Motorcycle Pre-Ride Inspection Checklist
Riding a motorcycle means being a responsible motorcycle owner. Part of that is ensuring that your motorcycle is always in good condition. You don’t want to head out onto the highway for a long, meandering ride only to be waylaid in the middle of nowhere by a flat tire or empty tank of gas that you could have addressed back at home.
North County Indian Motorcycle® in San Marcos, CA, is your local motorcycle dealer. Below, you’ll find a checklist of everything you need to do to ensure that you’ve properly inspected your motorcycle before your ride.
1. Check Tire Pressure & Condition
The wheels of your motorcycle keep it upright and make constant contact with the road’s surface, so they wear down and lose pressure over time. Poor tire pressure reduces the bike’s agility and fuel efficiency, and worn tires can rupture suddenly. That’s why regularly checking the pressure and condition of your tires is so important.
Use a tire-pressure gauge to check the psi levels in both tires and air them up to the manufacturer’s recommended levels, stipulated in your owner’s manual or online. Examine each tire for embedded objects, bald patches, sidewall cracks or other flaws that need to be fixed. Never ride on bad tires!
2. Fill Your Gas Tank
This might seem like a simple thing, but there are countless motorcyclists who just didn’t think to check the gas tank before heading out and they find themselves walking on the side of the highway to the nearest gas station, receptacle in hand. Be smart and fill up your fuel tank with gas before your rides, especially if they’re long or you’re heading out of town where services are sparser. Make sure you’re using the recommended fuel type for your motorcycle’s engine.
3. Examine Brakes, Clutch & Throttle
It’s also important to make sure your brakes are in good shape, along with the clutch and throttle. If these parts are worn or broken, this can make it difficult or impossible to ride your bike. Check your brake pads and discs and try the handles to make sure they move without resistance. Go for a ride around the block and apply your brakes slowly to test whether they grind or squeal.
As for your throttle, it should close completely and operate smoothly. If you find your bike is idling at a high speed when it isn’t in gear, then the throttle may not be closing as it should.
Your clutch should allow you to smoothly and efficiently switch gears, so if you feel some grinding as you try to shift gears, then your clutch may not be fully engaging.
4. Check Oil & Filters
Oil helps to lubricate an engine’s parts so that they function properly without grinding against one another. Check your oil as you would in a car: remove the dipstick, wipe it with a soft cloth, reinsert it and remove it again to compare the color and consistency to the chart provided on the reservoir. Clean and translucent oil can be topped off, but sludgy oil needs to be changed. Change out the oil filter at the same time. You should also keep an eye on your air filter to make sure it’s not clogged up, especially if you’ve ridden in dusty or dirty conditions.
Remember: if you find some issues that merit professional attention while inspecting your motorcycle, you can always contact the service department here at North County Indian Motorcycle®. Our team of mechanics will be more than happy to address your issues and get you back on the road as soon as possible.
Looking for a bike? Browse our website to take a look at the fine selection of new and used motorcycles for sale at our dealership in San Marcos. North County Indian Motorcycle® proudly serves all of our San Diego customers, as well as the city of Oceanside, CA.