Welcome
Welcome to The Bike Escape.
Motorcycling was once associated with gangs, the 1%ers, the so-called dregs of society, and sure there were some that fit that bill, but there was also a lot that didn't. I've never been a biker myself but I have known many over the years and the ones I've known were solid, regular joes, with jobs, kids, and families.
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! -30-
by Kay
Zelkin
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.
For comments and inquiries about the article visit
http://www.aftermarketmotorcyclepartsnow.com
As the weather gets cooler, is your
motorcycle ready to be put
up for the winter? Even if you plan to ride your bike through
the cold winter months, here are some ideas on winter care. Or,
maybe your have another reason for not riding your bike: travel,
business or family commitments. The good news is that this
shouldn't take more than a few hours of work to be sure that
your motorcycle will remain in tip-top condition in terms of
looks, mechanical condition and trouble free riding.
First, be sure the fuel system is drained and conditioned. The
best way to do this is to get the level as low as you can, then
add a fuel stabilizer additive. Then run your bike for a few
miles to be sure the additive gets into and through the entire
fuel system. Then, when your ready to ride, simple fill up with
fresh gas and you're ready to go.
Next be sure and clean you motorcycle thoroughly. Use a good
degreasing agent to get rid of all that grime that collected
over the past several months. Be sure to remember to get the
brakes and suspension systems. Clean out the brake calipers
with a brake cleaner and re-lubricate.
Make sure that your bike is completely dry. If you have
compressed air available, use it.
Next re-lubricate the motorcycle. Be sure to cover the brakes
(calipers and discs) to protect them during this process. Be
sure to get all of the joints and pivots points. Regular chain
lube is usually good enough for moving parts and surfaces.
Finally, the use of a corrosion treatments is recommended (not
for brakes).
Use a good wax to coat and polish the surfaces. Again, avoid
the brakes.
Get the tires up and off of the ground. If you have a center
stand, great. If not, invest in a pair of stands to get the
bike up. They will pay for themselves numerous times.
Save yourself the grief of needing a new battery come spring by
using a battery tender. Like getting the tires up, this
investment will pay for itself over and over again.
Finally, invest in a cover for your motorcycle. Make sure it
breathes so condensation won't occur.
These are just a few ideas to keep your bike in great shape
when not being ridden for an extended period. A small amount of
time and investment will result in a huge time and money savings
later.
by Shirley Bullington
Disclaimer
To the best
of our knowledge these are all from either the public domain or free to
use, and a link either has been or will soon be placed on our link page
whenever possible to credit the sources of the photos.
If for some
reason we have inadvertantly placed a photo or image that is not freely
available we will be glad to remove it upon request.
We hope you enjoy these photos.