Tips for Winterizing Your Motorcycle

Mike Rush

The roads on the Delmarva peninsula are clear of ice and snow for a major part of the winter season.  However, not all motorcycle riders are warm-blooded enough to keep riding during those cool months.  If this is true of you, you will want to take care of your bike during hibernation. Here are some essential tips to make the spring thaw easy on you, your bike and your wallet.

Fuel System:
We recommend you use a fuel stabilizer to keep your gas fresh and protect your carburetors/fuel injection system and gas tank from corrosion and residual deposits.


Star-Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment cures and prevents Ethanol fuel problems.  Fill your tank and add Star-Tron following the directions on the bottle.  Run the engine for 5-10 minutes to circulate the treated fuel through the system.  If possible, turn off the fuel valve and run the engine until it runs out of gas. This helps prevent the formation of gum inside your carburetor.   It works great in lawn mowers, garden tools, snowmobiles and personal watercraft too!


Tires:
Tires are affected by heat, sunlight, dampness and ozone (created by electric motors, pollution and lightning).  Keep your bike out of direct sunlight and away from electric motors, i.e. the refrigerator and/or freezer in the garage.  Store your bike with tires fully inflated in a cool, dry place.  Use your center stand to take the bike's weight off the tires.  If you do not have a center stand, try to move the bike a few inches every couple of weeks to prevent flat spots from forming.

Battery:
The simplest way to prolong battery life is to keep it fully charged.  We recommend either a Battery Tender or Optimate Charger/maintainer.  With either unit, you may leave your battery connected indefinitely.  They self-regulate to keep the battery fully charged.  Always use caution:  Follow the battery manufacturer's instructions and the charger directions when handling a battery!  It is also beneficial  to keep the battery in a warm dry place.  Please remember to handle your battery properly.


Lubrication:
During use, your engine oil becomes acidic from combustion.  Prior to storage, we recommend that you change your oil and run the engine for a few minutes to circulate it.  You may want to change the oil again in the spring, as condensation may form during storage.  However, the fall oil change is more important.  Don't forget to lube the chain and all the cables & linkages, too!


General:
There are several cover options, from inexpensive Dowco indoor dust covers to the Dowco Guardian/Weatherall covers, for outdoor protection.  Additionally, a liberal coat of good, quality wax or protectant is a great idea to protect your investment.

These precautions are not only great for winterization, but are great year-round practices that will save you hundreds of dollars in repair/replacement costs and riding time.  You will maintain your bike's peak condition for safe riding and possible resale or trade-in.

Dress Right for Cold Weather Motorcycle Riding

Steve Graybeal

When the weather turns cold most riders put their bikes away for the winter, but with the right clothing there’s no reason to stop riding.

The key to staying warm is covering all exposed skin and layering your clothing.  You should dress in at least three layers:  the base layer, an insulating layer and an outer weatherproof layer. 

The base layer should be silk, polyester or other synthetic material.  It is designed to wick moisture away from the body.  To do its job it must be snug fitting.  



FirstGear makes a base layer specifically designed for motorcyclists. Cotton is not good for the base layer; it will trap moisture next to your body and make you cold. 

Next is the insulating layer, it should be loose fitting to trap warm air close to your body.  Wool or synthetic fleece is good for this layer. I use synthetic fleece mock turtlenecks. The snug fit at the neck helps keep cold air out.  For my legs, I usually wear jeans tucked into my boots for this insulating layer. 

The outer layer should be wind and water proof. Running into an unexpected rain storm in the summer is inconvenient.  Without waterproof gear in the cold it can lead to hypothermia.  I use the Joe Rocket Nano jacket and pants with liners.  They do a great job of keeping the wind and rain out.  I also wear a full-face helmet and Balaclava made of Gore-Tex wind stopper fabric to keep my neck warm. 

Hands and feet can be particularly challenging.  I use glove liners and Gore-Tex thinsulate gloves. On very cold days or long rides I use disposable hand warmers between the glove and liner in the palm of the gloves.  For my feet I use thin synthetic socks under wool or wool blend socks and Gore-Tex thinsulate motorcycle boots. Again, on really cold days it is tough to beat the disposable toe warmers. 

