Changing Oil Once a Year

I'm planning to change oil in March.  I do this once a year but I got curious if ChatGPT would have some advice around changing oil.  So, I asked and this is what it advised, below.  It's pretty cool.

How to winterize your motorcycle?

Winterizing your motorcycle is an important process that helps to ensure that it is protected from the harsh winter weather and is ready to ride again when the warmer months arrive. Here are some steps to winterize your motorcycle:

1. Clean your motorcycle thoroughly: Before winterizing your motorcycle, give it a thorough cleaning. Wash it with soap and water, and make sure to dry it completely. This will help prevent rust and other damage caused by moisture.
2. Change the oil and filter: It's a good idea to change the oil and filter before storing your motorcycle for the winter. Old oil can become contaminated with debris and moisture, which can cause damage to your engine over time.
3. Add fuel stabilizer: Add a fuel stabilizer to your gas tank to prevent the fuel from deteriorating and causing problems with your engine when you start it up again in the spring.
4. Drain the carburetor: If your motorcycle has a carburetor, you should drain it to prevent any remaining fuel from evaporating and leaving behind deposits that can cause problems when you start your motorcycle up again.
5. Disconnect the battery: If you are storing your motorcycle for an extended period of time, it's a good idea to disconnect the battery. This will help prevent it from draining and potentially causing damage.
6. Cover your motorcycle: Cover your motorcycle with a breathable cover to protect it from dust and debris during storage.
7. Store in a dry and cool place: Store your motorcycle in a dry and cool place, such as a garage or shed. Avoid storing it outside where it may be exposed to the elements.

By following these steps, you can help ensure that your motorcycle is properly winterized and protected from the harsh winter weather. When spring arrives, your motorcycle will be ready to ride again without any problems.

Changing oil once a year?

The frequency with which you should change your motorcycle's oil depends on several factors, including the make and model of your motorcycle, the type of oil you use, how often you ride your motorcycle, and the conditions in which you ride.

As a general rule of thumb, it is recommended that you change your motorcycle's oil at least once a year, regardless of how much you ride. This is because the oil in your motorcycle can break down over time, even if you don't put many miles on it.

However, if you ride your motorcycle frequently or in extreme conditions, such as high temperatures or dusty environments, you may need to change your oil more often. In these situations, it is best to consult your motorcycle's owner's manual or speak with a trusted mechanic to determine the optimal oil change schedule for your motorcycle.

Ultimately, regularly changing your motorcycle's oil is an important part of its maintenance routine and can help ensure that it runs smoothly and reliably for years to come.

Hard to Own Both a Car and a Bike

I was thinking of writing something about winterizing a bike vs. keeping it running throughout the winter when, while I was thinking about fuel and stabilizers, I started to think about how I'm not using the car all that often, and much less for a motorcycle in the winter.  I'm read that unused gas in your gas tank starts to go stale apparently after 30 days.  It's not that it's not usable anymore but it will decrease fuel efficiency and I'm guessing because of deposits stale gas creates, it's probably not a good thing long term for the engine.  Gas in my car tank has been sitting in there for at least a month now and I haven't used it up yet.  The same goes for the gas in my motorcycle.  I don't drive/ride enough and will certainly not drive/ride more just because I want to keep the gas from going stale.  The situation has gotten worse since I've bought a car as I'm splitting my time between the car and the bike.  I should maybe half-fill the tank instead of filling them up fully, eh.

Electric Heated Gloves - Part 4

Ok, so I'm eyeing on these gloves below.  They're supposed to warm all of your hands and not just fingertips.  They're next on my test to find the perfect gloves for street walks and motorcycle riding!

UPDATE:  Oh shite!  They've available only in x-large size!

Electric Heated Gloves - Part 3

The OWZ heated gloves didn't live up to my expectations!  I thought the whole glove, including palm side would be heated.  All I felt were the back side of my fingers getting some warmth.  There was nothing on the palm side.  Nothing on the back side of the hand except for back side of the fingers and it's mostly toward the tip of the fingers.  Plus, there was only "some" warmth.  It's nothing what they advertised and I had on the highest level.  I can't imagine riding my bike at -10C on the highway with these gloves.  My fingers will very likely freeze!

This is what the ad stated as of February 27, 2023:

Heated gloves with 7.4V 3000MAH Rechargeable Li-ion Batteries. Larger capacity and longer working time than others. Give you warmth all day long. Moreover, electric gloves wіth heating properties can assure a lot оf coverage - іt covers almost the entire hand( (Back of hand, fingers and main part of palm) аnd ensures comprehensive warmth.

At the highest heat level, it's supposed to feel like 60C (140F), but it felt more like 10C!  The gloves were advertised with 3 adjustable temperature levels:

• 3000mAh battery provided Instant heat in 30 seconds and longer working time, 3 heated levels control giving you excellent heat experience in adjusting the temperature:
• High Level: 140℉-145℉/60℃, 3-3.5 hours
• Medium level: 122℉-131℉/50℃, 3.5-5 hours
• Low level: 100℉-113℉/40℃, 6 - 7.5 hours
• Heating Area: cover the entire hand back, all the fingers and main palm

Well, I'm disappointed.  Maybe they shipped me a dud?  It goes back to Amazon.

Electric Heated Gloves - Part 2

The heated gloves arrived!  I'm excited to try them out.  The user guides says to recharge the batteries to 100% and then for 30 additional minutes, before use.  The batteries are being recharged now.

These gloves feel like my snowboarding gloves, except that my snowboarding gloves are a bit shorter than these.  I bought medium as they didn't have a small size so there is a bit of empty space at the tip of the fingers.  That's probably fine for what I'll be using the gloves for.

