ACF-50 corrosion protection for your bike and other toys

ACF-50 is an anti-corrosion spray originally developed and certified for use in aircraft, that also works great to protect your bike's metal and electrical parts. Think of it as a Krown treatment on steroids.

This is new product for me, something I only learned about from a UK rider who'd posted a comment deep in the ADVRider forums. Expecting sticker shock, I was pleased to find that a 1-litre jug with spray bottle could be ordered from Amazon for a mere $20.

Since I already had my WR250R apart to re-shim the valves, I figured I'd disassemble it further to do a deep-clean and ACF-50 treatment. After 10 years and 42,000km of trail riding, the WRR is in great shape thanks to regular inspections, cleanings, and preventive maintenance. Nevertheless dust accumulating in deep, hidden crevices can trap moisture leading to corrosion and electrical problems. It's not always feasible to predict or fix these issues during riding season, which is where ACF-50 can help.

According to the product literature, ADF-50 penetrates deeply with corrosion inhibitors to displace water, chemically reverse corrosion, and create a thin protective film that lasts for about six months before needing reapplication. Indeed, I noticed that even a few small droplets squirted onto a surface had the remarkable ability to creep, amoeba-like, over a large area if left to spread overnight. A little bit goes a very long way - I used about 100mL to thoroughly do my whole bike (including the insides of frame tubes), wiping off excess with a rag. It sure leaves the plastics and metals looking like new.

Getting some overspray on the hot parts was inevitable, but it burned off quickly after running the bike for a few minutes.

ACF-50 also lubricates and is safe for electrical connectors. I liberally applied it to the clutch cable, EXUP cables, pivots, wiring harnesses, sensors and switches, hardware, and hoses. It'll creep into any tiny cracks that may have developed and hopefully forestall problems while lengthening service life.

The treatment also worked magic on my mountain-biking lights, which have plug-type sealed battery connectors. Over the years, the plug internals must've corroded slightly, resulting in the lights flickering out or dying altogether when the cables are jiggled. After a few squirts of ACF-50, the batteries now make solid electrical connections, running flawlessly for hours even in extreme cold and snow. This refurbishment alone saved me $200 in buying new battery packs.

There's a zillion uses for this stuff, and now I find myself applying it to tools and other items that see use in damp environments. The film it leaves will probably attract some dust, but that's going to happen anyway. Now at least there's some underlying chemical protection.