The motorcycle is one of the most engaging vehicles you can drive. It’s thrilling, exhilarating, and a great way to get out of the house and enjoy some fresh air. But owning a motorcycle does come with some jobs you just have to do. At least if you want to keep it looking its best for as long as possible, whilst most importantly making sure it is safe to drive.
The good news is that there are plenty of tips you can follow to make sure yours stays in the best possible shape. Here are some handy tips for maintaining your motorcycle.
Make sure you’re buying the right parts
When you’re out shopping for parts for your motorcycle, take care to ensure you’re buying the right parts. It may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people make the mistake of buying the wrong parts. For example, your motorcycle might make use of a carburettor. If you’re buying new carburettor parts, make sure they’re actually meant for your motorcycle. Otherwise, they may not work, or they may work but wear out faster than they’re supposed to.
There are plenty of other parts that you need to keep your eye on. For example, if your bike is not running properly, you should probably check your plugs first.
Another part you may not think about are the gaskets. If any of these parts are starting to wear out or need replacing, make sure you’re actually replacing them with the correct parts, it often is false economy to buy cheaper parts.
Doing so will ensure your bike stays running smoothly.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
If you’ve never worked on a motorcycle before, or if you’ve never worked on a motorcycle that’s over 20 years old, you’re probably nervous when someone suggests you try to fix something. Don’t be! There are a lot of resources available to help you learn how to work on your bike, and you may even have a friend who has experience working on motorcycles.
If you’re not lucky enough to have anyone who can help you learn, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Your local dealership, a nearby motorcycle club, an online community and of course YouTube are all there to help you, and of course you can always get help with your tyres from https://www.sticky-stuff.co.uk/
Change your oil and filters
Filters are a critical part of your motorcycle’s operation. The two main ones are the air filter which ensures that the air entering the engine is free of large particles, particles that could damage the combustion chamber, and the oil filter.
Of the two, the oil filter is the most important, as if this becomes blocked, the oil flow and pressure in the engine will be reduced. This can lead to really severe damage being caused, and in extreme circumstances the engine could even seize up. This is not something that you want to happen, as besides the cost of repair, such an occurrence could lead to a serious accident.
As to the oil, over time, this becomes too thin to offer proper protection to the engines moving parts. Once this happens, the rate of wear increases dramatically, the life of the engine being seriously reduced.
So changing your oil and filter as per the manufactures guidelines is a must and should be a part of your maintenance plan. If you’re not sure how to do it, don’t worry. There are plenty of online resources and tutorials available to help you out.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that you may need some special tools to change these filters, special tools sometimes being needed to loosen them up.
Stay on top of repairs
While it’s important to keep an eye on the condition of your motorcycle’s parts and make sure they’re replaced when they need to be, it’s just as important to keep an eye on the condition of your motorcycle itself. This means keeping an eye on your tyres, making sure your brakes are adjusted and working properly, and making sure your engine isn’t overheating. This can prevent a lot of costly and time-consuming repairs.
If there’s any sign that your engine is overheating, immediately turn off your bike start to check for obvious reasons like low oil levels. It’s important to take this step right away to make sure no more damage is done to your engine.
If there’s any sign your tyres are a bit flat, you must put some air into them as flat tyres will reduce the handling abilities of your bike, potentially making it very unsafe to ride.
You also have to keep an eye on the physical condition of your tyres, checking them for any sign of physical damage like splits in the side walls, or nails in the tread.
If in any doubt, replace them as soon as you can, your very life could be in the balance if you do not.
More on keeping an eye on your tyres
If you notice that one of your tyres is wearing out faster than the others, it’s important to keep an eye on it. Of course, it is quite normal for the rear tyre to wear faster than the front one, but tyres can also wear more on one side than the other, something that could be being caused by other factors like worn shock absorbers, or even a bent frame.
If you make the effort to check your tyres regularly, you can make sure that if one is wearing out faster than the others, you’re able to take action before it’s too late.
Bottom line
As you can see, there’s a lot you can do to make sure your motorcycle stays in good shape. Keep an eye on the condition of your tyres, oil, filter and spark plugs, making sure you’re replacing them when needed. Following this wise advice can prevent a lot of costly and time-consuming repairs as well as improving your safety and that of other road users.