Lee's 10 quick tips of motorcycling

[Frostback]

Riding gives us time to think about the mundane.

Every now and then I stumble across something that makes me think I am clever. Clearly I have stolen these ideas from others but will pass them along anyway.

1. The zippers on Aerostich roadcrafters are notoriously stiff and hard to break in. My wife told me to rub a little candle wax on them and Voila! Easy sliding zips. Now in hot weather I may have a melted parafin stripe on my shirt but it did make the zippers easier to pull.

2. I have also tied a little strip of nylon parachute cord to the zipper to make gloved zipping easier. Don't make it too long or it will flog you at speeds over 80.

3. Often after a ride in the rain I will zip into the car wash. The bug guts are all softened up and there is never a line in a rainstorm.

4. It is slightly easier to wash bugs out of a rad grill from the back than the front if you can access it

5. The silicone washers (Caterpillar tractor hydraulics washers fit my R12G perfectly) make nice friction washers on motorcycle throttle grips. I got that from the Chain Gang for F650GS bars but it works on the bigger BMWs too. Easy to override, cheap ($2.50) last a long time and can be rolled in and out of the gap between the twist grip and the cable housing. I tie a short piece of string to mine to help lift it out of the crack and roll it over to the side when not in use.

6. I did a quick sand paper scuff on the road contact areas of my new tires to reduce new tire waxiness and poor adhesion. Not sure if it changed anything but it made me feel better.

7. There is a small piece of a microfibre cloth and a small spray bottle of windex in my tank bag side pocket that I can spray on my closed face shield while wearing the helmet. With a quick wipe of the cloth I can have a clear face shield in about 5 seconds without removing my helmet.

8. I use cheap foamy ear plugs. A tiny dab of Vitamin E salve on the plugs makes them go in a lot easier, seal much better and prevents itcy ear canals and irritation on multi-day rides.

9. Even a cheap $89 GPS stuck in a ziplock (for water proofing) and placed under the clear plastic top of a tank bag can be a great help. If you don't want to wire it up, you can run it on battery for a few minutes to get into or out of a city. If you crank the volume up to shriek you can listen to it's directions out of a confusing place.

10. If you stop to help someone (and you should help occasionally with flats and mechanicals, esp if the driver is elderly or seems uncertain of repairs) it is usually safer and less intimidating if you pull up ahead of them 30 yards and take off your helmet first before walking back to offer help.


I'd like to hear other peoples accumulated suggestions.

Lee

[B.Curvin]

How to easily remove your kickstand's spring.

Extend kickstand as if you're parking the bike. Shove as many coins as possible between the coils of the spring. Retract kickstand. Often times the spring will fall off in your hand.

I used to remove mine frequently for track days.

[stefer]

Originally Posted by B.Curvin

How to easily remove your kickstand's spring.

Extend kickstand as if you're parking the bike. Shove as many coins as possible between the coils of the spring. Retract kickstand. Often times the spring will fall off in your hand.

I used to remove mine frequently for track days.

Clever. Off the top of my head I don't think I've ever removed a kick stand, but I'll store this in the back of my head somewhere.

[DirtyOldMan]

Silicone spray works pretty good on the zippers as well.

[outlaws justice]

Originally Posted by B.Curvin

How to easily remove your kickstand's spring.

Extend kickstand as if you're parking the bike. Shove as many coins as possible between the coils of the spring. Retract kickstand. Often times the spring will fall off in your hand.

I used to remove mine frequently for track days.

I Like this one, and will be using it tonight!

[packmann]

When maneuvering the bike in the garage after a ride, it is better standing on the right hand side of the bike with the side-stand extended: You are tired and if the bike falls over, the stand is there to stop it. May not work in the Northern Hemisphere or where you drive on the right hand side of the road.

Foam earplugs are fantastic. But after a few months they get impregnated with earwax and slip out. Don't be a cheapskate: replace regularly.

P

[Benesesso]

Originally Posted by packmann

Foam earplugs are fantastic. But after a few months they get impregnated with earwax and slip out. Don't be a cheapskate: replace regularly.

