With the sun creeping onto the horizon a little earlier each morning and a corresponding increase in morning temperatures making an early start to the day more enticing, now’s the time to make sure that your adventure motorbike is ready for duty. Here’s a checklist:
1. Sight inspection
Assuming that you treated your motorcycle to a thorough clean before storing it through winter, take a moment to give the machine a handlebars-to-tyre tread look over to make sure that nothing obvious has loosened or even detached while it’s been parked. With the battery connected to a trickle charger, remember to pay close attention to whether this important item appears similarly in good condition.
2. Tread carefully
The two narrow bands of rubber tasked with keeping your motorcycle upright on the road, it’s important to inspect the general condition of your tyres. This includes recommended pressures, any sign of damage to either the tread of the respective sidewalls and, indeed, the age of the rubber itself. This last check can be made by noting whether the sideway markings are still valid according to the stamped date of manufacture.
3. Check your Terminals
With the motorbike battery afforded one last full charge before being stowed correctly through winter, it’s nevertheless a good idea to ensure that this item is still in good working order before you head off into the unknown. This inspection can be done at any approved SABAT battery stockist.
4. Light the way
With the motorcycle running smoothly, always check to make sure that all the lights are working correctly before setting off. This includes headlamps, indicators and the brake light. A misbehaving light could hint at a broader electrical problem or fault.
5. Stopping power
A component often overlooked in terms of inspection is the braking system on your motorcycle. After a relatively long period of inactivity, it’s advisable that you make certain your brakes, front and rear, are still working optimally before pressing ‘Go’ on your navigation app.
6. Bugging out
You’ll laugh at the idea and thank us later, but it’s a good habit to carefully inspect your riding gear, including soft luggage cases and leathers for any unwelcome visitors that may have moved in over the winter months.