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Sunday, February 5, 2017

9 tips to get your Motorcycle ready to ride

9 tips to get your Motorcycle ready to ride

If you’re like me, you’ve noticed the increasing number of motorcycles breaking out for a quick ride. With warming temperatures and yearning riders, it’s time to get your Motorcycle ready for the road. Here are nine tips to help you stay ‘sunny-side up’ and help protect you and the health of your motorcycle.
  1. Charge your battery:The heart of your bike’s electrical system and the source of power to get-up and goin’ is your motorcycle battery. The prudent already have their battery on some form of Battery Tender [Tip: keeping your battery charged can add multiple lives to your energy cell.] But if you don’t have your battery on a charger, the first thing to make your motorcycle ride-ready is to charge your battery.
  2. Change the oil & filter:If you followed our recommendations for winterizing your bike, you changed the oil before putting it in storage for the year – but if not, now’s the time to do it. Swap that stale lubricant for fresh clean oil and a new filter. If you don’t do the work on your bike, make arrangements with your favorite motorcycle maintenance facility to accomplish this important task.
  3. Tires: These jewels are where the ‘rubber meets the road’ literally, so pay special attention to them. Do a full 360 degree check on each tire for any cracking or punctures. Also, check for wear. Excessively worn tires are more easily punctured and less likely to maintain proper traction. On many tires, tread wear indicator bars signal a need for replacement, but another easy check – if you can see the top of Lincoln’s head on a penny when inserted in the tire tread, Lincoln’s head facing down, it’s time for a new tire. If your tires pass the wear test, inflate them to manufacturer’s inflation specs and your rubber is ready to go.
  4. Fuel:If you stabilized the fuel in your motorcycle during the winterization process, you should burn through it or siphon it out and replace it with fresh fuel. If you didn’t winterize, and also didn’t fill the tank before storing, check the fuel tank for rust, which may have formed due to water condensation. If the tank is clean, fill it and ‘ride-on’. If there are signs of rust, you’ll live with the consequences – fouled carburetor, clogged fuel filter, etc. – until you replace the tank.
  5. Cables & Pivot points:A Spring tune up of cables and pivot points is time well spent. Get a good multipurpose spray lubricant and use it on anything that pivots or slides – cables, levers, pedals, kick-stand, etc. Exclusions to its use are chains and drive assemblies. We recommend using chain and driveline lubricants specifically designed for this task. Check with your motorcycle manufacturer for recommended products.  Use fogging oil designed specifically for fuel tanks as part of your winterization at the end of the riding year.
  6. Lighting:  Turn on your motorcycle’s power and check all the lights for any that have inoperative bulbs and replace them i.e.  brake lights, turn signals, headlights, etc. Often, replacement bulbs come in twos, so save extras for the next time you need one. Occasionally, an outage may be due to a fuse failure. Replace the spent fuse, but monitor the outage situation – there may be more awry than a burned-out bulb. Repetitive fuse failures can signal a deeper electrical problem, which may require professional help.
  7. Brakes:Stopping your motorcycle safely is just as important as insuring your bike can accelerate. Before you hit the road, thoroughly check all the components of your brake system – lever adjustment, cables, calipers, brake pads, etc. Review your motorcycle’s manufacturer’s manual for tips on proper brake system adjustment. If settings don’t seem right and you’re not comfortable making adjustments, seek professional help. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
  8. Fluids:Check for all the motorcycle’s fluid levels – brake, clutch, oil, coolant. Top them off as needed. Look for any leaks on the floor where your motorcycle’s been stored. Another way to check for leaks is to start and warm your bike up to running temperature, then turn it off and check for leaks.
  9. Clean:Finally, the old adage, ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness’ is true, and definitely so for your motorcycle. When you’ve taken all the steps to prepare your motorcycle mechanically, thoroughly clean the exterior and your bike will look as good as it runs and you’ll look good riding it!!!

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Motorcycle Lobby Day 2017

TBA
The Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists (VCOM) will be making a change to the annual January legislative meeting.  Lobby Day is usually held on Martin Luther King Day.  For two decades Virginia motorcyclists have gathered on that day to go the state capital in order to urge their legislators to support motorcyclists in Virginia.  However, this year’s legislative agenda hinges more on working with state agencies than it does on winning support of individual legislators.  For this reason, VCOM has decided not to hold a traditional lobby day.  Instead, on a date to be determined, VCOM will host a reception in Richmond in order to give attendees a chance to visit their legislators and show support to those legislators who support us.  It will also be a great opportunity to engage in fellowship with other riders interested in protecting the rights of motorcyclists. 

VCOM continues to work with the Virginia State Police to create acceptable standards to allow motorcyclists in Virginia to utilize accent lighting in order to increase rider nighttime visibility.  At this time, we foresee this as the one issue which may require legislative action.  If it does, we will attempt to schedule the reception on a day that the Senate Transportation Committee meets.  It will be important to have as many supporters there as possible if we are not able to work out an agreement with the State Police.

VCOM is also working with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles in order to create a Driver Improvement Clinic for motorcyclists.  Currently in Virginia, Driver Improvement Clinics, which allow drivers to add positive points to their driver’s license, are held strictly in classroom settings and are geared for automobile drivers.  VCOM is working with the DMV to create a Driver Improvement Clinic for motorcyclists which will include classroom training as well as actual riding time on a range.  We will keep you updated as we move forward on this project.

Finally, VCOM is actively monitoring every bill that is being introduced in the General Assembly this year.  If one is introduced which affects motorcyclists, we will immediately report it on this list and formulate a strategy to either support or oppose the legislation depending on its merit.  In the meantime, if anyone has any questions, comments, or concerns about this or any other matter concerning motorcycling in Virginia, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Matt Danielson
McGrath, Danielson, Sorrell & Fuller
The Motorcycle Law Group
1-800-321-8968

National Motorcycle Conference Coming to Virginia Help Needed

September 21 - 24, 2017
For the first time ever Virginia will host  the Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s Meeting of the Minds.  This annual conference will bring 300 to 500 grassroots motorcycling advocates from across the country to Williamsburg Virginia from September 21-24, 2017.  This conference is the premier motorcyclists rights conference in the country.

I am the conference coordinator and in order to put on a successful conference I will need all of the help that I can get.  Members of VCOM, VABA and ABATE of Virginia have committed to help put this conference on but we will need many more volunteers to make this work.  I am currently looking for volunteers to help organize this conference.   Virginia can host a great conference but it will take input from Virginia motorcyclists.

If you are willing to help, or have any questions please contact me at either jim@vcomonline.org or 1-800-437-9434.  September will be here before we know it so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you are interested.  I need all of the help I can get.

Jim Cannon
Director, Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists
1-800-437-9434

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