3 Maintainence Considerations Before Buying Your Next Motorcycle

Alright, you survived…

…the first year, maybe two of riding that first motorcycle. Maybe your bike was handed down to you. Maybe you went out and got what you could afford. In any case, you’ve concluded that it’s time to move on, move up, or maybe even move over.

It’s a really special time when you get the confidence to say “Yeah, I’m ready for a big boy/girl bike.” I have no doubt you’re going to brood over all the measures, material or otherwise, you’re going to use to make that decision on buying your next motorcycle.

While several older riders may read this and dismiss my tips as “routine maintenance,” I wish you’ll humor an amateur for just a bit.

I’d like to put some other considerations in your mind while you argue with yourself over horsepower and/or heated grips.

How to Change the Headlight

“Anything that can go wrong will go wrong” – Murphy

Research how to change the headlight. Full stop. Go do it. Do it now if you haven’t already.

I know it sounds like something your parents say before they pack your lunch and send you to school, but seriously. GO RESEARCH HOW TO CHANGE THE HEADLIGHT.

For some motorcycles, it can be a straightforward process and doesn’t even require any specialty tools. If you’re lucky, you may even be able to carry the tools under your seat.

Others, as you’ll learn from my plight, require special tools, small hands, and the gumption to overcome “superior engineering” with pure grit and determination.

It would figure that my first suggestion is brought to you by the experience of buying my sophomore companion, being 1400 miles into a 2300 mile voyage, and finding myself stopped on Interstate 22 by an Alabama Highway Patrol Officer just so they could ask the burning (or rather not so burning) question:

“Sir, are you aware that your headlight is out?”

Strange.

It never occurred to me before.

Maybe that was what the little light on the instrument cluster had been trying to tell me all along.

Guess what, it was.

They didn’t write me a ticket, thankfully, but they did start a sequence of events that had me go through the entire spectrum of human emotion.

A trip to the parts store, a truck stop parking lot, three “how-to” videos, an old lady’s dainty little hands later, and my riding companion was no longer a rolling Cyclops.

Had I known this, I would have changed, or at least checked, every stinkin’ light on the bike before rolling on down the highway. At least that way I would have known what was involved should any issues arise.

Service Intervals and Requirements

“There’s birth, there’s death, and in between, there’s maintenance.” – Tom Robbins

Continuing our theme of maintenance, you should also take the time and think about how much time, money, and effort you want to put into maintaining your next steed.

One of the main attractions to my most recent motorcycle was that it was shaft driven, needed oil changes every 6,000 miles, and only needed the valves adjusted every other oil change.

Those intervals were great for me, seeing as how I run away for 4-6hours at a time.
Now, you might be saying “Well Q, that’s always a consideration. Everyone knows you have to maintain your motorcycle.”

Well yeah, but, I think you’ll find a bunch of owners out there that stretch those “manufacture’s recommendations.”

I surely was. Thankfully, I straightened up before I got in a bad spot.

As a motorcyclist and amateur mechanic, I had to weigh whether I could commit to cleaning and lubing my drive chain every 500 miles when I knew I was going to travel that far (sometimes farther) in a single day.

To be clear, for around town, commutes, and weekends, you might go a full season without a blink at maintenance intervals, and that’s fine. But make sure that your proposed use and maintenance for your next bike mesh with your ability, and commitment levels to own and operate that motorcycle safely.

Nobody needs Motorcycle Protective Services called for mistreating our moto-children.

Tires (Who called it?)

The last maintenance area I’d like to touch on is tires.
That’s right.
Where the rubber meets the road and if it doesn’t it’s you’re @$$.

I had several rude awakenings when I had to put my first set of new shoes on a bike.

Cant take the axle nut off yourself? Have to go somewhere and pay someone.

Got an uncommon size? Have to pay more AND hope someone has it in stock around you.

Happens to be the end of the season? Well, I hope you’re not in any hurry because it’s going to take at least three weeks to work you in and that’s if Tommy or Billy at the service counter thinks to check and see if your one-off, special order came with that day’s parts shipment.

…sorry, I’m still a little salty about that.

Anyway, when I went to purchase my next motorcycle, this experience was in the back of my mind and had me asking questions about the motorcycles I was considering.

Was it a make-or-break factor? Probably not.

But if it had been with a combination of other factors it could certainly have pushed my opinion one way or the other.

And That’s Definitely Not It…

…but it’s the end of my list.

I hope you learned something or if nothing else were entertained.

Every big decision, especially involving lots of machinery traveling at high speeds, should be carefully researched and hopefully thought about thoroughly. I hope this helps you to avoid some of the finer sticking points when it comes to maintenance considerations when you’re buying your next motorcycle and I hope to see you again soon.

Catch ya’ later and stay safe,
-Q