First days: Living with a motorcycle: Difference between revisions

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'''Check the Oil'''

Your engine's oil should be checked about every week or two, or every time you ride if it's less often than that.

Your engine's oil should [[How do I check my oil?|be checked]] about every week or two, or every time you ride if it's less often than that.

Some bikes have a dipstick, and some bikes have a sight window. Check your owner's manual to see which you have, and where it's located, but they're both easy to check. Always check the oil at least five minutes after the engine last ran, to let most of the oil settle out of the upper reaches of the engine.

Some bikes have a dipstick, and some bikes have a sight window. Check your owner's manual to see which you have and where it's located, but they're both easy to check. Always check the oil at least five minutes after the engine last ran, to let most of the oil settle out of the upper reaches of the engine.

If you have a dipstick, chances are good it's attached to your oil fill cap. This is a hand-removable cap facing upward, somewhere on the engine. Put the bike up on its stand, ideally on the centerstand. Your manual may specify how the bike should be sitting to check the oil; find that information and follow it. Almost always the bike needs to be upright rather than on the sidestand, and on level ground.

First, grab a rag, and loosen the cap. Put the bike in the correct position. Note that if you have to have it upright, but you don't have a stand to help, you can just sit on the bike, or have a friend hold it for you. Pull out the dipstick, and wipe it off. Put it back into the engine and let it sit for a second, then pull it out again. Look at the end of the dipstick. You should see some oil right on the end, and it should come up some length of the dipstick. Near where the oil ends on the stick should be two marks, a "high" mark and a "low" mark. You want the oil to end between these two marks. It shouldn't go over the high mark, and should never ever go below the low mark.

First, grab a rag and loosen the cap. Put the bike in the correct position. Note that if you have to have it upright but you don't have a stand to help, you can just sit on the bike, or have a friend hold it for you. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it off. Put it back into the engine and let it sit for a second, then pull it out again. Look at the end of the dipstick. You should see some oil right on the end, and it should come up some length of the dipstick. Near where the oil ends on the stick should be two marks, a "high" mark and a "low" mark. You want the oil to end between these two marks. It shouldn't go over the high mark, and should never ever go below the low mark.

If you have a sight glass, [[How do I check my oil?|it's even easier]]. Get the bike into the correct position, and take a look at the sight glass. You may need a flashlight or something if you're not outside in daylight (and sometimes even if you are). There should be some indication of a high and low mark. Sometimes it's a circle on the glass, sometimes it's lines on the glass or on the case near the glass, etc. The oil level should settle out somewhere between those two marks.

If you have a sight glass, [[How do I check my oil?|it's even easier]]. Get the bike into the correct position and take a look at the sight glass. You may need a flashlight or something if you're not outside in daylight (and sometimes even if you are). There should be some indication of a high and low mark. Sometimes it's a circle on the glass, sometimes it's lines on the glass or on the case near the glass, etc. The oil level should settle out somewhere between those two marks.

If the oil level is too low, add some oil before you ride again. It probably doesn't take much oil to get from the bottom mark to the top mark, so add it slowly and re-check often. Try adding around an ounce of oil at a time at first, to gauge how fast the level goes up.

If the oil level is too low, add some oil before you ride again. It probably doesn't take much oil to get from the bottom mark to the top mark, so add it slowly and re-check often. Try adding around an ounce of oil at a time at first to gauge how fast the level goes up.

Some people may tell you that it's terribly important not to mix different types of oil, but it isn't really. Oil, for the most part, is oil. Mixing different weights or brands or even synthetic and non synthetic doesn't make much difference. It's much more important that you have enough oil~~, of whatever~~ type, weight or brand.

Some people may tell you that it's terribly important not to mix different types of oil, but it isn't really. Oil, for the most part, is oil. Mixing different weights or brands, or even synthetic and non-synthetic, doesn't make much difference. It's much more important that you have ''enough'' oil than to worry about type, weight or brand.

The one exception to that rule is that for most motorcycles, you want to [[Which oils should NOT be used?|~~avoid~~ "Energy Conserving" oil]]. That rating on the bottle means that the oil could cause your clutch to slip. This isn't a problem for some bikes, but unless you're sure, avoid the Energy Conserving oils.

The one exception to that rule is that for most motorcycles you want to avoid [[Which oils should NOT be used?|"Energy Conserving" oil]]. That rating on the bottle means that the oil could cause your clutch to slip. This isn't a problem for some bikes, but unless you're sure, avoid the Energy Conserving oils.

'''Lubricate and Adjust the Chain'''

Line 153:

Cleaning the chain is ''way'' easier if you have a centerstand, or swingarm stand. If you don't, you'll have to push the bike around a parking lot as you expose different segments of chain.

