10 Best Practices For Periodic Maintenance Of Your Bike

Safety goes hand in hand with timely maintenance. It's sort of a preventive measure. Periodic inspection, adjustment and lubrication is really important to keep your motorcycle in the safest and most efficient condition.

Usually when people kick start a bike they feel it's going to be a journey on their own terms' but sometimes on the way they find themselves stranded helpless with these most common problems- crushed valve train, locked transmission system, blown wheel bearing, dead charging system, or any combination of the above.
Here are the 10 key points to make sure you get tired of your bike before it tires of you-

1. Follow your owner and service manuals

• All owner manuals present a chart listing the maintenance schedule, suggestions on oil type, service procedures and more.
• For more sophisticated maintenance you will need a full-on service manual which contains the how-to rebuild any part of your motorcycle and hard-to-find torque values for every bolt on your bike.

2. Correct break-in point

This is particularly important for every new bike that you manage its break in. Each motorcycle comes with its own guidelines for break in. Just follow the recommendations in the owner's manual, which can vary with the engine speeds.

3. Regular engine oil change

Engine oil not only lubricates, but also helps in keeping the engine cool. There are two reasons of changing the engine oil regularly and  in a scheduled manner-

• Not changing the oil regularly can lead to oil breakdown which can be caused when the heat that is generated during the combustion process. This situation leads to wear and tear of the engine parts.
• Another reason for recommending regular oil change is oil contamination which raises the acidity of the oil, causes internal corrosion and leaves deposits in the engine.

Now the question on your mind could be what kind of oil should be used? Your owner's manual will guide you the best. Also there are some tips here.

4. Keep the air filter clean

An air filter essentially traps dust and dirt particles and prevents it from entering into the bike engine. These foreign particles if get deposited can spoil your valves, internal bearings and cylinders. The air filter needs more frequent service if you are riding in unusually wet or dusty areas.

5. Balanced air pressure

Adhering to the following points will not only help your tyres last longer but also improve fuel mileage and handling -

• Keep your tyres correctly inflated with precise air pressure
• Check it once a week with a reliable gauge
• Replace your tyres sooner rather than later

6. Grease your bearings

Exposed areas such as suspension linkages need routine care as compared to the sealed bearings. Major lubrication points and their indications of replacement are as follows-

• Steering stem bearing- if you feel notchiness in turning the handlebars or play while Pushing the fork back and forth, replace the bearings
• Wheel bearings- if you feel any play around the front or rear axle, replace the bearings
• Swingarm – if it moves side-to-side, change it
• Linkage bolts and motor-mount bolts

7. Drivetrain maintenance

A contaminated drivetrain leads to poor gear shifts interrupting your smooth ride. All you need to care about is the chain stretch, sprocket wear, belt condition and amount of oil in the shaft housing.

8. Keep battery charged

Keep the battery 100% charged. Recharge when the lights go dim, the starter sounds weak, or the battery hasn't been used in more than two weeks. Follow this simple checklist every month-

1. Check the electrolyte level
2. Check cables, clamps, and case for obvious damage or loose connections
3. Make sure the exhaust tube is free of kinks and clogs

9. Always check

These checkpoints always help preventing small problems turn into big ones -

• Level of motor oil
• Level of transmission oil
• Tyre air pressures
• Fuel or brake-fluid leaks
• Bolt tightness
• Electrical switches and controls

10. Ride it right

Applying brakes easily, accelerating steadily and turning smoothly will help almost every part of your bike last longer. Also keeping it clean will increase your love towards it.

Making frequent power-shifts without feathering the clutch or backing off on the throttle may reduce the life of your bike.