The Road Dawgs Motorcycle Club membership represents several hundred years of combined motorcycle riding experience, both professionally and privately. We are pleased to collectively offer our opinions and tips regarding overall maintenance and safety for pleasure motorcycling.
Our club makes no claims or assertions that our opinions and/or tips listed on this website are the industry standard and/or the only (or best) option to the readers. Our articles are meant to be informative, entertaining, thought-provoking, and simply another resource for someone interested in information on a variety of topics from experienced motorcycle operators.
Our intention is to provide ongoing monthly maintenance and safety tips which our readers may or may not elect to incorporate into their personal motorcycling plans. The entire club contributes to the creation of this page, and we hope you enjoy the articles.
Spring Cleaning
May 2010
So you say your bike has been sitting all winter, here are a few tips on "Spring Cleaning". First and foremost, this is not a 20 minute task. Set some time aside and do it right.
If your bike was not covered during the off season it is probably very dusty. Take the time to wash your bike carefully. Using a cloth to simply wipe the dust off will create micro scratches in your paint. Also, by giving the bike a good wash you are doing a safety inspection as well as re-familiarizing yourself with your bike.
Second thing, your battery is probably dead. You can jump start the bike using a car battery. Attach the jumper cables to the vehicle battery (Note: vehicle does not need to be running) then attach the negative cable to your bike frame. You will only get a good ground on a bolt or a section of frame that is not chromed or has not been painted or powder coated. MAKE SURE YOUR BIKE IS IN NEUTRAL. Then simply hold the positive cable to the positive terminal of the battery and touch the start button.
Once the bike is running don't just let it idle on the jiffy stand. This will not charge your battery. The charging systems on most bikes are only activated if the bike maintains 2000 rpms or higher for a significant period of time. Best solution, go for a ride. Take it slow however; even the best riders need to knock the rust off on the first ride of the season.
