DIY Motorcycle Maintenance Tips
While you may think that any maintenance on your bike necessitates a trip to a professional mechanic and a long wait for service, the truth is that there are several tasks you can do on your own at home. You just need to have the right tools and know-how to complete these maintenance needs.
Obviously, no one short of a pro can fix every little thing that goes wrong, but doing your part to prevent those big problems will help reduce the amount of time your bike spends in a shop.
Your local motorcycle dealership is Lawton Motorsports. We’ve provided these DIY motorcycle maintenance tips to get your bike all ready to ride during these warm summer months! Remember that if you do need a pro to look at your bike, our service department is just a phone call away.
Tune Up Brakes
Staying in control of your motorcycle requires that you have working brakes that can bring you to a quick and complete stop. You don’t want to coast along, see an obstacle, hit the brake and feel it fail to respond.
Check the brake fluids in the front and rear reservoirs. A line will show you where the fluid should come up to. You can easily refill these yourself. If the brake fluid is entirely gone, you’ll need to bring your bike in for some tender loving care.
Each brake pad needs to be smooth and should be wearing evenly. If they seem rough or corroded or you’ve felt them take more time than you’d like to engage, they may need replacement. Shaking and grinding while attempting to brake are common signs of damaged or overly worn pads.
Inspect Tires
Both your tires need to be in good condition and aired up sufficiently. Take a tire pressure gauge and check each one, airing them up with an air compressor to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure. While you’re up close to them, inspect each tire for signs of extreme wear. Bald spots, low treads, cracks in the sidewalls and embedded objects are all issues that need addressing by a pro and they may necessitate tire replacement. Never ride on bad tires, even for a short distance! A blowout can be sudden and extremely dangerous.
FIll Up Fuel
The fuel filter on your motorcycle ensures that only clean gasoline makes its way through your engine. If you start to hear weird sounds or your engine doesn’t start very well, you’ll probably need to replace the fuel filter to avoid losing more power to your machine.
Using the right fuel is essential to getting the most out of your motorcycle. For infrequent riders, higher octane fuels are recommended. Ethanol fuels can corrode your gas tank if allowed to sit for too long.
Change The Oil
Like any motorized vehicle, your bike needs clean oil to lubricate its parts and keep them moving smoothly. To check the condition of your oil, remove the dipstick, wipe it, reinsert it and remove it again. If the oil on the stick is sludgy and opaque, you need to change it right away. If it’s clear and flows easily, simply top it off and be on your way. Replace the filter when you replace the oil.
Metallic shavings in your oil indicate that parts of your engine are grinding together, which will merit an immediate trip to the mechanic to prevent further damage from occurring.
These are just a few things to look out for on your bike. You can always take the time to learn even more by talking to a mechanic or a fellow rider. Still in search of the perfect motorcycle for your summer riding? Visit our Lawton dealership today to see what we’ve got for sale. If your current bike needs parts or maintenance, contact our parts and service departments so we can help you get back to riding in no time! Lawton Motorsports proudly serves the cities of Edmond, OK, and Wichita Falls, TX.