Who doesn’t want to keep their bikes new and healthy? It is a
general tendency not to maintain or take care of your bikes after few
months/years of purchase. To keep your bike in good condition, there are few
simple things which you have to do on regular basis. In this post we are going
to share 12 important bike maintenance tips that help you and your bike to
smile for long time!
12 Tips to Maintain Bike in Good condition
1. Regularly Check Tyres
It is important to check your bike tyres regularly – A
thorough look at the condition of your bike and the air pressure. Make sure
that the tyre air pressures are maintained at the levels which are recommended
by your bike manufacturer. Do check tyres for possible cuts and scrapes that
could cause a undesirable things like tyre blowout. Do not forget to check your
tyre treads at least once in a week. Also check for the wheel balance and
alignment.
2. Check Engine Oil
Engine oil plays a crucial role in smooth operation and
maintenance of your bike. Regularly check the engine oil level and always
maintain a correct level. Check for any possible oil leakages. Due to presence
of carbon deposits, the oil is going to thicken creating a drag in the movement
of engine internals. It is very important to understand that running your bike
on dirty oil would just not increase the consumption of fuel but also
drastically reduces the engine life.
3. Clean Air filter
The dusty conditions in India could clog up the filter in
very less time – make sure to keep the air filter clean. Always change the air
filter at recommended intervals; also increase the cleaning frequency in
particularly dusty conditions.
4. Clutch Adjustment
Clutch is used to change the gears on regular intervals
during the ride and is very often used. The clutch should be adjusted correctly
and should have the right amount of free play. Don’t tighten your clutch too
much – an over tightened clutch would cause it to slip without your notice and
also leads to increase in fuel consumption. So, make sure you have the right
clutch adjustments in place.
5. Engine
Engine is the heart of your bike – Servicing your bike
regularly and tuning it up would keep the engine running like clockwork, thus
reducing your petrol bills. Do pay special attention, while cleaning the
carburettor and maintaining valve clearances. Remember to keep carburettor
always clean. For every 1500 kilometres which you travel, clean out the carburettor
float chamber as well as the other parts. Do not neglect the all-important
spark plug. Make sure that your Spark-plug is clean and the gap is set correctly;
otherwise replace the Spark-plug as it is the most crucial link in proper
engine combustion.
Regularly clean the spark plug, preferably for every 750
kilometres in the case of two-stroke motorbike and for every 1,500 kilometres
for four-stroke bike. Most of the modern bikes these days would require the
choke to be used, to work on cold starts. Using choke helps in meeting the
emission norms and also the fuel efficiency requirements.
6. Transmission System
Your motorcycle’s chain needs a regular lubrication as well
as cleaning and adjustment. Use paraffin to wash the chain. Use a piece of
cloth and a soft brush in order to remove the dirt which has gotten accumulated
in the chain. Never use water for cleaning the chains, as that could rust the
chain links. Once the dirt has been cleaned completely, with the help of a
brush and paraffin wipe the chain with a clean dry cloth.
You can use the used engine oil to lubricate the chain links
and the chain. Also check if your motorcycle’s chain has a free play of around
2 to 4 mm in general by testing it by moving chain up and down in a vertical
direction with the help of your fingers. Remember that your bike’s chain should
have the proper tension and free play of the rear wheel. Any variation in the
tension of chain would not power the rear wheel smoothly when the 2
Wheeler Insurance is motion. In the
case, if your bike’s chain is loose, the power delivery from engine to wheel
would not be optimal, thus results in loss of power due to slippage. Getting
the bike to mechanic or service centre and getting the chain adjusted to
manufacturer’s specifications is the wise thing to do.
Never try to over rev your RPM going at high-speeds
continuously, as that could damage bike’s engine. Never attempt to shift your
bike from fifth gear to first gear very instantaneously that could potentially
damage the piston rings of your bike.
7. Cleaning the surface
The 2 wheeler body surface has to clean regularly in order to
maintain the surface finish. Before you start cleaning the motorcycle, make
sure that the ignition switch unit, H.T. Coil and silencer are thoroughly
covered using plastic sheets. Also, avoid exposing your bike to direct
sunlight, try to park your bike near to shade, frequent exposure to sunlight
would dull your bike’s appearance.
8. Maintain Battery
Your bike’s battery requires periodical maintenance to ensure
a long and trouble free life. If required, top-up the battery with distilled
water. Examine for any leakage from the battery. The bike should be clean as
well as free from any sort of battery leakages. If the motorcycle is not used
for long time, you have to ensure the battery should be kept fully charged.
9. Maintain Brakes
Always keep both the brakes holding the tyre properly spaced.
Both in the case of brakes becoming too tight, or too loose is very dangerous.
The Brakes are always recommended to be tightened as per the bike rider’s
personal style and requirement. Replace the bike’s brake pads in the front if
screeching sound persists, this could also be because of lack of oil.
10.Check Fork Oil
Remember to change your bike’s fork oil, for once in every
12000 kilometres.
11.Check Sprockets
Check the Sprockets and replace them when necessary. The
usual wear-out limit for sprockets is 40,000 kilometres
12.Riding Speed
Try and maintain a riding speed of 40 to 60 kilometres to
reduce the fuel consumption as well as to keep the bike in good health.
