Here’s 7 Quick & Easy Pre-Trip Checks To Help Ensure a Safer Sportbike Ride
Take Care of Your Sportbike and it Will Take Care of You
Breaking down on a motorcycle is never fun. You definitely don’t want to blow a tire or lose a chain while your riding, especially on the freeway. Trust me, I’ve done it! I was doing about 70 mph in the fast lane and the bike suddenly felt like it went in to neutral. I looked down and saw a naked sprocket. Trying to coast to a stop while merging over 3 lanes of traffic with people rushing to get home was not something I wanna do again!
Here’s a few quick checks I do before each ride..
1- Inspect the tires..You have very little rubber actually making contact with the road so you want to make sure that rubber is going to perform optimally. Along with checking your air pressure & tread-wear, you should inspect the tire for cracks, uneven wear, foreign (and domestic) objects, and rub marks that may come from something on the bike rubbing the tire.
2- Check your fluids..
-Fuel-Seems like a no brainer, but are you sure you fueled up before you parked it??
-Engine oil- Along with the oil level, check the color & consistency, if it’s black change it soon! If it’s gritty or has metal flakes, you may have other issues.. This is common however with a brand new engine that is still in the break-in period.
-Brake fluid- You should have 2 separate reservoirs for the front & rear brakes, make sure they are to the max level and there are no leaks.
-Coolant- If your bike is liquid cooled vs. air cooled.
-Clutch fluid- If your bike has a hydraulic clutch, it will be similar to the brake fluid reservoir on the clutch side.
3- Brake & throttle cables.. Make sure your cables are not starting to fray or rust. You can’t see the whole cable but you can feel if the cable is kinked or too stiff. Just work the controls and see if they feel right.
4- Brakes & rotors.. Check the thickness of the brake pad linings between the caliper & the rotor. Make sure the rotor isn’t discolored from heat,warped or cracked.
5-Lights & signals.. Make sure your brake light, headlight and signals are working properly and have no cracks. Give your horn a quick chirp while your at it.
6-Chain & sprockets.. Make sure your chain is in good condition, lubed, and has the proper tension. Tension will vary depending on model, generally 1 to 1 inches of free-play is good. This is measured by moving the chain up & down half way between the front & rear sprockets
7-Kickstand.. Most motorcycles have an engine kill switch that shuts the bike down when you put it in gear with the kickstand down. Just give it a quick glance before you take off & make sure its going stay up.
Now you can ride with a little more confidence knowing you gave your sportbike a quick pre-trip inspection..
Ride safe.. Ride Smart.. Ride Sane..
Sportbike Bliss