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Ready to Ride?

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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!

Pre-Ride Checklist

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We are all guilty of it, we are busy and at the first sight of sun, we grab our helmet and go…but if it’s been a month, even a week of not riding your bike you should check your tire pressure and do a quick walk around your bike.  I recently was asked if I knew what tire pressure I was running and when the last time was that I checked, honestly, I think it had been two weeks…my tires should’ve been inflated to 30-32 lbs., but I was told that they came in at 20!  Yeah, I was both surprised and embarrassed.  Considering I spend so much time on my bike and safety is paramount, it was a wake up call that I need to be much more on top of checking them weekly.  Needless to say, every chance I get I wipe down or wash my bike after a long ride and do a quick check of everything in order to have it ready to go for my next trip out.

Whether it is a day or weekend trip just some basic precautions can make your trip go smoothly, a little preparation can make all the difference.  Firstly, check your tire pressures (check tire manufacturer and look for your tire type to get the recommended pressures to run) and look at the tread-wear indicators near the center of the tire, if they are even with the tread surface, it’s time to buy a new set.  Also look for cracks, splits and separation of tire compounds all these things mean it’s time to retire those tires.  Next, look at your wheels, if you have spokes tap them with a wrench and listen for a ting, if it thunks then it could be loose.  If there is a crack in your cast wheels, you are pretty much grounded until you order a replacement.  Take a quick check of the axle nuts and bolts too and if you should need to tighten them a quick look up will give you the torque specs on your specific bike.

Check your oil, your dealership should have shown you where the window is located and where the oil level should be.  Most bikes need to be straight up and down and not leaning on the side stand in order to properly read the level, then look around the engine and on floor for leaks.  If you see bright green drops of coolant under your bike, wipe them clean asap, pets are attracted to the ethylene glycol which is sweet tasting and poisonous, then find the source of the leak.  Also, check your brake and clutch fluid, if it’s been a while since you’ve changed it and it is starting to get an amber hue it is time to flush it out and put in some nice fresh fluid, nothing feels better than the feeling of confidence when you squeeze that lever and it delivers a perfect bite as it brings you to a smooth stop.

Quick look at forks and rear shocks, just run your finger around the forks to see whether or not the seals are leaking and use a flashlight to check the shocks for any leaks.  Inspect your chain and if you haven’t cleaned it do so to make sure that there is no rust on it.  Lube the chain and check how much give there is in the chain, if it’s more than over half a tooth’s distance (and the chain adjusters are all the way back) then it may be time to consider a new chain, otherwise you are good to go.

Get on your bike and have someone stand in back and front to make sure your lights aren’t burned out and functioning properly, they are our only means of communication to drivers so they need to be in working order.  Make sure the headlights, turn signals and brake lights work then hit the high beam and horn to make sure everything is working.  Check for any loose nuts and bolts and tighten and then if you are adding accessories like racks and luggage, make sure they are secured and nothing is dangling that could get caught in the rear wheel or sprocket.  Then lastly, but certainly not least, make sure you are gassed up, geared up and ready to go!

Vixens, get out and ride!

Kudos to us Vixens

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Vixens, as riders we tend to start out at a disadvantage, but being female riders I think shows we have “balls” and we definitely do get major credit for that. I believe it takes a certain type of woman to ride, she has to be confident, outgoing and let’s face it the majority of us have quite the personality to boot. Come on, think about it…getting off your bike with helmet in hand, you can start conversations with anyone and they have a huge amount of respect for you, women because they see how strong and independent you are (yes they want to be you) and men because they think it’s sexy (yeah, they can’t help that, it’s the way they are wired). I only state we are at a disadvantage mostly due to the machines we ride, they were developed without us in mind and I mean this in every way. It limits what kind of bikes some of choose to ride because as beginners it is intimidating to climb onto a machine which may weigh up to 300+ pounds more than us, the seat height is too high and we are unable to touch the ground or feel secure in touching it even 3/4 of the way, the handlebars are too far away, the suspension is too stiff for our body weight, etc. The truth is that many of us don’t want a bike we can’t flat foot at a stop and that ends up limiting what types of bikes we choose to ride as our starter bikes. Don’t get me wrong, starting out with a bike you are completely comfortable with to learn the in’s and out’s of motorcycling is incredibly important, but I find that the fear ends up dictating our choices and before we know it we have outgrown the bike we started with and aren’t fully enjoying the ride.

