Post-Ride Maintenance Tips

There are many items on your motorcycle that need regular maintenance for your safety and to maintain the optimum life of the parts. Chains, pads, cables, spindles, tyres, bearings, and engine oil cowling fasteners are a few things you need to check regularly. There are workshop manuals available for most motorcycles, which show diagrams and step by step instructions for routine checks and advice. Consult your local dealer if you are ever unsure about any adjustments or service requirements.

Your owner's manual will describe the maintenance required, but always remember your bike is a highly-tuned piece of racing machinery. Your valuable bike is ridden hard if you are riding it like it was meant to be. But don't let the phrase ridden hard and put away wet apply to your bike.

Take care of your bike and it will take care of you. Oil and routine supplies for after ride maintenance are cheap compared to the relatively high cost of your bike. So, take the fifteen minutes to clean and maintain your bike. With this in mind, here is what we recommend doing after every ride, even though your owner's manual may not require it. Clean the bike thoroughly, change the oil and transmission fluid, clean or replace the air filter, clean or replace the spark plug, lube the required parts (chain, peg springs, levers, cables, etc). Check and, if needed, adjust the: chain, tires and pressure, spoke tightness, breaks, bearings, levers and cables. Then, conduct an overall check to assure that crucial parts of the bike are not loose or out of place. Repair what needs fixed promptly. Don't allow for your bike to sit without maintenance, and definitely don't ride without fixing previous problems.