5 Ways to Ruin Your Bike

You just bought a beautiful new (or 'new-to-you') Harley-Davidson. Keeping it in good running order as well as keeping that showroom shine isn't hard, but it isn't exactly easy either. If you're not careful, you can ruin your motorcycle for trade/re-sale later on before you know it. 

Here's a look at five common ways to trash your bike, according to Chad and Kate, our Service and Parts Managers at FX Caprara Harley-Davidson.

1. You changed the Air & Exhaust, but didn't do a Tuner

You've done the research and decided to do a Stage I Kit- increase the air & exhaust for your bike's engine. Then decided, since it's basic motor parts, you could skip the tuner or recalibrating the ECM... but now your bike is running like sh*t. 

Just like you can't be expected to run a marathon without the proper training, your bike cannot run well without 'teaching it' how. It has to be programed how to handle the engine upgrade. 

2. Not Keeping the Charge

A reminder that even as your bike sits in your garage, waiting for the next ride, there's a small drain on the battery. And for your bike's system to be charged back, the bike needs to be under power (in other words you've got to be riding). 

If you find that you won't be riding for a week or two, it's a good idea to put your bike on a Smart Battery Tender to keep your battery fresh.

3. Salt

Not just for your Margarita glass, salt is used on roadways during the winter months in Northern NY. It melts the ice and snow so that we can safely drive our vehicles -you know this. The problem comes in the early Spring and late Fall -you decided to ride even though the salt is on the road.

Salt is very corrosive and your bike's motor, frame and wheels -basically the very essence of your bike- is very exposed to all corrosive loveliness when you're out and about with salt  still or already on the road. 

We all suffer from PMS (Parked Motorcycle Syndrome), but don't compound it by allowing salt to eat away at your precious bike.  This will really bite you in the ass later -either when you're looking to sell your bike -or worse, having to repair it.

4. Not washing your bike

Some see all the dirt, grime and bug guts as a badge of honor. We at FXCHD say that's Harley neglect. Like salt, not washing your bike can destroy your bike's painted & chrome finishes. 

And please, for the love of all that is Harley, do not take your bike through a car wash!! Blasting water at all that electronics is like submerging a toaster in a bathtub full of water, and then expecting it to work right the next time you go to use it. 

For the proper way to wash your bike, visit our webpage: Smash Bugs. Wash. Repeat.

5. Neglecting routine maintenance

A Harley-Davidson Motorcycle is literally a rolling piece of art, with all its parts designed to intracally work together, bringing you the best ride possible.

However, the more miles you ride, the more things can become out of factory specifications. Look at the back of your owner's manual- things to check at 1K, 5K, 10K, etc. are listed. Things like steering head bearings, drive belt & sprocket, transmission lubricant, clutch lever and more.

It's best to have factory trained technicians at an authorized Harley-Davidson dealer perform the services for you. This is their job- it's what they do day in, day out. And if they have a question about part fitment or a particular problem, tech services at the Motor Company is just a phone call away.

Bottom line, it comes down to the "7 P's": Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. If you take care of your bike, it will take care of you.