3 Things Every Biker Should Do for their Motorcycle
"Being an owner means being responsible," is one of the things my Dad used to say, and it makes sense. As an owner you should be vigilant and watch for early warning signs to help prevent major disasters later on.
This is true no matter what it is you own! We vaccinate our animals to prevent them from getting sick. Having routine maintenance done on your house -cleaning the furnace, cleaning the gutters, fixing any leaky pipes, etc. Because by ignoring what your home needs will mean you’ll probably be spending some serious money for repairs, since the issue is now much bigger.
This also applies to Motorcycles.
I asked Chad, our Service Manager at FX Caprara Harley-Davidson, what are the 3 things he wished Bikers would do for their bikes, and here's what he said:
Battery Tender
Sure you need it during the winter when your bike is hibernating and the snow is falling. But even in the warmest summer months, if you're not riding for even a week or two, it's a good idea to plug your bike in. That’s because when the battery begins to drain, it can cause damage to the cells. And that won’t allow the battery to retain a full charge. The little charge that’s left in your bike’s battery won’t be enough to start your bike- you’ll need to buy a new one.
Brake Service - Everybody loves to go fast, but forget that it's just as important to be able to stop when you need to. If you have your bike routinely maintained (like your owners manual says in the back), you'll be fine. The very worn brake pads are mine (pictured below), were off my 2004 Dyna Super Glide, while she was getting her 50K mile service.
Tire Pressure - We had a customer bring his bike in for service, swearing up & down that the wheel bearings were gone in his front tire. He was experiencing a “bad wobble” at 30mph. After checking that the wheel weights were in place, we checked the tire pressure. Turns out it was about 12 pounds under what it should be - just 24psi instead of 36psi! If the customer had bothered to check he could've saved himself a bit of money, time and frustration.
Doing these three things is not a guarantee that your bike won't need service or repair later on. But it will help you to get to know your bike better and possibly prevent major damage down the road.
