3 Signs your bike is overheating

SUMMER IS HOT!   You feel it and so does your bike.  Nothing beats being out on the open road and cruising along and soaking up the sun, the scenery, and fresh air.    You bike however might be thinking.  NO WAY MAN.  Its 95 degrees in the shade and you’re running me like its Isle Of Man TT!  What gives.  Overheating on a hot summer day is no fun!

Part of your midlifemoto checklist should be tuning up and checking on your baby.

  • Clean that air filter
  • check/change the oil
  • Look at  your plugs for signs of lean/rich conditions
  • check your brake

(Check out Revzilla for some great tool kits)

The Signs

Lets say you are out riding. How WILL you know if your bike is overheating?  If you have a newer bike, you can start with the gauges.  If you are a midlifemoto fanatic and love you some old school cruising, then you might not have a gauge to rely on .   Here are 3 things you might notice.

  1. A hot engine starts to smell.   Just like that pan you left on the hot stove, forgetting to turn off the burner.   It will smell.   Bits of dirt, oil, or anything else that’s sitting on the surfaces will cook.
  2. Shifting might start to become impacted.  Rough shifting, difficult to get into gear.
  3. LOP.  Loss. Of Power.  You will notice that 5000 rpm isn’t giving you the speed that it used to.   In a word, you’ll be sluggish.  (DON’T KEEP PUSHING ALONG)

If you think you’re overheating, get it figured out.  If you keep riding, you’ll risk MAJOR damage to that engine in the form of failed gaskets, destruction of pistons, or even broken valves.

A little preventative maintenance will keep you rolling in the heat.  Don”t neglect her.  She needs some TLC. Not just int he winter..

Keep riding and stay safe out there.

MIDLIFE is about life, freedom , and fun.   MIDLIFEMOTOZ  is your connection to the 2 and sometimes 3 and 4 wheeled ways of getting there.