Weather beaten but not down and out
Far be it for us to blather on about the change in weather patterns, but UK 2019 was a strange blend of the seasons – we can say this because Evotech Performance staff are fanatics at commuting their motorcycles or Trek ebikes (to date we have collectively cycled 15,000 miles) and have arrived at work or home either wet from sweat or rainwater.
Who knows what winter holds for us riders? We don’t think the usual weather gurus do either, certainly not until 12 hours before, which is a bit of a cop out. Two winters ago, Lincolnshire got savaged by rain and then snow as “The Beast from the East” settled above us. Early this year, a large amount of rain gave indication of what to expect most weeks. And now, as you read this, the geese and swans from EU mainland are inbound to the UK by their thousands and much earlier than usual.
Not that winter weather is a brake on motorcycling for everyone. Yes, there are still a lot of us riders who ride because they want to or have to because two-wheel power is their main form of transport. Needless to say winter weather means “riding safely” takes on a whole new meaning. While we can adorn ourselves in warm, visible bike clothing, add fog lights for extreme fog conditions and tool up with anti-fog visor inserts, a lot of riders still do not prepare their bikes for winter in the same way.
Obviously, we are not talking about cleaning and applying liquid corrosion inhibitors; these should be regular occurrences but with increased frequency during the damp, dank winter months. Let’s talk about crash protection instead because that’s what we like to talk about. If you thought crash protection was just for track day riders, racing at all levels and those sunny care-free days when we can enjoy the millions of roads available to us, think again.
It’s well-known winter conditions drop a whole box of additional riding issues upon us. Damp, greasy, road salt laden roads are almost as bad for motorcyclists as ground frost or black ice. Then there’s snow – a festive sprinkling can bring joy to many but strikes fear and panic to almost every motorcyclist. Thermal, armoured riding gear is recommended and probably never been as popular as it is today. But what can you do to protect your motorcycle? Keeping it in the shed is one obvious answer. Another would be to fit crash protection.
It’s at this point we recommend having a read of a Crash Protection blog we produced earlier to see what types of crash protection EP provide. However, in short the minimal amount of crash protection you should look at is the fitment of crash protectors; the main type that solidly mount to each side of the motorcycle to protect the engine, frame and greater part of the cosmetics from serious contact with the ground. Crash protectors will usually restrict any damage to handlebar ends and other components that can be affordably repaired or replaced.
The swingarm is another vital (read expensive) component that is at risk from contact with terra firma. Swingarm and Cardan shaft (shaft drive) casings can be protected by specific protectors and with using quality rear wheel spindle bobbins that can prevent the wheel spindle, wheel and swingarm from making contact. The same can be said for front wheel spindle bobbins except that help keep the front forks out of trouble.
Motorcycle radiators and oil coolers are prone to damage any time of year, but with the abundance of road salt granules delicately placed on road surfaces, the chances of a punctured cooling system raise dramatically throughout the cold months. A quality radiator or oil cooler guard is a sure fire way to minimise risk of damage.
Evotech Performance is renowned for producing quality motorcycle crash protection products that require no modifications to enable fitment to the chassis or chassis components. While we can’t produce protective parts for every area of every motorcycle, we are a leading force in crash protection. From control levers and handlebar through to brake caliper and toe protectors, there is an EP Accessory Line to select from. Be prepared.