Another quarantine Thread, but rustier

[timae]

Hi all,

I've tried the search extensively, but I couldn't find anything about rust. Cause the whole cleaning thing is clear to me, I'm just a little nervous about some surface rust that started to show on some parts that I can't just paint without taking the engine out.

So will the small patches of rust be any problem with quarantine?

cheers
tim

[Quandary]

Hi Tim

I really dont think that AQIS (customs) is going to be worried about rust but thats just my opinion. Check out there web page for things that can not be brought into Australia. I would presume that NZ is similar if thats where you are going.

What can't I take into Australia? - DAFF

Cheers
Marty

[Mike.C]

Nope not an issue.

All they are looking for is dirt and bug guts. We brought both our bikes in from NZ last month and they were filthy before we started cleaning them up for shipment.

We just pressure washed em, then hand washed really well and then as a final put a couple of cap fulls of kerosene in a bucket of water and washed them again with that.

They looked good but certainly weren't in show room condition as we are just too lazy for that as we are too lazy for that much effort.

As i said they are looking for dirt and stuff that could carry pathogens, not for show room shine and sparkle, IMHO there is a lot of misinformation about the AQIS requirenents, every time we have had dealings with them they have been more than reasonable.

Of course others may not have been so lucky.

Hope that helps.

[timae]

that's good new, cheers guys for the fast answers.

[PanEuropean]

Just a post-script to what Mike C. has already written above:

Canada follows pretty much the same protocols as Australia, although probably not quite as strictly because Canada is not an island.

What the Canadian agricultural people want you to do when you bring a vehicle in from another continent is to make sure that there is no soil on it anywhere, and no bug guts on it anywhere.

So, this means all you have to do is a really good pressure wash, followed up by a really good hand wash (to get rid of any leftover dust or bug guts), but, instead of focusing your attention on making sure that the parts everyone sees are clean (like the tank, the seat, the sides of the engine), you want to focus your attention on making sure that the parts that no-one (even you) ever look at are clean.

This means underneath both the front and rear wheel fenders, way up at the top of the front fork shocks where the bug guts go after the bug explodes lower down on your front forks, underneath the bottom of the engine, underneath the bottom of the center stand and side stand, and in between the treads of the tires.

Plan on spending about $5 at a local coin-op car wash, and then about half an hour with a bucket and a brush. Then give the bike one final rinse. When the agricultural folks see that you have obviously made a serious effort to make sure there is no soil or bug guts on the bike, they will appreciate your efforts and let you through.

Michael