My bike is covered w/ dew daily, will this hurt it?
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Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2006
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My bike is covered w/ dew daily, will this hurt it?
Hey guys, I tried a search and couldn't really find much. I work nights, 3 PM to Midnight in the Fort Walton Beach, Florida area. Well everynite the past couple weeks when I go to leave my bike is covered in dew. I'm wondering if this is gonna cause problems. Unfortunately I don't have access to any kind of covered storage orgarage at work. I know keeping a bike cover at work is an option but basically I want to know if this is going to hurt my bike if I don't cover it. Thanks guys, sorry if this has been covered before.
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2007
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RE: My bike is covered w/ dew daily, will this hurt it?
Hmmmm. This will be interesting to hear the replies you get. I wouldn't think it would hurt (besides rust concerns) because dew is fairly clear water. Riding the bike will dry it out and not leave bad stuff behind. I don't believe dew has all the salt and crap that tap water generally has, so it wouldn't leave behind much that would cause problems down inside electrical connectors. Rust would be a concern, though. I've noticed that bikes tend to rust first at frame welds, so that's where I would keep an eye at. Look for paint blisters. Also add some dielectric grease to the base of all your lightbulbs. They can get all corroded in there and cause some very strange head-scratching as you try to figure out why turn signals started doing strange things.
Hope other folks can help here.
Hope other folks can help here.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,256
Likes: 5
From: Concord, CA
RE: My bike is covered w/ dew daily, will this hurt it?
The only issues you will have with any rain, dew, frost, spray, etc... will be that those unchromed bolt heads tend to get nicked when you put a wrench to them. They will show little dots of rust.
The bikes were built to ride, they aren't made by OCC
Anyhow, ride and enjoy. Better than a cover, bring a towel so you don't get a wet ***!
The bikes were built to ride, they aren't made by OCC
Anyhow, ride and enjoy. Better than a cover, bring a towel so you don't get a wet ***!
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Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2006
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RE: My bike is covered w/ dew daily, will this hurt it?
Thanks for the info guys. I ride to work, rain or shine, all year. So she definitely gets ridden. I'm still debating covering her though. I just feel a litte bad when I go to leave work and she's covered in that dew. And so far no electrical probs but I will keep a watch for the rust and such. As far as a wet ***, my gortex pants take care of that!
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,479
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From: SoCal
RE: My bike is covered w/ dew daily, will this hurt it?
Pollutants suspendedin the air are precipitatedalong with the water bythe "dew point" when the water in the air falls to the ground. These pollutants will then be covering your bike, they include dust, heavy metals, carbon black, and a host of other compounds. They are typicaly on the acidic side and are corrosive. I wouldn't leave my bike unprotected for that long of a period of time.
RE: My bike is covered w/ dew daily, will this hurt it?
I live in Fla also and every morning my bike was covered with dew,I found covering it only made the water evaporate slower. so if you're riding your bike after the dew sets in, I wouldn't worry too much about it,like the others have said"It's made to be ridden"
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Northern California
RE: My bike is covered w/ dew daily, will this hurt it?
Ya need to take a few minutes to wipe it down when you get home. Putting away a wet bike eventually leads to rust and a faded appearence.
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"Moderator"
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: San Tan Valley, Arizona
RE: My bike is covered w/ dew daily, will this hurt it?
I also live in FLA and work midnights. I ride every day all year and there is dew almost every morning when I come out.
My thoughts are that I bought it to ride so I didnt have to drive. I won't worry about dew or if it gets rained on. I'm just going to enjoy riding it. If it starts to get rusted or corroded from dew I'll maintain it so it doesnt cause me problems down the road. I'm not going to worry about the dew on my bike though and I'm not the kind of guy that will wipe it down every day when I get home. I wipe off the seat and grips before taking off. Thats enough for me. there are worse things to worry about than a little water on your bike. JMO.
My thoughts are that I bought it to ride so I didnt have to drive. I won't worry about dew or if it gets rained on. I'm just going to enjoy riding it. If it starts to get rusted or corroded from dew I'll maintain it so it doesnt cause me problems down the road. I'm not going to worry about the dew on my bike though and I'm not the kind of guy that will wipe it down every day when I get home. I wipe off the seat and grips before taking off. Thats enough for me. there are worse things to worry about than a little water on your bike. JMO.
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Club Member
Joined: Dec 2007
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From: Knoxville, Tn
RE: My bike is covered w/ dew daily, will this hurt it?
I think it depends on which way the wind blows. I lived in the outer banks of N.C. for many years. Our winds there came predominately from the ocean. It carried salt with it and that salt seemed to cover everything. Taste the "dew" on your bike when you leave work and see if it has a salty taste. If it does hose it off before you put it to bed.
