Road salt... A couple of questions...

[Joe_P]

First time rider here. When I picked up the 2010 HD Street Glide from the dealer, they mentioned their winter storage service. Approx. $400 for the season! I said I have underground parking in my apt's climate controlled garage, with an electrical outlet. I also said I wanted to ride in the winter as much as possible, as I am a new rider. We had a pretty mild winter here last year.

They said road salt on winter roads is damaging to bikes. They also said that the other cars in the garage will bring salt into the garage, that it gets into the air, and that my trike can be affected by the salt they track in.

Comments? Suggestions?

 

[msocko3]

First time rider here. When I picked up the 2010 HD Street Glide from the dealer, they mentioned their winter storage service. Approx. $400 for the season! I said I have underground parking in my apt's climate controlled garage, with an electrical outlet. I also said I wanted to ride in the winter as much as possible, as I am a new rider. We had a pretty mild winter here last year.

They said road salt on winter roads is damaging to bikes. They also said that the other cars in the garage will bring salt into the garage, that it gets into the air, and that my trike can be affected by the salt they track in.

Comments? Suggestions?

I've always resisted the temptation to go for just one little ride in the winter even if it was 75 degrees. I don't know about your state but mine OH uses liberal doses of salt and calcium chloride brine, I've seen it so thick it just swirls around as a dust cloud when the roads have dried.

As to the parking in the climate controlled garage, there'll be lots of moisture in the air from all the snow thawing out from the cars, and yep they will bring in plenty of salt to deposit in the garage.

This is the scene of the center bay of my dads heated garage when its time to put the summer time toys away, just bike and no cars or anything else. We use my heated garage for any automotive work we may need.

 

[Rosy]

It is a very good idea not to run your trike in areas that may have salt on the roads. In NH, once I put the trike away, it stays away till heavy rains in the spring have washed the roads of all the salt. Even when it is 75 during the winter, it stays in because salt will ruin your trike. Salt will find its way into place you would never think it will go and washing will not always get the salt off. Better to leave it "sleeping" till the robins come home in late spring.
I have seem my street's pavement white as snow with the amount of salt they use. No wonder the cars will rust in a few years, even if you take them to a car wash every week.

Regards,

Rosy
From NH

 

[rmrc51]

Damn,, ya know,, I never thought of this! :AGGHH: It really hits home because I prefer to ride during the winter being that I hate the summer heat! I believe in my area, they don't use salt. All I've ever seen is sand on the roads but you can bet that I'm going to verify that fact now that I've read this post!

 

[Ozarkryder]

In SW MO they use salt on the roads, or liquid NaCl or hatever, but the snow is not seen that often, and we usually get a few rains to wash it off before the next snow event which may be next week, or like last year, a month away.
When we lived in Minnesota the bike and trike went under wraps the first snowfall and didn't come out until after the spring rains washed all the white dust away. I had a cheap 250cc Honda for those indian summer, the rare 75° winter day and early spring rides.

Ther's a reason they call it "the Rust Belt"

 

[oahe]

I look at it this way. I bought my trike to ride! Lots of things are bad for a trike Summer sun, heat, rain, hail, blowing sand, deer, flying birds, neighborhood kids and, yes, road salt. If the weather's good, I'm going for a ride! I'll wash it off after and go in the house with a smile on my face!

 

[rhino 2]

I ride all winter, Been doing it long before i had a Trike, Never had a problem with salt other than its messy, [that why they invented hose's] I'm from a different school, If i wanted to keep my bikes Pristine i would buy two of the same Bike and hang one on the wall so it will stay clean, I don't save bikes so when i trade them in the next guy has a clean bike that i haven't ridden half the year.

Just my humble opinion!:Shrug:

 

[trikeleader]

I agree that salt on the roads will get in places on your bike you probably can't clean real well. I would never ride my trike on roads with salt. As for salt in the air in a heated garage, if that were true you would have to wash salt brine off your windows before you could drive your car. If the trike is covered like mine is in the winter, it will not get salt on the trike. Salt in the air is a big thing for people living along the ocean front. Wash your vehicles often and have fun and ride, ride, ride.
pepper

 

[BladeRunner]

Well, being from the "Great White North"....:wave4:I may have some input on salty roads. Many people believe that parking in a heated garage in places where they drive during the winter & salt is used to clear roads, is a good thing, BUT..it is NOT!:AGGHH:
It's far better to leave a daily driver out in the cold! Why you ask? Simple really, while driving on roads that have been salted & picking up a lot of mess on your vehicle.......whatever you drive, then going into a warmer place to park. This is when the snow or ice will melt & react with the salt!!:AGGHH:
Parking outside in the cold will not allow as much reaction as moisture is greatly reduced....depending on the temps . If it was me, as stated by several others, just park your ride in a nice clean, safe, dry place.

