One of the most heartbreaking situations any car or motorcycle lover will experience is when you have beautiful riding or driving weather, are excited to hit the road, and the engine doesn’t turnover. The reason? Low battery power.
If you have a nifty gadget called a Battery Tender®, you can recharge the battery and bring it back to life in no time. A Battery Tender® is a friendlier alternative to traditional battery charges because of the technology housed within the device that is designed to prolong battery life.
Before you decide to buy a Battery Tender®/Maintainer, though, let’s talk about what they are, what battery maintainters do, and why you should have a maintenance charger for your motorcycle.
What Is A Battery Tender®?
Also known as “float chargers” or “maintenance chargers,” Battery Tender® were first created by the U.S. company Deltran in 1965. What separates battery tenders from plain ol’ chargers is that these devices provide a constant voltage supply but also are controlled by processors. In other words, they are able to refrain from charging faulty batteries, use spark-free technology, and have green and red indicators that help you understand what’s happening in just a glimpse.
A Battery Tender® is the opposite of a trickle charger, an unsophisticated, less expensive option. Though the purpose is similar, a trickle charger doesn’t have microprocessor technology that prevents it from damaging the battery if you leave it charging for an extended period of time. Furthermore, you can use a battery tender when you plan on storing your motorcycle for several weeks on end, like over winter.
Keep in mind that a Battery Tender® is not able to jump-start a long-dead battery. When this happens, you need a trickle charger.
For this reason, you can think of a Battery Tender® as a trickle charge with a brain—the exact words of the original manufacturer, Deltran. Of course, there is more than one brand of Battery Tender® available on the market.
For example, the DieHard Battery Charger/Maintainer is similar to a Battery Tender that employs things like Float Mode Monitoring to charge more than just motorcycles. Whichever model you choose, just make sure they have features like auto-adjust amperage to help maintain the charge, easy-to-read indicator lights, and float mode monitoring.
Using A Battery Tender®
Operating a Battery Tender® is easy. To use a one of these devices, you just plug it into any standard AC outlet and use it to transfer power to the 12-volt battery in your motorcycle.
When preparing to use the battery tender, keep the AC and DC cords away from the vehicle. Keep the charger off until you have everything plugged in.
Depending on the motorcycle, the connections might differ, so refer to your owner manual. Once you have the battery tender connected to the correct posts on the battery, you can switch it on.
You should see indicator lights turn on, such as:
• Flashing red light – AC power and microprocessor is functioning properly. However, if the flashing continues, the voltage might be too low. Take a look to make sure the alligator clips are attached properly.
• Steady red light – The clamps are properly place and power is being transferred to your battery. The light will remain red until the battery is fully charged.
• Flashing green light – A flashing green light is often paired with a red light. This means the battery is about 80% charged and can be used.
• Steady green light – The charge is complete. You can keep the battery tender attached to the battery to help maintain the life of the battery if it will be sitting for an extended period of time.
Quick note: If your battery has less than 3 volts, the battery tender won’t start. The battery should produce at least 3 volts. On the same note, if you have a standard 12 volt battery that is defunct and is producing less than 9 volts, the battery tender won’t work properly.
Takeaway
Trickle chargers bring dead batteries back to life while battery tenders prevent batteries from losing power during periods of inactivity. Whether you use your bike every other day or less frequently, a battery tender will preserve the life of the battery to ensure your motorcycle is ready to ride whenever you need to hit the road. The straightforward usage makes it a wonderful investment for every motorcycle enthusiast.
Now that you’ve done you’re reading, it’s time to check out the motorcycle videos on my YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe and receive notifications so you never miss an update!
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Beginner’s Guide To Shifting Gears On A Motorcycle
An underrated aspect of learning how to ride a motorcycle goes beyond turning and popping wheelies. No, it’s something seemingly much more simple than that. Do you shift? Sure, shifting gears should be easy, because it’s a basic function; but shifting gear does have a layer of complexity that beginning cyclists could have problems mastering right away.
Here’s everything you need to know about shifting gears on a motorcycle.Motorcycle Gears Basics
The three basic controls are ones that you might already know—the throttle, the clutch, and the gear selector. You use the throttle to rev the engine, the clutch to engage and disengage the brakes (transmission), and to select gears. For instance, if you pull the left hand clutch towards you, the engine revs without ever moving the bike.
