With the weather warming up and sunny days peeping in more frequently, I’ve seen an increase in riders on the road so I thought I would just mention a few things to remember. We take our bikes for granted and sure hopping on the bike at the first peep of sun seems like a great idea, but have you had a chance to tune it up and get it road ready and safe for your spur of the moment ride? If your bike has been sitting for a while, take a little time checking the fluids (water, oil, brake fluid), do a quick walk around the bike, pump your brakes to check for air in lines or accumulation of moisture, make sure the electronics are all working properly, fire up the bike and let it run (if it is dead might need a new battery or if it sounds rough the fuel may have condensation in it and you may need to pump out the fuel and add fresh fuel), check condition of tires (cracks or even the need for new ones) and always check tire pressures. KFG will do a free multipoint inspection and repairs down in Auburn and if you are up north call and/or drop in to 2 Wheel DynoWorks for any repairs, check our special offers page for participating dealers to get your bike ready to ride. In addition, quick look at your gear and if it needs a bit of dusting off now’s the time or maybe it’s even time to do a little shopping! Oh I just love getting new gear! Just a few minutes of precaution can save you a ton of heartache in the end. Remember we are entrusting our lives to these machines and they will serve you as well as you remember to service them.
The best thing to do of course is to plan ahead, if you know it’s going to be great weather soon and you are planning to get out there, do your maintenance and check a week before your ride that way you can fix the things you need to and venture out confident your ride will be enjoyable. The weather is still brisk and just a reminder that your tires are not going to get warm enough to get premium traction so take it easy, not to mention the moss, leaves, gravel, oil, etc on the roads out there…it’s gonna be slicker. We are also a bit out of practice not riding as often as we’d normally ride when it’s spring/summer, not a good time to go balls to the wall first thing, ease into it and get your bearings. Be safe and let your head, eyes and reflexes get up to speed again. Drivers also need to get used to seeing more motorcycles on the road again so they might not be as aware of you, be extra vigilant and focused when you ride to avoid meeting unexpectedly…we all know they aren’t aware anyway, but let’s try to give them the benefit of the doubt here due to the winter months. Springs-a-coming and track days are around the corner…save those crazy speeds for the track…there are heightened patrols out there and I know none of us want to get a ticket to ruin our day.
Be Safe and Vixens Ride! See you out there on the roads!
