How to Protect Your Motorcycle During Summer

Summer is the best time to ride your motorcycle on long trips. The trees are in full bloom. The wind conditions are moderate. But the heat is your number one enemy during the summer season. For a truly enjoyable ride, you need to make sure to protect both yourself and your bike.

How to Protect Your Motorcycle During the Summer Seasonv

A rider can put on gear to stay cool despite the hot weather, but a motorcycle is exposed to the elements. Here are some ways that can help you protect your motorcycle during the hot season:

1. Both the rider and the motorcycle need air flow to stay cool during the summer. There are motorcycles that have detachable panels for proper air flow. There are also motorcycles that come with cooling systems to make sure that it gets enough air flow to avoid overheating. Read your motorcycle’s manual to find out how to dissipate heat for your bike.
2. Stay in the shade when parking. Exposing your motorcycle to the heat of the sun while it is parked can cause it to overheat and it will make riding quite uncomfortable because the seat and handles are hot. Keep your motorcycle in the shade to protect it from the heat of the sun.
3. It is important to keep at a safe distance from other vehicles while you are riding your motorcycle, more so during the summer season. Your motorcycle will need all the air flow it can get and sticking too close to another vehicle will lessen the air flow.
4. Gasoline expands in hot weather that is why it is important to avoid maximizing the capacity of your motorcycle’s gas tank to avoid wasting fuel or spilling it to other parts. Make sure that you park your motorcycle in a shaded area right after gassing up.
5. Brakes tend to overheat faster in stop-start driving, and the hot weather increases the chances of overheating the brakes when you find yourself in that kind of driving condition.
6. Constant exposure to the scorching heat can also wreak havoc on your motorcycle’s paint job. When cleaning your bike, put an extra coat of polish to provide an extra layer of protection.
7. Make sure to cover your motorcycle when you cannot park it inside your garage or in a shaded area. Summer is a good time to invest in motorcycle covers or even portable garages if you’re going out on long trips.

These are a few ways you can protect your motorcycle during the hot season. Following these precautionary measures prevents overheating the engine and the brakes and ruining your motorcycles paint.

While protecting your bike during summer is important, you also need to make sure that you protect yourself from sunburn during this season. You may opt to get riding gear that is meant for hot weather riding such as gloves, boots and jackets that have vents or are made with mesh and other breathable material. As a lighter option for a motorcycle jacket, you can get a motorcycle vest instead.