Motorcycle Maintenance Tips for Beginners
Everyone starts as a beginner. When you search for motorcycles and accessories, it’s important to know which bikes are safest for beginners and the accessories you need to ensure your safety. However, most beginners fail to consider what it takes to keep their cycles in pristine condition. To keep yourself safe and save money, you should know the basic maintenance duties of a bike owner. Here are a few motorcycle maintenance tips for beginners.
Regularly Change the Oil
To keep your bike running properly, change the oil every few thousand miles. Check your bike’s owner manual to know the proper time to do so. Before changing the oil, you must warm up the bike for a few minutes. This will help the oil drain easier by lowering the viscosity. When you cut the motorcycle off and stand the bike upright, remove the oil filter, drain, and oil fill plugs.
It helps to cover your engine and exhaust section to protect it from excess oil. Once you’ve drained the oil, install your new oil filter, put the parts back properly, and refill your oil using a funnel.
Keep the Chain Clean
Clean your bike’s chain to allow easy chain movement. Although newer bikes require less chain cleaning, you should use a gentle bristle brush to eliminate any grime and dirt. You want to do this while your bike’s rear wheel is elevated and the transmission is in neutral. After giving the chain a nice clean, put some chain lubricant on your motorcycle chain to keep it clean and smooth.
Routinely Change the Coolant
An important motorcycle maintenance tip to remember as a beginner is to change the coolant. The coolant helps prevent your engine from overheating, freezing, or corroding. You must access the coolant drain bolt and drain everything to change the coolant. Once you’ve drained everything, remove the radiator cap and reinstall the drain bolt.
Using a funnel, put the right amount of coolant in the system. Place everything back and start the engine to allow the bike to warm up for a few minutes before starting the ignition. Once the engine is cool, check the coolant level, and if it’s good, you’re ready to go!
Replace the Air Filter
Your motorcycle’s air filter helps keep debris out of your engine, and your bike’s performance would suffer without it. Although changing your air filter may be time-consuming, it’s necessary for your safety. Depending on your bike, you may have to remove the gas tank to get to the air filter, while on others, it’s much more easily accessible.
As a beginner, you have many things to learn from trial and error. Take the extra time to keep your bike in good shape using our motorcycle maintenance tips for beginners. With time and care, your bike will always be in pristine condition.
