Looking After Your No. 1 - A Guide To Motorbike Maintenance

OK , so you bought a bike and whether it’s new or second-hand, properly maintaining your machine is a must. Why? Safety is the primary concern. A badly maintained bike can be a potentially dangerous weapon. Modern bikes are capable of seriously high speeds and keeping an eye on your bike's well being will not only give you a deeper understanding of how your motorcycle works but can also keep you safe on the road.

Regular weekly maintenance will also benefit you when you sell your bike. Buyers prefer a machine that’s been properly looked after. This article is a guide not a gospel. If you have any doubt regarding your bike or your ability to carry out any work, remember the golden rule: consult your dealer.

Tyres
Check your tyres’ tread visually or using a depth gauge which are readily available at motoring accessory shops. It may have plenty of tread left at the edges but what’s the main part of the tyre like? Check the tyre including side walls for lumps, cuts, nails or glass. Any damaged tyre should be replaced immediately – it’s not worth the risk. Check the pressures with a good quality guage, not a garage forecourt job, which are usually hopelessly inaccurate. This should be done when the tyres are cold. Look in the owners manual to find the correct tyre pressures and set them to the specified pressure for solo or 2up riding as required.

Suspension
Sit on the bike and bounce up and down on the suspension. Then, check for any oil weeping from the fork seals - this is the point where the shiny part of the fork leg enters the stanchion or lower end of the unit. If they’re leaking, they need changing - it’s not a simple job, so if you’re not confident enough to take it on, take the bike to your dealer.

Brakes
Check the fluid level on your bike’s front and rear brake reservoirs. The fluid should be between the minimum and maximum level marked on the reservoir. Fluids are rated by DOT numbers. 3 is the lowest, 6 is the highest. DOT 4 is the industry standard. It’s nasty stuff that’ll eat through your paintwork, never mind your skin. So protect from spills with a cloth and protect yourself by wearing rubber gloves and wash thoroughly if it gets on your skin.
Next inspect the brake pads for wear. Use a torch as it’ll help you see into the caliper. Look for how much actual material is left on the pad. There should be a visible wear limit groove in the centre. The manufacturer’s recommendation is no less than 1mm left on the pad itself but don’t take chances. Safety rules, ok?
If grinding or metallic scraping noises are coming from the disc whilst braking then it’s definitely time for an inspection. Leaving worn out pads in for too long is a false economy – you risk damaging the discs themselves, and discs aren’t cheap.

Engine Oil
The life blood of any engine, it’s vital that you check your oil on a regular basis. That is, every time you use your bike. Some bikes use a dipstick, others a sight-glass. The oil should be checked when the engine is cold and the bike is totally upright. Do this by standing the machine on firm and level ground. If it needs topping up, use the recommended oil and only add small amounts at a time to prevent over-spilling.

Drive Chain
A pooly adjusted chain is noisy and inefficient. It can be dangerous if it’s really slack or tight but fortunately it’s easy to sort out. Put the bike on the centre stand if fitted or use a paddock stand if you can get one. Check the chain’s tension by measuring the amount of travel at the midway point between front and rear sprocket. Take this measurement at varying points on the chain by turning the rear wheel a few inches at a time. There should be on average 30-50 mm of free play at the tightest point. Your owner’s manual will give the exact specification. If there’s too much or too little slack you need to adjust it and here’s how to do it:
1. Slacken the spindle nut
2. Adjust chain tension by turning adjusters an equal amount
3. Make sure the adjusters on both sides are equally adjusted. There are little marks on the adjuster blocks or swing arms of most bikes to help you. They’re not ususally especially accurate but they’ll give you a rough guide
4. Re-tighten the spindle nut, ideally with a torque wrench to the correct setting
5. Re-tighten adjusters
6. Check tension again. The first few times you do it you might find that as you re-tighten the spindle nut the chain gets tighter or looser and you have to start again. You will soon get a feel for it. Also bear in mind that on some bikes, adjusting the chain affects the back brake which then needs to be re-adjusted. Again, if you are in any doubt whatsoever, consult your dealer.

Chain Lube
Once you’ve adjusted the chain, apply some chain lube. The best way to do this is to get the bike on its centre stand (if it doesn’t have one get a mate to balance the bike on the side stand and keep the rear wheel clear of the floor). Then spin the wheel forwards and spray the lube into where the chain and sprocket meet at the bottom so the lube gets carried round onto the sprocket. It’s best to do this at least a couple of hours before you ride. This gives the solvent time to evaporate and stops the lube getting flung all over your back wheel.

Cables
Throttle and clutch cables should be tested for smooth operation. The throttle in particular should snap back to the shut position without sticking when it’s releaseed - if they don’t operate smoothly then oil or replace them. Simple cable oiling tools are cheap and easy to use although sometimes a bit messy and will extend the life of your cables as well as making your bike nicer to ride.

Cooling system
For a water cooled bike, when the engine’s cold, you need to check that the coolant level in the radiator expansion tank is between the minium and maximum marks. The tank can be hidden in various places so check the manual if you’re struggling to find it. If it needs topping up, mix the recommended amount of water and anti-freeze which varies according to brand and fill to the maximum level.

Battery
It’s fairly simple to remove most batteries for inspection and doing so would prevent your object of desire from going up in flames from a rogue spark. Disconnect the earth (negative) terminal first and reconnect it last. Examine the acid level indicated on the side of the battery, top it up with distilled water if necessary, never with tap water and then charge it up with a bike specific charger (many car chargers supply too much current for bike batteries). When charging, it’s wise to loosen the filler plugs to allow expanding gas to escape safely. Don’t attempt to top up jelly filled or sealed batteries. Consult your dealer. When reinstalling the battery, ensure the connections are on the right way and are tight and don’t forget to reconnect the breather pipe

Cleaning your bike
If you do it regularly, washing your bike shouldn’t take too long and it’ll give you the chance to spot anything amiss with your machine. Use a good quality wax shampoo in plenty of hot water. A dish brush is good for hard to get to areas and a sponge is ideal for washing down body work. Once you’ve given the bike a good going over, rinse with plenty of fresh water and see if you’ve missed any bits. Avoid using pressure washers too close to the bike as they can blast essential grease and oils from bearings and cables. Get a strong one and they can even strip stickers from body work. A liberal coat of protective spray such as scottoil fs365 will help sustain your bike’s finish. It’s slippery so ensure you don’t spray it anywhere near the brakes, discs, footrests or hand controls

In General
Check every nut and bolt you can see and get to, to make sure they are properly tight. Then there’s just on more thing to do before you ride – test every bulb on the bike, side light, dipped beam, main beam, left and right indicators, brake light by testing both front and rear brakes individually, and rear light. It’s worth checking all your lights work every time you ride your bike. It may sound like overkill but a broken bulb is all the excuse a bored garda needs to pull you over and spoil your day.

Adapted from Tim Skilton's article in What Bike magazine