With a lot of two-wheeler manufactures launching products specially designed for women, the roads aren’t a male dominated territory any more. We at IMB think that it is absolutely fantastic as it will slowly dispel the common myth that women are bad drivers. The IMB team feels that even the fairer sex should enjoy the thrill that motoring brings one’s life.

These days college girls, working women are scooting around happily and confidently. 20 years back this was a quite literally a non existent scene. The woman of today is also very well aware of her needs and is updated of the latest offering from different manufacturers. So we have put together a couple of points just for your safety when riding your scooty.

* Always wear a helmet which is approved ARAI or other governing bodies.

* Wear something bright jacket when riding just to make sure that other road users can see you. You can wear your fashionable clothes (yes we know how important they are) underneath the jacket and can remove the jacket when you have arrived at your destination

* Make sure you buy a scooter from which you are able to place your feet firmly on the ground.

* Always drive with proper vehicles papers and your driving license. Get your bike serviced every year. Make sure that all the lights on your ride are working correctly.

* Follow lane discipline and all the other traffic rules. Try not to out do your skills.

With a little bit of precaution, motoring can bring so much joy to your life. Ride safely and confidently!

Its monsoon time in India and the chances of encountering Aquaplaning is more these days than any other time of the year. So I thought this would be the best time to throw some light on Aquaplaning so you have better understanding of this phenomenon.

Aquaplaning or Hydroplaning is a phenomenon which causes your motorcycle to shed traction while moving over a wet road or surface. When you move over a wet road, the water on the surface tends to accumulate in front of your tires, if the amount of water is more than what the tire can push away, then a thin film of water builds up between the tire and the road making you lose contact with the surface causing you lose control of your motorcycle and resulting in a slide or a skid.

But I would say that motorcyclists are luckier than the fellow car owners as the chances of aquaplaning in motorcycles are far less than in a car. Motorcycles have narrow tires as compared to cars and secondly they are rounded than being flat which enhances their ability to push out the water to the sides.

For those who prefer wider tires for their motorcycle just for the sake of looks, better think twice as the chances of aquaplaning would be more with wider tires.

Factors contributing to Aquaplaning:

Aquaplaning can be caused by various factors which are mentioned below and whether your motorcycle will aquaplane or not will be dependent on all of these factors:

Tires:

Tires play a major role in Aquaplaning. If you have been neglecting the tires of your motorcycle for a long time then better have a thorough check and replace them if they are worn out.

Tires play a major role in order to prevent Aquaplaning

Size of the tire: The size of the tire determines the size of the contact patch which the tire would make with the road. The longer and thinner the contact patch is, the least are the chances of hydroplaning. Wider tires which are small in diameter are more prone to Hydroplaning.

Tire tread: Everyone of us knows that worn out tires have less traction. The tread depth ensures better traction on road and therefore reducing the risk of Hydroplaning as it gives enough room for the water to make its way out.

Tire tread pattern: The tread pattern contributes significantly to the amount of water the tire can channel away. Some tread patterns are more effective in doing this job.

Tire Pressure: Adhere to the tire pressure recommendation by the manufacturer. Improper tire pressure can affect the way the tire clears the water underneath it. Check your tire pressure regularly.

Water:

Apart from the tire condition, Aquaplaning is also dependent on the amount of water on the road. Some of the factors are listed below:

Water depth: The chances of Aquaplaning increases with increase in the depth of the water. When water comes in between the tire and the road surface, it reduces the overall friction causing the tire to ride over a thin layer of water which can cause the loss of control of your motorcycle.

Water composition: The overall composition of the water like the amount of oil, dirt, salt and minerals present in it can affect its overall properties and characteristics.

Motorcycle:

Motorcycle Speed:  As you increase the speed of your motorcycle the ability of the tire to hold on to the wet surface decreases. If you continue to ride at high speed on wet roads the chances of Aquaplaning rises significantly. Therefore it is always better to ride slow and carefully on wet roads which will help you control your motorcycle better.

Motorcycle Weight: Lighter motorcycles are likely to hydroplane more than heavy motorcycles. More weight causes the tires to stay in contact with the road and clear out water more easily. However one should ensure that the tire pressure is within the recommended values from the manufacturer. More weight on properly inflated tire increase the length of the contact patch and makes it thinner thereby reducing the chances of Aquaplaning. An under-inflated tire would behave the opposite way.

Another factor which can impact Aquaplaning is the composition and type of road surface you are riding on. Since this factor is not in our control therefore we will not talk much about it.

How do you know that your motorcycle is Aquaplaning?

It is very difficult to tell when your motorcycle is aquaplaning. You might feel the front wheel of your motorcycle is not making proper road contact. You will feel that the road grip has decreased which was there under normal riding conditions and causing your motorcycle to slide in a particular direction. You might also notice a sudden audible rise in the engine rpm.

What to do in case you Hydroplane?

The most important thing to remember as soon as you realize that you are hydroplaning is that do not apply your brakes immediately. Secondly keep the handle bar straight and do not turn it. After you have taken care of these two things slow down on the throttle smoothly. In case you need to apply the brakes then do it in pumping actions. Soon, you should be back in control of your motorcycle. Don’t panic.

If you feel your front tire is losing traction then you can lean a little forward so as to add some weight towards the front. This will help clearing away the water to a greater extent.