The same negative reaction will happen if you start & run your bikes engine now & then over the winter where it's cold,( just to keep it loose & charge the battery)...as I "used" to believe.
Condensation forms quickly in the engine & especially the exhaust...most don't run long enough to "dry" out the parts, that may take a half hr or so! I say just park it.ThumbUp

 

[Bikerbozo]

Bladerunner has it right. My trike is parked outside under a cover year round. I ride in everything. Life is too short to care about salt. That said, heads up for others. Don't look at my rims. Also, wiring in front needed some dielectric grease. Hey, almost 5 years left on warranty. Didn't notice any warnings on my '10 TG saying to avoid winter. When its zero out, I am happiest.

 

[Salty]

Great advice and I totally agree. Our 3 bikes set up in the garage all winter at just above 0C. no problems.
The cars have command start so when it's -30 or 40c we can start and warm em up outside.

I never start em up in the winter either, just trickle the batteries and wait for spring!
I am 5-6 hrs north of you in Cold lake, My Victory XC is going into Pair A Dice trikes shoelty for a CSC conversion.

Well, being from the "Great White North"....:wave4:I may have some input on salty roads. Many people believe that parking in a heated garage in places where they drive during the winter & salt is used to clear roads, is a good thing, BUT..it is NOT!:AGGHH:
It's far better to leave a daily driver out in the cold! Why you ask? Simple really, while driving on roads that have been salted & picking up a lot of mess on your vehicle.......whatever you drive, then going into a warmer place to park. This is when the snow or ice will melt & react with the salt!!:AGGHH:
Parking outside in the cold will not allow as much reaction as moisture is greatly reduced....depending on the temps . If it was me, as stated by several others, just park your ride in a nice clean, safe, dry place.

The same negative reaction will happen if you start & run your bikes engine now & then over the winter where it's cold,( just to keep it loose & charge the battery)...as I "used" to believe.
Condensation forms quickly in the engine & especially the exhaust...most don't run long enough to "dry" out the parts, that may take a half hr or so! I say just park it.ThumbUp

 

[eagle42101]

We don't get a LOT of salt here but occationally, they do use it. Last winter a group of us went for a bike ride and as we were going along, I noticed the white stuff on the road and did not give it a lot more thought. An hour or so later, the fellow leading the group said "Can you all taste the salt?" I licked my lips and lo and behold, I COULD! Washed the bike off later that day and put it away. No damage I could see but Im sure salt got in places I didnt even know I had.
Ride it like you stole it is some of the best advice I ever got!

Bob

 

[Tony T of I V E]

What's Road Salt? .... Ohhhh hehe... Being from the Peach State we seldom ever hear the words Road Salt.. But then again if we get 1/2" of snow they closed the city down.

Ride On I say.... :GL1800:

Tony T of I V E

 

[greyfang]

this will be our second winter stay in Tucson, nice to be able to ride year round. Colorado doesnt use much salt but the calcium chloride doesnt look like it would be much better. Never rode in the winter months in Colorado.

 

[Joe_P]

Thanks for all the thoughtful responses! This is a pretty amazing group here! I knew y'all would have the answers! Very glad I joined!

I think I am going to put it away for the winter when the salt shows up and take it back out when the salt is gone... I think I have about a month and a half for that... Also new to hands on maintenance and checking things out... So wouldn't want to f things up...

 

[Stephen]

WOW some of you guys must only ride like three months outta the year...

 

[Maryland Triker]

:Coffee:I ride year round and have even ridden in the snow. I do a detailed wax on body, chrome and wheels in the fall, again around January/February then again in the spring and midsummer no problems on my old trike with 44000 miles and my 11 tri glide is still looking good at 15000 miles.ThumbUp. But the 04 trike got rained on while I was in Ocean City (salt air) and it rained all the way home which I thought would wash the salt off so put her away and didn't wash her for over a week and had a little pitting on some of the chrome:AGGHH: But I ride ride ride thats what I gotem for!:wave4:

 

[msocko3]

A few years back I was talking with a HD dealer service manager, the topic swung to riding when it got warmer in the winter. He said every year he sees 2 or 3 people who bought bikes in the fall come in during the spring with pitted aluminum on the engine and wheels. They all want warranty to replace the damage, he's always told them no dice when you ride in the salt and don't clean it properly its going to do damage that Harley won't replace.

Last winter was extremely mild here, still the state wiz kids had to dump salt and brine like they had to use their allotment or have their buttons cut off. This was taken on state RT20 last winter, you can see the residue, not the brine causes lots of electrical issues with cars and can and will do the same on bikes or trikes. Its pretty corrosive and loves to eat things if not completely flushed away.

 

[Mick]

Same thing over here. We get a little dusting and the village pours it on like we got 15 inches. First salting and shes put away for the spring. But the other problem I have is I share the unheated garage with my wifes car so it gets opened occassionally. When parking the trike I bought the anti-fatigue mats from Harbor freight and thats what she parks on year around. Found out that in winter sometimes with the temperature differential between the garage,floor, and outside the trike would condensate even under the cover. The floor insulation pads under the trike seems to help.

 

[Joe_P]

Again, a wealth of information here! Very glad I signed on! Thanks everybody for the responses...