There may be some finish differences between my '02 883C and my '05 883C and your '16 1200C, but i havent had the corrosion problems that you experienced on either bike. Your '16 resembled my KZ400 i rode back in the 80s after I'd had it a couple years. Back then I didnt really care, most of the guys I rode with had rat bikes, except for the guy that had the Norton 250 hardtail chopper. I'm an all weather biker, so my bikes see rain and snow, dirt and paved roads, and since Colorado likes to put down an ungodly amount of salt and mag chloride in the winter, it sees some pretty harsh elements. And I'm not really much of a cleaner, so usually it only gets shined up right before the Veterans Rally each year, with the occasional spray down from the pressure washer at work every month or so. Im thinking the secret is probably in the spray cleaner wax I use. Its called Fastwax FW1, but I dont know if its available on your side of the pond or not. My brother in law turned me on to the stuff, and looking around at the bikes of the other guys we ride with, youd swear we had the show bikes in the group, though we probably spemd less time cleaning than most. I keep a can and a microfiber cloth in the saddlebags, as its pretty handy for getting the bugs off the windshield and helmet visor, and does a better job than RainX for sheeting away water in the rain. I do have the same issues with the clear coat on the fork lowers getting chipped and corrosion getting under the coating, I'm going to remove the clear coat and polish them when i redo the fork seals and see if that helps.
Evening Richard - thanks for taking the time to comment. Like you in Colorado, they use salt on the roads when the temperatures drop here. It's murder! I'm riding at the moment (the bike is filthy!), but since it's not below freezing too often (yet), there's still no salt. This means the bike is still okay. However, Janurary & Februrary are the coldest months and then it will be awful, salt and cold-wise. It's the salt that does the damage and the only way to aviod the damage is to rinse it off after every ride. Really bugs me! Interestingly, my brother runs a small coach firm in Reading and he has to do the same with the coaches or they just disolve in rust. Our '07 Fiesta, though, is fine - as is everyone elses car around here. I never wash the car (or rinse it). Glad your old Sportsters are still beating a good track though. Cheers, Chris