As a precaution it is always recommended to keep an eye on the road you are riding on. If you notice that the road is wet, try not to ride fast on it. Keep your speed slow and steady till the limit you feel that your motorcycle is in your control.

If you see that the road ahead has waterlogged, then try to judge which is the shallowest side, most of the times it is the edge of the road where the water is shallowest. At this stage, ride your bike in the first gear along the corner and feel the grip of the tires as you progress.

In the end don’t forget, its slippery when wet..

If you happened to purchase a new bike then you must have come across the term “Break-in period”. During this period you must have been advised not to rip your bike at high speed and rpm and to take it easy with your bike. This article will tell you the importance of the break in period and how to take care of your bike during its initial kilometers of run.

So what is this break in period?

The first few thousand kilometers of run of your bike is called the Break in period. This is that period of time where you break-in your bike’s engine.  This is simply setting up your bike’s engine during its initial days so that the maximum could be extracted from it in the days to come.

So what exactly happens in this break in period?

Your new bike has a brand new engine which has only run a few cycles before the bike gets delivered to you. The engine has moving parts which are manufactured to fit exactly with each other, but in actual this is not the case. The proper fitting of these moving parts can only be achieved after you make your engine run i.e. by riding your bike. This is what happens during this break in period, during this time the moving parts gets polished against each other and align themselves to fit properly. 

Also during the initial stage, the lubrication between the engine parts is not up to that level, this film of lubrication  develops around the engine parts after it has underwent a decent number of cycles. If you run your bike at high rpms during this initial stage then there will be more metal to metal contact causing more wear and tear to the engine thereby hampering the engine’s performance over a longer period of time.

Still thinking why you need to break in the engine?

So by now you must have realized why this break in period is so crucial for your bike’s performance, if you still haven’t then read further.

Proper breaking in results in a better engine with longer life. You will notice the benefits of proper breaking- in in the long run when your engine will still be smoother and more responsive with slightly more power from it and less oil consumption even when its old.

But some of you might have heard the opposite and would say that during the break-in period one should rev the bike to its maximum limit(in the red zone). Well this method is used for preparing the engines for racing bikes. Such engines are only meant to last a few races and therefore this method is suitable for them. The lifetime of such engines is very less as compared to the engine which has been prepared with the other method.

So how to break in your bike’s engine?

Well the key is to ride your bike in such a way that the engine is not stressed by any means. Ride your bike with varying rpms, avoid riding your bike at constant speed and  rpm for a long time.  Try to shift the gears as well as this will help in the breaking in of the gear box. 

If possible avoid riding on steep roads or hilly areas so as to prevent the engine undergoing extra pressure. DO NOT accelerate your bike hard and always take smooth and slow pickups. Let the engine warm up a bit before going out for a ride.

Engine RPM

The engine rpm plays a very important role in breaking in the engine. The recommendation is always to follow what your bike manual says regarding the rpm range. In most of the cases you will find the rpm range for first 1000 kms of your bike. For the first 100  kms keep the rpm below 4000. As you progress with the number of kilometers you have ridden on your bike increase the rpm range gradually, do not take it to the next level suddenly.

While you are not allowed to ride your bike at high rpms during this initial stage it is also not recommended to ride the bike at very low rpms as well. Riding the bike at very low rpms will make it to work harder. As a general rule avoid going below 3000 rpm.

Acceleration

As already mentioned, accelerate slowly. Don’t forget that its just a matter of few thousand kilometers after which your bike would be ready to be used the way you want to!

Avoid taking your girlfriend or friend along for the time being, those days will come soon 

Pillion Rider?

Avoid taking your friends or girlfriend for a ride for the time being. That day is not far away when they can accompany you on your motorcycle. Remember more weight means more stress on your bike. 

So what happens post Break-in?

So you have done all the hard work with your bike specially being patient during the first few kilometers of the bike is the hardest thing to do. But don’t worry your hard work will pay off.

Now its time for you to run your bike at all available rpm. Let the needle touch the red line area from time to time. But here again try to take it there gradually and not all of a sudden. Take a step up approach while running your bike at higher rpms. It is important that you ride your bike at higher rpms from time to time so that  the engine gets polished for those higher rpms as well.

It is always better to ride at high rpms for the first time on a down slope road.

Engine Oil

During the break-in period your engine might consume a lot of oil, so its always better to keep a check on its level. Another important aspect of the engine oil is to ensure that you avoid using a fully synthetic oil, use a semi-synthetic or a mineral oil during the break-in. The reason for this is that during this time then engine parts are supposed to be polished with each other, so it’s always better not to use an oil which as high lubricating properties which will result in improper polishing of the engine parts.

 The first oil change should be done within a few hundred kilometers

Engine Oil change

It is very important to change the engine oil after the break in period as there would be minute metal particles floating in the engine oil as a result of the break in. In fact it would be better if you change the engine oil twice during the break-in period, the first one just after you have covered a few hundred kilometers and the second at the end of the break-in.

The reason for getting the oil changed after a few hundred kilometers is that the maximum wear of the engine happens in the early kilometers of the run and this results in a lot of minute metal particles floating in the oil. Apart from this there is some crude left over from the engine’s manufacturing process and its always better to remove these particles from the engine by changing the oil early.

In the end I hope that this article will be useful to you and will help you in maintain your bike in a much better manner. Remember that the first few kilometers of the bike would require lot of patience from you side but you will get a fruitful result in the end.