Bike Maintenance and Safe Biking

I have come across many people asking me questions on Bike Maintenance, Maintenance tips, and safe biking as I'm well known to others for bike maintenance and safe biking in our community. Even after 5 years, my bike still looks as new because of good maintenance and safe biking. Hence I thought I could share some information on bike maintenance and safe biking to the viewers. First of all, one must understand what is their limit, reflex speed and of course bike's limits. I know what my limits are and I know what my bike is. That's why I would say I'm good at safe biking. Looks simple isn't? Well, it's that simple. The first thing to be a good biker is to have a very good bike.

Deciding the bike:

This section is not about bike maintenance or safe biking but about deciding your bike. First you need to have a good bike or rather the bike for your needs. When you think of buying a new bike, simply don't go for a bike which your neighbor or a friend has. Decide on the segment which is best suited for your need. If you are traveling more distance and looking for powerful machine go for higher end bikes with 150 -180 CC segment or higher. If you are light user or looking of value for money or the mileage go for 100-125 CC segment. Always test ride all the bikes in your segment and decide the bike on your comfortability, maneuverability, maintainability, value for money and other factors. Don't think that power/mileage is the word of the day. Sometime back on Indian Roads, wherever you go you will find a Pulsar there. When people think of a power bike, they always went for Pulsar. It served people too. But now the shares of bikes are gradually changing with the advent of new bikes from Hero Honda, TVS, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, etc.

Initial (Crucial) period of the new bike: Now, a new bike which runs normally is not an easy sentence. Bike maintenance in this period is very crucial to your bike. The very first time you get a new bike, remember all its components are so new, that even the bare minimum 1% initial run, wear & tear have also not occurred. Take extra caution not to stall the engine as much as possible in the first 100 Kms. Take care to observe initially where the 4000 rpm mark and try to make a mental note of the sound of the engine. This will help in Bumper-to-Bumper (B2B) traffic. Never over-rev the engine unnecessarily. Do follow the maintenance schedules printed on your vehicle's manual/hand book. This is very much needed in your bike maintenance. Don't exceed 50-60 Kmph (In Top gear) in the running-in period (approx 1500 Kms). The longer the better be.

Open the throttle of your bike: Everyone knows it's very difficult to hold the power of your new bike in the running-in period. It is highly irresistible to open the power-band of any power bike. The running-in period of 1500 Kms (or even more, depending on your choice) will have gone at snail's pace. Once this period of testing is over, you may open the throttle of the bike, but never lock out the throttle. Always use a maximum of 80% throttle; this will give u better maneuverability. In regular daily usage, never always run the engine in excess of 70-80 Kmph for 150 cc & 80-90 Kmph for 180 cc. This way, the engine will be least strained, your travel will be smoother and quicker. Also, things will not be too dangerous. This is advisable for safe biking. The only dangerous thing about doing this speed is a dramatic fall.

Keeping the wheel turning:

When the bike reaches is its normal performance phase, it is your duty to keep away from pot-holes, not to race the engine in city conditions and hard-braking. When you get your bike serviced, get it done always at one place, under one trained mechanic. He would have read the condition of your bike and hence, each service will mean betterment of your bike. Never let the engine oil run for more than 3000 Kms or 2 months. Engine life depends mainly on oil and good quality fuel. IOC Premium 91 Oct. fuel is highly recommended for power bikes. Anything extra will lead to carbon deposits. Always fill your tanks at one/specific pumps. Nowadays the quality of fuel differs from pumps to pumps. Never get the bike tuned to a very high mileage setting. Lean mixture takes in more air and less petrol resulting in engine burnouts. Instead, get the bike tuned for normal power which will give you 90% of the maximum mileage, 100% power and amazing reliability and silky smoothness.

Replacement of Spares: Do replace the following spares at regular intervals for better life of the vehicle on the whole. This is also a part of bike maintenance.

Rear Brake Shoes: Every 10K Kms.
Front Brake Pads: Every 15K Kms.
Oil Filter element: Every 10K Kms.

Brake Fluid (Disc): Every 20K Kms.
Clutch Plates (Friction plates): Every 30K Kms.
Chain Sprocket Set: Every 30K Kms.
Rear Tyre and Tube: Every 30K Kms.
Front Tyre and Tube: Every 55K Kms.
Speedometer Worm and Cable: Depends on road conditions.
Clutch Cable: Every 25K Kms. (Depends on dusty conditions).
Accelerator Cable: Every 30K Kms.
Spark Plug: Every 60K Kms.

Some do's:

Follow some of these tips for better bike maintenance.

Keep the air pressure as specified.
Inspect fuel pipe's condition before every service. Get it replaced if necessary.
Check the condition of the inlet manifold. If damage found, replace immediately.
Oil leakages in and around the engine/Crankcase/gearbox should be identified and reported to bike mechanic. Ignore oil leakages around chain guard.
Start with the choke on always during cold start.

Try to kick the bike 10-15 times before switching the ignition on. That way, the engine oil will start circulation, hence avoiding most of the damage done during the initial warm-up phase.
Wash the bike once a week and polish it. This way, the bike's body parts should not get rusted or lose paint.

Always use good quality fuel.

Ride with proper documents and good riding gear.

Some Don'ts:
Don't cross the safety speed marked on odometer very often

Avoid racing in city limits. This is not advisable for safe biking

Ignoring warning noises (like tappet noise, chain loose noise etc.) could cause bigger damage in the long run.
Never ignore traffic rules. These are meant to save you, not harm you.
Keep the geometry of the tires as it is. They are designed to deliver you the best.

Finally to conclude, bike maintenance and safe biking are very much important for you and your bike. If you are not able to follow all the above, at least have your periodically serviced at authorized service centers and keep it clean. This way, you could avoid most of the problems. Also give respect to the fellow riders and follow the traffic rules.