Winterizing You Motorcycle

Photo from Omni B's Flicker account-not my bobber

Seriously, people winterize their motorcycles. The Pansy motorcyclists… and we will use the term loosely even give parking your motorcycle a cute name. They call it “putting it to bed for the winter.” Seriously? I know the left-wingers have changed FTW to stand for “for the win” but just for a minute, I would like to bring those three letters back to the dark side and use them the way Taz indented.

I Live in the not so great commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Eastern to be exact and I get to deal with the potholes, idiot drivers, sleeting and craptastic snow all the time. It is the second week in November and I have yet to put on a coat when I go out riding.

I considered dumping Staybil or whatever it is into my tank, parking the bike in the corner of the garage, putting a cover over it and forgetting I own a motorcycle for the next 4-months but then I forgot that I was born with a pair of balls and I changed my mind. Yes, winter is a good time to fix all the little things that nagged you over the summer but that is no reason to park it!

Today was the perfect excuse not to winterize your motorcycle. It reached 70-degrees today and I took two rides. Had I winterized my bike in October when it got colder, I would have thought twice about jumping on it and going for a ride. Just keep your battery on the tender and do not be afraid to ride when the temperature is colder. Gees’ almighty! 

Are Open Primaries Dangerous?

My bobber has an "Ultima Street Style" open primary with a 3.35-inch kevlar belt. There are no guards around it and the bike is equipped with forward controls. So, I'd say I'm a guy who can discuss the topic with some authority.

I've caught my pant leg in my primary on three separate occasions. The first time it happened, I had just gotten on the bike and I was wearing jeans that had a wider bottom. I knew better than to go for a ride with them on but I thought 'yah, that shit isn't going to happen to me." As soon as I put my foot on the peg, I heard a loud pop and when I looked down, my pant leg was ripped clear up to my knee. The second time it happened, I had been on the bike for about 20-minutes going to work. I guess I drifted off into space at a stop sign and I brought my leg up to the peg too close to the primary. This time my jeans did not rip. My foot was pulled into the primary hard enough to get my attention. My foot didn't bruise but it hurt for a good 10-minutes.

Today was the third occasion. I pulled up to a stop sign, looked both ways and brought by foot up too close to the primary and pow: a good 6-inch tear in my jeans. I was 10-miles from home when I did it so I had to pull over and tuck my pant leg into my boot.

There is a reason that everyone I know says they love my bobber but they would never ride it due to the primary. However, if I ever build or have another bike built it will have an open primary. To me, they are a bit dangerous but that is the fun of an open primary. I've never had it happen while the bike was at speed but I could only imagine what would happen. If you bring your leg in wide and don't go into "stupid land" when you are at a stop sign or red light you will likely be okay. If you wear wide bottom jeans, tuck them in to your boot. Or, you could be a pussy and put a guard on your primary. Maybe throw some training wheels on it too.

Welcome to Blogging Bobbers

If you were not thinking about motorcycles when you found my blog you might want to move on! However, if you're stuck on bobbers, choppers, custom motorcycles and anything rigid (motorcycles that is) you might want to stick around because that is what this blog is all about. Over the coming months I'll introduce you to "Psycho Bob" and I will also showcase interesting bikes, products and interesting tidbits about myself, my love for motorcycles and the world around me. Should be interesting.

Disclaimer and Advertising

I would like to let everyone know, at times, I hope to be paid to advertise, complete product reviews and to add side-bar links. You may see me discuss keywords in my posts that I receive compensation for. If you would like to advertise on this blog please contact me and I can help you.