Winter Bike Maintnence

This time of year can have very finicky weather. It could be darn cold, or not so cold, or there could be two feet of snow on the ground--like there is now.

The majority of us are not riding in these snowy and icy conditions, with the exception of the unhuman sport tourers. This is a perfect time to do some bike maintnence that no one wants to do when it's prime riding season. The first step is to have a decent work place. If you have a garage or access to one definatly use this oppurtunity. A nice accomodation for a garage is some kind of space heater to create a little bit of comfort for your work space. If you do not have this luxury, use your driveway or whatever. Check the weather and look for a gap of sunny weather for a day or two so you can get your project finished.

After your bike is in the garage or sitting in that shovled out space on your front deck, come up with a list of things that you want to get accomplished. This can be very basic stuff such as tire pressure, chain slack, oil, whatever. It could even be a front end swap, you never know!

Here is a fairly solid list of things to go over and look into while you're working on the bike:
Tire Pressure
Chain Tension and lubrication
Oil Level/Change it
Fork Seals
Steering Bearing and Components
Electrical Grounds
Valve Adjustment- very important, if you do not know the last time this was done look into it
Wheel Bearings
Going over the entire bike to make sure it is safe and sound

Different bikes require different types and amounts of maintnence. It is very important to make sure your valves are within the proper gap to ensure engine life and performance. It is not overly complicated, just do your homework first. Make sure you have the right tools and numbers to adjust them properly.

Don't forget the basic stuff either. It is easy to overlook proper chain maintnence and tire maintnence, but it is so easy.