Another option is electrically heated gear. A complete setup (jacket, pants, glove liners, socks and controller) will run about $600, but for about $400 you can get a jacket, glove liners and controller that will do the job in most circumstances.

If your willing to wear an extra layer or two or invest in electrically heated gear, there’s no reason not to ride year round if the roads are clear.

A Cool Ride on Yamaha's FJR 1300 AE - Electric Shift

To shift or not to shift…that is the question...

Stewart Crouch

Last Saturday morning I was responsible for leading the Snowball Haul Sport Touring ride. I spent some time in the morning laying out a route that would be interesting without going too far away and allow us to be back to the dealership within 2 hours. 

Since temperatures were going to be in the upper 30s and mid 40s I pulled out my moderate gear. Into the garage to fire up the bike and I got nothing but the dreaded click, click, click, and click. Arggg, why didn’t I hook up that battery tender last night? No time to charge the battery so I loaded up everything in the truck and headed to the store.

Now I had to decide what to ride. I had multiple choices from our selection of nice used bikes; a 1000cc sport bike, no that’s too much, a 600cc sport bike, no I wanted something different.

That’s when the used FJR1300AE caught my eye.

Having ridden a few FJRs in the past I knew it handled well and the larger fairing would be welcome in the chilly morning air. But it was the AE model with the automatic clutch or electric, paddle-style shifting options. Now I am an old-school rider and have believed riding a motorcycle means shifting gears with a clutch. Oh well, time was running out and the idea of the extra wind coverage looked real good, so the FJR it was.

Yamaha only had the AE option available for a few years, thinking the sport-touring crowd would like to ditch the clutch, but it never really caught on. The system allows you to shift two ways.  You can shift the foot lever and simply roll on the throttle (automatic clutch), like a kid’s small dirt bike and manual shift ATV...or you shift using the paddle style levers on the left side of the handlebar (electric shift). With the electric shift option, you use your forefinger to up-shift and your thumb to downshift.

I spent about half the time in each mode but liked the paddle shift mode best. I found that once I got used to it, I was able to shift so smoothly it seemed like a completely automatic transmission. I admit that before I got used to the lever location, there were a few times I beeped the horn when I went to downshift…"Sorry, buddy!".  The automatic shift worked exactly as advertised, but I couldn't help think "Formula One Driver" each time I shifted with the paddles.

I rode one of the AE models a few years ago and had mixed thoughts.  I liked the way it handled and rode, but had a little trouble with the way the transmission engaged in some situations. At that time, whenever I had to make a 90-degree turn the transmission engaged more than I expected causing me to run wider than anticipated. That experience was on my mind the first time I came to a stop sign to turn left. Maybe I smoothed my technique or maybe I was just more aware, but this time transmission engagement was not an issue. I was able to make the stop, do 90-degree turns and stay on my line in the turn effortlessly.

 The AE model also has an “on the fly” adjustable windshield. I found I like the shield either all the way up or all the way down but it was interesting feeling the difference in wind buffeting as the shield went up or down. Now I am tall at 6’3” but if I ran the shield all the way up and scrunched down 2” or so there was no wind noise at all. If you are tall and want a quiet ride there are a number of taller shields available. 

The other nice feature for taller riders is the option to run the seat in a higher position, which gives a little more legroom, which would make a big difference at the end of a long day.

So...to shift or not to shift? If you are in the market for a sport tourer, should you consider the AE model? 

Absolutely.  There is much more to this bike that just the shifting modes. You at least owe it to yourself to take one for a ride. It might just change your mind. It got me thinking.

Thanks for reading...now go for a ride!                 
Stewart

The Morning Ride by Eric Beck

Eric Beck

The Morning Ride… He just woke up. He slides to the edge of the bed and stretches out his arms to the ceiling and then he relaxes.  He looks down at his clock and realizes it’s only 6:45am. The thought races through his mind, “Do I have to work today?” He fumbles for his cell phone and notices that it’s Saturday and he has the day off....

