Hitchcocks Forum

Hello all, have been avoiding taking Bertie out in the road salt for obvious reasons but got stir crazy the other day and went out anyway and then spent more time washing the salt off than I did riding, probably a daft question but Is the new stuff being used these days still actual salt and it is still corrosive to our pride and joys???

Just enjoy the ride..

Just let the oil mist from your crankcase, primary, breather, chain oiler, etc build up on your bike and road salt won't stand a chance!

It really seems a pity not to use the bikes for about half the year, so for ages I've put a thin wipe of Waxoyl on the wheel rims in about September and it comes off with a bit of paraffin or white spirit leaving it looking shiny, in April. Or perhaps June this time....
I bought my solo bike in 2000 and the combo in 2007 and they really are still mostly rust free.

Yes its still salt and still corrosive. Here in the north it comes from a mine in Cheshire and also contains a lot of grit as well. It was actually formed in a shallow sea in Triassic times, 220 million years ago. I went out for a brief spin yesterday and the bikes undercarriage and mudguards were covered in white dust. I cover my bike in old engine old and WD40 in autumn and keep reapplying it until spring, although this year I have had to re apply a load extra for obvious reasons. It makes the bike very dirty but I also have a damp garage as well and it halts any corrosion. I never wash the bike, just wipe all the grime off and its really clean underneath. Never thought of waxoyl but I guess anything that can form a barrier will help, lots of people swear by ACF50.

I have to agree with Chris Tindal here. ACF 50 has protected the shiny bits on my EFI all through the winter (and it's spent most of it hibernating under a cover, outside).

Quite agree with all that; the main thing is the barrier. I think the reason I go for Waxoyl is that it is relatively thick, sticks well and is supposed to have anti corrosive properties too. It looks awful in the winter but is a pleasant surprise when cleaned off.... -Chris

The brown gritty stuff is mostly mined in the Cheshire area. A lot of the finer white stuff that gets used a lot these days is imported from Greece and is better at melting ice but doesn't contain the grit. Apparently it's cheaper to import this sea salt in ships from Greece than mine it in Cheshire. Both are basically sodium chloride though. They are using some other, non corrosive stuff on motorways near bridges these days. The spreaders switch over when approaching a bridge. Reason is that salt gets into the steel reinforcing in the concrete causing corrosion.

... formed in a shallow sea in Triassic times, 220 million years ago ...

Enfields were probably around at the time. Should be immune to it by now then.

Don't know about the salt, but I use ZX54
After every ride, it's safe to use on rubber
And plastic too, I borrow a can from work,
When it runs out just take the can back and
Get a fresh can

Thats nice the M.O.D. are so obliging.