The gear pattern can be clicked through by using the gear selector lever and is moved by your left foot. Most bikes have the following gears, starting with the lowest first:
• First gear
• Neutral
• Second gear
• Third gear
• Fourth gear
• Fifth gear
• Sixth gear (depending on the bike)
As you can see, shifting fears is sequential. Up or down, neutral (N) is always put between 1st and 2nd gear.Technique For Motorcycle Shifting
It’s best to learn the proper technique required to maneuver through shifting gears before learning how to do anything else.
Steps of the proper shifting technique:- Disengage the clutch. Use your left hand to pull it towards you.
- Select the correct gear by using your left food on the shifting lever.
- Slightly rev the engine if shifting up.
- Gradually release the clutch. Don’t pop it.
- Feather the throttle while releasing the clutch to accelerate smoothly.
- Continue revving if you which to switch to another gear in succession. Otherwise, find a nice cruising speed to maintain.
Shifting With Sound and Feel
Have you ever heard wailing motorcycle engines on the road? You’ve probably thought to yourself, “Is that rider even shifting?” That’s you using the basic rule of sound. In basic terms, if an engine starts to scream, you shift to an upper gear. If the engine starts to grumble, then shift the engine lower.
There a many methods to help you do this properly. Beginners should only focus on the simplest method. Afterwards, you can experiment.
Start off by riding in first gear. Try to sense to point when you need to switch to second gear. This means the engine isn’t yet screaming, but you are feeling the natural inclination to gain more speed. The clutch will disengage easily.
Should the engine start to scream, this means you’ve hit the red line, otherwise known as the built-in limiter. The limiter is placed in the engine to ensure the bike doesn’t overextend itself and burn up.
If you shift a gear up too soon, the bike could stall or choke. Restart the bike. Try again. Keep working through the gears until you can hear and feel when it is time to gear up.Shifting Smoothly
You will notice that there’s no mathematical equation to figure out the “when” behind shifting. Every bike has a unique behavior that depends on how you handle it. For instance, if the bike jerks when you release the clutch, you’re being too abrupt. If the bike tends to lurch during shifts, you’re applying too much throttle. If the motorcycle’s speed dips during shifting, you need to rev the engine more between gear changes. Pay attention to the clutch, throttle, and gear selector, because these all interact and are dependent on one another.
Mechanics of Movement
Let’s back-up for a moment. Now that you have this idea in your mind that you need to listen and feel and understand with muscle memory what to do when shifting, it’s time to talk about what is happening inside the bike while you’re doing the actions.
The clutch is the first thing you touch when it’s time to shift gears, unless you have an automatic motorcycle or a quick shift. Once the clutch is engaged, meaning the lever is out and power is send to the rear tie, little springs press on the clutch plate that connect the primary drive to the part that rotates from the pistons going up and down.
When you pull the lever, the plate separates and releases the connection to the motor. In this moment, you can change gears.
That’s when you take your foot and move the gear selector. On the gear selector is a piece called a collar that has “dogs.” This dogs mesh together with the fork in the same way you interlace your fingers. When you move your foot up and down on the selector, the dogs and fork connect to help change the gear. Then, you find the right gear and accelerate.
Keep this in mind while reading the next two sections about upshifting and downshifting.Upshifting
Most of this article has been devoted to upshifting. Upshifting is easier than downshifting, because you are accelerating. This means that if you do any of the steps of shifting a little too quick, there’s less of an impact. Of course, this could result in a sudden jolt of power to the rear wheel, causing the front tire to come off the ground.
(Note: You should only practice stunts in a controlled environment and when you have gained enough experience.)Downshifting
On the opposite end of upshifting is downshifting, which tends to go a little less smoothly. If you release the clutch too quickly while downshifting, the sudden downward change can cause the gear to slow down the rear tire, compressing the front end, and causing a lack of traction in the back end. You need to be able to control the release of the clutch.
Be careful when rounding corners and decreasing your gears for this reason. You don’t want to suddenly lose traction right when you need more grip on the asphalt. That could cause the bike to skid to the side.False Neutral
When downshifting, you could accidentally hit a false neutral. This can happen anywhere there shouldn’t be a neutral, including between 3rd and 4th or 4th and 5th and so on. This could happen if the dogs don’t connect with the fork when selecting gears. There is power loss to the rear wheel.
If you end up in a false neutral, pull on the clutch, and put the bike into a higher gear. You can prevent excessive damage to the bike. Be quick and make sure you move into the correct once you get out of false neutral.
