Maintaining Your Motorcycle on the Road
Beginning and experienced motorcyclists alike need to know how to handle an emergency situation with their bikes. Oftentimes, this means performing some maintenance by the side of the road. You never know when something might go wrong with your motorcycle, but it is important to do everything you can to reduce this risk. You also need to know how to deal with problems as they occur.
Harley-Davidson of Fort Wayne is your Indiana motorcycle dealer, serving Kendallville and Auburn. Below, you’ll find our top tips for performing motorcycle maintenance on the road.
1. Do Some Preparatory Work
Keeping your motorcycle all tuned-up to begin with is a great way to reduce the need to perform maintenance on the highway. Look over your owner’s manual to see what tasks need to be performed, including regular oil changes and checking tire pressure levels. If you keep your bike running smoothly, it’s less likely to break down on you.
Also, perform a pre-trip inspection before every ride to catch any issues that might bring your ride to a screeching halt after an hour or two on the road. If you can address these problems now, you can save yourself a major headache later.
2. Equip Yourself Accordingly
Even with the most thorough inspections and maintenance at home, you may still encounter an issue, so you need to be ready to deal with it. To that end, pack yourself a toolkit that fits into one of your motorcycle’s storage compartments. Items you may want to bring include pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers, tire patches, duct tape and a fuel siphon. Also, enter some local and statewide tow truck lines into your phone and look up repair shops along your planned route so you can be ready to contact them if need be.
3. Stay Calm in an Emergency
Once you experience a problem on the road, it’s important to get yourself and your motorcycle to safety as fast as possible. Signal to other motorists and get yourself at least to the right-hand shoulder, if not off the road at the next exit.
Determine whether you can address the problem yourself or whether you should have someone come help you. If there isn’t sufficient space to safely work on your bike amid traffic, you may need to call a tow truck anyway. You may also have the option of getting help with roadside assistance. Whatever you choose to do, just make sure you’re being safe.
Need some professional assistance with your motorcycle before your next ride? Contact the Harley-Davidson of Fort Wayne service department to schedule an appointment with our mechanics. We can address whatever’s going on with your motorcycle and have you back on the road in no time.
Looking to purchase a new bike? Visit our dealership in Fort Wayne, IN, today to view our full stock of new and used motorcycles for sale. We can also provide you with financing options. Harley-Davidson of Fort Wayne serves our Indiana customers in Auburn and Kendallville.