ABATE April Newsletter 2018
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ABATE of Alaska Newsletter April 2018 How to Prepare your Motorcycle for Spring Spring is officially here, and it's els before hooking it up, and of the air . about time to get riding again. top off any low cells. If you were able to get all your At the very least, check and top If you have a lithium battery off the fluid levels in your mas- winterizing done when you were forced to hang up your (which is a great upgrade) you'll ter cylinder, ensuring you use riding boots for the cold sea- need to treat it a little different- the correct brake fluid for your ly. You should still use a trickle bike. son, your bike should be al- A.B.A.T.E. of Alaska charger, but you'll need one most ready to ride; but if not, Another often forgotten fluid is Board of Directors getting your bike road-ready that is lithium battery-specific. and Officers Lithium batteries are solid- coolant; check and make sure might take just a bit more ef- state, so you don't top off the coolant levels are up to spec, Officers fort. especially after your bike's cells with water either. Check President So here's a quick rundown of out our complete guide on the been sitting for several months. Ed Rutledge If you really want to go the ex- the 7-point plan to Winter re- for more information. Vice President tra mile, you can do a complete Diamond Burgess covery, in order of importance: Tires coolant flush also, clearing out Secretary Lesle “Scottie” Moore Manual Labor all the used coolant with white When checking tires after stor- vinegar and distilled water, and Treasurer Whether you're still stuck in- age, you should be conscious Tim Kelley refilling your system with a doors or if riding season has of potential flat-spotting on the Sgt-At Arms fresh mix. If your bike tends to Daniel "Spider" Schneider already begun, reading your tires from sitting for a long time run hot or you ride especially owner's or service manual can (especially on soft compound Legislative Affairs hard. Tom Evans help get you prepared for tires), and bringing tire pres- Run Coordinator spring maintenance. This sure up to spec, as air will have Spring Cleaning Judy Smith Spring Preparation guide will undoubtedly seeped out after Membership give you some great general months of not being used. That first time you hit the road Ken Coston again after a long hiatus, make pointers on how to be pre- Check the tire wear too; it may Rider Education sure your bike looks as good as Barbara "Barb" Smart pared, but your manual has all be a good time to go ahead the specifics for your own bike. and replace tires before spring you feel. Unless you're working Products on making a Rat Bike, give your Judy Smith hits, so you know you have Fuel First bike a good scrub and wax it up Gaming Officer good rubber for the whole rid- Ed Rutledge to help protect it from riding Stale gasoline is an often for- ing season. season hazards such as dirt, Public Relations gotten yet very problematic Sarah Coe Oil and Filter rocks and even the sun. issue with stored vehicles, so Newsletter Editor Erin Goggins we recommend addressing You may have changed your oil With the battery charged, fresh COC Liaison your fuel and fuel system first, as part of your winterizing pro- fuel in the tank, all moving Chris “Token” Applebee before anything else. Gasoline cess, but if not, it's a good idea parts lubed up, and a paint job Board Of Directors is a very refined chemical com- to change it before starting a that sparkles in the springtime "Big Dave Grizzly" Monroe position, and it actually deterio- new riding season. Every mo- sunlight, there's only one thing Tim Kelly rates very quickly. torcycle is different, so you'll left to do - go ride! Dan "Havoc" Coffey Barbara "Barb" Smart need to consult an owner's 20. March 2015 Dan "RC" Owens With fresh fuel in the tank, we manual for the exact proce- Daniel “Spider” Schneider can move on to addressing the dure, but it's a good practice to Aaron Cortez other most common storage change your oil and filter at the issue - dead batteries. How-To's Inside this issue: same time. AK Highway Safety Plan 4 Battery Maintenance https://www.bikebandit.com/blog/ Forgotten Fluids post/how-to-prepare-your- Highly Automated Vehicles 8 We recommend getting a One of the most neglected motorcycle-for-spring?roi=echo3- "smart" battery charger that 50195791319-46866125- MRF Updates 12 things on a motorcycle is