Maintaining Your Motorcycle
Riding a motorcycle is a lot of fun, but owning a motorcycle comes with its share of responsibilities. If you’re going to have the safest, most high-performing bike possible then you should familiarize yourself with your motorcycle maintenance responsibilities. You’ll need to know how to get a reliable mechanic, and you’ll need to know when to pay that mechanic a visit. It also wouldn’t hurt you to know the basic bits of motorcycle maintenance that you can do yourself. But never fear: everything you need to know about maintaining your motorcycle is laid out below.
Relying on a trusted mechanic
The first and most important thing that you can do for your motorcycle is to find a mechanic you trust. There’s plenty that you can do to care for your bike, but it takes a trained and experienced mechanic to ensure that your motorcycle gets the next-level care it needs to stay reliable and maintain its value.
Look for a mechanic who specializes in motorcycles, especially one who specializes in your brand of motorcycle. Check out online reviews and ask for advice from others in the motorcycle riding community. Then, once you’ve found a great mechanic, listen to their advice. Your mechanic will help you determine how often to swing by for bike check-ups and when you’ll need to make repairs or replace parts.
Where the rubber meets the road
Few parts of your motorcycle are as important as its tires. You need great traction when you’re on a motorcycle, so don’t fool around with motorcycle tires. Learn how to know when your tires have had enough and need to be replaced. When in doubt, ask your mechanic!
And when the time does come to replace your rubber, be sure to invest in quality motorcycle tires. Quality tires will last longer and perform better, and performance is key to safety on the road as a motorcyclist.
Properly storing your motorcycle
When you’re out on the road, your motorcycle is exposed to the world. But when you get home and seek shelter, your bike should, too. Your motorcycle will last longer if it’s protected from the wind, rain, and cold.
Invest in a great motorcycle cover for when your motorcycle simply has to stay outside. And, whenever possible, bring your bike into your garage between rides. If your bike spends most of its time in a place with moderate temperatures and low humidity, then it’s going to stay pristine and rust-free for a whole lot longer.
In some areas, motorcycle riding may be a seasonal hobby. If this is your situation, be extra sure that you know how to properly store your bike for the off-season. It’s not just a simple matter of stashing the bike in the garage: you’ll need to drain some fluids and add others, for instance.
Self-maintenance and more
There are a few maintenance jobs you can do on your motorcycle yourself. If that’s something you’d like to explore, feel free — just make sure that you’re not violating the terms of any warranties that could protect your ride. If you have any doubts at all, just let your mechanic handle these sorts of tasks. They’re sure to do an excellent job.
Even if you’re not a DIYer, you should familiarize yourself with basic maintenance and safety checks. Whether or not you can solve these problems on your own, you will want to know that they exist! Before you hop on your bike and ride, check things like the tire pressure.
Motorcycle riding is pure and simple fun, but you’ll have more fun if you know your responsibilities between rides. By caring for your bike properly and following up with its maintenance, you’ll get more out of your adventurous rides!