I will make myself an example in this, I bought a Ducati Monster 696 ABS as a starter bike. I wish I would’ve just bought the 796 (the seat height was also a determining factor, it was slightly higher) instead, but because I was being told that the 696 was more power than I would need, I chose my current bike. In the line of Ducati’s it was the one where I could get the most leverage for my feet to touch, but no one mentioned to me that it could be lowered by shaving the seat down, adjusting the suspension, etc. The truth is that dealerships are meant to sell you a bike, they aren’t there to help you enjoy it or get the most out of it, they are there to turn a profit. It is solely up to us to help educate each other and give each other advice that otherwise could not be learned through them. The first week out while on my tiptoes at a stop, I dropped the bike, it was so embarrassing and it really pissed me off. I went back to the dealership and discussed my issue, but the fact that they were guys, they had little (useful) advice to offer or maybe coming from a guy I just tuned them out. At the time, there was a gal named Rachel, that worked once a week at the dealership and she was way shorter than me and also rode. I asked her the same questions I had asked the guys and she was a plethora of information, the first was to have my seat shaved to gain leverage, lowering the bike using lowering links (which I still have a hard time getting behind unless you are only using the bike for pleasure riding and not leaning your bike in any way), suspension (which is still my go to) and just plain old seat time. I shaved the seat and got my suspension done and guess what? I could’ve gotten that 796 I wanted had someone just been a resource for me and told me what I needed to do to get my bike to fit me. Leverage is a huge factor for a beginner, but as you progress and get more seat time, experience and confidence, fully touching the ground doesn’t become a factor (while it is nice) and you can manage with one foot touching. Don’t be afraid to ask other women riders for advice, especially ones who fit your body type, they understand your struggles and will jump right on board to help you get more out of your ride. Sad to say, but we are the minority when it comes to riding so manufacturers concentrate of the major population of riders which happen to be men, so it is that much more imperative that we band together and show the industry that we do matter. I would love to see the day when a woman can walk into a dealership and be greeted by a knowledgable saleswoman, dealerships that offer free setup for women riders, offer workshops on how to maintain your bike, offer discounts to various businesses that can help us customize our bikes to fit, etc…Yeah it’s a pipe dream, but it isn’t impossible. Until that day arrives though, it is up to all of us to help educate and give each other advice on how to absolutely love our rides.

Tell other women riders about us and have them register on the website and like us on Facebook, we are here to help and make this the best online resource there is. If we can improve in any way let us know. We want to provide you with interesting information for riding and for women’s issues as the two go hand in hand. If there is an event you want posted, an issue you want discussed, etc. let us know via email and we will do it. MotoVixens is a community of women riders that are passionate about riding and their health, as riders we must maintain a certain energy level to focus and ride and it is all about being healthy and fit. Here’s to looking at all us fabulous Vixens! Now go out and Ride C.H.I.C!

Maintenance Event – 11/14/2012

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The Women’s Maintenance Event on Wednesday at Ducati Bellevue was a huge success! Thank you ladies for your feedback, we will definitely have to make this event something we offer either once or twice a year. The next maintenance event will be focused purely on maintenance, as requested by you ladies.  It is apparent that this is a subject you all want to know more about.  I think what we tried to tackle that evening was very ambitious for the time allotted and Nels didn’t get the opportunity to really tell you in detail what he really does.  It was, however, an introduction to suspension and dynos which I hope you will continue to research and learn about.  It isn’t just for racers, but it is the reason they can ride like they do, so when you think about it why shouldn’t it apply to everyday riders?  If you look on on previous blog posts, there is a more comprehensive article/blog on suspension and dynos.

I hope that you all learned a lot and as overwhelming as it was, you took away some knowledge you will use for yourselves.  It is my mission to provide you with content in workshops that will be interesting and helpful to you, so please let me know if there is something specific you would want covered and I will make sure it is addressed.  There will be more events to come so I will keep you posted.  In the meantime, ride safe and most of all just ride!

Carol T. Carpenter

MotoVixens

WINTERIZING for Modern Motorcycles

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There is an easy way to winterize your bike (my favorite way), take it to your dealership or if you don’t know where to take it you can call Ducati Bellevue (425-882-4300) and get an estimate on what it would cost to winterize your bike and have them do it for you! However, if you wish to get your hands dirty and really get to know your bike or if you have a friend, relative, significant other, etc who is mechanically inclined and wants to help you, then here are the steps. If you know someone who owns a bike and could use this blog, you can also send them a copy of this post for their reference on how to do it properly, this applies to every type of bike and was prepared by David Rookaird, Service Manager of Bellevue Ducati.

  • Add fuel stabilizer
  • Change your oil and filter
  • Charge your battery and have battery charger leads installed
  • Tire pressures and tires inspected
  • Lube all pivots/ chain
  • Clean

Add fuel stabilizer to a tank of gas at least a half or more full, then run it up to the service station (yes, with it in your bike) and fill up the rest of the tank. Run home and begin the process of changing your oil and filter. (Reason for changing oil when hot; all the contaminants are now suspended in the hot oil and will mostly come out with the oil change). Add oil and run the bike for a few moments and then let sit and recheck the oil level and top off as necessary. If your bike is a carbureted bike, then the next step is to be done regardless of how long you are going to let it sit. Drain the carburetors, at the bottom of each carb is a drain screw, open this and let drain into a old rag. (Be careful gas is highly volatile and will ignite into a big “OH S**T” :0 moment!) If you truly have a modern bike with fuel injection then the fuel and tank system is done.

