Get your motorcycle ready for the new season

Tire and Tire Pressure Check

Check your tires for dry cracks if the motorcycle has been stationary for a long time. Verify whether there is enough tread left on the tires, you can easily do this with a tread depth gauge. All tires also have wear indicators to check the minimum tread depth. The minimum tread depth should be 1.6mm for motorcycle tires in Belgium. If you have rubber valves on your motorcycle tires, check them to ensure they are not starting to tear. After this check, it’s time to pull out the manual of your motorcycle and inflate the tires to the recommended tire pressure. You can do this with a portable compressor. A tire at the correct tire pressure will deliver the best performance and last the longest.

Control of the braking system

Check if the level of the brake fluid is still adequate and the color of the brake fluid is still clear. If you see that the brake fluid is contaminated or darker than it should be, then it is time to replace the brake fluid. Subject the brake pads and disc brakes to a visual check, operate your front and rear brake and check whether they do not stick or drag after use. If this is the case, they need to be inspected. If you are in doubt when checking the brakes, we recommend that you have them checked by a specialist. After all, it’s for your own safety.

If you want to ensure that your brakes are in top notch condition, you can clean them with Brake Cleaner, which removes excess brake fluid, dirt, grease, and oil residues. It prevents squeaking and ensures that your brakes work optimally.

Checking the battery and possible error messages

If your motorcycle was not connected to a battery charger or trickle charger during the winter, you can find all the information to avoid this mistake in the future in our motorcycle battery trickle chargers blog. If your battery is in top condition, you will have no problems starting up. Insert your key into the ignition, clean and lubricate if necessary, and turn the ignition on. Check for any warnings that need to be addressed, such as low oil level or an error message on your ABS system.

Lighting Inspection

Now that the ignition is on, you can immediately check if all the lighting still works properly. Check all the lighting on your motorcycle, the high beam, the turn signals, and check the brake light by using the front and rear brake.

Check of the oil and fuel

Check the oil level of your motorcycle, please refer to the manual of your motorcycle to do this correctly. If your engine oil needs to be replaced, it is a good idea to also replace the oil filter. Those who have already read our “How to prepare a motorcycle for winter?” blog may have already done this. In addition, we also recommend filling your motorcycle with a full tank and extra additive before the winter break to prevent rust and condensation. If you didn’t do this, it’s high time to fill up your motorcycle.

Control of the chain

Check whether the chain is sufficiently tensioned and whether the gears are sharp, as worn gears have less grip. If you notice that you can move the chain sideways or the individual links of the chain move forwards and backwards relative to each other, this is an indication that your chain has seen better days. Make sure that the chain is replaced at the same time as the gears. If you use a new chain on worn gears, the lifespan of the chain will drastically decrease. For this reason, we only sell complete chain sets at RAD.

If you have lubricated the chain, checked the tension and the gears before you put the motorcycle in winter storage, then your chain will still be in top condition. If you did not do this, we recommend you to clean the chain, re-lubricate it, and check the tension. You can read all about maintaining your motorcycle chain in our “Complete maintenance of the motorcycle chain in 8 steps” blog. Use the following products for maintaining your chain.

Additional checks to perform

The travel of the front fork

Also subject the front fork to a visual and mechanical check. Look for any visible rust spots or feel for any. These can damage the oil seals, resulting in front fork oil leakage. The front fork should be nothing but mirror smooth. Use your front brake and push the front fork in as far as possible to check for any visible oil traces. This is an indicator for the wear and tear of the oil seals. If everything is fine, you can treat the front fork with silicone spray to keep the surface as smooth as possible.

Motorcycle Clothing and Helmet

Is your motorcycle clothing still fitting as snugly as it should and have you maintained your helmet well? If your clothing starts to feel too tight or too loose, it doesn’t hurt to stop by at RAD. If the motorcycle clothing is too tight, your freedom of movement is limited. If the motorcycle clothing is too loose, it becomes dangerous in case of an accident and you would slide on the ground. Tight clothing will slide as it should. Too loose clothing will make you roll at the first contact with the ground instead of sliding, resulting in fractures. This also explains why sliders are attached to racing suits. To keep or bring your motorcycle helmet in top condition, we have already written a blog with “8 Tips to keep your motorcycle helmet in top condition“.

Are you fully ready for the new season?

Now that your motorcycle and your motorcycle gear have been thoroughly checked, it’s time for some introspection. Are you fully ready? It doesn’t hurt to ride to a remote area for your first ride after the winter break to practice your agility on the bike. Practice some figure-eight riding, smooth starting and stopping, dodging objects, and make a few emergency stops. It will help you to rebuild confidence in yourself and your bike. It never hurts to keep practicing these things. Over the past few weeks, I have spotted many a motorcyclist practicing in the empty parking lot of the local supermarket on Sundays.

Related links:

• Maintenance and spare parts
• Motorcycle equipment
• Motorcycle helmets