the automatically turns itself off so 3c99b9694c3b0e96d9956a828e ABATE Run Fliers 14 brake fluid. Even when your you don't overcharge and dam- 295a87&utm_medium=email&utm bike isn't being used, brake _cam- MC and Rider Group Fliers 16 age it. No matter what charger fluid is extremely hygroscopic, paign=promo_products&utm_sourc Support ABATE 20 you pick up, it's still a good idea meaning, that it has a tendency e=Sun_031818_BBNews to check your battery fluid lev- Biker Run Calendar 22 to absorb moisture straight out ABATE of Alaska Newsletter April 2018 Keep Your Bike Yours: How To Prevent Motorcycle Theft Are You A Potential Victim? We don’t want to scare you from riding or purchasing a motorcycle if you are consid- ering one, but just know that there is a potential for it to happen. Key factors that The free guide determine if you’re at higher risk are location and the type includes a of motorcycle you may own. breakdown of what Of course the time of year level of difficulty to would be features matter can also determine how CBR? According to the NCIB, much you’re at risk as well. there are machine manufac- thieves that are looking for a most when You don’t have to be a rocket tures that are higher in demand quick score. Let’s face it. If you purchasing scientist to know that more for thieves that want to ruin saw someone pushing around a motorcycle in a circle because coverage such as thefts occur during the sum- your next ride. Here is the list of mer vs. the winter. Let’s face the 10 most stolen motorcycle they couldn’t turn the handlebars liability coverage it…. Not a lot of burglars want brands in 2016: any other direction, you’d think and claims to be out in the snow trying to there was something fishy going steal a motorcycle. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. on right? processing. (9,052 thefts), Yamaha Motor https:// When it comes to locations, Corporation (7,723), American Is parking outside of a garage your only option? We suggest you www.consumeraffai cities and states with good Suzuki Motor Corporation year round weather and a (6,229), Kawasaki Motors try to park under a light so anyone rs.com/insurance/ high population density obvi- Corp., U.S.A. (5,221), Harley strolling near your bike won’t go motorcycle- ously will have higher risks. Davidson, Inc. (4,953), Taotao unnoticed in the shadows. Ma- chines that are left in the dark insurance/ According to the NICB, the Group Co. Ltd (2,673), KTM top 10 states with the most Sportmotorcycle AG (762), present much more of an oppor- reported motorcycle thefts in Ducati Motor Holding (521), tunity to be stolen since it’s hard- 2016 are as follows: Genuine Cycle (463), and er to see anyone mingling around. Kymco U.S.A., Inc. (453). Carports are an easy target for California (7,506), Florida motorcycle thieves, so you best be (4,482), Texas (3,692), South How Do You Protect Your Toys? using multiple forms of security to Carolina (2,057), North Caro- keep your bike yours. lina (1,847), New York One of the best ways to prevent (1,731), Indiana (1,397), your 2 or 4 wheel toy from be- If you’ve got the mechanical know Georgia (1,296), Missouri ing stolen, is to keep it from -how, a good trick is to wire some (1,195), and Nevada (1,177). public display as much as pos- kind of kill-switch into your bikes sible. If you’ve got a garage, electrical system to prevent it Getting even more specific then keep it inside and out of from running unless it’s turned with these figures, the top 10 sight as much as possible. If on. Think of it as a secondary key cities for motorcycle thefts in you must park outside, be sure switch that only you know about. 2016 are as follows: to use a motorcycle cover as We do emphasize that you abso- the first measure of defense. New York (1,209), San Diego lutely know what you’re getting The more you can keep a po- (849), Las Vegas (818), Los yourself into if you attempt to do tential thief guessing, the less Angeles (760) San Francisco this because if you start cutting likely you are to become a tar- (616), Miami (610), Houston into the wiring harness of your get. The 2015 ABATE of (607), San Antonio (411), BMW R 1200 Gsa GS and mess something up, it could turn into a Alaska Break-Up Run Phoenix (347), and Austin, Steering head locks are a great costly repair at your local dealer. to Sheep Creek Lodge. Texas, (343). measure of defense is built into almost every motorcycle on the Maybe you’re wondering if Cont.