With that, you should be able to master the basics of shifting. Practice the timing of the clutch release and working with the gear selector for a bit. You will soon be able to shift between gears like someone who has been riding for many years.
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How to Ride a Motorcycle in the Rain
Be it a shower or deluge, rain can be your worst nightmare when on a motorcycle if you’re not properly prepared. During the spring and winter months, precipitation is unpredictable, and if you are in a rainy state, expect to get caught at least one shower while riding your bike. Rather than avoiding rainy days altogether, learn to ride your motorcycle in the rain.
Before The Ride
For maximum safety, inspect your bike to make sure it’s ready to tackle a ride in the rain.
• Fluids: Check your motorcycle to make sure there’s no brake fluid or oil leakage. While oil leaks aren’t very dangerous in dry conditions, when oil mixes with water, the road becomes a slick and dangerous course.
• Brakes: Make sure the brake pads have enough material left to help you with prompt stops in wet conditions.
• Tires: Check that your tires have enough tread to push water away and grip the road. You also want to ensure they have enough air pressure. Under or over-inflated tires react differently in water, but both are potentially dangerous.Weatherproof Gear
In order to keep you and your bike safe, you should have the correct riding gear and attire ready to go. You can choose between water-resistant and waterproof items. Water-resistant will shed water, but after a period of time, water will begin to permeate the material. Waterproof, on the other hand, will never allow for water to absorb into the material, unless you get completely submerged in water.
• Water-resistant or Waterproof Gear: Jackets and one piece suits should be zipped up tightly when riding in the rain to prevent water from seeping. Zippers should have a flap that covers the edges to protect the interstices. Cuffs on the jacket or coat need to be long enough to reach your gloves.
• Riding Boots and Gloves: More effective deterrents against complete saturation of your clothes. Both boots and gloves need to be tight enough to prevent water from dripping through. No one likes cold, wet socks.
• Helmets and Goggles: For the best protection, get a full-faced helmet. If you have a ½ or ¾ face helmet, get a pair of goggles. Pair the goggles with a waterproof balaclava that can shed water away from your face.
• Miscellaneous: If you have a saddlebag or storage unit, consider keeping a change of dry clothes with you. Also, keep plastic bags with you to keep valuables dry if you happen to get caught in a sudden rainstorm. Dry bags or waterproof backpacks can also help.
Be Cautious Of Road Conditions
Wet roads are dangerous for motorcyclists and other vehicle drivers, regardless of how prepared you may be. Even when the roads appear clean, they could be slick from oil. Here are some things to consider when traveling by motorcycle in the rain:
Less Traction
The first hour of rainfall is the most dangerous, because oils absorbed into the asphalt rise to the surface. During this time, it’s best to pullover at a rest stop about wait for about an hour. Once the rain has washed the road of oil and debris, you can head out again. Remember that this also means an increased braking distance.
Less Visibility
Sometimes, the fog or mist is too dense, or the rain is falling so hard you or other drivers can’t see. You can make yourself more visible to the traffic around you by wearing high visibility clothing and reflective patches.
Hydroplaning Risk
Hydroplaning occurs when water prevents the tire from making contact with the road. Reduce the risk of hydroplaning by avoiding painted lines, manhole covers, iridescent patches on the road and puddles (oil), tar snakes, metal crossing, and other places with reduced traction.
Also, you should reduce your speed when approaching puddles you can’t maneuver around. Start slowing down, squeeze the clutch, then coast through the puddle. If you’re going too fast, it’s better to maintain that velocity rather than slowing down abruptly, as this will reduce friction could cause fishtailing.
Decrease the risk of hydroplaning further with all-weather tires.Nature’s Wrath
Stay aware of lightning, hail, ice, sleet, and other conditions that could transpire in a rainstorm. High winds can cause debris to fall into the road, and you might not see it due to decreased visibility. If it starts lightning, pull over.
Conclusion
Not every day is going to be perfect riding weather. Planning ahead and being prepared goes a long way when dealing with rainy conditions. Not only will you stay dry, but you will arrive at your destination safely.
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The Ultimate List Of Motovloggers On YouTube Part II
Are you looking for motovloggers to follow?
Be sure to check out our other lists:
Shout Out To PhatboyR6 and No.Bumpers for helping me come up with this collection of motovloggers. So here they are in no particular order!
