Riding tips
The Open Road Insurance Program is proud to provide all motorcycle riders with valuable tips and information to keep them safe and help them enjoy every ride to the maximum.
Rob Harris is a licensed technician and owner/editor of CMGOnline.com. He is well-experienced in getting a bike ready for the road, and shares some of his DIY tips on spring set-up.
His first piece of advice? Be patient. As you prep your bike, take enough time to wait until the newly snow-free roads have had enough rain fall on them to wash the salt from the pavement.
Prepping the bike
The first thing you have to do is make sure your bike has gotten through the winter without problems.
• Check the tire pressures and set them to the lower end of the recommended range. Almost certainly they'll have dropped a bit during storage, and you'll want them right when you're out on chilly pavement for the first time.
• While you're at the wheels, check that there's enough brake pad material. You'll need a flashlight to get a look at the pads inside the callipers.
• Reinstall the battery and make sure that the terminal connections are tight.
• If you sprayed the chrome bits with WD40 or something similar in the fall, clean it all off.
• Double-check that all the controls move easily. If you forgot to lubricate them in the fall, or if the lube has gotten a bit sticky over the winter, now's the time for a drop of fresh light oil at all the pivot points.
Set up the controls
It's normal for controls to get slightly out of adjustment during the riding season. While it's unlikely you'll notice small gradual changes when you're riding all the time, but since you haven't been on the bike all winter, take a few minutes to sit on it in the garage and make sure the levers and pedals are exactly where you want them so they're comfortable and easy to use. Adjustment is usually just a matter of loosening a bolt and rotating the control a bit, so there's no reason not to do it.
A good trick is to sit on the bike with your eyes closed and extend your arms and hands to where they feel most comfortable, then adjust the levers to fit that position. Generally speaking, your arms should be fairly straight from shoulder to finger-tip when your hands are open to grab a lever.
Do a final check
Double check that the tires are at the right pressure, that the oil is fresh and at the right level, that the drive chain is adjusted properly (if your bike has one). In addition, make sure that the battery terminal connections are tight, and that the lever and pedal controls are set comfortably.
Additional tune-up items
You don't have to be a technician to make a couple of more simple checks that might save you some shop time later.
• When you removed the seat to check the battery, have a quick look at the air cleaner and make sure it's looking clean (and that no mice have taken up residence – it happens!).
• Also, have a quick peek into the exhaust opening(s) and be sure no mice are storing food in there as well.
• If you're comfortable with it, pull one or two of the spark plugs and see that they don't look overly dirty. Your owner's manual will tell you the recommended service interval, but it doesn't hurt to have a quick pre-season peek at them.
Don't forget yourself
Remember, you'll be as cold and creaky as the bike on your first ride. Don't forget that you haven't been riding for weeks or months, and your reactions are bound to be rusty. Take it slow and easy for the first couple of rides until your own reactions and physical comfort on the bike get back up to speed.
It won't hurt to spend some time on an empty road or parking lot, practicing braking and turning before you get into traffic.
Also, don't forget that early in the year the pavement is cold and there is almost certain to be left-over sand and salt from the winter here and there.
Mr. Harris's final advice? "Slow and cautious is the best way to approach those first spring rides."