As a former KLR owner, I learned to wash my foam plugs. Roll them around after coating them with liquid soap, then rinse by squeezing them a few times. Some of my plugs are 10 years old.

Haven't had an ear infection in a month or so, so the idea works.

[AlanCT]

Originally Posted by Benesesso

As a former KLR owner, I learned to wash my foam plugs. Roll them around after coating them with liquid soap, then rinse by squeezing them a few times. Some of my plugs are 10 years old.

Haven't had an ear infection in a month or so, so the idea works.

Sometimes I stick them in my pants pockets when I do the laundry.

[Ranger Ron]

Originally Posted by Benesesso

As a former KLR owner, I learned to wash my foam plugs. Roll them around after coating them with liquid soap, then rinse by squeezing them a few times. Some of my plugs are 10 years old.

Haven't had an ear infection in a month or so, so the idea works.

Too funny.

I'm a former KLR owner, too. That being said, I afford myself the luxury of a new pair of ear plugs every day. It costs me about 13¢ a day.

Ron

[Colorado Col Rider]

Originally Posted by Ranger Ron

Too funny.

I'm a former KLR owner, too. That being said, I afford myself the luxury of a new pair of ear plugs every day. It costs me about 13¢ a day.

Ron

I agree, I'm never one to harsh on someone for being frugal, but you guys realize that you can buy a bag of 500 of these

for like 50 bucks. If you wore each pair only twice you'd be good for a few years almost. Slightly better and cheaper than an ear infection.

Tips are awesome, please keep them coming. I love topics like this. BTW, I'm glad I'm not the only one who puts on his gloves before his helmet almost every time.

[stefer]

Originally Posted by Frostback

Helion wrote:



And I would follow that up by suggesting you stick your gloves INSIDE your helmet as a reminder but be sure they don't drop out when carrying it. For me, even that might not work.

Remembering ear plugs is my usual "Doh!". Ever try putting those in while wearing your helmet?

Lee

Originally Posted by Benesesso

As a former KLR owner, I learned to wash my foam plugs. Roll them around after coating them with liquid soap, then rinse by squeezing them a few times. Some of my plugs are 10 years old.

Haven't had an ear infection in a month or so, so the idea works.

I find that squeezing wet ear plugs makes the foam fill up with water. Then you can't scrunch them up in a cylinder to stick them in your ear because they expand almost instantaneously.

The first thing I do is try to have clean hands when using them. If they are dirty, just a few drops of water and rub them without compressing them.

After done, in my pocket they go in a container.

Also, 10 years is a really long time.

[Benesesso]

Originally Posted by stefer

I find that squeezing wet ear plugs makes the foam fill up with water. Then you can't scrunch them up in a cylinder to stick them in your ear because they expand almost instantaneously.

The first thing I do is try to have clean hands when using them. If they are dirty, just a few drops of water and rub them without compressing them.

Also, 10 years is a really long time.

After washing and rinsing, it's simple to put them on something absorbent and smash the water out of 'em. Day or two later they're dry as a bone.

10 years ain't diddly when you're over 70.

[stefer]

Originally Posted by Benesesso

After washing and rinsing, it's simple to put them on something absorbent and smash the water out of 'em. Day or two later they're dry as a bone.

Good suggestion.

10 years ain't diddly when you're over 70.

Sorry, that is not what I meant. 10 years is a long time to reuse a disposable product is what I was meaning. I wasn't clear.

[antonac]

Originally Posted by Frostback

7. There is a small piece of a microfibre cloth and a small spray bottle of windex in my tank bag side pocket that I can spray on my closed face shield while wearing the helmet. With a quick wipe of the cloth I can have a clear face shield in about 5 seconds without removing my helmet.

Windex is not good for plastic screens. A spray bottle of water and a tiny bit of dish soap will work just as well, if not better.

[wmax351]

Originally Posted by antonac

Windex is not good for plastic screens. A spray bottle of water and a tiny bit of dish soap will work just as well, if not better.

Pledge