I may be riding through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan this summer. If I do, my bike will be parked very close to Lake Michigan for about a week. From past experience, I know that sand from the beach is always blowing about and getting into everything. I've never taken a motorcycle there. For those of you with experience, do I need to be extra careful about exposing my bike to the elements, or is this not a problem? (I will be covering it when not riding it.)

I'll be on blacktop most of the way to and from the U.P., but there will be short stretches when I will need to ride on thick gravel or hard-packed sandy dirt.

Charlie, just given my experience with Orleans, the sand getting in stuff is inevitable; the sand staying in stuff is not. I'd wipe the bike down each evening, making sure you're not creating a sand castle above your starter motor, for example. You might also check every couple of days and see if you're getting any grit into your wiring harness. Orleans had sand everywhere (and bugs everywhere else). I think just paying attention to the fact that you'll be picking some up is the biggest thing - regular wipe-downs and system checks will go a long way in preventing the UP terrain from becoming part of your daily ride.