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Road salt and winter riding

Nordicnorm

Nordicnorm

Cruisin' Guzzisti
GT Famiglia
Joined
May 12, 2011
Messages
396
Location
Vancouver Island BC
I am fortunate to live in a Canadian climate where I can ride most of the winter (about 150 miles north of Seattle by air).
For years I used a 50% solution of Vinegar and water to hopefully reduce the effects of road salt.
A little research a few years ago netted the following: There are 3 types of salt used; Sodium Chloride (sea salt/ rock salt which is found in nature) and the 2 chemical based salts Magnesium Chloride and Calcium Chloride. Some is turned into a brine, and sprayed on the road to prevent "Black Ice" from forming overnight. I suspect the chemical salt is used in colder climates, maybe on city streets, as it is likely more expensive then sea salt. The hiway departments and maintenance yards I phoned were pretty tightlipped about what they used, as it is not particularly friendly to the environment.

Then I found a product called "Salt-Away" made in Cali, and sold through Marine stores, Amazon etc. You can get a concentrate and mix up a 5% solution and share it with your riding friends. It is effective on all 3 types of salt, and is used among other applications to maintain the vehicles that salt the roads, plus marine use and sea-side construction etc. Water based. Safe on all surfaces incl. fabrics. More info at saltawayproducts.com.
My red Breva still looks like new after a few winters "out there".

I am not a scientist, so feel free to add your thoughts, as I am sure you will ;) . And no, I don't own shares in the company!
 
I don't have the problem of driving in road salt. The roads are covered in it here in Quebec. Sometimes they spread so much it looks like it has snowed. But ... motorcycles are banned from December 1st to March 15th. If you can find snow tires for your bike, I think you could ride if you wanted to.
 
I will be looking at that web site. States that I frequent in the western USA generally used sand in the past with just enough salt mixed in to keep the sand from freezing. That changed probably 15-20 years ago and most now use chemicals (hard or impossible to get information regarding composition) so I try to wash my vehicles thoroughly after driving on treated roads, but I would like to get something to neutralize the deteriorating effects.
 
Raven said:
I don't have the problem of driving in road salt. The roads are covered in it here in Quebec. Sometimes they spread so much it looks like it has snowed. But ... motorcycles are banned from December 1st to March 15th. If you can find snow tires for your bike, I think you could ride if you wanted to.
Click to expand...

Winter grip plus

anlas winter grip plus, they do come in most of the sizes guzzi riders need...

I read good things, they're hard to buy though.
 
I've been aware of those for several years. They're made in Turkey. I've done a pretty thorough internet search for them and they are very hard to find for sure.
Winter tires for mopeds are readily available though. Even Michelin makes them.
 
I've used Salt Away for years.
Before leaving for Bonneville I wash the underside of my car with Salt Away. When I get back home I take the car to a self-car-wash and then respray with Salt Away. Then the bike.
Works well to get rid of the salt Salt Nose
 
Raven said:
I've been aware of those for several years. They're made in Turkey. I've done a pretty thorough internet search for them and they are very hard to find for sure.
Winter tires for mopeds are readily available though. Even Michelin makes them.
Click to expand...
yea, our little 'winter' here on the west coast is almost over, but every year I consider them.

I think I'm going to go car-free for a few years, so now I'm considering anew...
 
In my humble opinion, engineers working for the auto manufactures;

ritual castration.

The deliberate creation of reservoirs to contain that road salt, especially in the rear wheel wells of my Tundra. And my old F-150.

Castration.

:(
 
The worst one I have ever seen was my dad's '58 Ford Ranch Wagon. The fenders rotted out in two or three years. He had it repaired, it did it again a short time later. My dad started cleaning out the spaces between the inner and outer sheet metal panels. Much to his surprise he was coming up with pieces of headliner material. On top of that just about everything on that car broke or failed including valve springs on a regular basis. He went back to Dodge and a few years later my mom wanted a Mustang. Nope, no way, she got a Barracuda though.
kk
 
In BC, the car rules don't apply to bikes as there are no specified winter tyres, so you can ride anywhere, but outside the Lower Mainland you may be "advised" by the police to turn around. I'm off up the Fraser Canyon today to Boston Bar for a meeting, hopefully it's just rain and 6C.:wait::wait:
 
BrianR said:
In BC, the car rules don't apply to bikes as there are no specified winter tyres, so you can ride anywhere, but outside the Lower Mainland you may be "advised" by the police to turn around. I'm off up the Fraser Canyon today to Boston Bar for a meeting, hopefully it's just rain and 6C.:wait::wait:
Click to expand...
I've had that conversation a few times... they used to ignore me on my old Suzuki GS machines, but on the Busa or the big Bandit 1200 they would pull me over right away, "okay son, look, what you're doing is not illegal, but do you think it's a good idea???"
 
IMG 2180
I think that there may be a little salt on the road today as I decided (probably wrongly), to take part in a care meeting a little north of Vancouver in Boston Bar, going up the canyon on Highway #1. It was supposed to be 7C, but it reached a high of 2C and a low of 0C during the day, and the worst parts were the four road tunnels that all had "Danger, Ice in the Tunnel" signs and they were indeed the worst part of the trip. However, thanks to good gear, Michelin tyres and heated grips, it all worked out in the end. This is my winter bike, along with a 2016 Stelvio that needs new brakes, and is a 2010 Concours 1400 with 96000 kms on the clock, with Hyperpro front springs and a rear shock that makes such a difference to the bike.

IMG 2181
 
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