Clean your bike and remove the seat to clean under that too. While cleaning make notes of how things look under the seat. (this is important since some areas have issues with mice or rats and they like to hide and chew things up under and around seats, you want to be able to see if these issue’s are occurring and take care of them before it’s too late). Now, you should have a battery tender, some newer bikes have leads installed others require installation, ask if you are unsure. The best charger I have found is the C-tek charger and is available at most motorcycle stores or Amazon. It will come with different hooks ups to charge your battery properly. Keep it on the charger all the time it won’t cook the battery. If you choose to ride occasionally then you still want the battery on a tender/charger leads. One of the biggest misconceptions of winterizing the bikes is to run them every week for brief periods to keep the juices flowing, this in fact can be bad for the motor and electrics. This is particularly bad for the motor if you don’t run the bike up to operating temp’s properly, then condensation will occur inside. In addition, what can happen is that the battery will get discharged and never really become recharged properly during that brief run time.

Now is a good time to walk around the bike and look for any issues. Reason? So when the weather does become nice and you want to ride, your ride will be ready for you… Clean and lube the chain, clean the bike in general, you would be surprised that when cleaning the stuff you can find wrong. Fill the tires up to normal pressures recommended by the dealer and in today’s times with radial tires it is not necessary to lift the wheels or bike off the ground. In the old days and with bikes that use bia-ply tires, this becomes a issue. The weight of the bike will sometimes flat spot the tires and cause a slight out of round issue but typically will go away with a few minutes of riding. Clean and lube all pivots, clutch and brake levers, switches and side stand and center stand if so equipped. Lube all the locks. Clean again. Take a old rag and dab it with WD-40 and wipe the fork tubes down, be careful not to get WD-40 on the brakes and tires.

Your bike is now ready for a hibernation period that can last anywhere from 1 week to a couple years, just depends on how the weather is and how much you want to ride in the colder temperatures.

Carol T. Carpenter
MotoVixens

Ducati Bellevue Services

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Did you know Ducati Bellevue offers services on bikes other than Ducati’s?  Well, they do and their prices are better than you may think.  For example, if you purchase tires through Ducati Bellevue they will mount those tires for $30, if you bring in tires you have bought the fee would be $50.  I encourage you to shop tire prices elsewhere then call them for a quote, I believe you may be surprised.

Ducati Bellevue will also service all models of bikes for:

Brakes:  Front – $50 + parts
Rear –  $35 + parts

Chain & Sprockets:  $150 + parts

Brake Flush All:  $50

Coolant Flush All: $50

Take care of your ride, your ride takes care of you…

Visit www.DucatiBellevue.com

Vixens Ride!

Carol T. Carpenter
MotoVixens

Why MotoVixens was started…

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Carol Carpenter

I started MotoVixens as a tool to empower women riders.   While starting my company, I discovered many women riders knew very little about their motorcycles (including how to inspect their bikes before a ride) and how to make their motorcycles run optimally for them.  As women, we need to make sure our motorcycles are setup to function properly under our weight and height (for those of us that are height challenged this is even more crucial).  Please see our video with Brian Trudeau of FS2 under our blog posts.

There are also very few options for continuing education after the Motorcycle Safety Class where you receive an endorsement to operate a motorcycle.  You can’t attend an intermediate class quite yet, since chances are you aren’t quite seasoned enough to be confident in that class, so now what?  Private lessons are available, check with your instructors or contact different schools in your area and find out if they offer any.  Ask other riders, they are incredibly friendly and will give you recommendations.  Truly though, it is about practice, seat time and real life situations.  I rode with others when I first started out on the street, having that added security helped me feel more comfortable while I was starting out.  It is hard to transition from a parking lot to the street then to the freeway, there is so much to look out for and it requires your full attention.  Don’t be hard on yourself, learn, ask questions, get educated (read, join a riding group or attend a riding school) like I did with California Superbike School (see blog).

In Seattle, WMST, has an On-Street course that takes students out on the road under the watchful eye of instructors.  Each student is wired into a Bluetooth unit that they can hear their instructor with as they take you on the challenges of the road you will face every day, so check them out at www.gowmst.com and see all this school has to offer.  WMST also offers women only classes so you not only learn, you can let your guard down and really have fun.  Another option is also track days.  Track days can be nerve racking, but we are currently working with track schools to put on “women’s only” days so that women can rule the track for a day without worrying about being cut off by men zipping around the track.  This gives you even more opportunity to hone your skills or ask for help with lines, breaking and cornering speed.

I am the Ambassador for Women’s events for Ducati Bellevue (Bellevue, WA) and am working to offer day rides (in the spring and summer), maintenance events, track days and seminars with a hope someday Ducati will implement this program through their dealerships nationwide.  Ducati Bellevue is one of the first to implement a program like this and I am honored to be a part of the Ducati family and their desire to educate women riders.

My wish is to help women not only learn the basics of their bikes (like how to change their air filter or oil filter) or what your checklist should be before going out for a ride, but to love riding so much that they want to know everything about it.  We should educate ourselves so we can know our bikes inside and out, but at best knowing the basics is essential.  Having that knowledge makes the ride more pleasurable and allows us to concentrate on the task at hand, enjoying our bikes, friends and the beautiful scenery.  I am looking forward to many years of sharing my passion and helping women RIDE CHIC (Confident, Hard and In Control).  See you all out there on the road.

Vixens Ride!

Carol T. Carpenter
MotoVixens