Tips

To tell you the truth, ask anyone if they would ever leave their motorcycle alone even for a week and the answer would always be a NO. Bikers are hooked to their bike like fish to water and if any biker is denied the chance to ride his/her bike when there is a chance to actually travel on the bike, you can be sure that the biker is having a funeral of the person who denied them in their mind. But then there occurs a time when you have to make a tough call and actually leave your motorcycle when travelling long journeys or visiting abroad or something similar. So in that case we have certain tips to help you out to make sure when you come back, your bike will be the same as before.

1. Hand The Bike Over To A Guardian: The best way to deal with the issue is to give the bike to a friend or a relative who can keep the bike safe and someone whom you trust will use your bike the way it is supposed to be used. This way the bike stays in shape and also is kept safe from degradation at any point which means when you come back, you get the bike pretty much in the same condition you left it.

2. Cover it Up: If you do not have the luxury of leaving it with someone or if you just don’t want to leave it, then you can just keep the bike covered up in your own parking. The bike cover will make sure the bike stays inconspicuous and secure and clean as well from dust, dirt and bird droppings. So that when you come back, the bike will only be a wet cloth wipe away from being ride ready.

3. Tie It Down: If you are worried about the bike from getting stolen or someone else moving your bike from where it is parked for any reason whatsoever, the best thing is to simply tie your bike. You can use a chain and a lock to tie it down to a tree, pole a column, anything you can find really.

4. Drain The Oil: In case of synthetic oils, this is not an issue, but for mineral oils, it is a good idea to drain the oil if you happen to be going away for over 6 months. The oil tends to deteriorate and degrade when not used and if you use the same oil all over again when you return, then it will not protect the engine as it should and could also end up damaging the engine someway.

5. Disconnect The Battery: Battery is generally nothing much to be worried about, but still while in the bike, there could be any number of issues like leakages, short circuits due to dirt and what not. So it is always a good idea to have the battery disconnected from the terminals so in case if any switch does stay on and a short circuit might light up anything, your battery will not be drained down. Another better option is to remove the battery altogether from the bike and keep it inside the house in a cool and dark place.

6. Empty the Fuel Tank: Though it is not much of an issue with fuel, but still overtime the fuel does turn into fumes and escaped out through the breather hose little by little. The amount is negligible but then when kept idle for a long time, it does happen to add up to a bigger amount and that means loss of fuel and money.

7. Rodent Proof Your Bike: One of the biggest pains for any biker is having rodents ruin the bike when it is standstill for longer periods. When the rodents are not sympathetic to even cars, bikes are simply child’s play for them. For this reason it is a good idea to grease up all the wires on the bike to keep rats and mice at bay which is always a huge problem, especially in India. Another good option for you would be to put on some tobacco pouches at the sensitive areas of the bike since the smell of tobacco is a deterrent to rodents. This way you can be sure that your bike will remain the same way you left it and there will be no rodent attack on it.

So these were some of the tips for you to follow when you will be leaving your bike for longer periods. Many of us will be doing it with a stone over their hearts, but sometimes we have to do what we have to do. So do share this with your friends who might be planning to leave for a long time and also put in some practices you might have followed in the comments section below.

Monsoons are right around the corner now and it is time to prepare for it to ride in the rains. Many bikers prefer riding in the rains as it is a lot fun and the weather also is great. I myself am not much of a monsoon fan because the rains wet the roads and that gets dangerous. Winter is my season, but still I have to commute by my bike daily even in the road and so does many other people. So here is some small bike riding tips for you to bike ride in rain safely. Do note that these are just the basics and you will have to prepare a little extra depending upon your bike and the type of travel you plan to do.

1. Use Proper Rain Gear: Without using proper rain gear, you are pretty much a sitting duck in the rain to get wet. And once that happens, I really don’t have to explain the uncomfortableness that comes with it. So it is better to take as many precautions as possible and make sure that you can stay as dry as possible. The great should be proper gloves, jacket and pants as well. Many riders skip on the pants and the wetness then travels from the pants to up and you eventually do end up getting wet anyways.

2. Make Sure The Helmet Visor Is Clear: Helmets are the best to protect your head, but make sure that your helmet is a water resistant one. Also the visor of the helmet needs to be transparent and clear because rains make visibility a lot poor and for that reason if you have a dark visor you would not be able to see anything at all and that is dangerous for you as well as for the people around you. A visor change hardly costs 500-1000 bucks and it is worth it. You can always change back to your dark visor when the need arises.

3. Use Boots and Not Slippers or Sandals: Even if you plan to travel a short distance, make sure to use boots as they cover your legs properly. Sandals and slippers are no use and the wetness will cause a lot of discomfort. Add to that if you need to balance your bike, boots offer a lot more grip and you can be sure your chances of slipping, even at low speeds are next to NIL. But the same cannot be guaranteed about sandals or slippers.

4. Make Sure Your Bike’s Battery is Well Protected: If the bike’s battery or electronics are not protected properly, then the rain water, if it seeps in can cause short circuits and ruin the entire electronics package of the bike. So make sure the wires and connections are all proper and sealed up so that you can go long distances in the rain without worrying at all.

