My XT has some pretty nasty looking corrosion on the frame above the back wheel. No doubt courtesy of the salt on the roads which keeps the ice away so can't complain! I think the rust is pretty superficial but obviously I'd like to sort it out before it gets worse. Any tips on best way to remove rust - wet & dry sandpaper or is there a product anyone's used? Also, when the bare metal is exposed, what paint should I use on it?

the easiest way to remove it is cloridric or solphoric acid, otherwise a drill with a round metal brush. Sandpaper will take a lot of time.

From picture does not seem so superficial, and the rear frame on XT is not so solid also when it's perfect... if you use the bike loaded with baggage or with a passenger, check all carefully. As paint use rust protector and paint over it

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What year is your bike?

I have a pair of '84 XT's and the frames are pretty much as they were when they were made. Saying that they are both imports but they've been in the UK 10 years.

There is a part of the frame that retains water - if you undo the foot peg on the left hand side of your bike water will pour out of the bottom bolt hole (it did on mine anyway).

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Tom
I'm a country member...

My bike is 2002 and has done 14k miles so not too old. Not sure why that bit of the frame has rusted, the rest is fine.

Clean it up good with water and carshampoo (soap) and afterwards remove the big chunks and flakes of rust.

Then get som special paint to paint over rust, it turns the rust into metal again (sort of) and protects whats underneath.

"Hammerite" makes that product, in a spraycan. Super easy.

Check the underside of your fueltank as weel, the coating aint as good as the upperside, so there may very well be som just there to. Wax the bike afterwards

I work for a paint company part time, and this is what I would recommend... sand down the rust, then brush apply a phosphoric acid based prep product like POR 15 "Metal Ready" or equivalent... neutralises the rust and leaves a plastic film ready for paint, takes a few hours to work... then brush POR 15 rust preventative paint, comes in 100 mls cans in colours light grey, black, silver, clear. It is primer, but out of UV light can be top coat as well. It is moisture curing polyurethane, stir the contents first, then spoon or ladle out what you need for the job into a smaller container... don't get any paint in the lip between the lid and the can as it cements metal parts together... minimise exposure of the paint can contents to the air... if you leave off the lid, like while you are painting, next time you open the can, the contents will be solid, so don't paint directly from the can.On the job, the paint levels out perfectly, looks like a powdercoat finish, and is hammer tough. the second coat is opotional, for extreme conditions or areas of high wear, recoat next day if you wish. If you get any paint on your skin wash it off with thinners within 30 minutes or wear it for a few days until your skin cells renew! Painty hands not a good look at the weddng! Steve.

My process would be:

1. Wire brush off all the loose paint and rust, sand as smooth as possible
2. Apply Kurust or Jenolite (phosphoric acid) as directed on tin
3. Overcoat with normal primer/topcoat as required.

I wouldn't use Hammerite. It might be easy to use (one coat etc) but it hardens off very brittle and it you get a crack, water gets underneath and your rust problem is worse than before. Body paint seems to be much more flexible and if you put it on right should be as good as new. Plus, Hammerite is the sign of the bodger!

I have never used POR15 as Tenere Rider suggests, but I have heard excellent reports from people I hang with who restore old Land Rovers. Having read the above post, I'd give POR15 a try next time.

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2006 XT660R daily ride, 1994 XT600E about to be reborn, Blog: http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/

My process would be:

1. Wire brush off all the loose paint and rust, sand as smooth as possible
2. Apply Kurust or Jenolite (phosphoric acid) as directed on tin
3. Overcoat with normal primer/topcoat as required.

I wouldn't use Hammerite. It might be easy to use (one coat etc) but it hardens off very brittle and it you get a crack, water gets underneath and your rust problem is worse than before. Body paint seems to be much more flexible and if you put it on right should be as good as new. Plus, Hammerite is the sign of the bodger!

I have never used POR15 as Tenere Rider suggests, but I have heard excellent reports from people I hang with who restore old Land Rovers. Having read the above post, I'd give POR15 a try next time.

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2006 XT660R daily ride, 1994 XT600E about to be reborn, Blog: http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/

Well, theres more than one solution

Hammerite has done it for me, on my Xt, and ond the silencer for my dt175 which haves a lot of vibrations and rocks flying everywhere

Sure. I just don't like Hammerite personally. I think it looks bad, it's very messy to apply, and it's next to impossible to get off if you change your mind and want to do a proper job. It doesn't respond to paint remover, and it is extremely hard to sand or brush off, even with a wire brush in a power drill.

Smoothrite is much better, though.

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2006 XT660R daily ride, 1994 XT600E about to be reborn, Blog: http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/

Hard to come off = it works protecting your bike

Ypu can buy it as regular paint (or simular products) and as a spraycan.

Lovely to hear different views

+1
Excellent advise, also if you are cleaning small rusty parts you can use straight phosphoric acid in a large plastic tub. You have to at least prime it right after you soak and rinse your parts or it will form a light coat of surface rust quickly. You can buy the phosphoric acid anywhere you can buy swimming pool supplies. It save a lot of work when it comes to rusty parts.

One more thing, when using acid or acid products make sure you don't get it on your skin and be sure to use it in a well ventilated area along with wearing a respirator. At the very least don't inhale the fumes, they are very strong!

Different viewpoints are great - that's what discussion forums are for!

I know Hammerite is hard to get off and, while it is place, it protects the bike. But it also goes brittle, cracks and lets water underneath. Then the rust starts, and you have the devil's own job to get the damn stuff off to fix the rust. I'd rather use ordinary paint and protect it with something like Waxoyl in places where it can't be seen.

I can see we will never agree! But wouldn't life be boring if we were all the same?

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2006 XT660R daily ride, 1994 XT600E about to be reborn, Blog: http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/

You can have it chromed lol

What I'll be doing on my 90' XT600E frame is sandblast and something they call "metalizar" (it's some kind of paint that is used on fences and gates so it won't rust) ... give a nice primer and a two layer coat paint job to finish!

Vando

Thanks a lot for all the great advice. I've ordered the PRO 15 products - Metal Ready and Rust Preventative Paint from Classic car restoration, kit cars and motorcycle restoration tools and equipment - Frost Auto. I'll let you know how it went when it's done.
Cheers, Pete.