You can see the item came with two batteries.  These are 7.4V 3000mAh outputting 22.2Wh.  I'm not sure what 22.2Wh actually translate to in terms of heat comfort.  Monday morning will be around -6C (21F) and feel like -12C (10F) so it will be a good test.  I hope they will be a lot warmer than my leather gloves which offer virtually no warmth if the weather goes below 0C (32F).  Even at -2C (28F), my fingers inside the leather gloves often feel cold.  I'd make a fist inside the leather gloves to warm up my fingers.

Crossing my fingers!

Group Rides

 When I first started riding, I joined a couple of group rides.  I did a few rides with them.  I remember going to Port Dover on the edge of Lake Erie and to Fenelon Falls in the Kawartha Lakes area and we'd have lunch together before returning home.  I believe there was another ride I did with the group but don't remember now.  What I do remember though was how uncomfortable I was riding with the group.  Don't get me wrong, I like hanging with them but there were a couple of things I didn't like.

Riding should be fun and it shouldn't be just to get from point A to point B.  Often, that's how it feels like when riding in a group.  You don't get to stop and enjoy scenery or to take a break whenever you feel like.  You're part of a group.  You follow the group wherever it goes and whenever it stops.  So, I felt I lost the freedom that comes with riding freely.

Riding in a group also means you're riding behind someone all the time.  It's ok for the most part but if you're following someone who has a tendency to brake for some obvious reason, it's very unnerving!  Your instant reaction would be to brake as well and that's what happened to me in one of the rides.  I couldn't understand why the person in front of me was braking.  After a while you want to ignore it but complacency is dangerous.  You need to be on the alert at all times on the road but a red light that frequently flashes in front of you is just no fun.

It's all cool when we get to our destination.  There, we'd have lunch together as a group.  The group would tend to leave shortly after lunch though.  I'd find myself alone because I like to stick around and explore the town.  I'd stay back for an hour or so then would head back home, on my own.  I didn't have a GPS navigator back then and heading back home often meant getting lost for a bit before finding my way to the main roads.

Nowadays, I just ride by myself or sometimes I'd have a passenger.  I don't get to grab lunch with people but that's fine. I like being a free spirit.

Is 600cc Enough?

I've ridden a Yamaha FZ6R for I believe six or seven years now.  It was an upgrade from a Suzuki GS500F.  The FZ6R has the same engine as the R6 but it was retuned so there is more torque at lower RPM so the acceleration is smoother overall.  I've never ridden an R6 or anything bigger but truthfully, I don't know if I want to or need to.  The FZ6R has plenty of power that I'm comfortable with.  I could weave in and out of traffic if I really wanted to and have enough torque for good acceleration.  I can still feel the sudden acceleration as I need to pass a car.  I just enjoy the ride, to be on the road alone all by myself sometimes.

So, is a 600cc engine big enough?  It definitely is for me.  I have no urge to go bigger.

Electric Heated Gloves

I decided to buy heated gloves for riding in cold weather, possibly in rain as well.  I looked around hard on Amazon and went with these gloves below.  They're supposed to be waterproof but breathable.  The heating elements cover the entire glove so it should offer warmth all the way to my finger tips.  There was a discount of $15 so they're about $70 + tax.  

 [UPDATE - Feb 27, 2023:  See my comments about the gloves I received.  I was disappointed!]

I'll receive them tomorrow and will test them this coming week--not on my motorcycle as there is too much snow on the road still but I walk to the office every day so it'll be a good test.  I've had cold hands over this past week when temperatures went under -5C.

Winter Riding Gears

So, I got a car but I'm still riding my Yamaha FZ6R in the winter when the roads are dry and clean.  It's exhilarating to be on the road in the middle of winter but there is no way I'd be out there if there were a good chance I'd run into black ice or even just a bit of snow.  It'd be crazy.  But, it'd also be equally crazy if I'm not geared up for winter riding!

I layer up as follows:

1. Base thermal layer, upper and lower
2. Moisture wicking middle layer that's wind resistant
3. If really cold (i.e., -10C [14F] )
1. I'd wear a USB powered heat jacket
2. Fleece jacket -- highway riding would add another -10C to the temperature!
4. My summer motorcycle jacket -- nothing special here, just a regular riding jacket with a moisture wicking inner layer
5. My regular summer gloves
6. USB powered heating pads that go inside the gloves, palm-side. I got mine here: https://amzn.to/3knofeV
7. Jeans
8. My motorcycle riding pants -- nothing special here either but it's got a thermal inner layer
9. Beanie under the helmet:  https://amzn.to/3EzWHda
10. Fleece neck warmer -- it goes up to your chin, and you can cinch it tight with the helmet chin strap. I got mine from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Z3D6dl
11. Leather winter boots

In winter, your hands will freeze in seconds at -10C (14F), so handlebar muffs (https://amzn.to/3Ip1Nty) would go over my handlebars.  They act as wind breakers.  My gloved hands would go inside the muffs.  The USB powered heating pads would keep my hands warn.  Without the heat pads, you can ride for 20-30 minutes on the highway before your hands get uncomfortably cold.  Remember that on highways at 100 km/h, the wind will make the temperature feel like 10C or 15C lower than ambient temperature.  There is this wind chill calculator you can use to figure that out:  https://weather.gc.ca/windchill/wind_chill_e.html.  If you punched in -1C at 99 km/h, it will feel like -12C.  If you punched in -10C at 99 km/h, it will feel like -15C!

I haven't tried electric gloves yet as I didn't think I'd do too much winter riding, but now, I'm thinking I should.  I suspect electric heated gloves alone wouldn't be sufficient.  I might still need the handlebar muffs.