Salt

[jm21ddd15]

Watching the morning news, there was a story about the massive winter storm in the eastern part of the U.S. They showed trucks dumping tons of salt, and spraying roads with salt compounds. Reminds me of Wisconsin. Hope all you riders have someplace covered and dry for your cycles. After the snow is gone, make sure that salt crap is washed off the roads. That stuff turns to a fine powder, like dust, and gets in every crack and spot imaginable. And, aluminum does not like salt. We in the north, know the pain of parking our bikes for months, waiting for the spring rains to clean the roads.

[wjduke]

For a change, we're north of the targeted area, only getting 4-8. DC, Baltimore, VA....you guys are in big trouble. I'm sure you don't have the equipment we have, and we have issues.

[bob109]

I use to encounter all that winter $hit in NE Pa.! No more. Departing Pa. in mid-October for sunny North Central Florida and returning to Pa. in mid-April, I enjoy avoiding the cold, ice and snow. I really like visiting Lowe's, Home Depot and Tractor Supply and not seeing any "snow shovels", "snow blowers" and pallets of "rock salt". Currently 58 degrees with a heavy rain....much better than the "white stuff"

[willtill]

Watching the morning news, there was a story about the massive winter storm in the eastern part of the U.S. They showed trucks dumping tons of salt, and spraying roads with salt compounds. Reminds me of Wisconsin. Hope all you riders have someplace covered and dry for your cycles. After the snow is gone, make sure that salt crap is washed off the roads. That stuff turns to a fine powder, like dust, and gets in every crack and spot imaginable. And, aluminum does not like salt. We in the north, know the pain of parking our bikes for months, waiting for the spring rains to clean the roads.

Yep. My bikes are sound and asleep in my Amish sheds out back; on battery tenders with Seafoam stabilized fuel as well. Once the salt and the pre-treatment is put down; all motorcycle riding is shelved until a couple of rains wash it away.


For a change, we're north of the targeted area, only getting 4-8. DC, Baltimore, VA....you guys are in big trouble. I'm sure you don't have the equipment we have, and we have issues.

It's really not the snow that is the problem around here... it's the idiots whom don't know how to drive in it.

[Willl]

I have always wondered how long you guys wait before you go riding after the salt has been applied to the roads

Will said "a couple of rains", what is everyone's rule of thumb for waiting for the salt to dissolve?



Thanks

[wjduke]

I wait for some of the sand to be swept up. By then, the salt is gone too. One or two rains is a good judge too.

[willtill]

I have always wondered how long you guys wait before you go riding after the salt has been applied to the roads

Will said "a couple of rains", what is everyone's rule of thumb for waiting for the salt to dissolve?


Thanks

The amount of rain is a variable. One heavy rain can wash the whiteness of the salt from the streets. Or a couple of moderate rains will do it as well.

[F6B1911]

If you think the riding season in Wisconsin is short due to the winter, Detroit is worse.
After the winter season, you need to wait until is rains enough to wash all of the salt away.
... Then you need to wait longer for the cold patch crews to fill in the potholes left by over-salting.

[Paul B Blues]

If you think the riding season in Wisconsin is short due to the winter, Detroit is worse.
After the winter season, you need to wait until is rains enough to wash all of the salt away.
... Then you need to wait longer for the cold patch crews to fill in the potholes left by over-salting.

Roads are salted here for months, so as a result it takes a few weeks of heavy rain to get rid of it. But I'm forever washing my bike to make sure all the crap is off it..:icon_evil:

[Amipro]

... Then you need to wait longer for the cold patch crews to fill in the potholes left by over-salting.

Wait, you have cold patch crews??? :shock: We might see one in a mayoral election year. Kind of fun though, turns a straight stretch of road into twisties. All fun and games until you hit one.:yikes:

[Doug44]

I like to keep my bike as nice as the next person BUT view it more as a tool. I have and am planning on riding from Central IL to Bikeweek late Feb or 1st of March. I am going to encounter some salt and grime most of the time. They way I look at it is I trade every 2-4 years and my cars run in this stuff day in-day out. I bought my scooter to ride and that is what I do. She's not a garage or trailer queen I just get way too much enjoyment riding in all seasons. I keep rembering my grandfather buying a new 1952 Plymonth with beautiful seats. 1st thing he did after driving off the dealers lot was go down to Sears and have the most ugly seat covers install. 6 years later grandfather sold the car never seeing or enjoying those seats. The first thing the guy did who bought the car did was take the seat covers off and enjoy .

[jm21ddd15]

If you think the riding season in Wisconsin is short due to the winter, Detroit is worse.
After the winter season, you need to wait until is rains enough to wash all of the salt away.
... Then you need to wait longer for the cold patch crews to fill in the potholes left by over-salting.

Hello neighbor, I can't say much about Detroit roads. Every time I ride in Michigan, I stay away from that place. The U.P. is more my style. However, our roads are also full of pot holes, too. From the frost in the ground, and all the salt, it's a never ending process to keep the holes filled. In spring, the logging trucks are prohibited from the roads while the frost comes out of the ground; otherwise they just crumble away. Probably the same over in Mi, in the logging areas. I'll see you in Russleville in September. You going to arrive early again this year?
John

[1951vbs]

I like to keep my bike as nice as the next person BUT view it more as a tool. I have and am planning on riding from Central IL to Bikeweek late Feb or 1st of March. I am going to encounter some salt and grime most of the time. They way I look at it is I trade every 2-4 years and my cars run in this stuff day in-day out. I bought my scooter to ride and that is what I do. She's not a garage or trailer queen I just get way too much enjoyment riding in all seasons. I keep rembering my grandfather buying a new 1952 Plymonth with beautiful seats. 1st thing he did after driving off the dealers lot was go down to Sears and have the most ugly seat covers install. 6 years later grandfather sold the car never seeing or enjoying those seats. The first thing the guy did who bought the car did was take the seat covers off and enjoy .

Just do it! When I lived in MN I rode year round whenever the roads were clear enough. I washed my bikes off as much as possible and never saw evidence of damage. I have also driven and raced on the Bonneville Salt Flats and washed the bikes daily with no ill results. No doubt salt is a caustic substance but easily diluted with water.

[jm21ddd15]

I truck my Dual-sport bike out to the frozen lakes, and have a blast out on the ice, messing with the snowmobiles. But there is no salt on the lake, so the snow and ice is not an issue. My 6, lives in an unheated garage, and if I were to wash the salt off after a ride, the bike would be froze in a couple hours. Probably not the best idea for things like radios, throttle twist grips, and all the buttons on a "6". I sure don't need that. Plus, there are just too many places for that fine salty, dust to get in, Like up inside the fairing and radiators, that just can't be washed out very easily. I am retired, so maybe I will start to look for some winter residence in the south.

[Bob Penn]

Ahh come on now guys. My doctor has been telling me for years to stay away from salt. Do I listen to him? Heck no. You have to enjoy what's on the menu when ever it's served. After all what good are chips without salt on them?
Now what really scares me is getting beach sand in my trunks after lying down on the road after the skid.