WINTER PROTECTION FOR MOTORBIKES WITH FREDDIE DOBBS

With the temperature dropping, tentative reports of snow and a good deal of salt being laid down, it’s essential motorcyclists shield their bikes properly from the winter elements. That’s where expert and brand ambassador Freddie Dobbs can assist.

Over to you, Freddie!

To completely prevent any risk of rust, whether that’s riding through the winter or whatever situation you’re in, use GT85. I’ve been doing this for about twelve years, ever since I started riding, riding all year round in the saltiest conditions, and I’ve never – and I’m proud of this – never had any rust on any bike I’ve ever owned.

GT85 is a magic spray, and it is the mechanic’s best kept secret. GT85 coats onto any metal surface, it lubricates and prevents rust.

Here’s what I do to protect my motorbike from the elements

• Take the tank off to get into all the nooks and crannies.
• Spray everything apart from the brake discs and anywhere near the brakes.
• Spray everywhere, including (and importantly) underneath, get down really low, spray everywhere – don’t be shy with it!

This is why I love it: it cleans a bike! So, if you live in a flat, you don’t need to worry about having a hose, it also lubricates all the moving parts, so they last longer and it gives everything a nice shine, whether it’s the metal or the plastic. Everything gets a brilliant shine with this.

It does everything, it’s pretty much the one thing I always use one my bike and always have done.

• Grab a cloth, spray everywhere. Whilst that’s just soaking for five minutes or so, wipe down the bits you don’t want to spray because they’re too close to the tyres and the brakes.
• Take the tank off, spray in all those bits that don’t usually get to see any of this maintenance and protection spray, all the wires, everything – doesn’t matter.

I do this in the summer as well, ideally once a month or so because it cleans the bikes. In the summer, I might do it more, and in the winter, yes, it cleans the bike but it also protects it from rust so it can do everything. Especially living in a flat means you don’t need to worry about having a bucket, water, carrying all of that stuff down, as this will do everything.

And it’s quite fun! It’s kind of therapeutic, I quite like it, especially on a Sunday.

It’s a very proud moment when you clean your bike and you know it’s protected so you can use it in the winter without any real worry of rust. You can use it for what it’s made for as much as possible – bikes love to be used.

• Finally, for the tank, I usually get a fresh cloth out because this is the bit that everyone sees. All the grime just wipes off so easily – making it look like new!

Now it’s all sorted, there won’t be any issues at all. And that’s pretty much exclusively thanks to GT85!

I love this stuff.

I’m curious, do you ride in the winter, do you tuck your pride and joy away for all the cold, salty months, or do you do what I do, and spray it down with a whole load of maintenance spray and ride through the winter with all of the grit and salt?

I honestly have found that I’ve never had a problem with it, but I do know a number of people who have a winter hack but there are two different sides to the argument.

You can go out and buy a winter hack and let’s say that would be about £2,000 maybe £3,000, depending on your budget, but you still have to insure that winter hack, you have to tax it and you have to do standard maintenance to it.

Is it more cost effective to use your pride and joy in the winter, spray it religiously, let’s say every two weeks or once a month with maintenance spray, completely cover it and protect it from rust?

Thanks, Freddie!

Check out Freddie’s full video on YouTube.

Join the conversation and tell us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook what you do with your motorcycle in the winter months.

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