So this will be my (and the wr's) first cold winter. (having moved from a warmer place)

question:

I know the winters here can be blistering cold and I expect a lot of salt to be thrown on the roads. Having said that, i'll try to avoid such times (as in, when its fresh snow and salt just being thrown that day) but since I use it for my daily commute it wont be easy.

Thankfully the winter is supposed to be quite sunny and nice so I'm already looking forward to the fun times in the snowy alps



Anyway, how much possible damage am I exposing the bike to by riding on salty roads? What can I do to prevent possible rust?? Im gonna feel bad for my poor love if it starts to rust. Maybe a quick wash every night with fresh water??


Or am I worrying too much? any guys with experience on this?

The fresh water rinse would definitely help but long term, road salt is going to do some damage. It eventually gets into everything.

Wash often and use lots of S100 Corrosion Protectant anywhere steel touches aluminum.

Been there, done that.
Not on a WR-250R, but on my XT-200J dual-purpose bike in the olden days.

You can count on some corrosion if you ride the bike during the winter, especially if you do it a lot.
Typical areas of corrosion:

Drive chain.
Rear wheel spokes.
Rear shock linkage.
Swingarm pivot.
Frame front down tube.
Front of engine crankcase.
Front of cylinder head and cylinder.
Mounting bolts and studs for exhaust head pipe.
Exhaust head pipe.
Exhaust muffler.
Horn.
And, eventually, electrical connections if it's done long enough.

As said, washing the bike well after each ride and finishing the job with a lubricating spray at the trouble spots will help a lot, but I'd be surprised if you don't finish the winter without some traces of corrosion.
If it's your only wheels, I wouldn't be paranoid, but I would expect to do a lot of bike washing and lubricating.