Winterizing Your Bike, for Southerners

I went for a ride today. I put a friend on hold for some tentative plans we had, because "it's a pretty nice day, and there probably won't be a whole lot more before the cold weather kicks in".

Well, "cold weather", as most of us know, is a relative term. I live in the southeastern US, The South. Georgia. We're actually gifted with a climate that allows year-round riding. So when I talk about one of the last nice riding days, I mean without bundling up.

It was the kind of day I really enjoy. I got my first bike, a 1978 Honda Hondamatic 400cc back in 1989, picking it up in the winter. I rode it through Spring and early summer, until I deployed to the Persian Gulf for a little while. When I came back with some extra money in my bank account, I dropped a down payment on a 1985 Honda Shadow 700, which I consider my first "real" bike. The rides I used to take after that deployment settled into my psyche as perfect riding weather.


Perfect riding weather, like today. High 60s and sunny. The kind of weather where I head out with a leather jacket, but just a t shirt underneath - no need for layering on a day like this. The kind of day where when you're stopped, you feel the sun warming up the leather, and you even start to feel hot if the red light takes too long turning green, but then as you get up to speed, you feel the chill as the cool wind creeps in around the edges of the jacket at collar and sleeve. The kind of day where everything just seems right. The motor fires at just the right rpm level to let you feel the vibration, but never overwhelms you. Where the sun hits at just the right angle, and never blinds you in an unfamiliar curve. The kind of day where you glance at a side road and this time you don't file it away in your memory for another day, but double back and turn off to see what it has to offer a curious rider who has a day off work on a Tuesday.

It wasn't lost on me that although this was pretty much the perfect riding day here, there are many people who are already performing their annual ritual of winterizing their motorcycle to prepare it for months of storage in a garage or shed. This is a really big part of what I love about living in the South. Mild climate. Year round riding. None of that fluffy white stuff that falls out of the sky and makes it hard for rubber tires to maintain traction on asphalt.

So, if you're in the right climate, don't take it for granted. Get out there and ride. Pay attention and really appreciate what you have. And if you're stuck in the great northern wasteland, try to get in a few more good rides if you can. And as you're putting that bike away for the next few months, we'll be doing our own winterizing: pulling the heavy gloves, chaps, and warm layers (or electric liners) out of the closet.