Maintaining your Honda

Maintaining your Honda motorcycle properly will provide you with years of trouble free riding.

Keeping your motorcycle well maintained is absolutely essential for safety and to obtain maximum performance. Periodic maintenance should be performed in accordance with proper standards by specially trained and equipped technicians.

However, you can start with basic safety checks yourself if you have the right tools.

This will help you understand the machine you ride and bring you closer to understanding how it works. It will also help you diagnose certain things that might not feel right while you’re riding. For example, tyre pressures will affect the handling of a machine if they are incorrect.

Before you take your machine out on the road give yourself a little time to regularly check the following important things.

They may seem small, but they could prove to be vital.

Make sure the throttle opens and closes smoothly on all steering locations.

Always check the free play in the clutch lever to make sure it is correct. Hydraulic clutches always check the level as you would the brake. Make sure your brake pads are not worn down to the limit and remember to check the brake fluid. No fluid means no brakes!

Cracks can appear during wintertime – even if you're not using your bike. Also, keep a look out for nails, bulges and make sure your tyres are always at the right pressure.

Loss of oil in the fork seals will result in poor suspension performance, so check for any leaks.

Regular changes work wonders for your bike and its longevity. Oil is your engine’s lifeblood.

This is just as important in the summer as it is in winter, so keep it topped up.

Always check the chain tension regularly according to your handbook and make sure your sprockets don't have too much wear in them.

Quickly check the horn button and that all your lights are working, including indicators and stoplight. Make sure your headlight light beam is positioned correctly too. It's easy to blind oncoming drivers, which can be extremely dangerous for both of you.

Finally, have the bike serviced regularly at your local dealer - it will save you a lot in the long run.