Quote Originally Posted by ny biker View Post
Things like exposure to salt or being blocked by snow cleared off of neighboring vehicles are not really issues here, because they affect cars and SUVs as well as motorcycles. As for tires freezing to the pavement, I've had that happen to my car, so again it's not a motorcycle-specific issue.
I do have to address those - even though it sounds like the guy really shouldn't get his exemption -

Many (maybe most) bikes are still chain-driven. Salt can damage a chain pretty quickly - it's not like a steel frame (which would affect older bikes and cars, but is protected by paint, so it wouldn't get damaged unless the vehicle doesn't get washed often) or steel bodywork on a car (which is just cosmetic). Motorcycle chains aren't cheap, and a broken chain can be life-threatening.

As far as buildup of snow and ice, it's not like a car where you can just drive over it, or rock the wheels back and forth to dislodge it. Maybe it's hard to explain to someone who's never ridden a bike - but trying to ride or push a bike over a steep, slippery hump, even one only a few inches high, is a recipe for dropping it, especially from a stop, and especially when footing and tire traction on either side of the hump is probably dicey, too. Dropping a bike carries a high risk of personal injury as well as damage to nearby vehicles, not just his own.