Bike is always the number one choice of everyone who prefers comfort and ease of transport, therefore it has become the most essential part of our daily life. It gives you the ultimate freedom and pride so, maintaining the health of it becomes mandatory in order to keep yourself safe,to enhance its life and to minimize breakdowns. With the help of regular maintenance we can ensure that our bike runs smoothly and stays in good condition.Here are some tips to guide you for taking care of your precious bike and to avoid sudden breakdowns.
- Always change the engine oil
To increase the life of the engine and enhance the quality of the ride, engine oil plays a very important role. It significantly ensures smooth travel by keeping the engine cool as well as maintaining lubrication in the engine pistons. With each ride the engine oil starts burning thus lubrication decreases gradually and forms a dark sludge making the oil dirty. This impure engine oil with high acidity causes internal corrosion which reduces fuel efficiency and engine’s life. Difficulty in Lubrication in the engine leads to excessive wear and tear.Therefore you must check the oil level and quality of it and change it whenever required. Look regularly for any oil impurities build up on the engine.
- Keep checking tyres regularly
While riding the bike minor cut or scratches on the tyre can result in skidding or imbalance,which can be very dangerous. Tyres are subject to considerable wear and tear with every ride resulting in losing the grip on the road. Therefore you must check for the optimum tyre pressure as well as the tyre treads regularly to spot any damage.Proper tyre pressure can improve ride quality, reduce wear, and prevent flats.Keeping tyres in good condition is very important for every journey because low pressure and scratches are more likely to result in bursting of tyre which will need costly repairing and a huge safety risk too. Use a bike manual or take the help of any local service center to find the required tyre pressure for your particular bike.
- Cleaning air filters
Air filters get choked up on the dust and debris thus it’s mandatory to clean them regularly to avoid too many pollutants interfering with the engine combustion and damage. To keep the engine in optimum condition and maintain the bike’s efficiency it’s important to clean or change the air filters as needed. Always invest in high quality air filters.
- Keep breaks in good condition
Most important thing in bike maintenance is keeping your brakes in optimum condition. It’s crucial for the safety of yourself and others too. Always test your brakes before leaving. Ensure their functioning properly and adjust the cables right away if needed. Few things to keep in mind while checking the brakes, it should not be too tight or too loose and when applying the brakes your bike should stop at a proper distance. Use lubricants if you hear any screeching sound or replace the brake pads right away. Changing the brake oil every few months is recommended to avoid wearing out the brake pads.
- Clean and lubricated chains
To avoid the rusting you must pay attention to the lubrication of chains. Without a clean working chain your bike’s engine is excessively draining its power. Uncovered bike chains are more prone to corrosion due to their exposure to the air and moisture resulting in excessive friction and unpredicted breakdowns. Therefore you must use the chain covers to limit the contact of metal with moisture and clean the entire stripe of the chain with a soft cloth. Use paraffin to wash it and avoid using water on the bike’s chain. For lubrication you can use the engine oil and observe if it is moving properly without stucking anywhere.
- Proper clutch adjustment
While riding any bike the most used part is clutch and like tyre pressure each bike is having different clutch adjustments. The use of the clutch is to change the gears therefore it should be adjusted perfectly i.e, not too loose or not too tight either in order to maintain the balance. For greater fuel efficiency you must pay attention to adjusting the clutch perfectly.
- Read the bike manual carefully
Every new bike comes with an important instruction manual, which holds the necessary details of each and every part of the bike with the information about how to do the proper maintenance and requirement of detailed servicing. This manual has valuable details like use of proper engine oil, frequency of servicing, optimum tyre pressure and cleaning procedures of each part. Take the help of this manual whenever needed.
- Take care of battery life
Working of all the electrical components of a bike like electric start button, horns, indicator etc are dependent on the battery health. Poor maintenance of the battery can cause trouble anytime. Check all the wires are connected and working properly. Learn how to change the battery for any emergency. Charge the battery properly before any long distance journey and make sure it is filled with enough distilled water. Disconnect the battery and store it in a cool and dry place if the bike is not in use for a very long time.
- Clean regularly
Try to clean your bike from time to time to keep it in a good condition for enhancing its life. Wipe down the entire frame at least in a week but never miss out on wheels and other components where dust and debris buildup happens. Take the help of a user manual and learn appropriate cleaning techniques to wash your bike at home for avoiding corrosion to all the important metallic parts. Do not forget to cover the Electric components like switch unit, the engine and silencer etc.Using appropriate cleaning agent and soft cloth is important for avoiding damage while scrubbing the dirt off of the bike’s surface.
- Drive responsibly
This point is important not only for you and your bike’s safety but also for other’s well-being. Avoid speeding because each time you move too fast, your bike’s engine and battery falls under immense pressure. To avoid any risk maintain the speed limit as per the rules and drive in your lane. Wear your bike riding gear set and stay safe on the road.
- Park carefully
Keep the bike in a dry, covered and secure location, away from direct sunlight if not in use.
- Get time-to-time professional help
You may keep your motorcycle in good condition but you must get the servicing done at-least once a year in a designated service center.Basic things you can always learn from experienced riders about bike maintenance,how to keep every part in optimal condition,when to change the brake pads,how you can check the tyre pressure, which engine oil to use and how to fix your problems on your own.
- Timely maintenance scheduling
To keep the maintenance in check, always schedule the regular servicing and maintain a log consistently. Look for signs of wear on components like tires, brake pads, and cables. Learn basic repair skills, it always comes handy.
Conclusion
To get the required Fuel efficiency and cost-effectiveness and To keep riding experience Fun and exciting,you must look into maintaining your bike in proper health, it will ultimately help you in reducing the unnecessary breakdowns.
