The importance of regular motorcycle inspections

With the rain we’ve had this year in Wisconsin, not only are the bugs plentiful, they are the size of horses. When they go splat, it doesn’t take long for the bug juice to erode even the toughest protective coatings. It’s important to protect your ride, but this article isn’t about washing your bike. It's about the importance of regular inspections. When you’re washing and detailing your bike, it’s a perfect opportunity to kill two birds (or Wisconsin mosquitos) with one stone.

Strip it down and lift it up! Take off what you can and if you have a portable lift, hoist it up.

I’ve found so many things on a simple service that the owner never knew was an issue:

• Tires that have dry rot, improper wear, cracking, and screws/nails
• Loose fasteners
• Fluid leaks at engine, brakes, fork seals, and final drive
• Drive chains and sprockets that are past service life and/or drive belts that are damaged or loose
• Lights that are out or broken lenses (I recently had a bad brake light switch on my new bike and never knew until I cleaned it and did a check over)

We can all agree we’d rather be riding than cleaning, but taking a little extra time to inspect critical areas of your bike could save a life or a good ride. Although this should be common sense, it’s often overlooked.

Enjoy every day you can and take some extra time to make sure you are safe!

About the author:
John "Woody" Graves is one of those "been there, done that" motorcycle enthusiasts. Enthusiast is actually an understatement; it’s his passion and way of life. Woody’s passion dates back to 1971 when he started motocross racing. Since then he’s dedicated his life to restoring, fabricating, and repairing motorcycles. Today, Woody owns and operates his own motorcycle shop in Waukesha, WI. He’s also still racing and a promoter of the Midwest Vintage MX series. With five decades of experience working on his own bikes, building race bikes, and servicing customer’s bikes, he has the knowledge to help you enjoy your ride and stay safe on the road.