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Winter Bike Riding --
The Safe Way
by: Kay Zetkin |
Are you one of those motorcycle riders that live in
northern climates where winters can be harsh and still choose to continue
riding when the bitter winter sets in? Well, everybody would say you’re dreadful to
even consider riding out in the snow. Contemporaries who are more protective of their bikes might even
say that you’re a brutal slave-driver of your beloved bike.
Winter is really a terrible season for motorcycle enthusiasts. Determined as you are to go on riding,
surviving the harsh winters should be kept in mind to prevent any inevitable danger
that would cause trauma for you and your beloved motorcycle. Remember that winter riding is not the time to boast of a
great stamina and show off your toughness just by wearing extra clothing and driving roughshod over your
bike like it’s any hot summer day. Precautions must always be taken if you plan to go
out riding during winter. So how do you go about preparing your motorcycle and yourself?
For your motorcycle:
You need to get a windshield. Don’t ever think that twenty degree temperatures with severe wind chill
factors are enjoyable enough for you to neglect having a windshield.
Make sure your motorcycle battery could stand the strain of chilly blasts. Keep it charged and you can try
to use Battery Tender for this.
Using the proper oil for your motorcycle is also top priority. The 10w – 40w oil is sufficient enough.
For those with liquid-cooled bikes, make sure that the reading on the anti-freeze is sufficient for the
temperatures you’ll be expecting.
Make sure your bike has been thoroughly inspected for any mechanical problems before starting your
ride. For yourself:
Be patient of the use of your protective gears that would restrict your overall movement while riding. Like
wearing full-faced helmets and heavy clothing that would prevent free and
easy movement.
Keep yourself posted over weather forecasts and road condition reports over the route you'll be taking. It is a good measure
especially for those who will ride a long way from home.
Cover up your body and eliminate all the places where the cold air can easily enter. Some winter riders wear heavy clothing and
use duct tape to seal up openings. But modern fabrics designed to
seal out the cold and retain body heat can be more preferable. There’s winter clothing made specifically for motorcyclists. You
can even use ski pants.
Electric vests and electric gloves can also be preferable. These electric gadgets are interconnected with wires that also connect
to a thermostat that can be kept in your pocket. One end of the thermostat goes to a dedicated connector that leads to the
battery. You’ll find yourself fleecy warm in these gadgets to it
has a bulkiness to it.
Your winter riding can be a great adventure. Just make sure that
while you’re having fun, you and your motorcycle are also safe
and sound. -30-
Kay Zetkin discovered the pleasure of writing through her daily journals as a teen-ager. Writing in it helped sort out her
thoughts, relieve her feelings and record what she observes of
the world.
For her, writing is an effective tool to express your
viewpoints... To write is already to choose, thus, writing should
be done along with a critical mind and a caring soul. She hopes
to become more professional, skilled and mature in her craft.
Aside from writing Kay spends her time reading. Reading lets her travel to far-off imagined places and situations. She also learns
a lot from devouring books, especially from the socio-political
and historical ones.
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