Just a Couple Motorcycle Maintenance Questions ...

 

2006 Honda Shadow 600, 22000+ miles.

Winter here, bike stored outside in a carport (cover overhead, but otherwise
in the open air).  Made it a point to roll it several inches from time to
time but not start it (every couple weeks) so the tires weren't always
resting on the same patch.

Question #1:  Once when I did this after a couple weeks of not being rolled,
the bike was hard to roll--it was kind of "stuck"--but then it freed up.
I'm assuming that in the engine and transmission there would be nothing to
do this, even in 20-degree weather.  Ice in the chain?  On the front brake
disk?  Anything I should inspect when the weather gets warmer?

Weather was about 35 degrees today.  Started it up and let it get warm, then
rode it around the parking lot in a pattern (the pattern that avoided the
snow and ice) for about 1/4 or 1/2 mile.  Seems fine.  Intent was to
recharge the battery a bit.

Question #2:  The bike is hitting maybe its fourth year of riding.  Anything
in the way of regular maintenance that I might forget?  Change the coolant?
The brake fluid and hose?

Thanks, Datesfat

 

wrote:

I don't think it's so much a matter of sitting on the same patch that
does harm, as sitting on concrete does (regardless of whether you
periodically move it around).  Concrete tends to take moisture out of
the tires, leading to cracking - something especially bad for heavy
baggers that need that sidewall strength.


Oil and grease just gets thick with cold.


Use a battery tender instead if you want to keep the charge.  Starting
it up and running it for just a bit like that in cold weather causes
condensation to get into the motor and, if it's not ridden long enough
to really heat up, that moisture won't evaporate out.


Coolant?  For a bike?  Why would anybody put a radiator on a bike?  ;)

 

On 1/14/2010 3:59 PM, Road Glidin' Don wrote:


The rad hoses make decent hand warmers on mine. Of course, you look like
a dork riding like that, but what the hell, I look like a dork most of
the time anyway :)

 


Heh, heh.  You can always tell people it's a high-performance add-on.

Which, I guess, it is in a way.  ;)

 

On 1/14/2010 5:13 PM, Road Glidin' Don wrote:

I prefer 'high-tech' :)