Who's still riding? (Fall 2017 / Winter 2018 edition) | Page 13 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Who's still riding? (Fall 2017 / Winter 2018 edition)

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Evoex said:
How are you guys dealing with the salt?
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Wash the bike. Clean and lube the chain if applicable/necessary. Brine is worse than salt when it comes to corrosion. If you care about your bike at all, be prepared to step up your maintenance game if you're riding in winter.
 
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I've been riding pretty much every winter since 2003 and that's in salt, brine, sand and whatever else. No washing my bikes from November til April. If you want your bike to look nice and clean that's one thing, but salt, brine and sand aren't going to destroy these bikes - they just get really dirty. I do lube the chain every 500km or so and almost never wash it.

Am I missing something here or just lucky that my bikes have almost no corrosion?
 
You are not missing anything. I've exactly the same experience and as far as I'm concerned washing likely does more harm.
Detergents destroy lubes, power sprays drives often recycled water and detergent where it shouldn't go.
There is just this repetitious meme of

anxiety.jpg

regarding salt and motorcycles.

Most I'll do is a bucket of warm water and detergent to clean the windscreen and perhaps the pretty Honda Red tank. :D I lube the chain with Motul paste - I don't clean it.
 
14 degrees in the GTA next Tuesday. There's probably gonna be lots of bikes. Weather like that is unusual for the last day of November.
 
I'm not in the camp that salt is going to melt the bike down, but unless i'm missing something corrosion is going to eventually happen on exposed metal. So i just put the question out there for those that have been riding in this time of year for some time to keep the bikes looking good!

I did a cold water rinse and then poured a bucket of cold soapy water + rinse again after the first week. Yesterday i rode in and the bike was covered in crap so i did a full cold water rinse, cold soapy water worked in everywhere, cold rinse + dry towel. Then finished with some dry Motul spray which cleans adds a layer of wax everywhere. I'm giving most attention to the pipes and metal surfaces (engine mount bolts, etc). Chain was lubed in both cases obv.

Appreciate the responses. Not having to worry about the naked being caked in rust when wanting to hit the road into the winter season is great.
 
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Appreciate the responses. Not having to worry about the naked being caked in rust when wanting to hit the road into the winter season is great.
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What is on a modern bike that rusts aside from the chain ??? \
Corrosion is not limited to "rust" .....it most often occurs where where there is electrical connections and different metals ....
Stainless steel and aluminum don't rust and plastics, stainless and aluminum make up most of the materials and any the wiring is designed to be weatherproof.

Really the risks are from detergent and pressure on seals and lubricants. Have some confidence in the engineers that design and build these things and for areas that have much greater extremes than we have.

One thing that will age your bike is leaving it in the sun. UV is a killer on seats, windscreens grips and paint and deteriorates these......my KLR in the tropics has be under cover all the time.
 
MacDoc said:
What is on a modern bike that rusts aside from the chain ???
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Poor choice of words on my part, should have said corrosion not rust.
 
Tuesday looks sooo good right now
 
(ok, aluminum corrodes)
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Aluminum oxide does not "corrode" ....it is very stable. You have no bare aluminum on your bike unless you are scrubbing with a brillo pad.

Aluminum is reactive and will react spontaneously with water and/or air to form aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide, Al2O3, forms a stable passive layer that protects aluminum from corrosion or further oxidation. ... Aluminum is an amphoteric metal and can react with an acid as well as a base. Jul 30, 2014
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Perhaps you are thinking of a marine environment where corrosion is a serious problem.

Trim Tabs: do they really need anodes? [Archive] - Yachting and ...
www.ybw.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-193383.html
Mar 9, 2009 - 19 posts - ‎14 authors
I've been fitting a great big 100mm diameter anode to each tab ... Fitted anodes last year and they fizzed away to almost nothing but trim tab corrosion arrested. ... All metal under water on your boat is electrically connected through the ... High velocities in turbulent flows can remove the protective oxide films ...
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What I have seen is some aftermarket items especially powered bits like USB adapters will corrode.
Rotors will rust as well if you are not riding much.
 
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The odd run in the winter when weather cooperates is not going to rust out your bike.

If you want to see significant rust issues check out UK feedback on corrosion in other forums. On the ST1100 exhaust collector boxes and the swingarms rot out most often and bikes can get pretty beaten up under the plastic by day to day use all year round. Of course, these are bikes that are on the road for year round commuting and are minimum 15 - 20+ years old. Every bike will likely have its own areas where corrosion is an issue.

This guy rebuild an old '91 ST and dealt with lots of corrosion. His YT series can be found here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9dQyPPxmbs
 
and are minimum 15 - 20+ years old.
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exactly - materials science nowhere near what it is now...recall those lawsuits on rusted out cars from the era.

Even older bikes tho the rust risk is low.

My 1975 Honda (not exactly a brand known for rust proofing) has no rust other than a couple of surface spots on the frame, and I’ve seen a similar one sit in a field for 20 years and have no major rust, other than the gas tank.
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This is only a suggestion:
Lee Valley sells 100% pure Tung nut oil and that has been used for centuries to protect brass and other metal parts on salt water sailing boats. I use it to clean and seal my rims year round. if you do suspect the paint or anodized finish on any of your aluminum parts is porous or less than perfect it certainly couldn't hurt. Oxidation is what attacks exposed metal so keeping water and atmosphere away is the concept behind most anti-corrosion and rust prevention. Pure tung nut oil is a natural hardening oil, it does need to be applied in warm temperatures or indoors and allowed to completely dry so apply it well in advance of your winter riding. The 100% pure variety is food safe and non-toxic so you can literally spread it on with your finger or a small cloth and very thin layers works best.
 
again ...aluminum oxidizes instantly and aluminum oxide is not reactive. What applies to boats doesn't cross over to motorcycles but might make your rims easier to clean.....or it might attract grunge too :D
 
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