4 DIY Maintenance Tips For Your Motorcycle

Contrary to popular belief, maintaining your motorcycle is not an incredibly taxing task. Although there are some things that you should leave to professionals, there are plenty of services that you can perform on your motorcycle all on your own. Throughout the course of this brief article, you'll learn about a few of the ways you can service your motorcycle.

Brake Pads

You can easily check and replace your brake pads on your motorcycle. It simply requires the correct pads, a few tools, and a workshop manual. Starting from the fork leg, remove the caliper. Follow this up by removing the retaining clips, then the pins, and then the springs. From there, your brake pads can be easily removed. An aerosol brake cleaner can help clean the pad if need be, and if you're removing the pad, it can add an element of lubrication that will make the process much easier.

Tire Pressure

Tire pressure should be checked on a weekly basis in order to make sure that your tires have enough air, or, in some cases, in order to make sure your tires don't have too much air. It is recommended that you purchase a high quality gauge so you will be accurately judging your tires' pressure. Check your bike's manual to make sure that the pressure is correct and corresponds to the recommended amount. If you ride with a pillion passenger on a regular basis, you might want to check your tires' pressure an additional two times a month.

Lubrication

Making sure that your motorcycle is sufficiently greased up is an easy task, so long as you take the right precautions. Use a spray grease or an oil tin and lubricate levers, stand hinges, cables, footrest hinges, and locks. In no situation should you ever lubricate the brake discs. Other parts of the bike may be a bit more difficult, such as the swingarm or wheel spindles, and may require that you consult your owner's manual for information that is specific to your bike.

Chain Tension

Changing the chain tension on your bike is a relatively easy task; it simply requires adjusting a few bolts in order to tighten or loosen the chain. The location of these bolts vary from bike to bike, so once again, it is highly recommended that you consult your trusty owner's manual. Chain tension should always be set with a load on the bike, preferably a person that is roughly your size. Chain tension tightens when weight is added to the bike.

It's imperative to make sure that you take excellent care of your motorcycle. Hopefully, this brief article has given you an idea of some things that you can do for your bike on your very own. For maintenance tasks that go above your skill and experience level, take your bike to a motorcycle repair shop like Supreme Motorsports 1.