With a breath of relief he thinks of what he will do with his day, “I want to ride,” his brain says, “I want to go for a ride.” With a slight grin on his face he looks behind him and his wife is still off in dream land, drooling on her pillow. He walks down the hall and peeks in on his kids; they’re all still asleep.  He goes back to his closet and pulls out his riding gear.  It’s the middle of February and he hasn’t seen a warm day in what feels like months.

He pokes his head outside to see what the weather is like, and much to his surprise it’s clear. The sun is just coming up over the frozen horizon and the crisp air bites at his lungs. He runs to his garage and flings open the door. As the door rises, a sliver of sun shines into the garage.  He sees its orange glow reflecting off his new set of chrome pipes and slowly working its way up a set of V-twin heads. By the time the light has reached the handlebars he has already reached for his helmet and gloves. He puts them on and walks over to his bike.

He stops to admire it for just a second. It’s just the color he has always wanted, and the chrome is just enough to make him smile. He throws his leg over the black seat and puts his key in the ignition.

He remembers his sleeping family inside and walks the bike outside to the street. He turns the key, the lights come on, a cool shiver goes up his spine, and he hears the fuel pump hum with anticipation. Then with the push of a button it comes alive. The motor is awakened; the exhaust rumbles to life and shakes his cold chill away. This is just what he has been waiting for all winter. And with the feeling of a bear coming out of hibernation, he pulls in the clutch, clicks the shift-lever down into first, and sets out on his Morning Ride!

Are you him? Would you like to become him? Come meet our family here at Diamond Motor Sports and let us help you become him!

Considering getting your child a motorcycle?

Stewart Crouch

Giving a child their first motorcycle is bound to make a lasting impression. Picking the right one will make it a pleasant one. Consider the following points before you purchase.

The child’s physical size:

• Unless you are buying a 50cc cycle with training wheels, the child must be able to sit on the seat and be flatfooted on the ground. If they are learning to ride they cannot be worried about touching the ground and holding the cycle up.
• On kick-start models they must also be able to hold the cycle up with their left leg while they operate the kick starter with their right (can be quite tricky for the first-timer).
• Are they strong enough to operate the controls? Are their hands large enough to hold on to the handlebars, twist the throttle and pull in the levers for the brake and clutch (if manual shift)?

• How well do they ride a bicycle?  Having the ability to ride a standard, self-propelled bicycle is not necessarily required for riding a motorcycle.  However, it is an excellent way for a child to learn balance and the mechanics of controlling these types of vehicles.  It is also an excellent way for parents to assess a child’s aptitude to control and enjoy a powered two-wheeler.  If your child has little or no experience on a bicycle, give them some opportunity to step up to that challenge, and watch how they handle it.  Then use that experience when introducing them to a motorcycle.  Of course, as mentioned above, a child may transition to a small training-wheeled motorcycle to give them more time to learn control before they master balance.
• What is their physical ability? Assess your child’s aptitude to master a new physical activity.  If they are riding a bicycle, you already have one way to assess their aptitude.  Are they active in other sports or physical play? If their physical ability and experience with sports/bicycles are low, you can take measures to ease them into power sports. You’ll watch their confidence increase along with your comfort level.  One way is to use training wheels as mentioned above.  Another way is to limit challenges due to terrain by mastering flat grassy areas first and gradually introducing more varied terrain.  There are also some good techniques to limit power/speed, mentioned below.
• What is their general attitude? Are they high-spirited or calm? Are they competitive or easy going? You may think a high-spirited, competitive child would do well, but not necessarily. They need to take the time to learn how the cycle and its controls work before holding it wide open and taking off across the yard.  An over-confident child can be as much a danger to himself/herself (and others) as a child that lacks confidence.  Again, we want this to be a pleasant experience. The smaller models usually have an adjustment for you to control how far the throttle can open, so you can limit speed.

The child’s ability: You need to honestly answer these questions.

