Practical Tips to Keep Your Motorbike in Top Condition
Owning a motorbike is often a childhood dream come true. So, when you finally make the switch to two wheels, it’s essential that you keep your pride and joy working at its best so you can truly enjoy your new machine. Whether you use your motorcycle to liven up the work commute or you’re a leisure rider hoping to take in all the sights and beautiful scenery this country has to offer, ensuring your motorbike is well cared for is an absolute must.
Knowing that you need to take great care of your motorcycle to keep it performing at it’s best and to preserve its value is one thing. However, knowing how to actually keep up with motorcycle maintenance is another thing entirely. With this in mind, here are some practical tips to help you keep your motorbike in top condition:
Take Care of Your Tyres
Every motorist knows that taking care of their vehicle’s tyres is a must to ensure it is safe, responsive, and legal for the road. However, when you ride a motorcycle, and are reliant on just two tyres, it becomes even more crucial to take the best care of them.
Checking the tread of your tyres regularly to ensure they’re within the legal limits is essential. This is crucial to ensure your motorbike has a strong grip on the road. Ensuring your tyres are inflated to the correct level is also vital for your safety and to ensure your bike performs and handles at its best. It’s helpful to check your tyres regularly, but especially important when road conditions are likely to be poor or you’re hitting the road for a longer journey.
Keep Up With Servicing
Keeping up with servicing your motorcycle is a sure-fire way to keep it at its best. You may choose to get a professional service from a specialist motorcycle mechanic or dealer. Or, you might decide to carry out repairs and servicing yourself. For many bikers, tinkering with their bikes and learning how to complete repairs themselves is an enjoyable experience, and can become an exciting hobby.
If you choose to repair your bike yourself, it’s vital you choose high-quality parts to complete the work. The best way to guarantee the quality is to choose genuine parts, for example official Royal Enfield parts. Using genuine parts will ensure they provide the best fit and performance for your motorcycle.
Protect the Bodywork
If your motorcycle is your pride and joy, it’s only natural that as well as keeping it running perfectly, you also want to ensure it looks immaculate.
Keeping your motorbike in pristine condition will not only ensure it continues to receive envious looks from other bikes, but will also help it to hold its value.
As your motorcycle is so exposed to the elements, it can be especially susceptible to damage. Riding your motorcycle in the winter means that salt that has been spread onto icy road surfaces can fly up as your ride and then sit on your paintwork. Leaving salt on your bike can potentially cause corrosion to the paintwork and may clog up vital components. So, washing your motorbike regularly in the winter can be a helpful way to prevent this kind of damage.
To wash your motorbike fast it can be tempting to jetwash it. However, jetwashing can often do more harm that good to your motorcycle if you’re not careful when using it. Too much water pressure can damage your bike’s paintwork and cause decals to peel. Jetwashing some parts of your motorbike should be completely avoided,. This is because it can cause damage to components such as rubber seals, radiator fins, the chain, and lever joints.
If you want to make sure your bike’s bodywork stays looking its best for longer, keeping it covered is a great idea. Not everyone has a garage to keep their motorcycle in, but you can invest in a motorbike cover to keep it protected from the elements.
Final Thoughts
Owning a motorbike offers the perfect excuse to get out and explore the open road. But to get the most from your bike it’s essential to take the best care of it. Maintenance is a key part of motorbike ownership, and so it’s vital to understand how to keep up with caring for your motorbike. From looking after your bike’s appearance to ensuring you vigilantly keep up with repairs and servicing, keeping your motorcycle in top condition will enhance your riding experience and protect your bike’s value.
