Coastal wear and tear?
Discussion
Anyone on here live near the coast?
I'm just wondering if the salty sea air has influenced anything about your bike? I.e. the brand chosen (for rust resistance), the type of bike you ride, and the regular upkeep (lashing of ACF etc)?
And how hard is it to make a bike last a long time (10yrs+) when living near the sea?
I'm just wondering if the salty sea air has influenced anything about your bike? I.e. the brand chosen (for rust resistance), the type of bike you ride, and the regular upkeep (lashing of ACF etc)?
And how hard is it to make a bike last a long time (10yrs+) when living near the sea?
I live in Aberdeen and not had any issues. But to be fair I've not kept the same bike for longer than about 5 years.
If it's stored in a garage and kept clean then there shouldn't be much issues unless you use it in the winter months when there's salt on the roads.
A good clart in ACF 50 and keeping it clean should be good enough for most bike.
Maybe not so much if kept outside and used all year round.
If it's stored in a garage and kept clean then there shouldn't be much issues unless you use it in the winter months when there's salt on the roads.
A good clart in ACF 50 and keeping it clean should be good enough for most bike.
Maybe not so much if kept outside and used all year round.
Bought this from the other half's brother. It lived on a main road, by the sea in Ilfracombe for about ten years. 'Twas rarely washed, as the road was about fifty steps lower than the house and the owner wasn't up to carrying buckets of water and the like... When bought, it was a bit crusty looking, but a lack of chrome and plenty of plain ally meant it polished up well enough - some bits of frame were repainted. Once polished, it was treated to a coat or two of old fashioned car wax, from a tin. Had it been one of the more bling models, I have no doubt the chrome would have suffered.
I owned it for around ten years and used it as my "go to" all year round, no ACF or anything like that, but plenty of regular washing with a garden hose and Fairy Liquid, plus the occasional good polish, as we live up a grubby country lane. Near perfect reliability.
So, coastal conditions don't have to sound the death knell.
Pic' was around the time I sold it - it would have been around twenty five years old by then. Probably scruffy by the standards of many on here, but tidy enough to not be an embarassment.
I owned it for around ten years and used it as my "go to" all year round, no ACF or anything like that, but plenty of regular washing with a garden hose and Fairy Liquid, plus the occasional good polish, as we live up a grubby country lane. Near perfect reliability.
So, coastal conditions don't have to sound the death knell.
Pic' was around the time I sold it - it would have been around twenty five years old by then. Probably scruffy by the standards of many on here, but tidy enough to not be an embarassment.
I had it with my blade, I bought it from MacDuff when it was about 7 years old, nothing serious but the odd bolts or fastenings were a little corroded, I ended up changing most of them.
The thing is, it could have been the sea air or it could have just been used on a dry day when there was salt down and stored without washing, you'd never know.
When I picked up my first Daytona it'd only done 1400 miles but the amount of rusted bolts, parts or even the fork legs wasn't what I expected. The guy had stored it in the plastic cover (essentially a big plastic bag) it was transported in, outside. It essentially lived in a f
king greenhouse for 6 years, condensation forming with no means of escape, it nearly fked it.
The thing is, it could have been the sea air or it could have just been used on a dry day when there was salt down and stored without washing, you'd never know.
When I picked up my first Daytona it'd only done 1400 miles but the amount of rusted bolts, parts or even the fork legs wasn't what I expected. The guy had stored it in the plastic cover (essentially a big plastic bag) it was transported in, outside. It essentially lived in a f
king greenhouse for 6 years, condensation forming with no means of escape, it nearly fked it. Edited by moanthebairns on Tuesday 24th September 14:41
I've lived on the coast and had various bikes.
The rain can be salty, but there's not really much salt compared to what they chuck on the roads inland.
It helps to have a hose handy and a well vented or dehumidified garage.
A fully-faired bike has less problems perhaps?
When I was much younger, I was keeping a Guzzi, with unpainted engine, outdoors. That was impossible to keep tidy.
I've had the same Ducati ST for about 15 years now, it looks OK for a high mileage bike.
I do all my own maintenance and spend a lot of time stripping, cleaning as needed.
For a whiule, I used to see the world's scruffiest Harley on the way to work.
The rain can be salty, but there's not really much salt compared to what they chuck on the roads inland.
It helps to have a hose handy and a well vented or dehumidified garage.
A fully-faired bike has less problems perhaps?
When I was much younger, I was keeping a Guzzi, with unpainted engine, outdoors. That was impossible to keep tidy.
I've had the same Ducati ST for about 15 years now, it looks OK for a high mileage bike.
I do all my own maintenance and spend a lot of time stripping, cleaning as needed.
For a whiule, I used to see the world's scruffiest Harley on the way to work.
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