Getting the Trophy Wet?

[PoconoTTSE]

Ok I have skimmed over more then enough posts to inquire about this now - usually about 'properly drying' the bike and one post I think that stated the manual suggests (???) you bag the handlebar controls pre-wash.  I guess I could have read for myself, but I have washed the TTSE a few times and owned bikes for 30 years and never had I a concern about getting them too wet.  When I wash I don't get the 'cockpit' area overly wet as it's never overly dirty and everything is towel dried, followed by a quick 4 mile putt to circulates some air through the nooks and cranny's and finally parked in a climate controlled garage (heated/cooled). 

Now I guess the real question, this bike is somewhat new, last October and while I managed to squeak 2,000 miles on before the snow and cinders fell, I did no overnights.  Now that spring is almost upon us up here in NE Pennsylvania, I hope to actually do some real riding and if not before, I have a PA to Cape Cod, MA to Lake George, NY (Americade) back to PA ~1,300 Miles over the course of 5 days, where the bike will be out overnight; and shudder at the thought, it might get rained on.  Now prior to this bike, none of my previous bikes had the electronic data screens or presumably as sensitive of handlebar controls and over the course of ownership they all had a few nights out in the rain on trips with hardly a second thought by me other than wiping off the seat before I got going the next morning.  Now that I have invested in a legitimate tour'er, all the previous bikes were great boulevard cruisers but showed their limits on what has turned out to be increasingly longer trips that I plan,  it is sounding like this bike might have a major achilles heel?

Input/Thoughts

[azgman]

I don't think you have anything to worry about. The Trophy uses parts similar to any other bike out in the world.

Ride more, worry less!

[lemuriano]

On more than a few trips it rain overnight and also encounter heavy rain while riding, without any issues. On the other hand, I do use the bags to cover the controls and also the muffler, put some tape on the ignition key and never spray water DIRECTLY on the instruments and panel.

[atrophy]

I use a 1/2 cover when I park at a motel or campground at night.  It keeps controls and seats dry and keeps curious people off/away from my bike.
I paid about $40 for a cover 10 years ago and I still use it.
It covers the Windshield, and top box. It leaves the bottom half of the bike exposed and that's ok, I don't have to worry about melting the cover on the exhaust. 
I have ridden through some pretty bad rain storms and one snow storm and had no problems with the controls.

[nert]

Same here. Been in plenty of heavy down pours, left the bike outside overnight in the rain. (was on the road) and have never put bags on the handlebar during washing. It shouldn't be a problem. And if you don't blast the electrics with a pressure washer, you should be fine. No Achilles heel.

[gfxmonkey]

We have rain hear in blighty most of the year! Never a problem with the electronics. When I wash her, I never jet wash  the handle bar region. Simple! 

[Volfy]

It really depends on how you look at it.  I avoid riding in the wet like the plague.  But... if I am touring and it happens to rain, well... so be it.

As for washing the bike, I avoid having to wash the upper part of the bike.  Quite often, I can get away with doing a "1/2 wash" on just the lower parts of the bike, which are usually what gets gunked up anyway.  I clean the cockpit area and the front of the bike with Windex and a clean rag after every couple of rides, so they tend to stay clean and don't typically require a full soak when washing the bike.

Yes, the TTSE, like most bikes, is designed to be operated in adverse conditions.  But that doesn't mean repeated exposure won't take a toll on the more sensitive parts.  I've opened up the control pods (to grease a stiff turn signal switch, and to install heated grips, for example) and the innards don't look all that well sealed against moisture and dust.  Most bikes aren't.  Also, many connectors on modern bikes don't have seals and grommets like on cars and trucks.  Triumph do use dielectric grease on many of them to keep out moisture, but still... blast them with water often enough, and water will get in places and do things you won't like.

Yes, some of us do get a bit too anal about it.    At the minimum though, I would suggest taping up key switches and plugging up the exhaust pipe when you wash the bike.  Takes only a minute and worth the trouble.  And avoid pointing the garden hose water jet directly at the control pods where the buttons and switches are. 

[PoconoTTSE]

Thanks for the quick responses, which were somewhat as expected and I was hoping for some road proven answers/responses.  It was just that I had read a few comments now about keeping it dry and was looking to see if anyone actually experienced issues related to moisture.  It 'might' stand to reason a bike developed in the UK would be weather ready - but to be fair I have a 59 MGA 1600 Roadster which has plywood as the OEM flooring and while mine still has that same flooring, that is more by extraordinary care (in our family since new) than by design as it is usually one of the first items to go.