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Salt riding

jamesearl

jamesearl

Well-Known Member
When I first got a sporty,I rode thru all conditions,didn't really think road salt would do much.Since then I've heard it was bad and tried to avoid it.I know it's corrosive.I am wondering if anyone has had bad experiences with their bike because of road salt.Any real damage.I'm getting tempted to ride thru it,and just rinse it off.Winters been too long here this year.But if anyone has seen actual damage,I'd like to hear about it.
 
As a long time resident of the East Coast of Florida, I know what salt can do long term. It permeates every crevice, and sits and absorbs moisture forever.
I rode beach side as seldom as possible, and NEVER on the beach sand itself. I can only relate to ocean salt, because I don't know about snow and ice. Lucky me.
 
Wash your bike good including tires and belt after riding in the salt
 
As I live in a cold damp often salty environment I have seen bikes of mine deteriorate rapidly when ridden year round
Prior to my current Harleys the only bike I had that was not fitted with fork gaiters required the stanchions and fork seals replaced every spring time due to pitting in the stanchion and subsequent damage to the seals gaiters were fitted with the third set of stanchions frame required a strip and repaint after 2 winters on the strip of that bike took 3 weeks of work to get front engine mount bolt out engine had a lot of pitting in it and I could never get it looking good again fenders were plastic so they just went dull
Eventually I got another bike for winter roads that I did not care about
Bike just prior to Harleys had a short 3 month winter so was on salty roads at times but I replaces all nuts bolts and washers with stainless steel stainless steel exhaust system fork gaiters etc etc but engine came out during lay up for a good clean and a repaint of the black bits
Harleys stay in the shed till the roads are good

Brian
 
I got out Monday it was 65 degrees had snow here a week ago so a lot of that left over salt mixture on the roads made a 300 mile round trip thru eureka springs Arkansas lots of curves and I think it is the worse to ride on slick as all get out I believe I feel more confident on rainy roadways
 
As others suggest, if you ride through a salty area, rinse off your bike as soon as possible. Like Breeze said, I only have experience with salt from the beach and rinse off my bike ASAP after riding.
 
I see it every year - soon as the weather breaks people out there riding on the salt covered roads . I would never risk it . If you ride on salty roads up north here I don't believe you could wash all the salt residue from every crevice . I would suggest if you value your bike & plan on keeping it for a long time don't ride on salt covered roads .
 
kstrohs57 said:
I see it every year - soon as the weather breaks people out there riding on the salt covered roads . I would never risk it . If you ride on salty roads up north here I don't believe you could wash all the salt residue from every crevice . I would suggest if you value your bike & plan on keeping it for a long time don't ride on salt covered roads .
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If you do ride in the salt and sand be sure to rinse off under the bike with low pressure, avoid high pressure car washes
 
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