Car Insurance

Nothing could ruin your day more when you’re driving in the countryside and then in the middle of nowhere, your Honda CBR motorcycle breaks down. All that because you never checked anything before you went out thinking, “I’ve checked that yesterday so there shouldn’t be any problem.”

It’s important to check your motorcycle before you go for a ride. Maybe it would be too much for you to do it everyday but you have to do it at least before you go out especially for a very long ride. This ride can’t just be hauled and you’ll be spending hundreds of dollars because you missed one thing that led to another problem. So here are some of the things that you should check before going out, full throttle.

Tires – the most important of them all. Check the tires of your Honda motorcycle and make sure they are inflated properly. Under-inflated tires will take in heat faster than regular tires. With too much heat, the tire will blow up unexpectedly, and you’ll be lucky if you don’t have an accident because of blown tires. To make sure you have the digits correct, purchase a portable gauge to know the psi of your tires.

Brakes – most of the accidents come from the fact that brakes don’t work. So before you go out and take the long ride, check your brakes. Make sure the break fluid in your motorcycle is enough. It’s even better if it’s. Check the front and back break fluids of your motorcycle. Check the break pads when you’re at it. Thin break pads should be changed immediately. You don’t want to realize that you don’t have any break when you are already on the road and more than 60mph on your motorcycle.

Chains – It will not really cause major accidents but it will cripple your motorcycle to a halt. Before you go out and do a major road trip on your motorcycle, lubricate them before you even go out. You really don’t need to do it everyday but at least do it every time you visit the gas station. This will ensure your chains will complement your rear tires and will not contrast to it. The last thing that you need in your motorcycle is a busted chain especially on a road trip since chains maybe the last thing you’ll think will break.

Fuel and Oil – probably the most important for a smooth ride. You Honda CBR 600 will naturally stop if you don’t have enough gas. For long rides, oil should be checked especially the oils in your break fluids.

Battery – You’ll know you need one when you can’t start anything electronically. Every light and signal that you’ll need for your trip should be there. If it needs refill, do not use tap water. There’s specific water for batteries and they are deionized water. Distilled water could also be an option.

Here we have a few things you should check on your motorcycle on a regular basis. I assume you have a handbook with the specs for your bike, if not, go get one. You may be able to find some data for your particular motorcycle on the net. You can also pick up workshop manuals for various models on eBay in PDF or CD form for little money.

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.

Periodical checks

* 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.

Well, that’s about it for some basic maintenance, obviously, unless you’re a good home mechanic, any bigger jobs will have to go to a dealer. The problem can be finding a good one with skilled mechanics you can trust. I manage to keep my Yamaha Fazer 1000 running sweet just using the steps listed above. It does help that this model only needs the valve clearances checking every 26,000 miles.

Do just about anything to your motorcycle, but forget the most basic and fundamental additive – Oil – and your wallet could be hanging loose for a long time.

How often you change the oil, the level you fill it up to and the kind of oil you use all make the difference between a bike that lasts and a bike that doesn’t!

These are a few of the most basic tips when it comes to oil and motorcycles…

When do you change your bike’s oil?

Over time and with prolonged use the integrity of the oil breaks down. Varies forces at work within the engine actually tear away at the very molecules of the oil, so the old oil must be periodically replaced every 2-3 thousand kilometres.

Smaller motorcycles run hotter than bigger bikes, so their oil needs to be replaced more frequently.

Motorcycle Maintenance Tips for Changing Oil:

· It’s best to drain the oil when the bike is properly warmed up, this thins the oil and makes it drain out faster.

· Remember to park the bike on it’s centre stand on level ground.

· Oil gets everywhere when the sump plug is released, so make sure to have a big enough container before hand.

· Remember to check the oil filter and change it if need be!

Running in a New Motor

New motorcycles require a little more care when it comes to oil. The surfaces inside of the new engine are quite rough and require time to wear smooth. The particles of metal released during this process need to be flushed out of the engine, so halve the normal oil change intervals for the first two changes.

Additives that are Supposed to Prolong!

The benefits of oil additives sound good, especially when you’ve bought a used motorcycle…

· Better performance

· Lowered fuel consumption etc.

The stories mechanics tell you vary. Some good, some bad! However, never use additives on a new motorcycle as this will prolong the running in process.

That’s about all. These are only a few of the basics when it comes to oil and your motorcycle. Know your bike and you’ll discover its exact requirements.