February, 2025 Safety Topic
COLD TIRES, COLD STREETS
The topic for this month ride pre check, AKA walk around.
I know that most riders feel that they keep a close eye on the condition of their bike. But do we really? I'm going to use two events from my own experience to illustrate this mindset.
Often, I would wonder just why the trickle charger I keep on my wife's bike would constantly blink when I hooked it up to my bike. I would connect it to the pigtail and the charger would blink eternally. Then I would move it to the RV battery and after a short time it would turn green. Same thing when I plugged it back into her bike. I looked at the battery connection on my bike and it was fine. I thought I was probably losing my battery.
One day, not very long ago I decided to investigate. I pulled on the wires to the pigtail and lo and behold. I found that the path of the wires passed through the wheel well under the fender. The hot wire was completely frayed apart. It was obvious that the tire had abraded the wire. So, a repair of the wires and now it all works as intended. I rerouted the wires and fastened it down to the frame.
This got me to thinking so while I was fueling I decided to do a systems check. I couldn't remember the last time Inactually did this. Obviously too long.
As I went around the bike I checked the hand brake. Brake light came on. Put my foot on the brake and no brake light. That ride plan changed to an immediate shop call. Turns out the brake switch had gone bad. A replacement was done and I was back in business.
The moral of the story was even though I thought I was taking care of my walk around, I actually wasn't. And I know better.
How often do we just hop on and go? After, we just checked it, right? Wrong. Keeping this in mind then, what should we actually be checking? This isn't an exhaustive list, but it's a good start.
Lights: do they all work as they should. Blinkers, brakes, high and low beams, etc.
Tires and wheels: is the pressure correct? Double check manually. Don't rely on electronics that can fail. Are there any foreign object stuck in the tire? Are there any dents in the wheels or loose spokes? Is there any play in the tire?
Battery: are the connections tight?
Fluids: are they all at proper levels? Do they feel smooth and silky or are they gritty? Is the brake fluid reservoir full and is it clear?
Belts, chains or drive trains: are the tensions good or are they loose? Is the master link nice and tight?
Handlebars: are they tight? Can you move them by pushing or pulling? Are they correctly lined up and straight?
Forks and shocks: is there any oil on the forks? If so there is probably a bad seal.
Levers and cables: do they all work easily and smoothly? When was the last time they were lubed? Are there any pinch points or signs of abrasion?
Hoses: are all the lines soft or hard and brittle? If they are hard, they should be replaced.
Brakes: are the pads good? When applying pressure, do they engage? You shouldn't be able to move your bike with the brakes on.
Frame: check for cracks in the paint. If found that is usually a sign of cracked metal.
Safe riding folks!!! Remember, we are still in "cold tires, cold streets" season. See you out there.
