I took the winter hack out yesterday, (M900), roads were pretty much dry, this morning I worked on the bike (stripped & cleaned callipers), found lots of small white blobs of salt in the Callipers and on the engine cases etc, so that’s it, my good bikes are consigned to the garage for weeks and I’ve got to start washing and blow drying the M900 every time I get home, grrrrr!
Yep if you don't stay on top of cleaning the salt will really feck up your bike(s). Horrible stuff when it comes to bikes
Agreed, I remember once saying to someone who had just got their first bike; "Don't ride it once the roads have been salted." He was a panel beater and sprayer, thought he knew best and ignored my advice...Several weeks later one motorcycle with significant damage to callipers, bolts, banjo bolts and what were small stone chips ere now nice an furry. You have to be so meticulous with washing and AC50 etc, it's just not worth it IMO. BTW, that's far too nice for a winter hack. A high mileage Honda Deauvillie - now that's a winter hack, anything that reduces their numbers...
Ha, good idea re the Deau(vile), I did run an old CBR1000F as a winter hack a couple of years back, an ideal winter machine at 609 lb’s wet
When enough time passes without riding I'll get the urge to go out in the salt and stomach the big clean up afterwards
If you do decide to go out when there's salt on the roads make sure you wash your bike off with cold water first, not hot as the first will wash it off while the 2nd dissolves it and makes things worse
Thanks, it was looking very sorry for itself when I got it a couple of years ago, the PO had run it through 3 winters and never once cleaned it, not even to advertise it for sale!, so I painted the frame and wheels, added the carbon silencers and generally tarted it up, it does look ok but I bought it to use in bad weather to keep my other bikes preserved, it’ll get another spruce up in the spring to remedy whatever damage the winter has done, I like to leave bikes in a condition that they can be returned to standard, hence the “tea tray” is still there (apart from my 750 SOHC race rep, I hacked loads off that frame, but it was an utter wreck when I got it and was beyond economical restoration to standard).
I used to ride a Yamaha rxs 100 all year round. The secret is to paint the whole bike in waxoil and leave it outside without a cover ! It really works , even after 15 years it didn't look too bad. In the spring I removed it all with white spirit. It never failed to start because it had a kick start. Only broke down in the snow once when it was so cold and I was going so slow , the plug could. I always promised it I would restore it after I no longer commuted on it. I spent shit loads of dosh and did it up. Such a valiant little bike deserved it . She now lives in the shed
I love salt have it on almost everything I even put it on buttered toast, some people think I'm weird.
Niether do I but do push the boat out for the shampoo stage, hence the need to wash it off with cold water first
I know, I bring a warm bucket out sometimes when doing the car to keep the hands warm... just winding you up
Because if you use hot water it dissolves the salt and activates it so it then becomes corrosive mate rather than just being washed off with cold water. I always rinse the bike off first with cold water with the jetwash to get as much of the salt off as possible then apply tfr, rinse that off before washing it by hand with shampoo followed by another cold rinse before getting the pet dryer on it and finally getting the FS365 out-at least that only takes a few minutes Very often it takes me longer to clean the bu88er than I've been out riding it but I know if I don't it'll go pear shaped.
Some years back I bought a Tiger 955i as a winter hack to keep the salt off my thunderbird 1600. Trouble was I liked the Tiger so much it became my main bike and I put well over 30 k on it in just under 2 years. Then I thought 'why not buy a nice low mileage Tiger 955i' as the old one was showing signs of poor health. So now I have two shiny triumphs I'm afraid to use in winter. Perhaps I need a third one?
I just cook some chips in my air fryer for 28 mins at 200 C Then I throw them all over the bike and the salt is attracted as if by magic to the chips. Then I eat the chips. Very often it takes me longer to make and eat the chips than I've been out riding but I know if I don't it'll all go sausage shaped.
