All it takes is that one cold snap to bring home the point that yes, those warm fall days are really going to end, and winter’s right around the corner. In our last post, we talked about how to winterize your motorcycle to handle the climates in North Carolina and Virginia, while leaving you the freedom to ride on those unseasonably warm days we sometimes get. Here are a couple more tips to get you through.
Get a Trickle Charger
No, a trickle charger isn’t something you buy in a novelty store. It’s actually a type of battery charger. Typically, the battery in a motorcycle (or a car, for that matter) will fail to hold a charge if it sits too long. And when that surprise warm day arrives, you don’t want to get your leathers on just to find out that your bike’s motor won’t turn over. The trickle charger detects when the voltage in your battery begins to drop, then charges it just enough to get back to normal. Think of it as “topping off your electricity.” This will keep your battery healthy and ready to go when you are.
Don’t Let Your Bike Get Lonely
Probably the biggest thing you can do is just start your bike once a week and let it run, or even just take it for a spin up and down the street a couple of times. This keeps things lubricated and working like they should, and circulates your gas and oil. It’s hard to argue that a little movement of parts is a good prescription to keep your bike in top shape through those lonely winter months.
Stay Covered
It might be tempting to drop your motorcycle insurance during the winter to save a few bucks, but think about the temptation to ride when it’s suddenly 75 degrees one day in January. You don’t want to give up that opportunity, do you? Or even worse, you might be tempted to ride anyway, and riding without insurance is a bad, bad idea at ANY time. Of course, if you’re looking for insurance in VA or NC, give us a call. We’re happy to help.