5. Use Proper Wet Tyres: Tyres are very important when riding in the rain. If your tyres do not have enough grip; then on every single chance, they are going to slip big time. And when I say slip, I mean deadly slips. So it is always a good idea to get your tyres either checked or changed before monsoon begins. And if you could, then have an entirely separate monsoon tyres set to use and ride only in the monsoon. They might cost a little more, but eventually the value it offers and plus the lifesaving factor, it is totally worth it.

6. Always Carry a Dry Towel: Dry towels or dry tissue, anything works, whichever way you prefer it. The reason being, things are going to get wet and you will have to dry them from time to time. That could include the bike’s seat, yourself and the helmet’s visor. So have some handy and that would help you a long way.

7. Do Not Ride Fast: Riding in the rains and on dry roads is different. The kind of grip the road would offer on dry roads is totally different from the one as the wet. So riding fast like you do on dry roads is not at all recommended and more importantly it could be deadly for you as well. So stay in the recommended speeds and move safely knowing your bike’s limits.
8. Keep Your Headlight On At All Times: Visibility for you is an issue in the rains, but it is also an issue to others as well. So to make sure that others too see you, it is a good idea to have your headlights turned on at all times. This way other people on the road will be able to see you and so you can travel safely without the botheration of anyone else dashing onto you because they could not see you in the rains.

So these are some small tips to consider for a safer ride in the rains. Keep these bike riding tips handy and the next time you go for a bike ride in rain, you will realize how safely you can bike ride in rain. Do share it with your biker friends and stay tuned to BikesnRiders for more such informative articles.

Buying a new bike is major decision, and has a huge ritual associated with it. The power of the internet has made it easier to do your initial research as well check out every aspect of all the bikes you have shortlisted for yourself for your budget. Then comes the big horror of going in for a test ride of all these bikes. Now the reason why I am calling this phase a horror is because a person is required to judge the bikes within the span of 10 minutes or 1-2 kilometres itself. This is a tough decision, especially for someone investing a substantial amount of money into the bike. Hence we have come up with a short guide to help you understand some minor things when you go for a test ride before buying a new motorcycle.

The Initial Impression

Now we have to understand that the test ride unit available is only one. And that too is a unit which everyone is going to rip to the limits to check out the true potential of the bike. A bike thrashed by hundreds of rides time and again is not something which is ideal to check how your dream bike is going to be like. Unless you are one of the first riders of the bike, you can never really understand how the bike is going to really perform. So when you go check the bike out, notice the kilometres reading on the ODO of the bike. Accordingly you can make a judgement on how much the bike has clocked and accordingly the level of thrashing and hence the performance expectations can be judged.

Also enquire with the person in charge about the most recent servicing or oil change performed on the bike. If there is none with high number of kilometres clocked, you can be sure that if you happen to purchase that bike, it is going to perform substantially better than the test ride unit. On the other hand, if the bike is serviced properly, it should perform decently well. The startup should be quick and crisp, the throttle response must be fairly agile, and most importantly, if the engine shudders mid-ride, get it to the attention of the ride in charge. It is a sign of a not well kept engine.

The Ergonomics

Secondly comes the ergonomics, the seating comfort, riding comfort, and the works. Make sure to ride for at least a considerable amount of time so as to actually be able to judge the bike on its comfort factor. If possible, get into a bumper to bumper traffic situation on purpose to check the capability of the bike to handle such a situation to be able to handle the city riding conditions. This will allow you to judge how comfortable the bike is for daily travel purposes and also the clutch action, i.e. if it is hard or light, depending upon which you can judge the condition of your left hand at the end of your ride.

Another major aspect to consider is the presence of any extra accessories added on the bike which you might mistake as standard accessory. Make sure to clear the issue of each accessory on the test ride vehicle compared to a new unit to check which one will be included on the bike and which ones are extra add-ons.

Ease of Use and Adaptability

Every new bike cannot be mastered in a day, and no bike is made perfectly for you. There is a proper learning curve and an adaptability stage. You need to judge as to how easy the bike is to use and how well you can adjust to it within the shortest span of time. If you happen to be riding the bike for a substantial amount and yet do not understand or are having a hard time getting used to the bike’s functions or the switches positioning, maybe the bike was not for you. One needs to understand this as lack of understanding or getting used to in a shorter span can result in a mishap sometime in the future owing to the inability to work with the bike. And we do not want that.

These are some tips for you to remember whenever you go for a test ride of the bike. I remember, when I had been for a test ride before buying my bike, I was allowed only a small ride on my bike within the showroom campus, citing reasons such as lack of registrations and the sort. But within then I was able to judge the maneuverability of the bike in the cumbersome space as well as the seating ergonomics of the bike which were my main criterion for the bike. Hence, even with the small ride, I was able to zero-in on my choice and went for it, and I have been happy since.

So make sure even you follow the same techniques, and that can make it easier for you in judging the bike better during a test ride. If you also have used some smart techniques, do mention them in the comments section below and share them with our biking community.