Acid spills on GS500

[TR]

I still think you got a nice deal, you saved more than a couple thousands, for a new enogh bike.

My second battery sprayed the lower part of the frame and linkage of suspension after a dropping, it ate the paint, also in Summer and Winter battery tended to lose water and discharge. Sealed battery is the way to go, more expensive tha OEM but you won't have to worry for another acid damage restoration again and the battery will keep the charge.

[johnny ro]

Gooddeal.

And its OK to want pristine. Its probably not ok to shoot for pristine once pristine is gone. unless you have fun restoring. Then its OK.

[Electrojake]

Agreed.
I have a sealed battery on the way but I had to down-size from 11 Amp hours to 10 in order to get the proper fit.
Click the link for a look at it:
www.dvoltbatteries.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/8da3cad374f029aa5149c32035d00113.jpg

The sealed battery in my Yamaha is about 18 months old and I have no problems with it, driving lights, electric gloves, GPS, Brio horn, GMRS radio, etc...

And as for pristine. . .
Yes, I want the GS to be perfect at least once before I go out on the road.
I winter ride here in New Jersey and I know what the road-salt and calcium chloride are gonna' do to the bike.
And yes, I do use Marine SaltAway. It works wonders but only stops about 75% of the corrosion damage. And I cant hose her down when its 29 degrees out so sometimes she does get put-up wet as the saying goes.
-Ej-

[BaltimoreGS]

Pristine is overrated, the most liberating thing to happen to me was wrecking the SV.  Before then I washed it, waxed it, refrained from using a magnetic tank bag....  Now that it is scraped and dented I can use it like I should have been all along 

-Jessie

[O.C.D.]

Anal is as anal does.  If you want pristine than make it pristine.  Hell I have spent $2000 on mine to make it into something I could have just bought called a GSXR, lol.

Enjoy the rebuild, it is a hobby.  Welcome to the forum as well.

[ver4]

Pristine is overrated, the most liberating thing to happen to me was wrecking the SV.  Before then I washed it, waxed it, refrained from using a magnetic tank bag....  Now that it is scraped and dented I can use it like I should have been all along 

-Jessie

He's lying to you.  I have video proof he still does all those things. 

[Electrojake]

Yes, its a hobby. Exactly!
Off topic but...
Yeah, the neighbors would agree that I'm anal, overprotective, and destructive, all in one well groomed package.
I guess some people just got to wrench. It can't be helped. Other people need to sit on the couch after work and get fat & stupid. Unfortunately, much like my neighbor, they can't be helped either.

1.)I pulled my new Jeep into my shop and installed a full suspension system, 4:11 gears, on-board air, remote controlled locking differential, BFG tires, swapped the chrome rims for black steel, front & rear Warm bumpers, steel gear racks, M8000 winch, plus engine work, body work, etc. . . Neighbors watched me work and thought I was completely nuts, only a fool would do that to a brand new vehicle!
2.)Had the sweetest Jeep in town for about a month, then planned a trip with the wife & kids into the Pine Barrens to see what it could do. We had a blast but needless to say the Jeep wasn't "new" any more. <heh-heh> Brought her home all mudded-out & tattered from the trip. Neighbors thought I was nuts, (a fool).
3.)As an even bigger spectacle, I ride ATGATT. Needless to say, when I'm suited up and roll down the driveway on the bike. . . Neighbors think I'm nuts, (a fool).
And I'm positive they consider me a fool because (I allow) my 2 children to ride. You guessed it; Neighbors think I'm nuts, (a fool).

Damn, I'm so far off topic I forgot what the heck I'm ranting about!?!
Well one thing I know for sure. . .
You GStwin forum members have the knowledge and experience I need to do this GS500 properly.
And if after I'm done making it pristine, I happen to lay the thing down on an exit ramp somewhere, I'll be looking for advice on how to Hooligan what's left.
You guys know cause ya already been there. . . and I need that knowledge!
Later,
-Ej-

P.S. I guess wrecking the "Baltimore SV" did indeed knock the pristine out of her, eh? <snicker>
-Ej-

[cundalini]

AGATT is the only way to ride.

Pine Barrens is my favourite episode of sopranos.
"You think this is cold? I wash my ***** with icewater."
I didn't know it was a real place.
Would love to take my jeep out there.

[BaltimoreGS]

The Pine Barrens, Tower City, and Paragon Adventure Park (RIP) are some of the best places on the northern east coast to explore by Jeep (or dirtbike in my case...)

