Well winter is approaching and it’s time to do biannual car checkup. The time that you put on your winter wheels is the perfect time to do a walkaround and check everything else on the car.

Check your oil level. Yes cars come with oil lights but those don’t really warn you when the oil is low, only when the oil pressure is low. Those are not the same thing. If low, top it up. Check when your last oil change was. If it’s been over 6 months change it, regardless of the mileage.

Check your washer fluid. Now would be a good time to drain the summer fluid and put in a winter fluid that has antifreeze in it.

Check  your tire pressure. The manual should say how mcuh pressure should be in the tires. If you regularlly have the car full of passengers, the manual will probably recommend an increased tire pressure. Low tire pressures can hurt fuel economy and make your tires wear out prematurely.

Check your tire tread. Is the tread even? Uneven tread is a sign of poor wheel alignment. Is the tire tread too low, consider getting new tires. Keep in mind that some special winter tires have tread that don’t work past 50%. Be sure to follow the tire’s guidelines.

Check that all your lights are working. This includes accessory lights in the trunk, hood, doors, etc. Lights are generally easy to replace and can be done yourself.

Emergency Supplies. Make sure your have a spare or a tire pump kit in the trunk. Also good is a pair of thick gloves, a shovel, snow brush, ice scraper and a bag of sand/kitty litter. A lot of people recommend having a blanket and candle in the car in case you get stuck.

Happy Driving!

This year, Honda introduced the CBR600RR C-ABS. C-ABS is their nomenclature for their anti-lock braking system, but it does a lot more than just prevent lockup of wheels during braking. At just 22 lbs, the ABS system would put the 600cc Honda at the same weight as their competitors without the ABS system – a boon for Honda having had the lowest weight in the category for this generation of bikes.

The C-ABS system is different than other ABS offerings on their touring bikes. The motorcycle.com review better explains the differences between the CBR’s “combined” system vs. the “linked” system in the Gold Wing. Suffice to say, this technology will probably make the bike safer without interfering with the sportiness that CBR’s are known for.

Honda is cautious about the orders of this model. The CBR is still available without ABS and they expect the majority of the sales to be non-ABS equipped. Still, as the technology advances and more competitors start introducing similar systems, the technology will proliferate fairly quickly. Honda is just the first in the sportbike ABS market, but won’t be the last.