How many ride during the winter when salt/etc. residue is still on the roads?
Do you worry about it or just ride?
If you do ride, how do you clean it off?
I've read some:
1. Wait until spring
2. Some have a very detail method of cleaning/neutralizing the salt
3. Some don't worry about it. One said, I just ride. I clean my motorcycle once a year whether it needs it or not LOL
never, when salt is on the road = still too cold and slippery. I wait for steady, min +11*C, prior which rain will take care of any salt residue..
Spring is coming early this year as per groundhog prediction...
My dilemma is we just came from a week of freezing weather with freezing rain yesterday but tomorrow it will be 60 and sunny but there hasn't been enough rain to actually wash all the salt off the road yet.
Dry salt is one thing, it’s when it’s wet that it cakes over everything and gets in the nooks and crannys.
It’s likewise warm here after a week of cold and some snow, so heck yeah I’m riding all weekend.
Lol I think you know my answer, and I wash my bikes twice a year, in the spring to get off the winter crud and in the fall to wash off the summer crud. And sometimes another time or two depending on circumstances.
The salt residue will mess some of the parts on the bike up, some bolts, clamps, and even wheels and engine cases. If you are interested in keeping your bike pristine, I would recommend against riding when there is salt on the road. If you plan on riding the bike until it has 100k on it and therefore basically worthless in the end, then what difference does it make if some parts are messed up from oxidation or whatever.
We are in the same condition for roads over here, and if the ice melts off my road by this afternoon, I will be out riding.
Dry and bonded road salt like in my area actually provides improved traction because there is no oily surface residue like during the warm seasons. So riding feels pretty good in that regard. There might be sandy intersections to deal with though.
Salt will bind to bear metal parts and some chromed plastic and bare aluminum for sure. My chain turned turd brown the first time I road on salty white roads during the wet and warmer season. I have used a gravity fed chain oiler since and have not had the problem. The salt adheres to the oil and eventually gets flung off.
I do not ride in wet salt road conditions. This is mostly because the mess created on the riding gear. I don't have a gear shower in the garage. I don't have a garage.
The center stand takes a toll from road salt exposure. It will rust hard. But, since installing the gravity fed chain oiler, the center stand has slowly become "oiled" from the front sprocket. So the rusting has been paused for many years now.
Just me. I will never expose my bikes to that.
If the roads are dry (and if it's warm enough), I'll ride. I wash my bikes fairly religiously and never really concern myself about it.
This stuff does actually work... In addition to corrosion prevention, it makes gunk wash off easier. It's probably too much of a pain for most, but I actually like cleaning my bikes. Getting them dirty give me something to do on days when I can't ride.