When you first get a new motorcycle, or you have extra time on your hands during the holiday time off, you should run it through a thorough checkup to ensure it’s safe and ready for the road. Even if it’s a new motorcycle, you want to ensure it’s safe to drive. You can use the following as a maintenance checklist for your new motorcycle so that it’s ready for the road.
Fluid Check
The first thing to do is check all the liquids inside your motorcycle and top them off if they’re low. These include the fuel, engine oil, coolant, and lubricant your motorcycle requires for its normal operation. This should be a regular part of your maintenance routine moving forward.
New Tires
While tire care will be an ongoing task, the first time you get your motorcycle is special. The stock tires that come with a motorcycle lack the efficiency of specialty tires that target the specific roads you’ll travel on. Look for a set of tires that perform better on the ground you normally drive on and switch them out.
Light Sync
The lights of your motorcycle can fall out of sync, and that’s more common for new motorcycles fresh off the lot. Take a moment to test your turn lights and hazards on your bike to ensure that they function as they should. If your lights are out of sync, don’t worry. You can learn to sync your Harley’s turn signals relatively easily.
Brake Pads
The brake pads on your bike are the most important parts of your vehicle, as you need to have a way to stop and slow yourself when you drive. Before you go off on a drive, you should always inspect your brake pads and test them to ensure they function properly. This is extremely important for your own safety as you drive your new bike. Also, it’s the most important part of your maintenance checklist as a new motorcycle owner.
Once you check all these separate parts of your motorcycle, you can safely take off and drive as you want. If your bike uses a chain, you should also check its slack. However, this isn’t important for a motorcycle with a shaft drive. While you’ll still need to run routine maintenance on your bike, these are the first things you should do when you get a new bike fresh off the lot.
Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
