Category Archives: Motorcycle

Motorcycle Service Guide to Keep Your Bike Running For Years

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You enjoy riding through the streets on your motorbike. It is a true feeling of freedom to have the wind whipping around you. However, if you want to keep the bike on the road, motorcycle service is important. By doing basic maintenance, you can keep your cycle going indefinitely.

Breaking It In Properly

If you want to start maintaining your bike, you have to break it in right. The most crucial part of your cycle’s engine is how you handle the first few hundred miles. You need to treat the first couple thousand with care, as well.

Check with your owner’s manual to find out exactly what limits you should take. Each brand is slightly different, and some have a long list of restrictions, such as the type of oil to use for the first few hundred miles. The manual will indicate what other oil type, if any, you should use. Some machines require that you do not go past a certain RPM until after you hit a few thousand miles.

Read the Manual

Your original manufacturer’s manual is going to be the best place for maintenance information. The manufacturer knows what motorcycle service your vehicle needs more than you may. It is important for you to read and study it to ensure that you know what to do.

Additionally, you can buy a service manual. This book can cost anywhere from $40 to $100. However, it is worth the investment if you want to do some of the more sophisticated maintenance procedures yourself. This manual includes instruction on things like how to rebuild parts of your motorbike and includes hard-to-find torque values for each bolt on the vehicle.

Oil Changes

Routine oil changes can extend the life of your engine. It can help ensure that your engine maintains proper lubrication. If the oil is old and filled with dirt and debris, the oil cannot do its job as it is supposed to.

You should check with the manual in order to determine how often to change the oil. If you drive in a dusty or dirty environment, you probably should have it changed more frequently.

Bearings

Motorcycle service should include greasing your bearings. Those who ride a dirt bike learn this maintenance tip early, as new motorbikes need attention in the steering-head bearings and suspension linkages. Additionally, those who ride street bikes need to get into the habit of this maintenance. Even though sealed bearings are relatively maintenance free, suspension linkages need care on a regular schedule.

On occasion, these parts will need to be replaced. While greasing, you will get the opportunity to inspect the bearings. In addition to physical inspection of the bearings, being in tune with your bike and knowing when the front or back suspension is loose, you will know when to change the bearings.

Why Motorcycle Covers Are a Good Idea!

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There’s one thing that I see all the time, and that’s motorcycles without covers. I was a bike rider when I was younger and I also didn’t cover my motorcycle. And If I knew what I have learned through the years I would have covered my bike. Because that motorcycle of mine today would have looked like it was still brand new.

If I would have covered my motorcycle the finish and chrome also the rubber parts would have kept there new appearance for a longer time. There are many types of motorcycle covers available today on the Internet, from the economy to the top of the line covers. For example, there are covers for your bike if you just park in your garage on under a carport, and there are waterproof covers for when your bike is outdoors in the environment. You can also purchase covers that are light weight so you can keep them in your motorcycle bags, that way, were ever you are you can throw the cover on and off with little work.

There are several reasons for having a cover on your bike, you will spend less time wiping down the bike before each ride, your chrome will stay bright and you will not have to polish it as much. Also, if your bike is outside in the environment the tires will last longer because the sun hasn’t had the opportunity to dry rot them and the seat and all the rubber parts will last longer and look newer.

I can’t think of any bad things about having a cover for your bike except maybe having to take the time to use it. If use a motorcycle cover it will payoff in the long run by giving you a newer looking motorcycle. Some covers have tie down rings that you use bungee cords with and some covers have tie down straps, I prefer the tie down straps because you can fit the cover better to your motorcycle and in windy conditions they work better.