found some damage, is it major or minor?

I noticed on the right side of the frame, just below the battery, some surface rust, and then further down (by the red arrow in the picture), some corrosion where the black paint was crusting off, revealing white flaky stuff...?! Is this serious, or should I just do my best to scrub it off?

 

Wow, did you just find that bike in a farmers field, or what?

Corrosion is like cancer, the sooner you find it and attack it, the better chance you have of beating it.

The only way to know how serious it is, is by cleaning it up first. Luckily it is just the master cylinder, which can easily be replaced.

It looks like the problem may have started with a bad battery, that leaked onto it from the tray. I would definitely take the battery out and clean that area out as well.

Get it all cleaned up and come back with some new pics and we'll reassess it.

:crazy:

 

Only way to know is to clean it up. I've seen battery acid drip on stuff, the white corrosion be half an inch thick, and no damage done at all. On the other side of things I've seen barely a film of batter acid covering something and it have eaten halfway through a bolt.

 

The Navy spends Billions of dollars a year on Corrosion treatment and prevention b ecause it leads to major damage. Never use steel wire brushes to remove corrosion, it's like using gas to put out a fire. Instead use a Brass wire brush, or sand paper if it really stubborn. a coat of anti rust primer and then regular paint is the only real way to effectively end corrosion.

 

First thing that needs done on this bike is a good cleanup. Take off all the plastic and anything else you can remove withtout a major teardown. If possible get some GUNK and mix it according to the directions.

Best fix for a leaky battery is to get rid of it. Slosh down all suspect areas where leaks are, may be and could be with a slurry of bicarbonate of soda and water. Leaky batterys leak acid. The acid degrades the paint and moisture gets to the steel causing oxidation.

Treating for steel oxidation is scaling and brushing with a brass brush then a followup with a rust converter. These are waterbourne solutions that convert iron oxide into magnetite. Try Sherwin-Williams or a marine supply that sells boat paint. Follow the directions. If asking for this product get you a vacant stare at Sherwin-Williams ask the counter person if you can see if the bossman can find it for you. One brand is "CorroSeal".

This bike looks like it has been sitting outdoors and a good cleanup will let you pinpoint the problem areas. Check that plastic too for broken tabs ect.

For suspect rust thoughs an awl is a good tool.

 

Thank you all for the info. This is my first motorcycle, I've had it for 6 days now and I started learning about motorcycles around 5 days ago! It's a 1986 vf500f, and has been in storage in a barn for the past 5 years. The carbs weren't drained for one thing, which shines a light on the situation.

I am planning on buying a new battery, but haven't researched that yet. Do I have to buy one with the whole water tank setup, or are there newer versions available? I read something about a gel battery? What other options are there? I know on a car battery I don't have to fill up any water??!! I'm going to look into finding a charge reader (what are they called?!) so I can check that the battery is charging properly over 2,000rpms (once I get the engine working!), which will tell me whether I need a new R/R unit... or maybe I'll just buy one anyway.

I appreciate your info on how to clean the rusted / corroded areas, I wouldn't have known step one!

Looking at the bike, there are minor cracks around a few tabs on the plastic covers. I'm going to invest in a plastic repair kit and spend some time reinforcing the breaks. I'm afraid to remove the rear cover, one tab looks slightly crushed inside the bolt & washer, but it's still holding. If I take it off it looks like it may fall apart. On the side covers, one on each, a 'male' attachment stud is broken, I need to look at options to fix that.

Fortunately, I do know all the previous owners. Any history is available...

 

Same basic options on bike batteries as car batteries. High probability your current batter is toast. Try WalMart.

General bike knowledge is good to have but I think in your case you need to talk to one or more of the folks here that own bikes similar to yours. All sorts of things change on bikes from year to year. IMO your first step should be to have a service manual. Some can be downloaded off the net for free or you might have to buy one online.

Bottom line? Get it running first.

 

to get the corrosion off (not joking) coca-cola and a toothbrush.