Help your bike beat the freeze

Refreshing your coolant could prevent costly damage

Whether you heroically ride all through winter, or tuck your bike up in blanket-cosseted hibernation until the warmth of Spring arrives, you need to read this. The ramifications of exhausted coolant/anti-freeze could cause serious damage – so don’t let winter bite you.

1 Time to make a change

There’s so much more than cooling being taken care of by the liquid inside your bike’s radiator. It’s also responsible for anti-corrosion, lubrication and preventing damage caused by low temperatures. For it to work at its best, it needs to be changed every two years. First, remove any panels required to gain access to the radiator cap, draining bolts and expansion tank. BRUCE’S TIPS

Note the condition of the old liquid, any discolouration could indicate issues

3 Drain away

Locate the cooling system drain bolt or the hose at the lowest point of the cooling system and, ensuring you have a suitable container beneath, loosen or remove it in order to drain the coolant. Keep the hose clips and drain plug safely to one side. If the drain bolt has a washer, you will need to replace it with a new one because it acts as a seal.

2 Pop your cap

The bike must be cold before it is safe for you to start work. Carefully remove the radiator cap and place to one side. Do a visual check on the condition of the coolant pipes and wipe away any dust or dirt so that they are clean. Check the condition of the jubilee clips – any clips that are rusty or corroded are in danger of failing so should be replaced.

4 Don’t forget the expansion tank…

As its name suggests, the expansion tank is used as the volume of liquid inside the radiator expands and contracts with the heat from the engine, thus keeping the radiator permanently topped up. Take the lid off and then remove the pipe at the bottom and let the coolant drain away into the same container as the main body of the coolant.