To keep your bike in good condition for a long time, there are a few simple things you must do regularly. Proper maintenance of your bike can reward you with a longer vehicle life. Also, these will help you have significantly lesser running costs during your bike ownership.

Here are some useful tips to take care of your bike, ensuring that your motorbike keeps working at its optimal levels and lasts much longer than your expectations.

Important Tips on how to Keep Your Bike in Top Condition for a Longer life

1)    Take Care of The Brakes

Regular check on the brake pads and the brake oil is very important to get the best feedback from the brakes of your motorbike. Worn-out brake pads and inadequate brake oil may cause brake failure and leave you and your bike damaged for a while. Adjust the brakes to your comfort and do not make it too tight or too loose. Correct adjustment of the brakes helps in better feedback and better stopping power. Change the brake pads immediately if you feel the bike is skidding or there’s a screeching sound from the wheels while braking. Also, change and top up the brake fluid once in a few months.

2)    Maintain Battery

The battery in your bike oversees the smooth operation of all its electrical components and the electric start function. If the battery is in good condition, the bike’s horn, headlights, and indicators will function properly. The battery is one of the simplest components to take care of. Periodical maintenance is needed to ensure a long and trouble-free life. Ensure that the terminals are tightly fixed and appropriately greased. Apart from this, checking the level of distilled water in your battery every couple of weeks is a good habit as well.

If you have any plan on not using your bike for a long due to any reason, disconnect the battery from the vehicle to avoid any possible damage.

3)    Clean and park your bike properly

The bike’s body surface needs to be cleaned regularly to maintain the surface finish. Before you start cleaning your bike at home, cover the silencer, switch unit, and HT Coil with a plastic sheet. Avoid using shampoo for a bike wash. When soaking in the water, use a microfiber cloth. Following this procedure will keep the bike’s shine intact while saving its electrical components from damage due to water splash.

Never leave your bike in direct sunlight for an extended period. It will slowly exhaust the fuel in your bike, reducing mileage. It also harms the bike’s paint, causing your bike to lose its shine. Always Park your bike under a tree or in a covered parking lot. And try to keep a bike cover with you always. This is one of the most essential tips for the maintenance of a bike.

4)    Check the tires and air pressure regularly 

It is important to check your bike tires regularly. Give a thorough look at the condition of your bike tires and the air pressure. Make sure that the tire air pressures are maintained properly. Preferably at the levels which are recommended by your bike manufacturer. Use a standard pressure gauge to check your tire pressures, but only do it when your tires are cool. Hot tires that have just come off the road will read incorrectly. Examine the tires for any signs of wear, such as tears, holes, and cracks that could cause undesirable things like a tire blowout. Do not forget to check your tire treads at least once a week. Every tire comes with an expiration date on it. Check those properly and change them accordingly. Also, check for the wheel balance and alignment.

• Know more about your bike

The more you know about your motorbikes, the better you’ll be able to find faults and understand probable complications. Take the time to read the owner’s manual for your bike. Every piece of knowledge available can be beneficial. Dive deep and gather as much as possible know-how from other sources that are also available around you.

Some bonus tips:

1. Regularly Service Your Bike and try to keep records of the periodical services done to your bike.
2. Always go to a well-reputed service center. Don’t make any compromises just to save some money.
3. Always follow the bike manual and cross-check the maintenance works accordingly.
4. Remember to change your bike’s fork oil, once every 12000 kilometers.
5. Try and maintain a riding speed of 40 to 60 kilometers to reduce fuel consumption as well as to keep the bike in good health.
6. It is not just the engine that needs lubrication. It is also recommended to check the following components once a year and lubricate them: Suspension linkages, Swingarm, Steering-head bearings, Carburetor and Wheel bearings.
7. Never replace the original parts of your bike during modification. Originally manufactured products are always made in sync with the engine performance.
8. Be proactive and solve an issue before it becomes a problem. If you feel there’s something wrong with the bike, visit a garage and get the bike checked. Do not delay the visit.