I ride my commuter bike (BMW RT) on salted roads when they're dry. All it leaves behind is a light powder. My BMW doesn't have chrome (except for muffler) and the wiring is better protected than my Ultra. One other reason I don't worry about salt is because I change bikes about every two years.

 

I have ridden mine on the salt flats, washed it the next day. No problems.

 

just wait till the salt goes away not worth the hassle

 

As many have said, once the salt is on the road the bike stays in the garage. It's more of a safety concern for me. Up here in the northeast, they dump sand and salt that make a lot of roads like a dirt road. Not worth laying the bike down hitting an unexpected clump of sand in the road.

 

Usually in January a trip to the mailbox involves hat, gloves, leather coat, boots, and sometimes something to cover any other exposed skin. This morning it was just what I was wearing in the house and slippers. Beautiful riding weather, in Minnesota, in January. Wow, a first. I was seriously thinking about putting the battery back in the Sporty, didn't even see any salt powder on the road. But walking out, every step crunched on fine gravel (from my neighborhood roads literally falling apart) and spots of what looked almost like broken glass - unmelted salt crystals. Argh, probably at least three more months.