| Here we have a few things you should check on | | | | with these. |
| your motorcycle on a regular basis. I assume | | | | |
| you have a handbook with the specs for your | | | | -Carb balance - if your bike is multi carbed |
| bike, if not, go get one. You may be able to | | | | get yourself a Morgan carbtune or similar. It |
| find some data for your particular motorcycle | | | | can be a little tricky the first time you |
| on the net. You can also pick up workshop | | | | balance them, but when you've done it once, |
| manuals for various models on eBay in PDF or | | | | the second time will be easy. |
| CD form for little money. | | | | |
| | | | -Ignition timing - only necessary on some |
| Whereas with a four wheeled vehicle you may | | | | bikes, most newer models have electronic |
| get away with being lax with things like tire | | | | ignition which does not need touching, |
| pressures etc, this is not the case with a | | | | normally. |
| motorcycle. You should not risk compromising | | | | |
| the safety and stability of your motorcycle, | | | | -Valve clearances - unless you're a good home |
| for the sake of a bit of routine maintenance. | | | | mechanic, take it to a dealer. |
| | | | |
| Pre-ride check | | | | -Wheel bearings - grab each wheel with it off |
| | | | the ground and see if there is any sideways |
| -Tires - check condition and for foreign | | | | play. There should be none or maybe a trace |
| objects in the tread. | | | | at most. |
| | | | |
| -Tire pressures - it is vitally important to | | | | -Steering head bearings - with the front end |
| keep your motorcycles tire pressures either | | | | off the ground, grab the forks and push and |
| on spec or very close to it. | | | | pull. There should be no play. |
| | | | |
| -Oil level - always check with the bike on | | | | -Swinging arm bearings - with the back wheel |
| level ground. | | | | off the ground, check for any sideways |
| | | | movement in the swingarm, there should be |
| -Coolant level - only if your bike's liquid | | | | none. |
| cooled, obviously. | | | | |
| | | | -Brakes - check fluid levels, brake hoses for |
| -Chain - check the tension and make sure it's | | | | deterioration, and pads/shoes for thickness. |
| well lubed. | | | | |
| | | | -Cables and levers - should operate smoothly. |
| -Brakes - check they work and that they feel | | | | Get some grease on lever/pedal pivot points, |
| good. | | | | and get some lube down the cables, if you |
| | | | can. A cable oiler is a handy tool. |
| -Lights - check all your lights, especially | | | | |
| the brake light, you don't want to get rear | | | | -Nut and bolts - go all round the motorcycle |
| ended, do you? | | | | with your spanners and check that all nuts/ |
| | | | bolts/screws are nice and tight. |
| -Visual inspection - self explanatory. | | | | |
| | | | Well, that's about it for some basic |
| -All ok - hit the road. | | | | maintenance, obviously, unless you're a good |
| | | | home mechanic, any bigger jobs will have to |
| Periodical checks | | | | go to a dealer. The problem can be finding a |
| | | | good one with skilled mechanics you can |
| -Check battery - see that the connections are | | | | trust. I manage to keep my Yamaha Fazer 1000 |
| tight; I dropped a bike once because of a | | | | running sweet just using the steps listed |
| loose battery connection, strange but true. | | | | above. It does help that this model only |
| Also check the electrolyte level on some | | | | needs the valve clearances checking every |
| batteries, a lot of newer batteries are gel | | | | 26,000 miles. |
| filled, sealed for life types, so no need | | | | |