Making sure that you properly do a pre ride motorcycle inspection is vital to your safety. There are a few things that you must make sure that you do to see if your motorcycle is safe before you ride it. You don't want to fall short on these pre ride checks or it could mean a potential problem for you. That is something that you obviously want to avoid at all risks.
A good way to remember all that you should check before you ride would be to remember the acronym TCLOCK. Each letter stands for one of the checks that you should be doing before you get on that motorcycle and even go one mile. Its always better to be safe than sorry, especially on a motorcycle which affords you less protection on the road. You might be the best and safest motorcycle rider there is but you have to contend with other drivers on the road, and they are usually in cars. So making sure that you do your pre ride motorcycle inspection is another way of insuring that you have no worries from your motorcycles performance and you can concentrate on the road and your driving.
TCLOCK stands for: tires, Controls, Lights and Accessories, Oils and Fluids, Chassis and Chain, and Kickstand. First off you need to check your tires and make sure that your air pressure is good, otherwise you could have poor handling and stability. Next make sure that you try the throttle, clutch, front and rear brakes and shifter. Next up are the lights, make sure that they all work. Check the turn signals, brake lights and all of the electrical systems and switches. Make sure that you check the oil and the gas and all of the fluids. The correct way to check your oil is to warm up your motorcycle then stand it up straight and take the dip stick out, wipe it off then put it back in, take it out again and check the level.
The next thing that you should check is the drive train or belt. You want to make sure that they are adjusted according to the manufacturers specifications. Check the handlebars to make sure that everything is moving smoothly and properly. The next thing that you should do is to look for any leaks. Check the whole bike over to make sure that there are no oil, gas or hydraulic fluid leaks. The last thing on the list is to check your kickstand and make sure that it is working right.
Obviously you want to be as safe as you can be on your motorcycle and your pre ride motorcycle inspection is a great step in the right direction. If you check all of those items listed above before you get on your motorcycle to ride any distance well then you are going to be in better shape than if you didn't. It can help you to alleviate or even stop any problems before they turn into something much bigger.
