Simple Motorcycle Maintenance To Keep You Riding
Most motorcycles these days do not require a lot of maintenance, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect your favourite ride. Your daily pre-ride check is a good start. You do a pre-ride check, right?
If you check your owners manual (and if your bike does not have an owners manual, many dealers can get you one, or, check the various sites on the internet. The regular scheduled maintenance items can vary by time (so many months), distance (how many km or miles have you put on), colouration (some fluids), or any number of other factors to determine when something has to be done. If you are not able to perform any of the tasks, it would be in yours, and your bikes, best interest if you had a reputable technician handle those chores.
Your battery is one of the most important parts of the bike to make sure it runs. Check it regularly to see if it is OK, such as using a multi-metre to make sure it is strong enough to power your machine, and any other electrical accessories that you may add. If you still use an unsealed type of battery, make sure the fluid levels are kept in their proper proportions (use distilled water, which has no minerals in it, instead of tap water).
If you have a tool kit, and an owner’s manual, always take those along with you, as the minimum equipment along for the ride. As I said, this is the bare minimum to carry along with you (check out What To Carry With You which is another topic listed here, or visit You Tube for the video).
Three items, other than your manual and tool kit, and doesn’t take up a lot of space, to carry with you are a) a tire puncture kit, b) a pair of needle nose pliers, and c) a small hand pump. Even though flat tires do not occur very often, they can and do, and usually when you are somewhere without cell service! Knowing how to fix a tire and get the pressure up enough so you can slowly get to a service centre is crucial. Practice on an old tire first as practicing how to do it properly on the side of the road is no fun.
Lastly, keep your bike clean. It is amazing how many potential issues with your bike can be hidden by dirt and grim. Washing helps you keep dirt from collecting on the discs of your brakes (or inside the drums if you have an older bike), getting inside of cables, and clogging up your air filter, just to name a few. Besides, keeping your bike clean also says a lot about you and your ride.
Check out the Pre-Ride check sheet also found here, and use it!
As always, Ride Skilled, Ride Smart, Ride Safe!
If you check your owners manual (and if your bike does not have an owners manual, many dealers can get you one, or, check the various sites on the internet. The regular scheduled maintenance items can vary by time (so many months), distance (how many km or miles have you put on), colouration (some fluids), or any number of other factors to determine when something has to be done. If you are not able to perform any of the tasks, it would be in yours, and your bikes, best interest if you had a reputable technician handle those chores.
Your battery is one of the most important parts of the bike to make sure it runs. Check it regularly to see if it is OK, such as using a multi-metre to make sure it is strong enough to power your machine, and any other electrical accessories that you may add. If you still use an unsealed type of battery, make sure the fluid levels are kept in their proper proportions (use distilled water, which has no minerals in it, instead of tap water).
If you have a tool kit, and an owner’s manual, always take those along with you, as the minimum equipment along for the ride. As I said, this is the bare minimum to carry along with you (check out What To Carry With You which is another topic listed here, or visit You Tube for the video).
Three items, other than your manual and tool kit, and doesn’t take up a lot of space, to carry with you are a) a tire puncture kit, b) a pair of needle nose pliers, and c) a small hand pump. Even though flat tires do not occur very often, they can and do, and usually when you are somewhere without cell service! Knowing how to fix a tire and get the pressure up enough so you can slowly get to a service centre is crucial. Practice on an old tire first as practicing how to do it properly on the side of the road is no fun.
Lastly, keep your bike clean. It is amazing how many potential issues with your bike can be hidden by dirt and grim. Washing helps you keep dirt from collecting on the discs of your brakes (or inside the drums if you have an older bike), getting inside of cables, and clogging up your air filter, just to name a few. Besides, keeping your bike clean also says a lot about you and your ride.
Check out the Pre-Ride check sheet also found here, and use it!
As always, Ride Skilled, Ride Smart, Ride Safe!