Motorcycle Winterization and Rejuvenation Rides

My Winterization Plan

The weather is beginning to get colder. I pulled the W650 into a field for a picture and realized that snow will be flying soon and I’ll need to start winterizing my motorcycles and scooters.

The idea of pulling batteries, draining fuel, and packing away a perfectly good scooter or motorcycle for six or seven months seems a terrible idea. Not because of the work involved but rather I can’t stomach not riding for that long. The mix of riding desire and not understanding why I couldn’t ride on many of the bone dry winter days I decided to forego the conventional winterization menu.

The challenge at the beginning was to ride often enough to keep the fuel fresh. Easy when there was only one machine in the garage. Now that I have five to maintain I can’t fly by the seat of my pants and need a plan. On a recent ride to breakfast I began to have some ideas.

Solo rides to breakfast is where I do a lot of my best thinking.

Is 15 Miles the Right Number?

I don’t remember who told me that 15 miles is the distance required to recharge a battery and drive the water from the oil but it is the foundation of my winterization program. And after three or four rides I can usually add a gallon or so to the fuel tank to keep it fresh. Otherwise I just perform the typical checks of tire pressure, lights, cables, and chain. And I rotate the battery chargers among the machines to make sure the batteries are always ready to go.

I was thinking a ride to Bellefonte for breakfast would be a good winter ride but by the time I got home the total mileage for even the direct routes was almost 30 miles. Too far for the 15 mile rejuvenation ride. Especially when it’s really cold.

Early thinking has me thinking I won’t be able to take care of the motorcycles and scooters in the same way this year unless it is a remarkably warm winter. I have a priority list in my head that looks something like this:

• Vespa GTS 250 — best winter machine. Muffs, apron, heated grips. No need to do much beyond keep an eye on the battery. I’ll ride it enough to keep the fuel fresh.
• Royal Enfield Himalayan — next best winter machine. I have bar muffs. Hands and cold weather remain my biggest challenge. Unlikely to need Stabil.
• Honda Trail 125 — slow speeds and slow roads make this a reasonable winter choice. High gas mileage will mean Stabil may be in play.
• Vespa ET4 — fewer rides and miles mean Stabil and periodic connections to the battery charger.
• Kawasaki W650 — Stabil for sure. Periodic connections to the charger as well. This bike is too pretty to risk salt and grit. It will only go out to play when the pavement is clear and dry.

The list gives me an idea of how to approach winterization this year and how to position the machines in the garage.

Relaxing with Ghost Rider

This was my first time eating at My Buzz Cafe. It’s a really nice place to eat, relax, and read a book.

As breakfast sandwiches go this was one of the better ones. Some are overly greasy. This one was perfect. The Earl Grey tea was flavorful and the chocolate brownie was classic. I’ll be back for more.

I’ve been making my way through Neil Peart’s “Ghost Rider” and admire his writing. Smart, eloquent without being snooty, and his observations and ideas are just plain powerful. I still don’t know why it has taken me so long to sit down with this book. If you’ve not read it, “Ghost Rider” by Neil Peart is an excellent story about living through pain and loss and how he found a healing road on a motorcycle.

Personal Rejuvenation

An unexpected part of these 15-mile rejuvenation rides is that they do more than take care of the motorcycle or scooter. They take care of me as well. Fifteen miles on the road is enough to clear the noise and refocus my mind on what’s truly important. Riding forces a mental change which pays dividends. I return home more grounded and alive. Building a winterization discipline is something that requires continual change and adaptation. Partly because there are more machines, and partly because as I get older my tolerance and interest in cold weather riding has changed.

And if I get to the point that I don’t want to ride? Then I won’t. Life will go on and the scooters and motorcycles will be fine.

There’s snow in the forecast next week. We’ll see how I feel this season about my motorcycle winterization plan