Just today I saw some new buds of spring, which reminded me that warmer, dryer weather is just around the corner! Just wanted to do a friendly reminder of how to properly prepare your bikes for the upcoming riding season.

First, If your garage is anything like ours your bike might have been buried or blocked through the winter chaos! So first clear a convenient path to safely get your motorcycle out! The easier it is to get in and out of its parking spot the more likely you are to actually ride it on sunny days! How many times has our laziness prevented adventure! So take an afternoon to tidy up and get your motorcycle out!

Second, take out your trusty service Manual and skim through it! It is always a great refresher to dust up on the intricate workings of your bike! The longer you have had your bike and more often you have looked at the service manual the quicker this will go!

Third, give attention to the fuel! If you had properly winterized your bike this won’t take long! Get NEW Fuel for your bike! Don’t use fuel that has been sitting around for a while, this can be very problematic for your engine and gunk up your lines. Look in your tank first and if you do have old gas in there from last fall don’t start your bike! First drain your tank and check for any debris or rust in the tank! The cleaner your tank the less likely you are to create problems. It is so much easier to clean the tank out before starting your bike than it is to get the debris scattered through out the lines or lodged in your motor! Give your engine a good clean by adding a bottle of seafoam to your first tank!

Fourth, Check your Battery! It is best to start your battery with a full charge! If you haven’t kept your battery on a trickle tracker odds are it will need a charge! We recommend using a smart charger to prevent over charging your battery.

Fifth, Check your tires! Not only is the pressure going to be a little low if your bike has sat all winter but inspect the rubber thoroughly to make sure it is safe for the new season. This is a great time to purchase new tires to make sure you are safe on the road through the whole season.

Sixth, Oil and Filter Change! If this was not part of your winterizing process make sure to get a new filter on your bike and new fluids!

Seventh, Brake Fluid and Coolant Check. One of the most neglected fluids on a motorcycle is the brake fluid. If you haven’t cleaned out the brake lines in quite a while a fluid flush would be a great idea to make sure your brakes are going to be in tip top shape. Check the coolant levels as well.

Lastly, now that your bike is mechanically sound give it a good scrub down and wax to protect it from the summer sun!

Be safe and have fun!