Best Motorcycle Guide

ATVs, motorcycles and dirt bikes are in a lot of ways like cars and trucks; the more diligent you are in your efforts to maintain and pamper your bike the more life you will get out of it. A properly maintained bike will provide years of enjoyment and retain its resale value in the event you decide to part ways with it. The time required is not significant compared to the maintenance of an automobile, but the tasks do need to be performed regularly in order to keep your ride in the best shape possible.

What follows are a few basic tasks that should be performed on a routine basis in order to properly care for you motorcycle, dirt bike or ATV.

Thoroughly Clean Your Bike

When mud, sand, and dirt are allowed to remain on the vehicle for an extended period of time, damage occurs as a result of corrosion, paint deterioration, and rust. In a relatively short period of time, dirt and sand remaining on the bike can become hardened and will be very difficult to remove. When these elements are not regularly removed from the bike, they promote corrosion as well. By giving the bike a thorough cleaning on a regular basis, it will remain corrosion and rust-free for much longer than if these responsibilities are not performed.

Do not Exceed Manufacturer's Specs

When engineers design a bike or quad, certain parameters are established in order to ensure that the vehicle is operated safely. When a rider operates the bike in excess of these very specific guidelines, they are running the risk of incurring damage to the ATV - and possible personal injury to themselves as well. Operating the bike in excess of manufacturer specifications can range from hauling an excessively large load, to operating the bike at extreme speeds, to using the machine for tasks for which it was not intended. Operating your ATV, motorcycle, or dirt bike will require more frequent repairs, and can very well shorten the life of the bike.

Perform Scheduled Maintenance as Directed by the Manufacturer

Your bike is a machine that must have its maintenance services performed on a timely basis in order to ensure that the vehicle will remain problem free. This includes the lubrication of moving parts such as tie rod ends and ball joints, engine oil and filter replacement, and the periodic replacement of worn or defective parts. It is also important to replace the transmission fluid according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Neglecting the regular maintenance can very well lead to the occurrence of a costly, catastrophic repair. Furthermore, failing to perform routine maintenance can be a safety issue as well.

Properly Prepare for Storage

While it is easier to simply stick the bike into storage and close the garage door at the end of the season, doing so can potentially cause a lot of damage to occur in the engine, fuel system, and chassis, which can shorten the life of the vehicle.

Checking your motorcycle before you ride is very important for your safety. This will help you ensure that your motorcycle is in good condition. When your motorcycle is in top shape, you will less likely encounter an accident on the road.

Knowing the how to check the various parts will make each of your trip safer. Here is a helpful guide to checking your motorcycle:

1. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation developed an acronym that you can use as a checklist when checking your motorcycle. This is the T-CLOCS. This stands for the tires, controls, lights, oils, chassis, and stands. The acronym is very useful. This will help you avoid missing anything when you are checking your motorcycle. You also have to remember that the T-CLOCS have sub parts that you need to look into as well.

7. Check the stands of your motorcycle too. You would not want your bike to lie on the ground because the kickstand is not working.

Before you wear your leather motorcycle chaps and the rest of your gears, check your bike properly first. This will ensure a smoother trip.

Whereas with a four wheeled vehicle you may get away with being lax with things like tire pressures etc, this is not the case with a motorcycle. You should not risk compromising the safety and stability of your motorcycle, for the sake of a bit of routine maintenance.

Pre-ride checks

• Tires – check condition and for foreign objects in the tread.
• Tire pressures – it is vitally important to keep your motorcycles tire pressures either on spec or very close to it.
• Oil level – always check with the bike on level ground.
• Coolant level – only if your bike’s liquid cooled, obviously.
• Chain – check the tension and make sure it’s well lubed.
• Brakes – check they work and that they feel good.
• Lights – check all your lights, especially the brake light, you don’t want to get rear ended, do you?
• Visual inspection – self explanatory.
• All ok – hit the road.

• Check battery – see that the connections are tight; I dropped a bike once because of a loose battery connection, strange but true. Also check the electrolyte level on some batteries, a lot of newer batteries are gel filled, sealed for life types, so no need with these.
• Carb balance – if your bike is multi carbed get yourself a Morgan carbtune or similar. It can be a little tricky the first time you balance them, but when you’ve done it once, the second time will be easy.
• Ignition timing – only necessary on some bikes, most newer models have electronic ignition which does not need touching, normally.
• Valve clearances – unless you’re a good home mechanic, take it to a dealer.
• Wheel bearings – grab each wheel with it off the ground and see if there is any sideways play. There should be none or maybe a trace at most.
• Steering head bearings – with the front end off the ground, grab the forks and push and pull. There should be no play.
• Swinging arm bearings – with the back wheel off the ground, check for any sideways movement in the swingarm, there should be none.
• Brakes – check fluid levels, brake hoses for deterioration, and pads/shoes for thickness.
• Cables and levers – should operate smoothly. Get some grease on lever/pedal pivot points, and get some lube down the cables, if you can. A cable oiler is a handy tool.
• Nut and bolts – go all round the motorcycle with your spanners and check that all nuts/ bolts/screws are nice and tight.