| Author | Message | ||
     Squidbuzz |
It's my first winter with a bike and I'm wondering if I need to be afraid of road salt. I've had a few friends express concern about road salt and bikes. What do you guys think? | ||
| Hooper |
Frankly, the only concerns I have about road salt is that the granules are slippery like gravel. As far as their effect to the integrity of the bike itself, I don't think of it any more than I do with my car. I try to wash my vehicles in winter(especially underneath) if a warmish day comes along. | ||
| Dfishman |
Keep it clean & use corrosion inhibitor on the fork tubes,RIDE | ||
| M2nc |
I can not speak to road salt, but sea spray spotted my header pipes. I believe I can buff it out though. | ||
| Crusty |
I ride year round. When the roads are salty, I try to wash the bike VERY frequently. Check out my profile pic. It was taken by my wife after my annual New Years Day ride in 2006. If you're going to ride in the winter, keep in mind that tires don't stick worth a damn in cold temps, that there will be icy patches, loose sand and salt piles where you least expect them and the idiots in cars won't be expecting motorcycles to be out; so you'll be even more invisible than in the summer months. | ||
| Tginnh |
"tires don't stick worth a damn in cold temps..." I can attest to that having had my bike slide out from underneath me at about 5mph making a 90 degree turn last winter. I was riding in the teens last winter, but probably won't be going that low this year. | ||
| Johnboy777 |
Riding last winter rusted my muffler pretty badly. I need to get it Jet Coated. . | ||
| Dfishman |
I keep my muffler coated with S100 Engine Brightener.It resists heat & protects from rust.I live at the beach.We have salt yearound. | ||
| Sparky |
The racers at Bonneville Salt Flats use a product called Salt-Away that effectively prevents corrosion damage to anything that would get salt spray or buildup. That might do the trick for ya. | ||
| Babired |
I'm with Hooper. I wait until the rain washes the salt off of the road, then ride no matter what the temp is outside. I rode thru some salt water this year on the eastern shore and it pretty much soaked the whole bike, I took it home and gave it a good bath  I just dug out my heated gear from the closet this morning. K | ||
| Squidbuzz |
All good advice. Thanks. | ||
| Crusty |
I'll be riding in the teens today. It's 14° F outside, and I leave for work in 1/2 hour. I'll give the bike extra time to warm up. | ||
| Werewulf |
here is florida, i do a lot of day trips to places that have boat launching ramps...you dont see the salt on the road, because it dries in the sun... however, it reeks havoc on bikes, even though i wash them as soon as i get home... i found that putting a bit of vinegar in the wash water helps.. rust never sleeps! | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Crusty, Tape over your oil cooler to keep the wind from unnecessarily cooling the oil. I did mine last winter and just remembered it and will do mine today. |
