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