Last Ride Out

[Woolly]

Our American friends have a thread for their last ride out. I have not ridden my LT for over two months now. It's not cos I'm scared of the cold, or anything like that. I live in a small village in the NE of England. Every year, if I walk from my front door to my local pub(OK, every night), I get covered (there and back) in black - mixture of Horse S%"T, mud, and some weird new 'retentive' salt that our local council (Darlington) are using. Within a four mile radius, the roads around my garage never dry up, they are just covered in a thin 'Soup' of filth. 4-5 miles awy, no problem whatsoever - cold crispy mornings, the roads are dry, clean, and fun to ride on. What is happening, has anyone else noticed this, anyone got a garage to rent in Stockton or Darlington????? I feel the need for a blast out, but I don't want salt all over my LT ............ Help????

[meese]

You could always wash the bike after your ride. Or just take the Benz instead. :D

[Woolly]

Hi Mr. Meese,

I'm getting on a bit now (ok, 49)... I bought the Merc and the Bemer(MB has2.5K in 1 year, LT 3.5K in 5 months) to last me through till I peg out (and see if Joe(mess13) is right). Because of the amount of electrics on the LT, I am paranoid bout Jet Washing it or whatever. Do you get the amount of salt on the roads that we do (every day in winter, I seem to get a gritter past my house (and through the village) at least 2-3 times per day).

Does it bother you riding on salty roads??

[meese]

Morning, Brian.

I now live in sunny SoCal, so salt on the roads (or weather for that matter) isn't a big concern. Still, my LT is my primary transportation, so I ride it everywhere, year round. I probably ought to wash it more than I do, but if it's a nice enough day to wash it, then it's nice enough to go riding. Mechanically, I keep my bikes in top shape by doing all my own maintenance, but cosmetics is a second priority.

I did live outside Cardiff for several years. I had a '99 LT that I rode year round there as well. At 33K miles, the forks and lower fairing definitely did show signs of pitting and weather wear. Maybe not as bad as some of our Scottish riders, but the Welsh winters did take their toll.

So I'd probably still ride it, but just make sure to hose things down after each ride. A garden hose stream of water isn't a problem, as long as you're not trying to completely douse the bike. The fairing does protect a lot, and it's really the lower bits (forks, wheels, brake disks) that you're worried about. If you're more careful (or anal) about it, then leave 'er parked.

BTW, I do like the pics of the Benz you posted sometime earlier. That is one sweet car.

[beemerlt]

Since you have a car as an alternative, it really depends on where your priorities lie. If all year riding is essential for your mental well-being, then you'll ride regardless of road and weather conditions. I pushed the riding season envelope initially but after seeing the result (rust), I've become much more careful. Cold is not the issue, since the bike's heating plus Widder gear take care of that.

Local council road departments use a mixture of (rock) salt (imported from Germany - at least in this part of the UK) and grit. The exact ratio probably varies somewhat by region. Obviously the more salt in the mix, the more corrosive to the bike's ferrous parts.

I used to wash the crud off after riding, but some of the affected parts are not so easily accessible.

[Woolly]

Hi Dave,

your pictures made me cringe. Every time I buy a bike, cage or whatever, I like to see it looking mechanically good. I do not want bits of the BM or the Merc looking like your piccies :mad: Every autumn (fall), I keep thinking about buying a £1500-2K 600cc funduro just for winter - the only reason I don't is cos I know I'll clean it, polish it then restore it, THEN not ride it cos I don't want to get it dirty. - Not quite 'compulsive behavior disorder' but how do I get out of this 'mindset'.

To help me 'recover' I have decided that I AM taking the LT out on Christmas day, no matter what the road conditions,