cleaning/parking afer a ride in the rain?

[Sev]

A variety of minerals used to melt snow and ice deposits on roads. Nothing you need to worry about.

thanks sev!

Your bike isn't made out of cheese, it can stand up to a suprising amount of abuse if you really think about it. It's mostly metal, and despite the fact that it has a lot of moving parts it will hold you in good faith so long as you keep the chain lubed and adjusted oil in the oil holder and gas in the tank.

There are obviously some things that can hurt it, but so far everything you're concerned about is at best trivial. My best advice is to just ride the darn thing, and not stress about it so much.

Dumping it will hurt the bike, getting it wet will not. Taking a sledge hammer to it will, letting it sit for a couple of days won't.

Relax, you're supposed to have fun on it, not worry about every little event. My bikes sat outside through rainstorms where the wind was gusting above 90km/h (it shut down the cranes at work) water was literally blowing horizontall with lightning flashing so hard that it might as well have been day.

It's sat outside during duststorms that made me want to cry.

I habitually keep many many many coats of wax on it. For a while I was putting 5 on it every weekend, so this goes a long way towards protecting the paint.

It's been ridden wehn after you factor in windchill it was 10 below freezing celcius, and for the last.. 4 months it's sat in my garage, which has been below freezing every day, all the way down to minus 40 C (same as mins 40F). When the time comes, I'll haul it back out stick the battery back in, prime the carbs and let her rip.

Don't worry so much mate.

[Relsek]

Hey Verm, you're bike doesn't have enough steel in it to worry about, your frame is aluminum and it doesn't rust, you don't live where they put salt on the road so you're safe there too. I usually wash mine every time I notice it getting dirty, (which in florida is just about every ride due to bugs) Once washed I dry it with a towel so there are no water spots and put it in the garage.

Kevin

[VermilionX]

yeah, i wiped the frame as soon as i praked it but i was worried about the metal one the parts that i couldn't reach. like the ones inside the fairing and the small spaces i couldn't wipe.

but looks like i have nothing to worry about.

forecast said it will rain until tomorrow so no bike for me.

i'll have to use my damaged but still running integra.

[Dichotomous]

bike kleen, I belive that is what its called. the guy running the local choppershop told me he hoses it down with this at least once a week and never has problems. thats in VT, where they use more salt on the roads than dirt, and theres enough dirt to turn every road into a dirt road by spring.... new cars rust in less than a year here, and yes, aluminum DOES oxidize, aka rust, however its ok to do this as most iron derivitives (steel) its not ok. heck, paint will rust here if there are iron flakes in it or certain compounds. wanna see if something rusts, drive it around all winter in VT.
my jeep had been a conneticut car for most of its life, 2 years here and there is rust EVERYWHERE. in SoCal, dont worry, but a hosing off wouldnt hurt it