Taking your time to personally check your motorcycle before you go out for a long ride is something you should not miss to give you peace of mind. Spending an hour in your garage is way better than an hour of waiting on the roadside to troubleshoot your motorcycle.
If you religiously keep up with the maintenance schedule of your bike based on the service manual, then there is nothing to worry about. However, what if you failed at taking the necessary steps to go over your dirt bike parts and maintenance? Below are fundamental but beneficial tips to help you obtain a worry-free ride on the weekend.
Do a walk around
Every component of a vehicle eventually wears down. In most cases, this is not noticeable. When you practice a “spot anything unusual” approach, this can help uncover issues that need attention before these issues turn into ride-halting concerns. Check for leaks. When you notice streaks of oil down the fork lowers, this is an indication that you have problems with your fork seals. See drips under the bike? Could it be the fuel, the oil, or the coolant? Try giving it a sniff before backtracking to the source.
Notice also the pivot points
Check all the moving parts for any signs of interference or wear. Grease the zerk fittings with a grease gun to squeeze out cavities that are blocking. Test also the horns, the lights, the batteries, and even your bike’s insurance and registration.
Double-check the battery
If your battery is on a maintenance charger and is still fully charged, that means you have no problem with the battery. Use a multimeter to check the overall health of the battery. But if you don’t have one, you can still gauge your battery’s performance just by observing how it cranks when you start the engine. If it’s taking longer than usual, that’s a red flag. You can also check the battery’s manufacture date. If it’s more than five years, start thinking about buying a battery replacement at this point.
Check wheels and tires
These are critical components of a motorcycle. A tire’s age is considered as the determining factor of a tire’s roadworthiness. However, if your bike is used more frequently than average, tires can wear quickly. You can check the groove or sipe of the tire. Thinning wear bars indicate thinner tread depths. When this happens, a tire replacement is the only solution.
Don’t forget the drive belts and chains
First, check for seized and binding links or excessive sprocket and chains. When these dirt bike parts are starting to get worn out, it’s time for a replacement. But if it looks fine, simply brushing these chains with a solvent, and then lubricating it properly can help the chain get back to its original state. You should also check your wheel’s chain alignment and measure its tension. Your bike manual should be able to provide you with the right specifications for your wheel’s tension and wear. The belt drive should also be free of stray cords and cracking. If these belts appear glazed, or when you notice teeth are beginning to chunk out, then it’s time to replace it.
Giving your motorcycle a once-over before you go out biking can help you save a lot of time and headaches later on. Make sure you conduct proper dirt bike parts care and maintenance for a worry-free ride.
By Cathy Carter
Author Bio: I travel the entire world while blogging and doing freelancing services. Before I started writing for a living I experimented with various occupations, but writing is my favourite job and doing it full time makes me happy. I helped many of my clients build their audience online. I love creating unique and research-driven content.