[user12340987]

I drive my moped all year round in the uk, I was told as long as I use it regularly I won't experience any bad rust however it seems to be everywhere. When I say all year round I mean everyday, rain, cold, night etc. The scooter is stored in my garage not outdoors ever, only when I'm in school will the scooter be outside for long periods of time, again rain or shine. I was wondering if there was anyway I can stop rust from forming like this and if/how I can get rid of it as cheaply as possible, thanks!

 

[Surteez]

Do you live near the coast? I live in Newcastle UK right by the sea and I get this problem a lot.

Every time I oil my chain I use wire wool and some 3in1 oil to tackle the rust that gathers.

 

[hogcowboy]

You can slow it down a little by putting several coats of wax on it but you won’t ever stop it. Or you can go all out and instead of wax, clear coat it. Both ways only slow it down. Wax cost elbow grease and clear coat cost money. It’s a never ending battle.

 

[johnnyvee]

I live in the rust belt in the US, where, as they say, "Rust never sleeps". The winter is the real hazardous time, because they use salt on the streets to melt the snow. Salt from sea air, or road salt, or impurities in the air from industrial and agricultural chemicals, are all very hazardous. The ions promote the propagation of oxidization, which on steel, is rust, and on aluminum is less aggressive, but still bad news. Rust naturally forms pits, and these will hold moisture and ionic contaminants. It's important to start with as clean and smooth a surface as possible, before you encapsulate. Powder coating or epoxy coatings are the best at resisting rust. Once rust starts, to get rid of it much means taking the machine in pieces and individually cleaning, de-rusting and encapsulating them. I use a chemical treatment that contains phosphoric acid to convert iron oxide to iron phosphate before I prime and paint.

If a machine is relatively new and stars rusting despite being well kept, I'd suspect that it wasn't properly painted in the first place. Paint can look fine to the eye and still have porosity. Some makers may not properly prep. or prime the parts before painting. It's the undersides, and even worse, the INSIDEs of HOLLOW formed and welded parts that are the real danger spots, in my opinion.

To keep rust out in the first place means keeping the machine clean and dry. Dust and dirt generally always contains some portion of the aforementioned ions. Some guys here will spray oil on their undercarriage, to deter rust, which along with paint and wax are about all you can do.

Have to move to the desert if you want your vehicles to last a lifetime. I remember seeing a 1950's Dodge, out in the New Mexico desert, half buried in sandy soil, and it looked like you could dig it out and start driving it.

 

[user12340987]

Do you live near the coast? I live in Newcastle UK right by the sea and I get this problem a lot.

Every time I oil my chain I use wire wool and some 3in1 oil to tackle the rust that gathers.

Yes, I live on the wirral in Heswall near the coast. I have some blobs on rust on my suspension forks swell, will the wire wool work?

 

[user12340987]

You can slow it down a little by putting several coats of wax on it but you won’t ever stop it. Or you can go all out and instead of wax, clear coat it. Both ways only slow it down. Wax cost elbow grease and clear coat cost money. It’s a never ending battle.

Think I will fo with the wax option hahah, Is there any way I can get rid of the existing rust?

 

[user12340987]

I live in the rust belt in the US, where, as they say, "Rust never sleeps". The winter is the real hazardous time, because they use salt on the streets to melt the snow. Salt from sea air, or road salt, or impurities in the air from industrial and agricultural chemicals, are all very hazardous. The ions promote the propagation of oxidization, which on steel, is rust, and on aluminum is less aggressive, but still bad news. Rust naturally forms pits, and these will hold moisture and ionic contaminants. It's important to start with as clean and smooth a surface as possible, before you encapsulate. Powder coating or epoxy coatings are the best at resisting rust. Once rust starts, to get rid of it much means taking the machine in pieces and individually cleaning, de-rusting and encapsulating them. I use a chemical treatment that contains phosphoric acid to convert iron oxide to iron phosphate before I prime and paint.

If a machine is relatively new and stars rusting despite being well kept, I'd suspect that it wasn't properly painted in the first place. Paint can look fine to the eye and still have porosity. Some makers may not properly prep. or prime the parts before painting. It's the undersides, and even worse, the INSIDEs of HOLLOW formed and welded parts that are the real danger spots, in my opinion.

To keep rust out in the first place means keeping the machine clean and dry. Dust and dirt generally always contains some portion of the aforementioned ions. Some guys here will spray oil on their undercarriage, to deter rust, which along with paint and wax are about all you can do.

Have to move to the desert if you want your vehicles to last a lifetime. I remember seeing a 1950's Dodge, out in the New Mexico desert, half buried in sandy soil, and it looked like you could dig it out and start driving it.

I have a very cheap Chinese made scooter and the rust is everywhere even on top of paint and where the paint has scratched off e.g on the side and main stand, if my keeping it dry do you mean wiping it down after rain?

 

[Surteez]

Yes, I live on the wirral in Heswall near the coast. I have some blobs on rust on my suspension forks swell, will the wire wool work?

Yeah any degreaser and wire wool will do the job mate

 

[johnnyvee]

I have a very cheap Chinese made scooter and the rust is everywhere even on top of paint and where the paint has scratched off e.g on the side and main stand, if my keeping it dry do you mean wiping it down after rain?

What you describe sounds to me like the manufacturer didn't properly coat the metal, and the finish is porous. The coating on the metal is the only thing that protects it from rust. Rust is aggressive and it's progressive, as the iron in steel is converted to iron oxide, it expands, flakes, pits and greatly weakens. It eventually becomes porous and this exposes more surface area for the rust to eat away. If you want to know more about how rust forms, google "how does rust form". If you want to know more about how to combat it, google "rust repair". You'll find a lot of info. Here's an article that is relatively easy to understand: How to Repair Minor Rust on a Car

The good news is that the rust you describe sounds like relatively light, surface rust. It is a lot of work, but if I was in your shoes, and wanted to preserve the machine as long as possible, I'd
- Scrape, wire brush, sand or otherwise physically remove the little bumps, removing the soft rust deposits.
- Sand all the existing finish, because it has already proven unable to protect the metal.
- Prime the surfaces with a good rust preventative primer.
- Paint the surfaces with a good quality, rust preventative paint.

POR-15 is a good, but expensive, rust preventative coating: POR-15 Technical Information

Living in the rust belt and riding my machine year around is why I prefer painted surfaces to chrome. Paint can be fixed, chrome, not so much. Purists will scoff, but I've been known to use a paint brush on my vehicles. With a good quality brush and good technique, one can produce a finish that is certainly not show quality, but does the job. To me, even a crudely painted fender looks better than one that is pocked with rust.

Keeping your machine dry in the environment and usage pattern that you describe is going to be somewhat impossible, but wiping it off will at least reduce the salts in the dirt from contributing to the problem. Once you have removed existing rust and recoated, if you take that path, it will be much easier to prevent it from re-occurring. Don't forget to pay attention to the inside of the mudguards and the nooks and crannies under the seat and so on.