If you are going to own a motorcycle, you need to know how to maintain it properly. This will not only extend the life of the bike but help keep you and any riders safe. Make sure you read the owner's manual and follow any routine and preventive maintenance schedules in it. While you can take it to a shop to have the work done, it can be very satisfying, and save money, to do it yourself. If you are not a mechanic, here are a few tips to help you get begin to learn basic motorcycle maintenance:
Buy the Appropriate Tools
Buy the repair manual for your bike. This should have complete, detailed information to repair all systems and parts of the motorcycle. Read through it and buy any tools it mentions that you do not currently have in your garage or tool box. Do not assume you can substitute one tool for another and have it work correctly. Make sure you have the proper sizes too, you might need to have a different length handle or a different diameter head on the tools you have.
Start Small but Get Curious
Start small. Don't try to fix something you have no idea about. In other words, learn to change the oil before you try to repair the gear box. However, it is important that you get curious about things. If you are changing the oil, follow the lines to see where it goes and learn why the oil is needed there. Then start to learn what these parts do and how that affects the operation of the bike.
Buy an Older Bike
If you want to take on things you are not sure of, buy an older bike, or at least the engine or part you want to work on and experiment with things. This way, you are not in danger of destroying your bike. You can make mistakes and then try and fix them too. The more hands-on work you have the more you will learn. You can use this knowledge when it comes time to repair your riding bike. Even if you do not have complete success you will at least know what not to do.
Hopefully, you will have a friend to ride with that has worked on bikes before who can help guide you through the maintenance and repair of your motorcycle. However, any time you are confused or not confident about something, take it to a motorcycle services shop. You can even ask the technician if you can watch what he or she is doing. This may prevent future problems, teach you how to fix it yourself, or at least help you understand when it is time to go to a professional.
Share2 August 2017
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