Do’s & Don’ts: Motorcycle Maintenance

Speaking of maintaining your motorcycle, many small things can make a huge impact. Although taking care of and repairing your bike is wonderful if you aren’t sure what you are doing it’s always a better idea to leave some of these things to the professionals. Regardless if you’re riding the scooter, cruiser, or naked bike, there are some fundamental things that you should do by yourself to ensure safe and smooth rides. Today, we want to talk about the do’s & don’ts of motorcycle maintenance, so you can avoid the most frequent mistakes that other bikers make and take much more meticulous care of your motorcycle.

Do Get To Know Your Bike

Knowing your bike is essential, for many reasons. It will allow you to identify any potential issues on time, so you can solve them before they turn into an expensive mess. Many parts such as chain, suspension forks, and other elements need regular inspection, so if you aren’t very familiar with your bike – it’s time to change that.

Don’t Visit The Shop Only When Something Fails

Instead, take your bike to the repair shop regularly to ensure that your bike runs smoothly. A reliable mechanic will always identify a potential problem that you probably couldn’t, after all, mechanics are supposed to do that. This will certainly allow you to enjoy riding stress-free and help you avoid pricey repairs or replacements.

Do Check Tire Pressure And Wear 

This one might seem obvious, but it’s very often neglected, and doing so may lead to a safety hazard. When insufficiently inflated tires overheat, they lead to increased fuel consumption and can burst in the middle of a ride. On the other hand, over-inflated tires cause reduced traction, so always make sure to check your tires at least once every week. 

Don’t Forget To Replace The Oil

Believe us, you do not want your bike running on old oil. It can create corrosion deterioration to your engine and its parts, which decreases your bike’s durability and can lead to very costly repairs. Remember, the engine is the most vital part of your bike and you simply must take good care of it so it can run smoothly. Since not all engines are the same, change your oil and filter according to the specifications of the manufacturer.

Do Clean And Grease The Chain

The chain is one of the most simplistic and most significant parts of every motorbike since it allows transmitting the engine’s power to the wheels. Keeping the chain in excellent shape is vital because the worn chain can crumble or fall out amid a ride, which can cause severe accidents and injuries. So keep your chain greased and clean to prevent it from overheating and wear. 

Don’t Wash Your Bike With Household Soaps

Although it can be tempting to wash your bike using whatever soap you might have in your home, this is a terrible idea. Household soaps are highly alkaline, which means they are made to remove the grease. In turn, this will also destroy any wax coating you have on your bike as well. Not to mention they will also leave the greasy film on your bike once it’s dry. So instead, opt for the automotive soap even though it’s more expensive because you won’t have to worry about this type of soap.

Do Change Your Coolant

Despite being named “coolant”, it does much more than cooling the hot engine. It also prevents the engine from getting too cold and corroding. Changing the coolant regularly is equally important as changing the oil. If you aren’t sure how to do it, it’s better to leave it to someone who knows how to change coolant, but learning this yourself is much more satisfying (and less expensive).

Don’t Power Wash Your Bike. Ever.

Although using the power washer is awesome, using it on the bike is catastrophic. The high-pressurized water will get inside the bearings and permanently damage them, so it’s definitely not worth doing it. Instead, clean your bike the old-school way and apply the protective wax once you’re done.