Important Motorcycle Care Advice 

Keeping your bike in good condition is the best way to avoid breakdowns. These tips will help you keep your motorbike in perfect working order and save money on costly repairs.

Following your motorcycle’s preventive maintenance checklist is important to ensure you perform basic maintenance tasks regularly. Reading the owner’s manual to learn how your specific model should be maintained is also good.

Check the Chain

One of the most crucial aspects of motorcycle maintenance is checking the chain regularly to ensure it is correctly tensioned and oiled. It also provides that your chain isn’t causing any damage or wear to other parts of your bike. Too tight a chain can unnecessarily stress motorcycle parts and sprockets, accelerating their wear and tear. It can also make your engine work harder, reducing gas mileage. To check the chain’s tension, place the bike on its center or side stand and move it up and down while the engine is off. If you need help determining how tight it is, measure the chain using a measuring tape.

Check the Tires

Tires set the pace for your motorbike and provide crucial road grip. Keeping them inflated ensures you get the best possible traction and performance on any road surface while avoiding premature wear. In addition, proper motorcycle tire pressure is essential for preventing vibration. To determine your tire pressure, use a quality gauge and refer to the motorcycle manufacturer’s manual. You should always check your motorcycle tires before each ride. Doing this before taking a ride with a heavy load on the bike is especially important. If you notice cracks in your tires, it’s a sign that they need to be replaced. Unless the gaps are large and severe, you can usually safely ride on them after going on a motorcycle repair. You can check your motorcycle tires for signs of damage by looking at the treads. If the wear bars look worn out, there needs to be more rubber left to ride safely.

Check the Fluids

Regularly checking the fluids is the key to keeping your motorbike in top condition. It includes engine oil and filters, brake fluid, coolant, transmission fluid, fork oil, clutch fluid, and fuel.

The first and most obvious is to change the engine oil. It is especially important to do after a long season of riding. However, other fluids can degrade over time and separate. It includes ethanol-based fuel, which can attract condensation and damage parts. Similarly, the brake fluid and coolant can also change color and consistency. It’s important to check each of these for a fresh, clean look and replace any that look degraded or oxidized. Finally, remember to inspect the tires for any signs of wear. Tread depth is a good indicator, as is tire pressure. If the treads are worn down, it’s a sign that they should be replaced.

Check the Battery

The battery is the heart of your motorcycle. The battery loses power when your bike’s electrical system fails. That’s why checking your battery and ensuring it’s in good shape occasionally is important. Luckily, you can easily test your battery for power using a multimeter. Touch the negative wand to the negative terminal and the positive rod to the positive terminal on your battery. If you see anything over 12.5 volts, you’re in good shape. It may need to be replaced if it’s reading less than that. Most batteries will lose some of their power over time, regardless of how well you care for them. You can prevent this by taking care of your battery as much as possible and ensuring it gets charged when you’re not riding your bike.