Vaseline or heavy silcone ( tire dressing) on boots?

[exdirtbiker]

I think I have done both on various bikes here or there...
anyone see a downside to doing this?
a super thin coat, not a "slathering".

I used to lay gobs of Vaseline in the intake boots of my 2 stroke dirtbikes... If the airfilter was failing, the dust caught in the goop was very visible.
And the heavy silicone... just to keep the plastic/rubber flexible.

The reason I'm asking... I'm about to put my GS1000L carbs back on the bike, and the boots always get folded/bent in ways that scare me. I can't believe they haven't ripped yet. A little "slippery sauce" seems like a good idea ???

[GateKeeper]

lube em up.....

I just use some grease to get the carbs back in place, makes it somewhat easier to slip them in....

[Big T]

A spritz of silicone spray works fine

No slathering needed

[JEEPRUSTY]

I am a fan of Simoniz protectant spray
slick as snot it is.
Makes rubber happy.

[exdirtbiker]

I just went to put the carbs back in...
found the fuel T stitting on the bench...
Got them back together... again...
put them in the bike. connected everything.
put fuel in the bike... and fuel comes out of the bike.
all over the place. The T leaks like a pig. I have the rubberized kind, no o-rings, thought it felt OK. guess not.
the other 2 are fine.
Now I have to remove the rack, again, and wait for parts.
yup. I think I'm gonna cry.

[JEEPRUSTY]

nothing more frustrating than almost reaching the finish and failing.
it will be over soon

[Remington44-77]

I feel for you. I have lost track of how many times I've had the carbs off. After all my bike sat for 25 years and everything was bad or just wrong.