceptable to ill effects from the crud that gets thrown onto everything , and the water that seeps in where it should not.

They will attack your electrical connections, causing misfiring, non starting, lamp failures. Your chain will need twice the maintainance. Zorsts will rust.Seats will go soggy and breed strange growths. Cables will snatch and fray and break.

So if your ride has not been through a winter with you, now is the time to prepare. Check electrical connections- spray with CRC or such like where necessary (CRC is your friend - it is wonderful what useful stuff those brilliantly clever chemists have given us. Have I ever mentioned how clever chemists are . And sexy. If you have the good fortune to meet a chemist, even one who hasn't chemisted for years, you should always buy him a drink. Or several. Speights is what they prefer) . Smear with Vaseline, and tape up with electrical tape.

(BTW, you will know when winter is really here by the number of broken down Ducatis and MotoGuzzis you see. Wonderful clever the Eytalians with engines. Pity they don't do electrics

)

Clean and lubricate chains often.(Ignore the smirking MotoGuzzists. They are just jealous of your electrics)

Check cables for roughness and stranding, make sure you have a spare. Lubricate well (unless you have the nice teflon lined ones)

Make sure that when parked outdoors, water will not run into your petrol tank filler. Or your oil tank. Look for damaged gaiters and rubber boots.

All this diatribe opccasioned by the indicators on Li'l Rat Bike deciding not to work at all the other night. None of them. Ho hum. Dodgy connection on the flasher unit.

Grr. Bloody Lucas. Bloody Lucas electrics . Grr.

Now cleaned , CRC'd, Vaselines and taped. As also the handlebar switches and anything else in sight.

Winter. Ah don't we love it. Separates the bikers from the boys though but.

**justsomeguy** · 7th May 2005, 15:52

Thanks for that.......... didn;t have a clue about most of the things you've said until now.

Nice work

**Blakamin** · 7th May 2005, 16:47

I was gunna agree wif ya .... till you mentioned Ducatis!!!!!

I can hose my whole bike... fuse box and all.... engine and all... and it will still start first go..... it has to, I commute.....

(crc sucks....unless its the marine one)(green tin, never dries, waterproof) or inox.... thats what I got!

**Ixion** · 7th May 2005, 17:02

Originally Posted by Blakamin

I was gunna agree wif ya .... till you mentioned Ducatis!!!!!

I can hose my whole bike... fuse box and all.... engine and all... and it will still start first go..... it has to, I commute.....

..

Gets a rise every time !

**BNZ** · 7th May 2005, 17:03

Originally Posted by Blakamin

I was gunna agree wif ya .... till you mentioned Ducatis!!!!!

I can hose my whole bike... fuse box and all.... engine and all... and it will still start first go..... it has to, I commute.....

Must be a fake

**Hitcher** · 7th May 2005, 17:04

Maybe it was a "Crud Demon" what pimped Riffer's ride yesterday. Or maybe it was the Helen Keller of motorcycle repairers...

**MacD** · 7th May 2005, 17:36

Originally Posted by Ixion

If you have the good fortune to meet a chemist, even one who hasn't chemisted for years, you should always buy him a drink. Or several. Speights is what they prefer) . Smear with Vaseline, and tape up with electrical tape.

So if I meet a chemist I should buy him/her a drink, smear with vaseline and then tape up with electrical tape!?

And I thought mathematicians were the odd ones!?

**pyrocam** · 7th May 2005, 20:52

Thanks for the heads up mate! I havent been through a winter with my ride yet.

Adding your post to the maintenance magathread

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...165#post218165

**dangerous** · 7th May 2005, 21:06

Originally Posted by Ixion

BTW, you will know when winter is really here by the number of broken down Ducatis and MotoGuzzis you see. .(Ignore the smirking MotoGuzzists.

Hey...................... I'll have you know that the Guzzi never broke down once, not once ever in the rain, mind you I don't ride if its below 10* or wet

BTW... it only ever stoped running once.... ant that was cos it wanted to stop and check out he awesome sceenery in the middle of know were' while I pulled the pannels of it and gave it a spring clean..... started just fine when it was ready to leave

**250learna** · 8th May 2005, 02:16

thanks for the headup ixion

**Sniper** · 8th May 2005, 07:58

Ahh, Winter, how I miss riding in the freezing cold, unable to clamber off the bike after a 30min ride only to find that once warmed up I did forget the milk and have to jump back on the bike to find it doesnt start because of dodgy connections.

Ixion, thanks, I might take some of that advice to my head

**surfchick** · 8th May 2005, 08:12

Originally Posted by Ixion

Gets a rise every time !

hey ixion- you talk like an irishman- where you from?
will you be up to the oxters in clabber this winter?

**Ixion** · 8th May 2005, 11:06

Originally Posted by MacD

So if I meet a chemist I should buy him/her a drink, smear with vaseline and then tape up with electrical tape!?

And I thought mathematicians were the odd ones!?

Yeah, you got it

Los of uses for Vaseline