Riding in the winters is an adventure in itself; you want to make sure you know what you need if you are up for that adventure. Most people love the crispy cold gushes of wind; others like the adrenaline rush that comes with the adventurous ride. No matter what your reason is, you need to realize that riding in winters needs a lot of courage and caution. You are not only putting yourself at risk but also the people around you and your beloved motorcycle. During winters, when the visibility is low, you are prone to accidents, and your body is prone to injury as well.
In this condition, you need to be more careful if you are taking your bike outside. Apart from the rain, limited visibility, and snow, you are also facing road stake and road treatment solutions that are used in the winters. Even the oil in your bicycle is more prone to damage in winters, and this can lead to severe issues. If you want to avoid all these issues, you need to act responsibly and start by preparing yourself and your bike for the much-needed winter ride. Start by getting ready on your own by changing the things in your bike and everything according to the season and don’t forget to pack yourself with all the motorcycle safety gear before hitting the road.
If you are a beginner struggling with the ways to make the winter traveling experience on your motorcycle easier and safer, here are some of the most important things that you need to keep in mind.
Change Your Tires
Changing a tire is the first thing that is recommended by the experts; you need to start with buying suitable winter types with a lot of height. Most people think buying winter tires means just getting any hard and aggressive tires, but that’s not true. You need to buy something reliable that is good enough to provide you the desired grip on even the thinnest dead ice. When the ice is fresh, it is soft and provides better grip, but as it melts and gets pressed by the tires, you will see that it will get slippery. This has a significant impact on stability and traction. It would be best if you bought aggressive winter tires, and in case you are traveling someplace far, you should pack iron chains along in your luggage so you can wrap them around the tires for better grip. Whenever you feel stuck, you need to wrap them around your tire, and this will give you the traction, friction, and grip that you require.
Protect From Moisture
Moisture is one thing that will eat up your vehicle, add snow, and it can easily jam up the vehicle without you knowing about it. Most of the time, water and oxygen collectively end up in the form of corrosion. You need to get a good seal and coat your bike with it; if you are not familiar with a good seal, you can go to any motorcycle shop and get one yourself. One thing that you need to keep in mind is that aluminum doesn’t rust, and this means you can leave the part where you have aluminum. After each journey, you need to clean your bike and dry it all up. Otherwise, you are risking the out body of your bike.
Increase the Visibility
During winters, the visibility is limited; this means you need to plan your journey within the daylight. Otherwise, you are risking yourself. In case you want to ride your bike during the night, make sure to get an additional energy source and dress yourself up in white or neo to be more visible. You need to take care of yourself as well as whatever is ahead of you. In winters, your usual light might not do you any favor, which is the reason it is advised that you must get something that is more laser-focused and helpful in cold winter darkness.
Clean Up the Salts
Have you ever heard of road salt? If not, you need to know how dangerous road salt can be for your motorcycle. It is not only bad for your motorcycle but also for the traction that will help you to get a grip while riding your motorcycle. Starting from the basics, you need to make sure you wash your motorcycle every time you take it for the ride, and once you come back, you need to clean it thoroughly. Motorcycles were not designed for winter, so the ocean salt can only add to the already speedy rusting process. In case you see any road salt, make sure you stay away from it because it will only work like slipper ice for the motorcycle.
Change the Lubrication
Lubrication is one thing that can save you a lot of hassle; after every journey, make sure you clean up your motorcycle and then oil it all up completely. This will help you against any rust or corrosion. Apart from this, winter oil is entirely different from summer oil; you need to know that with the decrease in temperature, the oil density increases. In short, you either need to add an anti-knocking or anti-freezing agent, or you need to get something more specific to the winters simply. You can also carry an anti-freezing agent in your saddlebags, so you don’t have to worry on your way.