Kawi2strokes.com Forum

No hard feelings, Chris, I was just answering Steve's question about what upstate NY mail carriers drive.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

Chris
Good choice , that will eat up the roads up here and give you some peace of mind for your daughter

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1977 KH 400
1976 KH 250/350 rat bike
1971 KV 75
1976 KV 75

Nice Crosstrek, we looked at them but the wife preferred the style of the 2008-2011 Impreza hatchbacks better. The Crosstrek does add some ground clearance so that is an added plus for the snow.

Excellent choice. For my 2¢ ...check the oil regularly. The flay fours seem to loose a bit because not every drop drains back to the pan while parked.

Another question but first thanks again for all the advice. My daughter loves the Subaru but hasn't yet experienced driving in the snow yet (although there was a little today). Also a special note of thanks to JohnnyO for all the email advice a few months back on which sections of town best for appartment hunting. She read this thread when I told her about the snow tires, so she saw the comments with the driving tips.

So what do you guys do about cleaning and protecting the cars up there from rust due to salt? How often should she get her car washed? Are car washes even open in the winter? I can tell you she won't be washing it by hand! I'd hate to see such a nice vehicle get ruined.

Thanks!

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1972 H2 750 (x2); 2003 Buell XB9S; 2008 ZZR 600 (fundraiser for charity)

The damage from road salt comes from underneath. I don't know that you can really do much about it. I suppose if you could regularly drive over an array of fresh water nozzles that were pointing up, that could help. Does that one have an aluminum radiator? If so, keep it rinsed often. My Father-in-law, who lived in North Myrtle Beach, had a minivan that was only a few years old when it started overheating for no apparent reason. It turned out most of the aluminum radiator fins had corroded off from the salt air.

If you live in a salty place, buy cheap, disposable cars.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

Wash it when ever the weather allows the drive thru car washes in my area are closed in below freezing weather but the diy spray wand is open all year use with the thought that the doors windows and wipers will freeze after the wash. Also they spray the roads with a liquid deicer before the storms tell the daughter not to drive behind the spray truck or on the wet road after the spray is down, the spray is extremely corrosive .


I have heard that car washes recycle the water if thats the case at best a car was in winter get the heavy road grime off with salt water , we wash our family cars first chance we get after the bad weather , on my pick up /plow truck I use the diy spray wand soon as the snow stops and just deal with the frozen doors and wipers.


Its really important in the spring to use the spray wand and wash out the wheel wells and any other areas underneath that you can reach with the spray, also use the drive thru under body wash

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1975 S3 project bike
1974 H1 project bike
1972 Yamaha R5
1974 Yamaha RD350

The drive thru "full service" car washes have undercarriage wash ,, nozzles that point up ..
Two of my trucks after eight to ten years start to develop problems mostly brake lines rotting out ,, but the salt gets every where .. If you plow which I do, carrying the plow creates a different wind pattern and the inside of the engine compartment becomes covered with salt and also needs to washed regularly,, if you plow the heat shields on the exhaust off the motor don't last long and ate first to go ..

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1977 KH 400
1976 KH 250/350 rat bike
1971 KV 75
1976 KV 75

Chris
How's your daughter liking Syracuse ??
Hope all is well ...

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1977 KH 400
1976 KH 250/350 rat bike
1971 KV 75
1976 KV 75

She's great and likes it, but we'll see how her first winter goes. She was back here in Florida over Christmas in flip-flops.

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1972 H2 750 (x2); 2003 Buell XB9S; 2008 ZZR 600 (fundraiser for charity)