Motorcycle Maintenance FAQ’s
The fourth part of our IAM RoadSmart series features Stewart Mackie, who is the Regional Road Safety Manager – Scotland and North.
Stewart was in the Scottish police force for 30 years and retired as Superintendent of Road Policing. During his service, he was also a police driving instructor and examiner, ensuring the safety of other officers and the general public during cases such as high-speed pursuits and complicated driving situations. This was for both cars and motorcycles.
Stewart brings us the most commonly used practice for IAM RoadSmart, which is the POWDERY checks. These are the main things a rider is expected to check before going out on their bike. There are, of course, other, bigger and scheduled maintenance services for motorcycles, but if you’ve never heard of this, let’s break it down.
P – Petrol/Power
Have you got enough petrol/power to get to where you’re travelling to? Most bikes on the road are petrol, but with the introduction of EVs, we must make this relevant to electric vehicles too. There’s no good going from Suffolk to Brands Hatch with a quarter of a tank – so make sure, unless you’re planning to stop, that you have enough fuel. You never know what situation you could find yourself in: traffic build-up, diversions that could prevent these scheduled stops, so it’s best not to risk it down to the wire.
O – Oil
A quick check in the bike’s inspection window to ensure you have enough oil could be the difference between a smooth journey or an abrupt stop. If there’s not enough oil, the engine could seize and it could throw you off. Not ideal!
W – Water
This one is assuming you don’t have an air-cooled bike! But maintaining a good water/coolant level is vital for the health of your motorcycle. Ensuring you check while the bike is cool/before you ride will mean you don’t have to worry about your vehicle overheating. This is so important if you regularly cover motorway miles or long journeys in general. Even if you only use the bike for short journeys, don’t assume that shorter journeys mean you don’t need to check.
D – Damage
Make sure there is no damage to your motorcycle. We aren’t talking scratches or scrapes, but the condition of your tyres, mirrors, etc. Particularly with mirrors, ensure they’re in good condition to help you get the most out of the journey and your surroundings. You’re far more exposed on a motorcycle than in any other vehicle, so ensuring you have good visibility of the roads around you is more vital than most.
E – Electrics
Check all the lights are working; ensure the indicators are working properly. It’s easy to assume that everything is in good working order, but actually, other road users are going to struggle to let you know if they aren’t. You’d hate for an indicator bulb to be out when you’re trying to exit a roundabout, giving other road users no idea where you’re intending to go. Perhaps you’re riding back from work in the winter and the conditions are dark and wet – you need to be seen and will struggle more than a car, so stacking the odds more in your favour of being seen is so important.
R – Rubber
Make sure your tyres meet the legal tread depth and are in good condition. Maybe you’ve bought a second-hand bike, which is new to you, but how old are the tyres? Just do a once-over to make sure you haven’t missed a pesky nail, or that the sidewalls are not in great condition. Check that they aren’t under- or over-inflated. “You’ve got a patch of grip about the size of your hands on the road, so ensuring you have as good a chance of good grip as possible will be the difference between you travelling successfully in tricky conditions.”
Y – YOU!
“The most important part of this is the YOU element. Make sure you’re well rested, fit, and not under the influence of anything – including medication that you may not understand impacts your riding.” If you’re planning a long trip, make sure you have regular stops planned, as your body will begin to get tired, your reactions will slow down, and you won’t be enjoying the ride – which ultimately, is the reason we all do it.
We asked Stewart “In your experience in the police force, have you seen the worse side of riders not carrying out simple checks before going out for a ride?”
“You could be setting off from your house on a gloriously sunny day; perhaps you’re only going out for a few hours fairly locally – but your tyres don’t have enough tread. If the weather changes and your tyres are unable to disperse water, your handling could be hugely impacted. There have been quite a few occasions where riders’ tyres have caused a collision. Second to that, although not as serious as a crash, we’ve seen many riders stranded because they haven’t checked their fuel before leaving. I live in rural Scotland (Aberdeenshire), so you just don’t think of exploring on your bike without checking your fuel level, as you will be stranded with little to no phone signal.”
Stewart also cemented “You need all your wits about you – you are more vulnerable. Some people, if they’re having a bad day, go for a run; others go out on their motorcycle. I can totally understand this; however, if you’re not in the right headspace, sometimes it’s safer to wait until the storm has passed, as this is when you can make mistakes.”
A lot of dealers are now taking motorcycle maintenance more seriously when it comes to new bike purchases. Not everyone comes from a biking background, and not everyone has friends that ride bikes either. So some people may genuinely not know how best to look after their motorcycle from home. Looking after your bike between routine servicing is the best way to keep it in the best condition possible. You will begin to know the bike inside out; therefore, if there are ever any discrepancies, you will notice a lot quicker, as you’ll be far more familiar due to the routine checking.
Support circles for bikers
It’s totally okay to not know where to start. Maybe you’re in your later 50s, newly passed your full bike licence, but last rode a bike in your early 20s. It’s totally okay to not know where to start even if you’ve had brief experience or none at all. There are plenty of groups, such as the local IAM RoadSmart groups, that are packed full of people willing to help. Everyone started somewhere, and where safety is concerned, there is no such thing as a silly question.
Maintenance in used bikes
It’s probably worth noting that when buying a second-hand bike, it may have high mileage, be a few years old, or be at the point in its life where bigger maintenance jobs may be due depending on the engine type/mileage. Maintenance is important for all bikes, but particularly older models or bikes you have bought from owners before. Stewart mentions it’s important when buying a second-hand bike that you can see it’s had some sort of service history – most bikers take real pride in their vehicles; however, some people don’t care as much, which could mean a bike has been neglected for servicing – causing potential future issues. “When you’re cleaning your bike, it’s probably the best time to be giving it the once-over check, ensuring you’re using some of the POWDERY checks listed above.”
“One of the biggest things we see people neglect is their tyre pressures. They will have a quick look if the bike is on the stand, maybe the tyres aren’t even compressed – they will take a brief look and assume all is okay. The reality is they should be checking at least once a week if it’s your main commuter.”
Don’t be caught out, these checks may sound repetitive and what you already do prior to riding however they really could save your bacon when you least expect it. Maybe you’re reading this thinking hmm, when did I last check my tyre pressures, or my indicator lights, coolant levels. You never know when you might wish you’d have made these checks before heading out on your bike.
Stick with us for the last feature of the IAM RoadSmart series, they also have a very snazzy new website so be sure to check this out. You can find a whole host of information on their website including your own local groups, how you can get involved and more. Find out more about IAM RoadSmart’s Advanced Rider course here.