How to Prepare Your Motorcycle for Spring

Spring is here and it is officially time to take those bikes out of storage and get them back out on the street.  If you winterized your bike, it should be almost ready to ride, but if not, getting your bike ‘road-ready’ might take a bit more effort.

Here is a rundown of what every bike owner should do/check before hitting the road:

1. Manual Labor
2. Fuel
3. Battery Maintenance
4. Tires
5. Oil & Filter
6. Fluids
7. Spring Cleaning

Manual Labor

No matter what engine you are working with, whether it’s a lawn mower, car, ATV, snowmobile, or motorcycle, it’s always best to refer to your owner’s manual for instructions on any type of maintenance, but this spring preparation guide will give general pointers.

Fuel

Gasoline can go stale and if forgotten about can cause issues with your stored motorcycle. After a few months, the more combustible elements in gasoline will have already started to evaporate. This can cause your bike to run roughly or not at all. High-compression engines don’t like this, and the old fuel will cause it even bigger problems.

Ideally, you would have either drained the fuel or added a fuel stabilizer to the fuel in your tank when you winterized your bike. If you drained it, peek inside your tank for any rust or muck that could cause you problems in the future. Fill up your tank with some high-octane fuel before starting it up, to make sure the gas running through the system is as fresh as possible.

Battery Maintenance

The most common issue with bikes sitting all winter long tends to be the battery. Every time the battery dies, its life gets shorter. Some riders will keep their battery on a trickle charger while being stored or even take their battery indoors over the winter months.

Tires

Checking your tires should be a part of your pre-ride checklist every time you go for a ride. Make sure to check your tires for cracks and rot and make sure this is plenty of tread on them. The air pressure in them most likely decreases while sitting in storage over winter. Making sure that they are at their full PSI before riding is important.

Oil & Filter

You may have changed your oil as part of your winterizing process, but if not, now is a good time to change it. Make sure to visit our website for all your Quicksilver Motorcycle needs. Every motorcycle is different, so make sure to consult your owner’s manuals for the exact procedure.

Fluids

Fluids are one of the most forgotten things to change on a motorcycle, especially brake fluid. Even if your bike isn’t being used, brake fluid absorbs moisture straight out of the air. When preparing your bike for spring/summer, check and top off the fluid levels. Do not mix DOT brake fluids. Ideally, you should do a complete flush of your system with new fluid. If ever in doubt, refer back to your owner's manual. Quicksilver's all-new DOT 4 and DOT 5 brake fluids are formulated to ensure performance, protection and peace of mind to all powersports users.

Spring Cleaning

Finally, give your bike a good wash. Make sure your bike looks as good as you feel. After performing all the maintenance steps above and other spring preparation steps listed in your owner's manual, you can hit the road with peace of mind. Now, go ride!