Putting your bike away for the cold months? Here's how to winterize your motorcycle for maximum protection with minimal effort.
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If you're gonna do it, do it right. Here's our no-BS guide on how to lube your motorcycle chain properly every time.
Just when we thought "all tire irons are pretty much the same", the folks at Motion Pro® showed us something different. This became clear as we set out on tour with a pair of their Bead Pro's back in February, and needed them on the 3rd day of riding into the heart of Patagonia.
We were headed down the west side of the Andes Mountains, leaving the famous whitewater rafting and fly fishing town of Futaleufú on our way to the Carretera Austral, when one of the BMW R1200GS rider's rear tires went flat. Yes, the occasional flat tire can be a nuisance, but let's be clear about something: If you're going to get a flat tire, this route descending from
Futaleufú is
one fine place to have it happen. Beautiful valley walls like curtains around us with lush, green forestry all around, and the bright blue "Fu" rushing it's clean flow below. No traffic. No signs. No cellular signal. It's a
great place to spend some time on a flat tire.
While the 2014 KTM 690 Enduro R that I picked up recently was only slightly used, the previous owner reminded me in the form of liquid weld just what can happen if the engine isn't protected. As shown in the picture below, something clearly "got in there" and punctured the clutch cover, and while the liquid weld was holding up pretty well, it was also just leaking slightly enough that it was time to just replace the cover itself.
Saving a little weight often seems like a lost cause on a 500+ pound "pig" like my BMW R1200GS Adventure, but then again, every little bit helps. Some significant weight was shaved with aftermarket exhaust last year and of course heading to the gym recently has helped as well, but these last 10 pounds lost from my adventure riding setup come thanks to Shorai Power!
What should we call this technique, anyway? It's not jump-starting, as we never touched the battery, and it's not bump-starting, because neither bike wasn't actually rolling. Out of respect for the single cylinder 4-stroke thumper that started the bigger BMW, should we call it Thump-starting?
Maybe you've done water crossings before, or your luck as an adventure rider has yet to produce the opportunity. Whatever the case, there are at least 7 important points to consider before you go riding through any river, stream, puddle, or whatever you come across! Please take advantage of the notes below, or the video review on this link.
Riding your BMW through Chile and you need quick service?
Another great product that motorcycle riders might want to keep handy is the Time-Sert® Thread Repair System, made by Time Fastener Company.
