If you just purchased a motorcycle but haven't looked into maintenance very much, the tips in this post can help you stay on top of simple motorcycle maintenance tasks.

Motorcycle Maintenance Tips for New Riders

If you're a new motorcycle owner, you'll want to do your best to keep your motorcycle riding great and looking even better. After all, purchasing a motorcycle is no small investment. To help you take care of your new ride, check out the following maintenance tips for new riders.

Read Your Bike's Manual

If you're looking for the best instructions on how to keep your motorcycle well maintained, start by reading your owner's manual. Most owner's manuals will have instructions that make it easy to keep up with a maintenance schedule that is right for your bike. They will tell you how often to inspect, clean, replace, adjust, and lubricate different parts of your motorcycle. These will often be set by miles traveled or timeframes that make sense for your model. When it's time to get to work on something, you can either do it yourself or head over to the shop. If this is your first motorcycle, you may not feel completely comfortable performing all the maintenance yourself, but as time goes by, you'll become a pro.

Keeping up With Regular Maintenance Is a Must

Most of the maintenance your motorcycle will require involves inspecting parts, making adjustments, and changing fluids. If your motorcycle is brand new, this may be easier because there is less wear to deal with. Over time, you motorcycle will start to require more care, making it more time consuming. The important thing is that you stick to taking care of what needs adjusting or topping off because it will help your motorcycle stay in better shape for longer. Neglecting maintenance can lead to serious issues that can really take a toll on your motorcycle. Perform maintenance tasks when needed and if you can't do them yourself, don't feel bad. The pros are there for a reason. One important maintenance task you should never skip is a synthetic oil change. For help finding the right oil for the job, contact Schell Distributing Inc. They can recommend products like AMSOIL's Signature Series 0W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil. Call them at (208)524-0322 to learn more or check out the information available on the online store.

Maintenance to Perform at Home

If you've never performed maintenance on your motorcycle, start with some easy processes you can definitely do yourself. Below are some maintenance tasks you'll have no trouble performing.

Tire Check

It's important that you check your tire pressure weekly so that you're not driving around on over or under inflated tires since both of these are no good. Use a pressure gauge to check where your tire pressure is and compare this to the recommended pressure in your owner's manual. If it's not quite right, you can easily adjust this at your local gas station.

Chain Tension

Riding around with the incorrect chain tension may not seem like a big deal, but it can lead to some serious issues. Your manual should have some instructions on how to properly adjust your chain. While you read these instructions, don't forget to adjust the tension with some load on the bike. Since there will always be some weight on the bike (you) as you ride around, you need to take this into account when setting the chain tension. While you're working on the chain, take a couple minutes to lubricate it as well.

Oil Changes

When changing your motorcycle's oil, you'll need to gather a few supplies, including a synthetic motorcycle oil, a good oil filter, and a few other tools. You may also want to pull up your owner's manual for more detailed instructions on how to change your oil and filter. The process basically requires that you drain your current oil, remove the filter, replace the filter, and fill up your engine with fresh oil.

Cleaning

Cleaning and washing your motorcycle will make your bike shiny and impressive, but this simple task will also help your motorcycle stay in better shape. Washing off built on gunk will keep rust and other damage from affecting your motorcycle. Wash your motorcycle often with warm water and motorcycle shampoo for the best results. Don't forget to also dry it and add a layer of wax to it to protect it from the elements.

Synthetic Oil Change in Idaho Falls, ID

If you're getting ready to give your motorcycle its first oil change, be sure it's a synthetic oil change in Idaho Falls, ID. To find the perfect oil for your ride, contact Schell Distributing Inc. They can help you select the best AMSOIL synthetic oil for your motorcycle. Give them a call at (208)524-0322 to learn more.