Salt trucks are out

[lucian]

Really not looking forward to winter and putting the bikes up.  Luckily it is supposed to rain like hell this weekend so maybe there is hope for another round of riding. Trying to look at the bright side but having trouble finding one. Envy all of you at lower latitudes.

[cookiemech]

I believe this is why they made old BMW K-bikes. My 1994 K75RT has been ridden in 14 winters here in western PA and has minimal rust. I ride unless there's significant ice and snow.

Not as pleasant as a nice ride in warm weather on a Harley or Guzzi, perhaps, but satisfying nevertheless.

Early K-bikes are cheap these days. I just saw a very nice K100RT with low miles advertised for a bit over $2K.

[BillinPA]

That's funny cookiemech, I live in West PA also . I ride until salt. Recently saw a k100 on Craigslist.... considered calling and using as a winter beater.

[Lcarlson]

Not just K-bikes. I’ve been riding my R-bike regularly all winter for 14 years, and not even bothering to rinse it off after each ride. It has minimal corrosion.

[cookiemech]

Bill - This is the one I saw, which is in Youngstown, OH. Looks very well maintained, and cheap:

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mcy/d/bmw-k100rt/6388768129.html

My opinion is that the K100s are top heavy and less pleasant than the K75s (which I have), but they are really bulletproof, have a big alternator (for the heated clothing) and a fairing that provides outstanding weather protection. They'll cook you in summer, though.

[twowheeladdict]

High of 60 yesterday and sunny.  Got in a 50 mile ride after work.

[Kev m]

My Sporty became my winter bike once I sold my Jackal.

No salt yet, but took a ride on the RK yesterday and added fuel stabilizer when I filled up. Will probably do the same from now on with any of the bikes (but the Sporty).

[kingoffleece]

ACF-50 is your friend.  In the UK they tape off tires and brakes and coat the entire bike.
I use it on my snowplow and that's about as rude as you can get in winter.  Zero rust which is unbelievable and I have almost 30 years in a plow.  Found out about it two seasons ago and worth every penny.

[lucian]

A lot of people doing the same here with a product called Fluid Film. It's lanolin based and they say it works well.  It gets worse than salt though. I went to visit my Mom at the nursing home last night and ended up behind a tanker truck with a spray manifold and a sign on back saying to stay back 500 feet, Potassium Chloride. Now that crap must be good for for converting steel to iron oxide.  It's ludicrous. 

I could understand doing to a BMW though.

[ohiorider]

Bill - This is the one I saw, which is in Youngstown, OH. Looks very well maintained, and cheap:

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mcy/d/bmw-k100rt/6388768129.html

My opinion is that the K100s are top heavy and less pleasant than the K75s (which I have), but they are really bulletproof, have a big alternator (for the heated clothing) and a fairing that provides outstanding weather protection. They'll cook you in summer, though.

The Youngstown CL bike does look well-kept.  BMW went through some major speedo problems with the MotoMeter dash.  I had a couple changed out under warranty.

Over the period between 1986 and 1993, I went through 4 K bikes, one K75S, two K100RS, and one K1100LT.  You're right about the alternators and the heat .... my '86 model had an output of 460W, which worked just fine in the day for heated grips, and heated vest.  I think some of the later Ks had higher wattage alternators.  The smaller K75S had the same frame dimensions as the larger K100, since the overall frame was much like that of the K100, aside from the angle of the front downtubes.  All the K100s of the time would roast you on a hot summer day ...... I'd cringe at a stoplight as the temp gauge climbed to where the cooling fan would kick on, really pushing hot air toward the rider.  And a right to left crosswind at speed would cook your inside left leg on the 85 model.

For cool to cold weather riding, the RT and LT provide a lot of fairing, and the later LT had a power windshield.

I traded Ks often at the time just to ride a bike in warranty.  3 years, unlimited mileage, so I never accumulated 100,000 on any one bike.  However, I traded the 85 model with 65,000 miles showing.  A few years later, the dealer, Andy Pelc, (Canton MI) let me know the new owner had shown up at his shop with over 100,000 miles on the bike. 

"Haven't seen you for a while."
"Didn't need anything."

[sign216]

ACF-50 is your friend.  In the UK they tape off tires and brakes and coat the entire bike.
I use it on my snowplow and that's about as rude as you can get in winter.  Zero rust which is unbelievable and I have almost 30 years in a plow.  Found out about it two seasons ago and worth every penny.

I am doing a test on that right now.  A few weeks ago I stuck 6 groups of nails in a board and treated them with different products (ACF, WD-40, 10w-40, RIG, etc).  We'll see what happens in a month or two of New England winter.