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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | they can be awnry little cusses, even more awnry than a sea serpent, so you all be careful out there in the warmer weather.
While we're on the subject of riding weather, just a few reminders off the top of my head if you are coming into riding season.
1. Change the oil - that's old oil sitting in the crank if you changed it back in October when you parked the bike.
2. Do a good look around and double check everything before starting, especially to see if critters gnawed your airfilter and took up residence in your airbox.
3. Check your lights and replace as necessary.
4. Check your tires.
5. Check your belt - on a lift, rotate the wheel to see if there is any problems. Remember, it hasn't moved for almost 6 months so it's pretty much set in its way.
6. Check your shock for leaks, I'd let out all the air and then refill to the level you want just to exercise it.
7. Check your steer play.
8. Check your brakes.
9. Check your brakes. Just want to make sure.
10. Check, clean or replace plugs, and plug wires if they are suspect.
11. I hate to think you let your fuel sit for 6 months, but I believe there is some freshen up additives that will let you use what you have in the tank.
I know there is more you can might add to this, but I would also encourage you that if you're a seasonal and occassional rider, take it easy for a few miles to readjust to your comfort level. I believe a lot of accidents are caused because riders are not doing due-diligence to paying attention after not riding for a long time and hazards are on them before they can recall what to do.
Ride on, ride often and above all ride safe. Take a MCF course if it has been a while.
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Tourer
Posts: 576
, IA | y is VA rated for # 1 in motorcycle deaths ?? |
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Tourer
Posts: 575
Spirit Lake IA "Birthplace of Victory Motorcycles" | Cap'n,
Thanks for the tips! BTW, does oil really age/breakdown in the crankcase over the winter with no use? I changed my oil just before I put the bike away. If it now needs new oil, I should have waited til spring to change. Pls let me know your thoughts |
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | Don't know where you get your stats? Is this by population, by overall numbers, by overall riders. Too many ways to look at this, and I wasn't aware that Virginia was #1 in motorcycle deaths, though I don't looking. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 160
Camas Washington | capn- your dead wrong about the oil, any mech will tell you to change out the oil prior to parking a bike, boat etc at the end of the season. The damage is done when you do not change it and the old oil is still in there when you fire up the engine after sitting for the winter. (you need to run the engine prior to changing the oil) Changing the oil and having it sit is no difference then the oil sitting in its container as long as it was not run for a period of time.
Check you facts before making a statement |
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | I think the expectation is the oil is changed and sometimes with preservatives when you park the bike in the fall, I think that is implied if not outright mentioned in the first comment. And then change it out when you get ready for season. No big if you do, or don't, just as I said, off the top of my head. I wasn't talking about what to do if to store it, but I see where the confusion is. None the less, it is six month old when you go to fire it up. Also, if it sits in a unheated garage, some very cool to warm tempatures may get moisture and condensation going, don't know, never sat in a crankcase before. Also, I would suspect some might even vroom, vroom the bike every now and then without taking it anywhere, that has its own problems with the higher concentration of fuel from just a start, and a shut off without riding. Do what you think is best. Thanks for the call-out so we all can learn. Anything to add?
Edited by Cap'n Nemo 2011-02-18 11:39 AM
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Cruiser
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Rhode Island | As I understand it, you may both be right; oil should be changed when preparing to store the bike, if the bike is stored in an area with a fairly stable temp then your good to go, if subjected to significant temp swings then condensate is possible and the safest approach is change it again. Not an oil expert, I just live in a cold climate and have had this repeated to me over and over since I got my first bike 30 years ago.
Jim
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Tourer
Posts: 444
Bay of Gigs, WA | What kinda oil?
(Here we go!!) |
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Tourer
Posts: 444
Bay of Gigs, WA | What kinda oil?
