Winter is coming: do not forget that coffee maker! (part 2)

Twelve months ago I wrote a reminder about draining the "plain" water from your race bike cooling system, today I post a "to do list" written by our friend Almos:

* pour fuel stabilizer in the tank, then fill it up all the way but don't leave empty space in the tank, where rust can start developing.
* run the bike for few minutes with the stabilizer, so the whole fuel system gets flushed and treated.
* take the battery out and move it to a not-too-cold(your room) place possibly over 40 degree and connect the Battery Tender to it. You can leave it on until next season starts.
* if you have front & rear stands store the bike on the stands, if you don't have them ... get them; otherwise inflate the tires a little bit above the normal pressure like 50 psi. This way the tire won't get a flat spot by the spring.
* put an oil soaked rag in the muffler opening and in the intake, prevent moisture get in.
* change the oil and filter before storage!! Used oil has lot of bad things in it. You don't want your engine components get soaked during the whole winter in that thing ...
* if you have exposed bare(unpainted) steel parts on the bike spray it with fogging oil to prevent rust.
* get a motorcycle cover for your baby.
* try to visit your bike every day, and talk to her. She will be lonely for a long time!!!

VIA Absolute Cycle forum
Photo by Dennis Cuevas, Racedayphoto.com

Winter is coming: do not forget that coffee maker!

Today is a beautiful day in NYC: sunny and warm! But it’s November, and I have been living long enough in this city to know that the temperatures can change dramatically at a snap of a finger. You leave the house in the morning with a light jacket and you have to jog back to it because it has suddenly got too cold.
From a road racer point of view the issue is critical because you do not realize that winter is coming until is too late ….Why? Because you have forgotten to drain the “plain” water from your race bike engine and when you realize it, it’s already cracked.
Even better than just removing the water is to change it with any kind of antifreeze engine fluid. The Pure Motorbike Passion crew has been using for years Engine Ice hi-performance antifreeze & coolant during the cold season and at club events where they do not call specifically for plain water or plain water + Water Wet fluid.
We like Engine Ice because protects our radiators from freezing and, at the same time, makes the cleaning job in spring very easy with not “perpetual” residual coolants in the system.
As matter of the fact, on their page the company is recommending a cleaning procedure that until this morning I had been using only for my Italian Espresso Moka machine: a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar for a sparkling cooling system!

Picture source: Another gorgeous picture taken by Dennis Cuevas, from Racedayphoto