When my nephews were learning to ride I also limited the speed by leaving the cycle in first gear and removing the shift lever. This prevented them from accidentally shifting to a higher gear that would allow them to go faster. Only once they had mastered the throttle and brakes did I reinstall the shift lever and teach them how to shift gears. 

Riding a motorcycle is a great experience for a child that teaches them lessons they will carry the rest of their lives. To safely ride they must decide how much throttle to apply to go a certain speed, how much speed is required to go over various obstacles or different terrain, how to use brakes to stop or slow the cycle, etc. These are all skills they will use once they are old enough to start driving and borrowing the family car.

Owning a motorcycle is a good way to teach responsibility. A cycle will need to be cleaned and basic maintenance performed. These tasks should be up to the child to perform (with proper supervision of course). Performing these duties will show them how to take care of what they have. This is also a great time for parent/child bonding.

With the answers to these questions and with the help of a good salesperson you should be able to find the model that is right for your child. You never know you might just need something for yourself to chase them around.

Stewart Crouch

Inconsiderate Drivers

Stewart Crouch

Ok, I don’t like to complain but if there is one thing that really p#@*%s me off while riding or driving it is “inconsiderate drivers”. My broad brush description is any driver/rider who is not considerate to their fellow driver/rider.

Let me elaborate on a few examples...

Vehicle A is merging onto a busy highway, using the acceleration lane properly to get up to the cruising speed but no one will let them out. The “inconsiderate drivers” speed up to close the gap. Are they really in that much of a hurry?

A similar situation is when traveling along a congested multi-lane roadway and a vehicle signals that it wants to change lanes. Now I am not talking about the ”inconsiderate” guy who has been weaving through traffic for the last half hour like he is in a NASCAR race. I am talking about a driver/rider that suddenly realizes their turn or exit is coming up and needs to change lanes.

I cannot believe how many times the vehicles alongside close their .5 second following distance (remember the 2 second rule from Drivers Ed.?) to right up on the bumper of the car ahead. Is letting this guy over really going to make that much of a difference in their day? It always makes me feel good when I let them over and they give the ”thank you” wave. You give it too don’t you?

One more, and this is a big one. Two vehicles are travelling along a two lane highway both travelling at 55 with traffic backed up behind them. First, I have no problem with the vehicle in the right hand lane. The right hand lane is for travelling at whatever speed you like as long as it safe for the posted speed of the road (going 25mph on a road marked 55 is unsafe and will get you run over). The left hand lane is for overtaking or passing the vehicles in the right hand lane. As soon as you are by, get over to the right, simple right?

I have a problem with the “inconsiderate driver/rider” in the left hand lane that stays the same speed as the vehicle in the right, backing up traffic behind them.

Now I know they are going the posted speed limit and no one should be speeding but hey, real world here, the traffic flow on most roads in America is over the posted speed limit. If the driver in vehicle A wants to go 55 they have 2 choices; speed up, pass the vehicle in the right lane, get over in the right lane and drop back to 55 or drop back, get behind the vehicle in the right lane and continue 55. Either way it frees the vehicles in the left lane to pass and hopefully pull over to the right lane when they are clear.

Ok, that’s enough complaining for a while, I am sure you have a few of your own. Thanks for reading. Now go for a ride, be safe…….and don’t be “inconsiderate”, I might talk about you.

Stewart Crouch

R6 Power Up Kit

Rick Allara

Hey, this is Rick from Diamond Motor Sports and I would like to introduce you to a cost effective way to get more power out of your 600cc motorcycle! I love my 2006 Yamaha R6 but like all things I own that consume gas I wanted more power and acceleration that's also budget friendly.

After some quick research online on how to squeeze as much inexpensive (inexpensive being the key word here) horsepower out of my R6 as possible, I came across a sprocket power-up kit ($250.00). I personally chose...
...a Driven sprocket due to the fact that they offered a wide variety of colors and they look great.

