Old Bike Mart – January 2019

Welcome to Old Bike Mart - January 2019.
short while ago, just after the clocks had turned and the nights really began to draw in, I received a press release which,essentially, told me to stash my
riding gear in a cupboard under the stairs and put my bike away for
winter.
As it happens, the email in question was just explaining the various ways in which I could ensure that my bike would be safe and sound during winter storage, up until the time that the weather improves to a clement condition conducive to motorbicycling. But I felt that there was an unwritten message, suggesting that the winter months are a time that we shouldn’t really beout and about on two wheels…
In a somewhat entertaining fashion, the press release not only suggested that we should be putting our bike somewhere warm and dry – and covering it with blankets and sheets to prevent dents and scratches as well as stopping it from being covered in dust and spiders’ webs – but also that the bike in question won’t be used at all during the ‘hibernation’ period.
However, in the closing clause, we’re told that the prevention of condensation in the exhaust can be achieved by starting the bike on a regular basis, and allowing it to warm up, a method that is also suggested to ensure that the battery stays in a reasonable, close to fully charged, condition. Now, I was always taught that the only way to get any internal combustion engine up to a reasonable temperature is by using it – not by leaving it plodding away on tickover for ages, but by putting it under load. In other words, by actually riding it. (Read more inside)
Dave