The Basics of Roadside Motorcycle Maintenance
A great deal of motorcycle maintenance will take place in a shed or garage with the bike safely parked. However, there’s always going to be a need to perform some emergency maintenance while you’re on the road. This is something you should make sure you’re prepared for so that you can avoid a serious accident and keep yourself safe. Follow these tips on roadside maintenance for your motorcycle.
Prepare in Advance
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is the old saw, and it definitely applies here. The best way to prevent your motorcycle from suffering a breakdown on the road is to inspect it before each ride and keep it maintained in general. Stay on top of regular upkeep tasks, like changing your oil and lubricating your chains, and inspect your tires and brakes often. If you notice an issue with your motorcycle, like strange sounds or a loss of power, you’ll definitely want to take it into a service department before you ride it again.
Carry the Right Equipment
In order to do any maintenance on the road, you’ll need to bring some tools with you. Carry a small toolkit on your motorcycle that has things like wrenches, screwdrivers, tire patches, duct tape, pliers, and a fuel siphon.
Keep Calm in a Crisis
If you do end up experiencing an issue that forces you to get off the road, try to keep yourself from panicking. A cool head will help you get yourself and your motorcycle to safety so that you can determine what repairs need to be made.
You should immediately signal your need to turn off the road to other motorists so that they can give you the right of way. Get yourself safely onto the shoulder or down an exit ramp to a safe place, like a parking lot.
Park your bike and determine whether you can fix the issue yourself or if you need to call for help. Even if you can fix what’s wrong, you should still call for a tow truck if the area around you isn’t safe to work in. Keeping your insurance’s roadside assistance number in your phone is a good idea for these types of emergencies.
In search of some professional assistance with maintaining your motorcycle? Contact the Interstate Cycles service department to schedule your appointment with our mechanics. We’ll be happy to answer your questions and tune up your bike for you.
When you’re ready to buy a bike, come see us at our dealership near Lake City, FL, to take a look at our inventory. You can also talk to our sales team about our motorcycle financing options. Interstate Cycles serves the Florida cities of Jacksonville and Gainesville.