There's a morning every October here in Otsego County when you walk out to the garage, see frost on the windshield of the truck, and know the riding season is just about done. I always try to squeeze in one more ride. Then one more after that.

motorcycle maintenance

The Importance of Annual Motorcycle Checkups and Maintenance

We took our bikes in to get their checkups at the beginning of the year. Some of my family rode more than others last year, some didn't even need an oil change yet and grumbled about getting it done. After some convincing and my son having a little wobble in his front end, we got it in for a checkup. Luckily we did! Jonathan at Shaw Cycles (https://www.facebook.com/shawscycle) found this nail in the back tire (pictured) that we hadn't even noticed! The wobble was caused by the bearings in the front. Johnathan hooked us up and got it out the door super fast. It's worth the peace of mind knowing my son will be safe.

Charlotte and I still have warranties with Harley so we took them to Shane at Utica Harley Davidson (https://hdutica.com/). Even my bike had some damage I didn't notice, My rim was bent! (pictured).  Charlotte's Road King had a recall from Harley. All this might have been missed if we hadn't taken them in. Just Get your bike checked!!! 

As the sun starts to shine and the open road beckons, there's nothing quite like the thrill of hitting the highway on your motorcycle. Whether you're a weekend warrior or a daily commuter, your bike is more than just a mode of transport—it's a trusted companion. An annual checkup and maintenance are essential to keep your motorcycle running smoothly and safely. Here’s why.

Safety First

Motorcycle safety should always be a top priority. Unlike cars, motorcycles don’t have the luxury of a protective shell around the rider. Therefore, ensuring that every component of your bike is in top working condition is crucial. An annual checkup can identify potential issues such as worn brake pads, tire wear, or faulty lights that could lead to dangerous situations on the road.

Most states have laws that require the use of a helmet while riding a motorcycle, with very few states having no such regulations on the books. This means that, chances are, you’ll need to have a helmet on while you’re riding.

Of course, not all helmets are equally safe to use. Let’s discuss the features you’ll want to seek out in your helmet to keep yourself as protected as possible.

Group rides are a great time—not only are you doing something you love, you’re doing it with a group of equally passionate, like-minded peers and friends. With this in mind, it’s crucial that you follow the proper etiquette while you’re on this kind of ride.

There’s nothing quite like a ride in the summer, the warm sun balancing out the breeze of the open road. Of course, that isn’t to say that you don’t need to be mindful of just how warm that sun is, and how well you’re equipped to actually ride.

Riding is only fun if everyone gets home safely, so I wanted to very briefly share a few essential tips to help keep everyone safe.

Getting out on the open road is an exhilarating experience… until you start feeling the miles as they go by. In order to keep these aches and pains from ruining your experience as a rider, we wanted to offer a few tips that can help greatly reduce them.

If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a million times: while riding is a great and thrilling time, it's also something that requires you to pay a lot of attention to safety for both you and the others on the road. We wanted to take a few minutes to go over a system for riders to use to maintain a safe level of awareness, known as the SEE system.

Safety should be, above everything else, a rider’s first priority. While this month is officially the month to be especially aware of rider safety while out on the road, we wanted to review a few tips for other motorists to keep in mind while they are in their vehicles.

May is here, and hopefully (but who knows with the weather here for those of us in Upstate New York) spring is in full swing—and with it, the weather should be consistently good enough for some rides. However, May is also important to riders for another reason… It's Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. As we get back out on the roads, we wanted to reinforce some safety measures that we hope all of our fellow riders will follow.

It should come as no surprise that safety is a huge priority for our organization. After all, as fun as it is to get out there and ride, it can quickly become hazardous to you and those around you if your motorcycle isn’t in the condition it should be. To help prevent accidents, we recommend that you check out your bike before each ride for some key indicators of an issue.

Traditionally, spring is the time we all commit to cleaning up our homes, garages and work spaces from the long winter months. Spring also means the roads are clearing up, so it's time to ride! After a long winter nap, your bike can use some springtime attention, too.

Below are some spring cleaning tips to help you get your ride ready to hit the open road!

We know we don’t have to tell you how exhilarating it can be to ride… we also shouldn’t have to tell you how dangerous it has the potential to be. Studies have shown that this danger is largely due to other vehicles on the road. We want to make sure that anyone new or returning to riding know how to be best prepared to be as visible as possible to other vehicles on the road.