With a new year and a new outlook on life, you might have set some resolutions for the year in the hopes of making yourself a better person. Maybe you’ve decided to lose some weight and shed that muffin top from around your waistline. Or, perhaps you decided this was the year you were finally going to quit smoking in the hopes of living a longer life. These are great for your personal well being, but while you’re at it why not look to extend the life and well being of your motorcycle too. Here are 3-motorcycle New Year resolutions to help extend the life and well being of your motorcycle.
1-Ride. Much like any relationship, too much neglect is going to do more harm than good for your motorcycle. If you live somewhere that your bike needs to be stored inside for the winter months, then you are probably not riding your bike as much as you’d like anyway. Winter is an excellent time to start planning those summer road trips and making some goals about where you are going to take your motorcycle this summer. You might even want to treat yourself and a friend by trailering the bike someplace down south and getting in a quick week or weekend ride. Whatever you choose, make a plan and make it happen or you might find the seasons passing you by.
2-Maintainance. If you thought smoking and other bad habits were terrible for you, they are just as bad for your bike. If you’ve been putting off dealing with some blue smoke, oil leaks, or even regular maintenance for your bike, now is the time. Winter is an excellent time to read through your owners manual and start watching those YouTube maintenance videos to see what needs to be done on your bike. Older bikes might require a lot of lube on rubber parts like seals. As the bike sits or gets old, the rubber parts dry out and crack. On newer bikes, you might find that maintenance intervals are more often then you had imagined. Getting the bike into a qualified mechanic or utilizing the warranty package you paid for is a good idea.
3-Upgrade and invest. Now that you are over the disappointment of Christmas, because of all of the items on your list that you never actually got. It might be time to grant those wishes for yourself. If you’ve been riding with a broken Bell and really wanted a new Arai helmet, your head will be happy with the change in safety. Or if your stage one riding pants have been leaking water or are looking a little tattered, now might be the time to invest in those fancy Klimb riding pants you’ve been dreaming about. The off-season for riding is often great times to get deals on last years gear or to take the time to research what it is you’re really looking for in riding gear. When it comes to safety, you can never be over-invested.
No matter what you ride or where you are in the world, the start of a New Year in one of the best times to sit down and make a plan for the upcoming riding year. Where you want to go with your bike, how well it’s running and looked after, as well as investing in your gear and yourself are all excellent goals to make. Take 30-minutes today and make a list of New Year’s motorcycle resolutions, you and your bike will thank you.