They say the sun is good for your skin, it gives you Vitamin D and what not. But sadly the same cannot be said about your bike. For starters the bike does not require Vitamin D to function. But that does not mean it is not advisable to ride your bike in the sun. It is just that keeping your bike exposed to the sun for prolonged periods of time cause a lot of issues. So for in the interest of all our fellow bikers, here is what sunlight does to your bike if kept exposed for prolonged periods of time.1. Colour Degradation:
We all know what sunlight does to the paints of our cars. Well, the case is not much different with bikes too. The shade of the paint, especially if the paint is anything other than Black, White, Grey, Silver, etc. expect your paint colour to become a couple of shades lighter overtime with prolonged exposure to the sun. Also try not to park your bikes near reflective materials. That is even worse; you do not want your bikes to melt away now, would you?2. Fuel Evaporation:
Due to the exposure to the sun, the temperature inside the fuel tank rises. This causes the fuel to convert into a gaseous state and this then slowly and steadily begins the escape from the fuel lid. And we all know what expenses we incur to pay for gas. So you do not want to end up with less gas than what you paid for, do you?
3. Fuel Decomposition:
The fuel in the tank is pretty much protected; hence there is no issue with the fuel in there. But the fuel which is present in the pipe or the hoses on its way to the engine, there are remnants present in the pipe when the bike is stopped. This sunlight causes a degradation of the rubber causing impurities to form in the fuel and decompose the fuel. And this in turn causes of chain reaction ending with complete decomposition of the fuel.
4. Engine Oil Damage:
This is a problem that bikers using mineral oil in their bikes as engine oil, they are more prone to the oil damage in case one has to park their bike in the sun for a long time. The engine oil gets heated up real quick and this in turn damages the life of the oil. There is also loss to the viscosity of the oil which thus causes issues in the proper and smooth running of the engine.5. Accessories Damage:
We cannot really say that there is proper damage to the seat due to the sun, but there sure is damage caused to your bum when you sit on your bike after it has been in the sun for a long time. But jokes apart most of the accessories are made of rubber, plastic or artificial leather. These materials have the tendency to lose their characteristics and become hard due to prolonged exposure. This in turn renders them brittle causing them to crack or tear during regular use. This is the exact reason why car wipers turn hard in the summers and bike seats and handlebar grips develop cracks.
6. Tyre Damage:
Bike tyres are made of nothing but rubber. But these are very high quality vulcanized rubber which is designed to handle high pressure and heat situations in all the hard riding and the road friction. But keeping them in direct sunlight causes the air inside the tyres to heat up and expand a lot. This causes extra pressure on the tyre walls than what the rubber can handle and hence causes cracks, punctures and sometimes even tyre bursts.
So now that you all know what all issues are caused to our bikes in the hot sun, keep in mind that it is always better to keep your bike parked in a shade at all times. Even if that means parking at some distance and having to walk that distance back. Over time you will be very thankful for it. Also it is important that it is advisable not to stress the bike too much in high heat as that also causes a lot of stress on the cooling system of the engine as well. So stay safe, ride hard and always make sure to protect your bike from the scorching sun. If you know any other effects caused on the bike by the sunlight, do let us know in the comments section down below and stay tuned to BikesIndia for more such interesting tips about bike care.
By: Pratik Patole