As for my chain I chose the RK 520. My 2006 R6 comes with a 525 chain size and the Driven/RK sprocket "power-up kit" is a 520 conversion. That might not seem like much but every little bit helps squeeze out some hidden acceleration. The 520 chain not only reduces weight by 4lbs it offers a big improvement in acceleration, deceleration, braking and handling. Not to mention it looks good too!

As for the front and back sprockets I decided to go 1down-2up(-1/+2). Now I didn’t have the tools (or experience) to perform the 520 conversion so...

I took it into Diamond Motor Sports for a professional install. And let me tell you it was well worth it!

Once installed I couldn't wait to get her out on the road.

Acceleration from a stand still was remarkably faster than the stock setup and roll-on acceleration pulls just as hard if not harder!! Lifting the front end up is considerably easier in first gear and even highway speed wheelies on the 600 are now possible with the right amount of finesse! (Not that I recommend doing wheelies, but lets just say the front end comes up A LOT quicker!)

However, what I found with the new sprocket gearing is that my speedometer and odometer was completely off. With my -1/+2 ratio the speedometer showed roughly 12mph faster than I was actually going, which obviously was going to throw off my odometer readings too.

To compensate for this I highly recomend a SpeedoHealer from HealTech Electronics Ltd. ($115.00) (SpeedoHealer v4) SpeedoHealer is one slick piece of electronics. It’s a plug and play device that plugs directly into your 3p plug. Cailbrating and programming your SpeedoHealer to your correct sprocket gearing is fairly straightforward thanks to their online calculator.

Once you have it set up properly you can regain 100% accuracy in your speedometer and odometer readings. In addition, SpeedoHealer has a Top Speed Memory button you can press to display your last true top speed on your speedometer. SpeedoHealer will fit almost every bike on the market.

If you have an older bike and aren’t interested in resale value you can just have someone pace with you to get your true speed. However, if you’re thinking about selling your bike someday the $115.00 price-tag is money well spent to keep your bike from depreciating that much faster.

So there you go!! Looking to gain some affordable, inexpensive power and improved handling out of your 600cc motorcycle? Then look no further, the 520 conversion and power up kit is the way to go! Good Luck and Ride Safe!

50 year Anniversary

Where does the time go?

It is hard to believe but 2011 is the 50th year Diamond Motor Sports has been in business. If you could call Warren Price’s humble beginnings a business. It was more about getting the parts he and his buddies needed to keep their assortment of junk motorcycles running.

To hear Warren describe it is really comical, “the parts department was under my bed. When someone needed something I would pull out the boxes and see if I had something that would work, never mind the exact part they needed. One thing led to another and I somehow ended up with a BSA franchise. Once that happened we had to clean out the shed because my mother wasn’t about to let me keep them in my room.”

His success in the motorcycle business led Warren...
...into the automobile business and the rest is history. Even today, owning 6 dealerships with 11 franchises, he can’t stay out of the business. Most every day he can be found in one of his dealerships fine tuning the details.

I get asked a lot how long have I been here and I am happy to say this marks my 30th year. When people comment I say, “I still haven’t decided what I want to do when I grow up” and smile.

As a kid living on North Fairfield Drive near Moores Lake in Dover, all I wanted to do was ride my red Honda SL70. My friends and I would mostly ride in what was called at the time the Pizzadili Pits behind the Pizzadili Restaurant/Deli (it is full of houses now). The Lord only knows how many gallons of gas we burned riding laps in that sand pit. When we would get bored we would cut through a couple of yards, push down a few roads (riding while dragging a foot), cut through the apple orchard (now Old Mill Acres) and go to 2 other sand pits (one of which is now Tidbury Park).

When we really felt adventurous (often) we rode down to RT13, crossed it, and pushed (riding while dragging a foot again) through Rodney Village, cut across a field and hit the railroad tracks. I am sure my parents never would have guessed, on those evenings as we sat and ate dinner, I had been to Harrington, 3 towns away, that day on my little SL70.

Its memories like that and the umpteen others involving motorcycles since that keep me in this business and smiling most days.

Did I ever tell you about the time......

Stewart Crouch