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[JustPassinThru]

I found a bargain of a 2012 Zero DS, 300 miles from home.  The small dealer wanted to get it out of his store and off his books before the end of the year...so he said.  Given the snow, testing was minimal - across the showroom lobby - but I had had a 2015 DS demo months ago and I was impressed.

Had 2000 miles on it and looked it - a demo, the dealer said.  He had been a Zero dealer but gave it up for lack of local interest.  This was untitled; I have the MSO.

I had to tote it home in an on-again, off-again snowstorm.  Roads were wet in places.  Truck traffic in places; so there's some salt spray it caught while riding in the pickup bed.

And it's below freezing out here and I don't have a heated garage.  So...how likely am I to have trouble with this salt spray, vis-a-vis corrosion and electrical contacts?  Will a pressure-wash at the car wash make it better or worse?

[Richard230]

Moisture and salt are a problem for any motorcycle and more so on the 2012 Zero.  Constant exposure to cold, moisture and salt will likely result in electric and running issues. Don't pressure wash unless you want to guarantee lots of electrical and bearing problems. I would hand wash the bike with warm water (to keep your hands warm) from a bucket, using mild auto wash solution, followed by an easy rinse with a garden hose sprayer.  Dry using a leaf blower or hair dryer, and then a soft towel on the surface parts to get rid of water spots.  Finally (if you can) go for a short ride to finish the drying process and to dry off the brake components. Also, watch out for those nasty black plastic fairing fasteners, they tend to pop out and it won't take too many missing before the fairing pieces follow in their footsteps.

[JustPassinThru]

Sometimes the easy solutions are the best ones.

The Harley dealership whose lift I was using, was willing to do a quick wash on the Zero.  Charge $20, about four times what the U-Wash would charge.  Since the temperature was about 15 degrees, that seemed reasonable.

It got put into the unheated garage all clean and ready for me.  Even in that cold, it rode nice, the half-mile...

[evdjerome]

Like Richard said, be careful washing it. NEVER spray it with high pressure water. I actually wouldn't even rinse it with a garden hose, except the tires.

Do you mind sharing how much you paid for your DS?

[eyeinsky]

Wash the bike buddy! water won't hurt it Salt will. I use pressure wash all the time but be smart about it try keep away from bearing and seal. I had my bikes so dirty you can't tell colour for the mud... drop in the mud holes for a few seconds and drove it home every time. Now I will tear it down this winter and go over it top to bottom grease and lubricate everything including connection with DC4 and corrosionX. My DS has battery that can't be removed so be sure you keep water away from the window and cover on the front of at BMS LED lights. In my FX, if I see moisture in the glass I remove the battery from the bike turn them caps off face down to dry out moisture from bat. 

Cheers Jerry