Winter Riding

[debaisley]

This winter I plan on using my bike to go back and forth to work , as long as the roads are clear. The only thing that concerns me is the salt on the road , i feel it will really put a hurting on my motorcycle , any body have any suggestions on what to do ? i dont think spraying it down every day would be too good , I dont have a heated garage.

[debaisley]

This winter I plan on using my bike to go back and forth to work , as long as the roads are clear. The only thing that concerns me is the salt on the road , i feel it will really put a hurting on my motorcycle , any body have any suggestions on what to do ? i dont think spraying it down every day would be too good , I dont have a heated garage.

[OoPEZoO]

Do you have a garage at all, or just not a heated one?

I also use my bike to commute every day possible (R1100RT). I travel back and forth from PA to MD (just outside of Baltimore) so salt is always a concern. I just try to make sure I clean my bike off time to time. The weather isn't always below freezing......especially in the mid afternoon. If it gets slopped up, just try to get it sprayed off when you can. My bike has 105K+ miles on it and I haven't seen any adverse problems caused by the salt.

Come springtime though......I do pull all of the plastic and give the whole bike a good cleaning (including the back of the fairing pieces). Then it continues to collect road dirt and bugs till the following winter.

[Chuckracer]

Yep, the salt and the aluminum of your bike are a nasty combination. Can you buy a rat bike?

[Hatepylons]

WD-40 Glaze. Just find a big enough barrel.

OK, not really. I'm curious what people do come up with. I started rigging a hot water tap out to my hose spigot so I can hose off the cars and bike this winter. (Note, I don't plan to use solely hot water, but have the ability to mix the temp so it is luke warm).

My garage isn't heated either, but it stays Mid-40s so I figure if the water isn't cold it should evaporate rather quickly.

Originally Posted by debaisley

This winter I plan on using my bike to go back and forth to work , as long as the roads are clear. The only thing that concerns me is the salt on the road , i feel it will really put a hurting on my motorcycle , any body have any suggestions on what to do ? i dont think spraying it down every day would be too good , I dont have a heated garage.

[debaisley]

thats what i was thinking , look for a 500 $ bike and beat the hell out of it , if its still alive , sell it in the spring.

[URNUTS]

Only takes one little patch of black ice..... one little section of water that's in the shade and froze just a little.....
Bike-wise, though, I'd think some sort of oil-spray would do the job.

[buebo]

Diesel works as rust prevention. At least that's what some norwegian guy riding through the Oslo winter once told me...

[MoBill]

I ride all year. Lots do.

As far as cleaning, I use a dry cloth, Kovacs on the paint, cotton diapers and rags on the frame. Some light spray wax on all and WD-40. I hose it weekly if it's been grimey, only at the DIY carwash, during lunchtime so that the temp's warm enough under the bike cover to let it dry before I leave work for the day.

I cover it at work...takes only an extra second, keeps the looky loos (and birds in summer) away and helps it dry on those days without refreeze.

There are a lot of days in NJ where the temp still gets above 35 (as relates to cleaning the bike). But, my rule is watch carefully on ANY days with temps under 40 F.

Day prior I watch the temp and the dewpoint forecast. I can't exactly communicate my voodoo, I have to relearn it annually...but something like when there's precip and the temp below freezing...I may not take the bike if leaving before full light.

I know that's little help. But it works. Went down on ice in Feb 2007, back when I had no car. Cause: not paying attention to daytime melt refreezing overnight.

There are more hazards, but good riding. Tires are hard and grip reduced. Managing wind and core temp requires some "work" to get it managed. Seal every crack and have heated gear for longer rides.

The rewards are big to me, and worth it. But I'm uber-careful on nights where I'm working well past sundown.

Bottom line is, I take the car when the conditions add up to: minor precip, melt/refreeze, lots of runoff from recent snow still present, work times require "dark to dark".

If you can't see the road in full light in the am, you've got to stay on your toes.

Watch your speed...that's key #1.

[debaisley]

whoops , meant to post this in the northeast forum

[olebiker]

Ride a KLR. Hose it down with a bit of rust check if you are all concerned.

[MoBill]

Originally Posted by olebiker

Ride a KLR. Hose it down with a bit of rust check if you are all concerned.

+1

I need counseling. Do not listen to me. Do what he says. I'm not kidding.

[olebiker]

Originally Posted by morriswf

+1

I need counseling. Do not listen to me. Do what he says. I'm not kidding.

Pay no attention listen to what he says. It is to friggin cold to ride here in the winter. Even KLR's freeze up.

[MoBill]

Originally Posted by olebiker

Pay no attention listen to what he says. It is to friggin cold to ride here in the winter. Even KLR's freeze up.

Yer funny.

Sometimes, I don't know whether to scratch my watch or wind my ass, as you know. So, trust in olebiker.

Go ahead and ride dude, just don't become a bike cleaner like me.

[olebiker]

I got 4 of the bastards sitting out there now looking at me. They are worse than kids all wanting my attention. Even my KLR the exhaust can came apart and it puked it's wrap out. Only one of the three is rideable without any attention and it is the oldest. The XS1100 special is tough as nails and 28 years old.