- Wash winter off — underneath. Salt keeps corroding until it's rinsed from the undercarriage, brake lines included. One good underwash pays for itself in longevity.
- Post-winter walk-around. Tires (pothole bulges!), alignment pull, wiper condition, every light. Michigan spring is pothole season; hits that bend rims are collision claims — document the scene.
- Bike revival, methodically. Battery charged, tires aged and pressured, fluids fresh, chain adjusted, brakes tested slow before tested fast. First ride like it's your first ride.
- Gear check. Helmet age and fit, armor intact — and if you carry safety-apparel coverage, know what it covers before you need it.
- Insurance: restore from storage. Bikes and summer cars on storage arrangements get full coverage restored before the first start, not after.
- Insurance: rate the season right. New commute, sold a car, teen home from college with keys — spring changes usage; two minutes updates the policy.
Salt off, bikes out, coverage checked.
Spring in Michigan means undercarriage washes, pothole claims, and the first ride. The checklist for all three.