Maintenance Tips, Northukbikers

Modern motorcycles require a lot less maintenance than those of the 60's and 70's, but there are still things for today's bikers to check. A lot of the checks will be model specific, but there are many common items, that can still be, and should be checked regularly

The first thing that should be checked on a regular basis, are the tyres.

TIP :- Carry a small tyre pressure gauge and check tyre pressures, every time you fill up with fuel. You can purchase a digital tyre gauge for as little as £11.99 HERE or, a handy, key ring gauge, for just £9.99 HERE

The next thing to check with your tyres, is the overall condition, including tread depth. Change your tyres sooner than later if they are getting below 2mm of depth. after all, they are the only thing between you and meeting St. Peter, so, a quick visual check of the overall condition is important, check the side walls for any bubbles, or cracking, and the treaded area for stones, cuts, nails or other foreign objects, most motorcycle related breakdown call-outs are tyre related.

There are many products on the market, that will repair punctures, or will stop punctures forcing your tyre to go flat - check out one of them, HERE

TIP :- Get an old credit card, and measure 2mm from the bottom edge, mark it with a permanent pen, pop this in your wallet, and you can check your tyre depth anywhere!

The next thing to check, is your drive chain, do this on a regular basis, check the slack firstly, your chain should have between 5-6 cm of travel in an upwards and downwards motion, if it's slack, adjust according to your manual. Remember to lubricate your chain on a regular basis, once a week is a good rule of thumb, and its easy to do, especially now with the range of products available - Check some out HERE

Okay, so we have checked the tyres, the drive chain, now, we need to make sure we are going to stop when we need to - brakes. Check the brake fluid, top up if necessary, its a good idea to change brake fluid, once every two years, as it can absorb moisture, and become less effective, keeping fresh fluid in your bike will help ensure your brakes work to their full ability. Do a visual check of the brake pads, every once in a while.

If you leave your motorcycle away for winter, in the garage, it's a good idea to use a battery maintainer, such as an optimate, other brands are on the market, some of which are viewable HERE. Basically, once you connect your battery to the device, it will top up the battery as it discharges, and they can be left switched on, so you don't have to worry about them. These are invaluable if you don't get the opportunity to get out on the bike too often!

Regular oil and filter changes will keep your motorbike young and healthy.

Oil level. Make sure you regularly check and keep your oil level at its HIGH or MAX level. It is best to check your oil level on the bikes centre stand or when it is in a level position. An under filled oil level can be disastrous while too much oil over the limit may flood your air cleaner with oil. (it is embarassing too).

You should also know the difference between the 'low' level and the 'high' level in ml e.g. if the difference is 300ml you cannot purchase a 500ml tin and pour the whole can in!

Here are some pointers regarding oil which are true for most motorcycles

- The bike should be level as possible.
- The oil should best inspected cold and is therefore best done before you go out on a ride.
- Be careful to not allow foreign matter and dirt to fall in during the inspection process
- With threaded dipsticks do not screw the dipstick in when taking a reading, just allow it to rest on the lowest thread.
- High temperatures, time, speed, heavy traffic, short trips and dust quickly destroy the quality of your oil. If you do ride in these conditions change your oil more frequently.
- I suggest changing your oil every 2-4000km or 3-6 months, whichever comes first.
- It is recommended you change your oil filter every other oil change if you are using a good quality oil filter (e.g. Your Motorcycle Manufacturer Brand). If not, every oil change!
- Always use a good oil filter
- Motorcycles can and do use the same oils as cars although special synthetic motorcycle oils are available. Always use the recommended oil weight for your motorcycle (e.g. 10w40 or 20w50). Older (15+ year old) motorcycles run best on regular (non-synthetic oil), while new bikes like either.