(Here we go!!) |
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va |  any kind ----- JASO MA that is. |
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Tourer
Posts: 444
Bay of Gigs, WA | JASO MA? Whazzat? Can't come up with the acronym... |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| Bob the oil guy say always change the oil in the spring. Cars bikes law mores. Oil if stored in the garage during cold weather looses protection compounds weather it new or old. "NEVER" rev your motor when cold it causes 90% of damage to car or bike. He say heavy oil does not protect as good as thin oil and synthetic oil protects the best. Here is the link to Bob its about 5 pages of reading and boaring to a point but gives you good incite to oil. I changed the way I look at oil.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view... |
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | rainryder - 2011-02-18 1:51 PM
JASO MA? Whazzat? Can't come up with the acronym...
The Japanese Automotive Standards Organization
MA means there is no friction modifiers. I don't know nothing about the JASO thing itself, but all wet-clutch motorcycles recommend JASO-MA rated oil including our beloved Vics. |
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Tourer
Posts: 444
Bay of Gigs, WA | Oh. Okay, thanks. Mobil One makes a semi-synthetic motorcycle oil that claims to be perfect for wet clutch bikes, suspiciously like the Vic oil. Since my dealer is far, far away, this makes sense to me. Also, a WIX 51356 filter is a dead ringer for the factory filter. On another thread, while the WIX wasn't the highest rated one, it wasn't UN-recommended, like the Fram was, for instance, so I've been using those without any probs. I use the dealer for things that make me scratch my head, like the linked brakes boiling their fluid (!) and needing to be flushed and bled. But if he goes out of biz because I didn't buy a filter, then he's probably running a bit too close to the margin. |
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Tourer
Posts: 575
Spirit Lake IA "Birthplace of Victory Motorcycles" | OMG, this is spiraling into another oil thread. I didn't mean to create controvery by asking the question about changing before or after winter storage. Now let;s get back to other tips on bringing your bike out of winter storage or tar snakes or whatever this thread was intended to be. |
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Tourer
Posts: 575
Spirit Lake IA "Birthplace of Victory Motorcycles" | Think I'm going to that the advanced Motorcycle Safety Course. Took the beginners course on a tiny bike . . . would like to take the advanced course on my Vic. Be a nice goal for my springtime readiness! |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 804
Perry Hall, MD | rainryder - 2011-02-18 5:00 PM
Mobil One makes a semi-synthetic motorcycle oil that claims to be perfect for wet clutch bikes,
Tried it and had a significant increase in transmission noise. Guess I wouldn't notice so much now that I've gone to Cherry Bombs. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 277
Apopka, FL | I was riding through the Ocala National Forest last summer and those tar snakes are OK when it is dry, but I got caught in the rain and hit one of those puppies on a curve. Now, I've ridden bikes when my rear wheel breaks free a bit and that is Ok, but when your front tire hits the wet tar snakes and starts sliding sideways, well, that tightens the sphincter significantly! Fortunately, for better friction on the pavement, as soon as she hit the concrete all was well. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | Man314 - 2011-02-18 4:40 PM
Think I'm going to that the advanced Motorcycle Safety Course. Took the beginners course on a tiny bike . . . would like to take the advanced course on my Vic. Be a nice goal for my springtime readiness!
That's good for any of us every few years. |
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Tourer
Posts: 444
Bay of Gigs, WA | Man314 wrote:
OMG, this is spiraling into another oil thread. I didn't mean to create controversy by asking the question about changing before or after winter storage. Now let;s get back to other tips on bringing your bike out of winter storage or tar snakes or whatever this thread was intended to be.
-No controversy at all! It's all good, a great diversion from work, and a lot less dangerous and annoying than being a teacher in WI. LOL
Hope I don't step on anyone's toes, a lot of folks seem to take this blog awful seriously, though not all. Just here to have fun, since I can't be on the scoot in this weather having any! When I'm at the dealer, I pick up a jug of Vic oil, it's just when I'm home that I don't wanna waste a whole day fartin' around w/it, is all. |
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Tourer
Posts: 576
, IA | My butt has great muscle response thanks to those snakes |
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Tar Snakes and other stuff.