Motorcycling Articles

Winter Season Come: Basic Steps to Winterize Your Bike
by Kay Zetkin

We know that motorcycle enthusiasts out there are knowledgeable enough in how to care for their bikes. Having a motorcycle and considering it as a prized possession is indeed tedious work. And here, we would like to share bits of information about several things that you may find really important, especially if you’re a motorcyclist from northern climates.

Northern climates motorcyclists experience dilemmas during the winter season comes. Once winter approaches, they either take the option of continuing their motorcycle riding, not wishing to be apart from their motorcycles for the winter spell or they winterize their motorcycles and put it away until spring comes. Winter brings with it cold, icy, wet weather. These conditions do not bode well for your motorcycle’s condition and neither is it a great condition for riding your bike.

Every motorcyclist may have many different opinions on how to do the process of winterizing their motorcycles. Doing it is a matter of grave significance in order to restore the power and built of your motorcycle in order for it to be sturdy during its active lifespan. Once you have decided on putting away your bike temporarily as the winter sets in, here are several basic steps to winterize your bike and put your mind at ease for the rest of the winter.

Even before the winter sets in, check over your motorcycle for any mechanical problems. If you find something wrong, put it in repair immediately.

The engine oil and oil filter of your bike must be changed. After this, run the engine briefly so that the oil can circulate completely through the system. Try to avoid using used motor oil as it is contaminated with acids. Drain your float bowls by running the engine, shutting off the fuel or letting the engine use up the fuel in the float bowls.

After the last ride of the season, top off your gas tank. This will prevent water condensation in the tank. You can treat your gas with a gasoline stabilizer for your fuel to stay good through the winter.

Your motorcycle’s battery should be checked. This entails cleaning the battery terminals and connecting a Battery Tender or similar trickle charger. You can also remove the battery and store it in a warm, dry place.

Take time to clean and wax your bike.

After cleaning and waxing it thoroughly, dry it up real good and cover it. Find a nice and warm garage that’s safe from cold drafts in which to store your bike.

Ooops! Before leaving your bike alone in its cozy place, check your tires and inflate them to the proper pressure.

Also, make sure the garage you found can be locked up real tight and the registration and other papers are removed from its case.
There’s no law saying not to drop in on your bike every couple of weeks. This will remind you that once the winter is gone, you and your bike will both be back in the road again!

About The Author
Kay Zetkin discovered the pleasure of writing through her daily journals as a teen-ager. Writing in it helped sort out her thoughts, relieve her feelings and record what she observes of the world.

For her, writing is an effective tool to express your viewpoints... To write is already to choose, thus, writing should be done along with a critical mind and a caring soul. She hopes to become more professional, skilled and mature in her craft.

Aside from writing Kay spends her time reading. Reading lets her travel to far-off imagined places and situations. She also learns a lot from devouring books, especially from the socio-political and historical ones.

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kzetkin02@gmail.com