| Monsoon
brings with it gamut of hitches like water clogged road,
traffic snarls, potholes .......etc.
So when the monsoon sets in it's time to be prepared
to face all these problems and a few unexpected too.
Indiacar offers a few tips to prepare you for the monsoon
ordeal
The principle of protecting your motorcycle during the monsoon
fall into two categories, depending on whether you aim to
lay-up your two-wheeler for the entire period
or if you intend to give it a run or two whenever the sun
comes out from behind the clouds.

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MONSOON AND TWO WHEELERS |
If you leave your
bike parked for long periods without taking certain precautions,
you can expect problems. Some could be of a minor nature,
but on occasion you could face serious deterioration in
areas, which may require expensive correction.
Fuel
Tank
The petrol that you leave in your motorcycle's fuel tank
may not even be fit to wash parts in when you decide to
get the bike back on the road. The very different and unpleasant
stench that will confront you when you open the tank cap
will be a sure give-away. If you persist in trying to use
this fuel to start up, you could end up with severely choked
jets in the carburettor.
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Apart
from the foul smell, the petrol also gets gummy
and should be drained; following this, the tank
should be washed out very carefully before filling
up with fresh fuel. Before you store the bike,
it would be best to empty the tank and pour a
small quantity of fresh engine oil into it and
slosh it around so that it coats the entire inside
of the tank. Then seal the tank by covering the
filler hole and close the cap tightly. |
| Before
the bike is stored, the fuel tank should be emptied
and the filler sealed |
 |
While
on the subject of petrol draining, remember to
empty the carburettor of fuel as well. Shut the
petrol tap and run the engine till the carb runs
dry. Carburettors can also be drained through
the screw provided at the bottom of the float
bowls. |
| The
screw provided at the bottom of the float bowl allows
draining of fuel from carburettor. |
Similarly,
empty out the battery, wash it with clean water, and store
it dry. Alternately, you can detach the battery, retain
the fluid in it and store it, giving it a trickle charge
every two weeks or so.
Corrosion:
Corrosion,
more than anything else, is the most pervasive
bike maintenance problem and storage intensifies
this. Cylinder bores require special attention.
For maximum protection, wash the bike before you
take it out for the final ride so that the engine
oil is hot and ready to be drained. |
Remove spark plugs, squirt some oil or rust
preventive into cylinder/s, turn engine over a couple
of times, and then refit spark plugs. |
The warm-up
ride also dries up any water that may remain. Fill up with
fresh oil, remove the spark plugs and squirt some oil or
rust preventive into the cylinder or cylinders.

The ends
of the exhaust should be sealed with plastic-this
will prevent water entering the exhaust. |
Indiacar
recommends WD40 multipurpose spray. After spraying
the cylinder/s, turn the engine over a few times
without starting it to coat everything evenly,
then fit the plugs back in and seal off the exhaust
preferably by tying plastic bags over the ends
(stuffing them with potatoes is not advisable),
then seal the intake opening also. |
If you seal
the engine in this way while it is still warm to the touch,
there should be no moisture in it and rusting will be inhibited
if you have done a good job.
Different surfaces of a motorcycle
require varying treatment for maximum corrosion protection.
The painted parts respond best to a generous coat of wax,
which you apply but do not wipe off as you would when you
polish the bike. Many of today's bike engines are painted
and these too should be waxed over.
 |
 |
| Protect
chrome by applying a coat of furniture wax. If left
uncoated, rusting will take place. |
A
squirt of WD40 in switches, locks, folding footrests
and other lightly loaded moving parts will make
sure they operate when you ride next. |
Chrome too
can be protected by coating it with furniture wax which
does not leave any ugly residue. Using WD40, lubricate switches,
locks, folding footrests and other lightly loaded moving
parts on the bike. Inflate tyres to the recommended pressures
and all that remains is to cover the bike to keep the dust
away. Contrary to popular practice, covering the vehicle
with a plastic cover is not the best thing.The reason -
warm air rises and cools off under a plastic cover, leaving
behind water which could negate all your hard work. Although
plastic would seem the best bet if you have to leave your
bike out in the rain, make sure that you dry out the bike
at every opportunity.

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| Inflate
tyres to the manufacturer recomended air pressure |
On the other hand, if you leave
the bike standing only when it is really pouring and use
it whenever the sun shines, then it would be sensible to
clean it up after every ride so that water does not stand
in places where it could set off the process of rust formation.
So be kind to your bike and it will reward you by being
kind to you and will not let you down amidst a busy road
or on a sunny morning after the rains.
Some handy Tips For Riding in the rain
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