Quick and Easy DIY Winter Projects
The shorter days and colder temperatures may be keeping you from riding, however winter is an excellent time to tackle a few of those do-it-yourself projects you may have been putting off, especially if you have a nice, warm garage or shed to work in.
Making upgrades to the performance or ergonomics of your motorcycle will make your riding experience that much more enjoyable when the warm weather comes back around.
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We’ve put together a list of projects to work on that aren’t too difficult, so just about anyone can tackle them. If you’ve been waiting for the timing to be right to upgrade your motorcycle, this is it.
Get a Grip
One of the easiest projects you can do to improve your riding experience is to add new grips. Removing the stock grips and replacing them with gel or otherwise more comfortable grips can help reduce vibration and hand fatigue while riding. Adding bar ends will also help to reduce engine vibration through the grips. In addition, bar ends can add a custom look to your bike, and they can protect the grips and levers in the event your bike gets dumped.
In many cases, the old grips should just slide off so you can slide the new ones on. However, the throttle-side grip may be glued down, which will present some challenges. One way to remove an old grip that doesn’t just slide off is to actually cut the grip off. This may also require some sanding so the new grip will slide on more easily. A non-destructive way to remove the grip is to blow compressed air between the grip and handlebar, or by spraying a solvent or lubricant in, such as brake cleaner, isopropyl alcohol, or WD-40.
Adding heated grips is slightly more involved as it involves some electrical work, but many aftermarket systems are plug and play. Plus, you’ll be glad you took the time to install them when you’re able to ride with greater comfort and dexterity come spring.
Feeling Good
Another comfort upgrade involves upgrading your seating situation. This is generally a bolt-off, bolt-on procedure that should be pretty easy to tackle, as long as the seat is recommended for the make, model, and year of your bike. Having your stock seat reupholstered is an easy way to add more comfort and a custom look.
If your bike doesn’t currently have a windscreen, there are clamp-on extensions and universal bolt-ons that make quick work of the process. For model-specific kits, you may need a torque wrench and Allen keys to set mounting bolts correctly.
Three other quick and easy projects:
Cruise Control: To make long rides even more comfortable for yourself, you may also want to look at adding cruise control using a plug-and-play kit. This can be a relatively easy task, usually only taking 30 minutes to an hour.
Battery Terminal Quick-Connect: Adding a battery tender connector makes it simple and easy to keep your battery topped up in between rides. It also allows you to plug in heated gear – a game changer for riding in cooler weather conditions.
Storage Solutions: Regardless of whether you use your bike for short commutes or long hauls, installing brackets for permanent or quick-release tank bags, tail bags, or saddle bags will increase the utility and convenience of your motorcycle.
Looking Good
To protect your tank from scratches and create a customized look, you can easily install tank pads. To change your bike’s color or to add graphics without the hassles of painting, you might want to consider a vinyl wrap.
Custom lighting can also add a little more flair to your ride. In addition, it can make you more visible to other drivers on the road, reducing your chances of getting into a collision. When adding lights, be sure to use LED lights since they tend to be brighter and more energy efficient than other types of lighting, which will give you more bang for your buck without worrying about putting a strain on your battery.
Another way to customize your bike and improve your safety is to add new mirrors. The process is generally as simple as loosening the lock nut and bolting back on, but can require some additional steps if mirrors have integrated turn signals.
Sounding Good
Aftermarket exhaust systems are often far lighter and better looking than the stock ones manufacturers are forced to fit models with for regulatory reasons. They also typically sound better and can even improve the performance of your motorcycle in some cases.
There are a lot of different ways to customize your bike to make it look, sound, and perform better. Why not tackle these tasks over the winter so you can spend the nicer weather how you really want – riding.
Barrett Baker