| Motorcycles and Twowheelers: General two wheeler information - "The Zen of Cleaning and Preparing Your Motorcycle After Winter Storage" Friday, 12 March, 2010 | Home | Suggest a Link |
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Cleaning and preparing your motorcycle after Winter storage should be a passionate task. Yes, after the many months of waiting, doing anything to your motorcyle is a much anticipated task.
Sure it is not on the "hunny do list." But it is the number one to do item on your list. Whether you ride a BMW Tourer, ZZR1200 Sport Tourer, or Victory Kingpin, you should approach the task like a Zen master, learning about your bike again, fine tuning it up and preparing it for its first spring ride.
So, get out the cache of cleaning supplies, soap, polish and waxes, lubricants, etc... and get to it!
The following punch list has been comprised by reading through the various motorcycle owners' manuals (MOMs) and service manuals as well as from my own experiences as to what works. After a few months in storage for both you and your bike, I encourage you to read your general maintenance sections of your M.O.M, just to make sure you did not forget something basic like inflating the tires to the proper inflation specifications.
Finally, you made it through your first spring motorcycle maintenance task and now are one with your motorcycle. Well, not quite yet. Now you need to fine-tune yourself. By that I mean, practice your basic riding skills.
Head out to an empty parking lot and practice your braking, slow-speed riding techniques, and clutch control. You will find that you are a bit rusty. This will also give you a chance to see if there is anything you missed while going through your spring tune-up punch list.
The bottom line is to have fun. Motorcycling is all about the passion. I firmly believe in one doing their own motorcycle maintenance. If you are doubtful of your mechanical skill all you need to do is go to one of the many online motorcycle forum sites and post questions or browse their How-To articles. Ideally you want to go to a site that pertains to your model motorcycle.
If you know the answer to this, you are far more the historian than am I. I am betting a lot of people today would simply say that Harley-Davidson invented the motorcycle. Although they did not invent the motorcycle, they sure had a big part in mass producing bikes for the everyday commuting population.
The truth, as history states it, all depends on one's definition of what exactly is a motorcycle. By today's common definition, a motorcycle is a two-wheeled motorized vehicle. but what is the motor? Is it gas, electric, or... steam driven?
Here is the wikipedia definition for
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To really understand the woman and her ride, one needs to go back in history to explore the courageous women who defied the norm and rode their horses in the freedom of the wind. Who could forget Joan of Arc or Annie Oakley? Two completely different women who followed their own counsel and fought for their right to ride in a man’s world. Or the women warlords who fought while on horseback and brandished their swords with the best of them. (and yes, women really did that) What man could resist such a woman?
Women’s love affair with the motorcycle began
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There is a common misconception that towing a trailer by motorcycle is a self-defeating and pointless pursuit. After all, a motorcycle is not a "beast of burden," and how much can one really pull behind a two-wheeler? That may have been true in the past - in these days of aerodynamically and space-optimized trailers, motorcycle camping has become a popular diversion.
When properly chosen and attached, motorcycle trailers can be towed with the greatest of ease and few complications. Many people even tow small canoes all across the country with their motorcycles. The secret lies in lightweight, highly maneuverable, yet sturdy
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There are an estimated 300,000 casualties from road accidents every year in the UK and knowing some First Aid could help save a life. Carrying a First Aid kit in a car or on a motorcycle is highly recommended, so that there is basic equipment available should there be an accident.
It must be stressed that there is no comparison to going on a First Aid training course, and that the following advice must be taken in that context. www.sja.org.uk is the St John's Ambulance website where more information about going on a First Aid course can be found.
These
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Traveling across the country on a motorcycle can be exhilarating. You have a greater sense of your environment and immediate surroundings on a motorcycle and can have a sense of freedom when riding. It's a wonderful way to explore the countryside. camping with your motorcycle, though it takes some planning and adjustments from other, more traditional forms of camping.
Because you won't have as much space on a motorcycle as with a car, you have to pack lightly and include only the essentials. This is easier then it sounds but will take some planning. Make sure you choose items to take
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