-Jessie

[Andy13186]

just checked my acid corroded areas again and its reallly bad.. tons of corrosion built up  again

im gona have to take the battery tray out or something.. the best way to clean this is just with water or what?

pic  this is after i allready scraped it off once and sprayed with rustoleum.. it just corroded under the rustoleum again =(

its the battery box

[Electrojake]

I think it would be best to get a new "sealed" battery before you bother to re-hab the old battery tray.
The dried acid will drop down and also blow back onto the rest of the bike.
I know all about it.
Thanks for posting the pic!

[Andy13186]

i did buy a new battery recently, couldnt find a sealed one though..  new one hasnt leaked and i dont think it will leak unless i crash bad or something

to clean that corrosion i made a solution of baking soda and water and sprayed it on, that foamed up and turned brown, then i sprayed that off with a hose

i think it worked good, hopefully it does not start to corrode again

[erbilabuc]

spotblast the area and paint with rustoleum. I have an 06 with same problems. Instead of buying new then why not just take all the parts to a powdercoater to make them look new. i doubt it will cost over 50$ for everything.

[Electrojake]

An Acid Bath GS500 Update. . .
After a solid month of putzin' around with this almost perfectly bran new (yeah right) GS, its starting to look like a 2007 "F" bike again.
A few days ago I even got to hear the engine run. Very reassuring!
Carbs are jetted and back on, forks re-sprung and back on, electrical harness mods are done, acid damage fully repaired, cosmetics are done and I hung a new Jardine on her in place of the acid damaged stock pipe, touring wind screen, electronics bling, blah, blah, etc, etc...

So Just when I was starting to forget about the primary reason for tearing the bike apart, I unpacked the seat and as I went to put it on the bike I flipped it up-side-down and said "Hey, what's all this white powdery crap!?!"
Well of course! Its Acid.
It was along the right underside of the seat. The acid bath side, so of course the seat got the staples burnt out of it by acid. <sigh>

Anyway; Here is a shot of the right side of the bike (which had the most damage) all repaired & reassembled.
Pristine Thank You.

****

Here is what the staples in "your" seat look like. . .

****

And here is what the staples in my Acid Bath GS look like. . .
Brown, rusted, ready to disintegrate soon as my fat butt gets comfy on the first ride.

****

I'm starting to run short on patience.
-Ej-

[tussey]

 
rusty seat staples? might as well trash the whole bike.

[crazyfish]

Acid shouldn't be getting that high up on the bike, is there still a drain hose attached to the battery? That hose is supposed to leak the acid down and away from all the stuff that it can eat.

Worried about acid? Try English weather, that eats through exhaust pipes even if you have a sealed battery.

[The Buddha]

Staples under the seat ... OK 2 options there.
Clean it with a tooth brush and wd40 ... anything harder and you'd blow a hole in the vinyl.

The option I like though and I am doing it to 1 seat as we speak ...

Buy stainless staples and a staple gun. Then remove 1 and staple that with the new staple. 1 at a time will prevent the cover form comming off and then you have to heat it and line it and do all the BS ... 1 at a time is great, in fact you may even hit the same spot and save punching more holes in it. All wal mart and prolly cost under 20 bucks. Then you have staples and a staple gun to show for it too.

BTW can the foam freeze, cos my seat was like a rock this morning. It thawed around the time I puleld into work.

Cool.
Buddha.

[Paulcet]

I don't think the foam freezes, but it does become less compliant.  Mine was not as cushy this morning either.  27°F

[Electrojake]

The point here is; after all the hub-bub over acid damage on a bike with only 1200 miles on her, the very last thing I (didn't) look at was the seat. And of course, after all else was repaired, and I was all ready to gloat, the seat too was damaged due to that single driveway drop by the previous owner.

Crazyfish, the battery acid damage was from a drop.
Thanks for the input though.

Buddha, you seem to have a remedy for just about anything. All good info too. Thanks. I will have to re-staple or eventually it will indeed fall apart.
I'm hoping this seat issue is the last gasp of the acid damage.

Paulcet, riding in 27°F weather? That's Adventure-Tourer material!
Off Topic but: How do you deal with the salt & calcium chloride damage issue when winter riding?
Just wondering.
Thanks!
-Ej-

[The Buddha]

Fall apart ... dunno didn't look too bad from that pic. Clean it and see ... I replaced em on one where the seat sat in dirt for a few months atleast.
The vinyl in that was OK ... so was the pan. But the staples are the weakest link ... I have stapler and SS staples so I didn't have to buy anything.

Cool.
Buddha.