Believe me, I know what you're saying.  I certainly don't recommend it.  As I started up the mountain I was wishing I had stopped at a nice, snug motel a few miles back.  But once I got up to where the snow was, there was just about no way to stop / turn around / etc.  I was "committed".

At least, I should have been.  

Don't try this at home!  

PS - I don't think I made it clear that the tracks left by the car in front of me were dark next to the white snow.  That doesn't necessarily mean anything, but I was (stupidly) counting on the fact that the sun had just recently gone down, and that I would be able to get to the top and across the plateau and down the other side before the water on the road froze.  I admit it; I lucked out.

We've been having dustings of snow up north of Seattle, and we're supposed to get a decent fall by the end of the week.  Once it hits, I'll get back in the car with the snow tires, but you still hit snow and ice in the shadow in the mornings.  As long as you stay upright and don't do anything abrupt, I'm amazed at what a bike will go over - although I've only been riding the one with ABS.  I have perfected my cold weather gear...  Alpinestars Gore-tex waterproof motorcycle boots, tights, jeans, Joe Rocket Phoenix overpants, shirt, turtleneck, Joe Rocket Meteor jacket, Olympia windproof gloves, neoprene face mask, Snell M2000 MX helmet and goggles.  The MX helmet is counterintuitive, but it never fogs; even with antifog, my Shoei fogs up when it's really cold or raining hard.  Not only am I toasty warm in 30 degree temps, but if I were to fall, I'd probably bounce...

It looks like a great system.     Keep on biking!

Have any of you "Winter Riding Fanatics" experience problems with corrosion?  Do you do anything to prevent it from frame, wheels, suspension?

I ride only when I know there's no ice/snow on the roads (hence the current hibernation and pharmacuticals to handle the withdrawl).  (It's mainly for fear of lowsiding.)  The british MC magazines comment that the GS500 is prone to rusting.  My bike still looks perfect but it has never seen salt.

I'm curious if the british are right or if the GS500 is getting a bad rap.

Roy...

PS. I have ridden in as low as 26F but was heavily insulated.  Quite agree with Kerry's list of clothing.

This goes back to a damning review in "What Bike" several years ago, "Ride it in the rain and it'll corrode before your very eyes" which may well have held some credence at the time. A couple of years back they dropped this ref and it now gets a "Trusty old warhorse" sort of review. Suzukis in general never had a great name for finish but I think the current view is no-better-no-worse than loads of other bikes.

The dreaded salt is a bit of an issue here.

i had my '02 for 2 winters and saw considerable amounts of salt.  Wash it off in some manner as soon as you can.  But getting back to your point i didn't see more rust than i might have expected.  Also being a big fan of WD40 when used appropriately it can be iseful on some parts...

Yup, that's about the strength of it, wash down often and spray liberally, not conservativly as it were.

Cal, Juggernaut, thanks.  Paying attention to the details and taking the time to clean up and protect your bike pays dividends in the long run. Thanks for stating the case for "If you care for your ride, take care of it."

I'm moderately anal about keeping my bike clean, but even I should spend more time to wipe it down with the elixir of protection, "Water Displacement 40".