How to Protect Your Motorcycle During Winter

Your motorcycle is susceptible to damage once winter sets in. The different parts of your motorcycle can be affected by the cold weather, rain, and snow, but there are ways to limit or completely protect your motorcycle from these effects of winter.

How to Protect YourMotorcycle During Winter

If you will ride your motorcycle during winter, there are a few measures you can take to prevent your motorcycle from getting damaged.

Battery

The battery of your motorcycle is hit the hardest during winter, because the lower temperatures slow down its chemical reactions. Your battery needs to use more electric currents to function properly during winter. Charge your battery overnight or keep it charged regularly to keep it fresh. Also, apply some grease on the terminals and ensure that they are tight. Unplug the connectors and spray it with some silicone grease to prevent salty water from seeping in.

Anti-Freeze

Using anti-freeze or any kind of coolant on the water you put into your radiator prevents the system from freezing on a cold and chilly night. Make sure to drain and fill the system properly. After draining, make sure to bleed the system while you refill it. Improper bleeding can lead to an air-lock and eventually, overheating.

Oil & Filter Change

One of the first things you must do when winter comes is perform the oil and filter change. The cold winter months make it harder for your motorcycle’s engine to heat up, increasing the likelihood of damage. Engine oil has all the additives your motorcycle needs to protect your engine from the cold weather. Fresh oil works quicker and provides the protection your engine needs.

Grease Joints

Grease plays a vital role in protecting your motorcycle and its parts from the low temperatures of winter. Start the greasing process by removing the levers of the handlebars. Apply a good amount of grease before refitting. On parts unaffected by heat from the engine, apply a lot of grease for maximum protection. Make sure to apply grease on any bare threads such as wheel spindles and gear lever tie rods.

These are some of the measures you can take to protect your motorcycle from the cold temperatures of winter.

How to Protect Your Motorcycle in the Rain

Riding your motorcycle during the rainy season is as fun as riding it in any other day of the year. But you must follow certain precautions to make sure that you are safe and your motorcycle stays in top condition.

Motorcycle Care Tips during the Rainy Season

The rain can damage your motorcycle in a variety of ways like discoloration, corrosion of some parts, mud stains and other issues. Here are some ways you can keep your motorcycle in top condition during rainy season:

1.    To avoid discoloration apply Teflon on your motorcycle before the rainy season begins. Applying Teflon protects the paint of your motorcycle from rain.

2.    Wash uncovered parts every time you ride out during rainy weather to prevent mud from drying up and caking making it difficult for any moving parts to perform its function.

3.    Mud is also a corrosive agent, as such wash your bike thoroughly after a particularly wet ride to clean even those parts that are uncovered and prevent ruining your paint job.

4.    When you stop or park, make sure to park your motorcycle under a shed or any parking area with a roof.

5.    If you can’t find a parking area with a shed, cover your motorcycle with a right-sized rain cover to protect it from the rain.

These are a few motorcycle care tips you can follow when you ride your motorcycle during rainy season.

Motorcycle Safety Tips for Rainy Season Riders

One must always wear the right gear and follow road rules whenever riding a motorcycle more so when it is the rainy season. Riders must exercise a higher level of caution because the roads are more slippery. Here are some safety tips when riding during rainy season:

1. Check your brakes. The brakes of your motorcycle need to be in top condition during rainy season because the roads are more slippery. Replace old break shoes, pads, or liners to ensure safe riding.
2. Check the traction of the road using your rear wheel. You can do this by locking up the rear wheel.
3. Ride slower so that your motorcycle will not slip when you make a sharp turn, a regular turn, or when you brake.
4. Avoid passing shiny, smooth surfaces like painted arrows, lanes, train tracks, metal grates, and other similar surfaces. Trying to stop or slow down on surfaces like those mentioned is difficult during rainy season.

By following these tips, you can continue to enjoy your motorcycle rain or shine.