Hot Weather Motorcycle Maintenance Tips

Right now, it’s the perfect time of year to hitting the streets with your motorcycle. The weather is fair, the rain pretty much comes and goes, and more importantly, it’s not too hot. That’s about to change pretty soon. Eventually, it’s going to get hotter and hotter and riding in the middle of the day will be highly discouraged if you don’t want to melt. However, some riders try to get some miles in early in the morning when it’s still relatively cool out. Keep in mind, extreme heat can wreak havoc on your bike, so you’ll need to take some preventative steps to combat this. We’ve provided some of these tips for you below, but if you have more questions, stop by Cycles of Jacksonville, near Orlando and St. Augustine, Florida, and chat with our friendly staff.

Pay Special Attention to Fluids

You should probably be checking your engine fluids fairly regularly, no matter what, but when it’s hot out, you’ll need to particularly diligent. The engine’s going to heat up a lot between the exterior heat and the heat that gets generated by the motor. Even with all the safety nets, it’s easy for your bike to overheat. Because of this, you need to ensure your cooling system is up to standard and you have enough coolant to keep the engine’s temperature down.

Your other fluids might evaporate faster in the heat as well. Make sure you’re checking brake fluid, oil, fuel, and any lubricant used on the bike to make sure you still have plenty of fluid left to keep your ride healthy. While you’re at it, it might be a good idea to check your filters as well.

Take Care of Heat-Sensitive Components

There are other areas of your bike that can be affected by heat, such as hoses and belts. Anything made of plastic is susceptible to the heat. Is the entirety of your bike going to melt into the pavement if you park it in the sun. Probably not, but as the plastic or rubber parts expand or overheat, they can be susceptible to things like cracking and breaking. Don’t assume the humidity is going to save you on this one. The best way to care for these parts is to simply keep the bike parked in the shade as often as possible. Also keep it clean so dust and grime don’t make matters worse.

Lower Tire Pressure

The recommended psi levels that you’ll find in your owner’s manual are provided with the assumption that you’re riding in average temperatures. You’ll need to make adjustments for extreme weather. When it’s incredibly hot out, the air molecules are going to move faster, hit each other harder, and create more space around themselves. In other words, hot air expands. If the psi levels in your tires are at the recommended levels for average temperatures, once the air starts to expand, the psi will get too high and you run the risk of popping a tire. To combat this, you’ll want to reduce the amount of air in your tires to give it more space to expand.

Invest in Polish or Wax

Polishing and waxing aren’t a must for day-to-day riding, but they’re definitely highly encouraged if your bike spends a lot of time in the hot sun. The UV rays will make that pretty finish fade over time, and the best way to protect your bike is to keep it clean and then apply a coat of wax or polish. You can even look for brands that are specifically built to protect from the sun.

With all this in mind, you should be ready to hit the road, no matter the weather. Still need a motorcycle of your own? Stop by Cycles of Jacksonville and we’ll get you set up before we’re too far into the riding season. We welcome all riders from our homebase, as well as Orlando and St. Augustine, Florida.