FROM THE EXPERTS
You’re Ready to Ride! Is Your Bike?
(Part One)
By Eli Ohlhausen,
Attorney and Motorcycle Fanatic
bike started, but it puts a hell of strain on
the charging system and will probably leave
you stranded somewhere.
I
’m not just an attorney, I’m a biker. And
I’m not just a biker, I’m a certified bike
lover. I have five motorcycles sitting in
my garage right now waiting for me to rev
‘em up and take ‘em out!
2. Check your tires: Obviously, check
the tire pressure. Then, check their age.
Most people don’t realize that tires have a
shelf life and you shouldn’t use them after
they are five years old. They become hard
and offer less traction, which could get you
injured. If you’re not sure how old your tire
is, look on the side of the tire and find the
DOT #. It’s a long number. At the end of that
number, stamped into the tire, you’ll find
four numbers that are about 3/8 inch high and
they are in an oval. They tell you when the tire
was manufactured. If says “1009” it means they
were made in the tenth week of 2009. Also, if
your tires were flat, check for cracks where they
rested on the floor.
Before becoming an attorney, I worked
in the motorcycle industry. I attended the
Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in Phoenix
and, upon graduation, I was hired by a
BMW dealership where I became a certified mechanic.
I loved it, but the boss found out that I was also good
at talking to customers, so I was “promoted” to service
advisor, which turned out to be a good thing, as that
eventually led to my becoming manager of the service
department. Then I went totally crazy and went back to
school to become a personal injury attorney.
3. Check your fuel: Pop the fuel cap and smell
the gas. Old gas has a rancid odor. If you stored
your motorcycle without a lot of fuel in the tank,
it was exposed to a lot of air and so it probably
went bad. If it smells funky, go get some new
gas and pour it on top of old gas to blend in
some good stuff.
So, yeah… I sort of know what I’m talking about when it
comes to motorcycles – mechanically and legally.
I thought I’d write today about motorcycle maintenance
and how to get your bike ready for summer riding after a
long winter of sitting around. I’m guessing that your bike
is in one of two conditions:
1. Winterized properly last fall
4. Check all your lights: Make sure your
headlights, running lights, taillights, and turning
lights work. Also check your horn.
2. Ridden hard and put away wet last fall
I’ll share some tips below for getting any bike out of
winter storage, including some special tips for those
who didn’t winterize.
1. Test the battery: Whether your battery h 0