It's best to [[How do I clean the drivechain?|clean the chain first]]~~, with some kerosene, WD-40, or specifically designed chain cleaner~~. Soak the chain with your cleaner of choice, and then wipe it off with a rag you don't care about (this is a messy job!). If you have latex or nitrile gloves, this is a good job for them.

It's best to [[How do I clean the drivechain?|clean the chain first]]. Soak the chain with your cleaner of choice, and then wipe it off with a rag you don't care about (this is a messy job!). If you have latex or nitrile gloves, this is a good job for them.

Once the chain is clean, go for a little ride~~. Ideally~~ about 5-10 miles. This will warm up the chain, and evaporate any cleaner left on it. This short ride without any lubrication won't hurt the chain.

Once the chain is clean, go for a little ride, ideally about 5-10 miles. This will warm up the chain and evaporate any cleaner left on it. This short ride without any lubrication won't hurt the chain.

As soon as you get back, start applying your lube of choice to the chain. A good method is to apply a drop of lube to each roller, one on each side, at the sideplate. Apply it on the inside of the chain, so it will tend to work itself outward once the chain is spinning. You mostly want the lube to get down between the sideplates of the chain. Lubricating the rollers and the outside of the chain is fine, but you really want it inside the chain.

Once the chain has gone a full revolution and you've hit every link, wipe off any excess with your rag. You're done with lubricating.

For more information on lubing the chain, [[How often should I lube the chain; what should I use to do so?|see here]].

For information on checking your drivechain's slack, see [[How do I measure chain slack?|this article]].

@@ Line 120: / Line 120: @@
 '''Check the Oil'''
-Your engine's oil should be checked about every week or two, or every time you ride if it's less often than that.
+Your engine's oil should [[How do I check my oil?|be checked]] about every week or two, or every time you ride if it's less often than that.
-Some bikes have a dipstick, and some bikes have a sight window. Check your owner's manual to see which you have, and where it's located, but they're both easy to check. Always check the oil at least five minutes after the engine last ran, to let most of the oil settle out of the upper reaches of the engine.
+Some bikes have a dipstick, and some bikes have a sight window. Check your owner's manual to see which you have and where it's located, but they're both easy to check. Always check the oil at least five minutes after the engine last ran, to let most of the oil settle out of the upper reaches of the engine.
 If you have a dipstick, chances are good it's attached to your oil fill cap. This is a hand-removable cap facing upward, somewhere on the engine. Put the bike up on its stand, ideally on the centerstand. Your manual may specify how the bike should be sitting to check the oil; find that information and follow it. Almost always the bike needs to be upright rather than on the sidestand, and on level ground.
-First, grab a rag, and loosen the cap. Put the bike in the correct position. Note that if you have to have it upright, but you don't have a stand to help, you can just sit on the bike, or have a friend hold it for you. Pull out the dipstick, and wipe it off. Put it back into the engine and let it sit for a second, then pull it out again. Look at the end of the dipstick. You should see some oil right on the end, and it should come up some length of the dipstick. Near where the oil ends on the stick should be two marks, a "high" mark and a "low" mark. You want the oil to end between these two marks. It shouldn't go over the high mark, and should never ever go below the low mark.
+First, grab a rag and loosen the cap. Put the bike in the correct position. Note that if you have to have it upright but you don't have a stand to help, you can just sit on the bike, or have a friend hold it for you. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it off. Put it back into the engine and let it sit for a second, then pull it out again. Look at the end of the dipstick. You should see some oil right on the end, and it should come up some length of the dipstick. Near where the oil ends on the stick should be two marks, a "high" mark and a "low" mark. You want the oil to end between these two marks. It shouldn't go over the high mark, and should never ever go below the low mark.
-If you have a sight glass, [[How do I check my oil?|it's even easier]]. Get the bike into the correct position, and take a look at the sight glass. You may need a flashlight or something if you're not outside in daylight (and sometimes even if you are). There should be some indication of a high and low mark. Sometimes it's a circle on the glass, sometimes it's lines on the glass or on the case near the glass, etc. The oil level should settle out somewhere between those two marks.
+If you have a sight glass, [[How do I check my oil?|it's even easier]]. Get the bike into the correct position and take a look at the sight glass. You may need a flashlight or something if you're not outside in daylight (and sometimes even if you are). There should be some indication of a high and low mark. Sometimes it's a circle on the glass, sometimes it's lines on the glass or on the case near the glass, etc. The oil level should settle out somewhere between those two marks.
-If the oil level is too low, add some oil before you ride again. It probably doesn't take much oil to get from the bottom mark to the top mark, so add it slowly and re-check often. Try adding around an ounce of oil at a time at first, to gauge how fast the level goes up.
+If the oil level is too low, add some oil before you ride again. It probably doesn't take much oil to get from the bottom mark to the top mark, so add it slowly and re-check often. Try adding around an ounce of oil at a time at first to gauge how fast the level goes up.
-Some people may tell you that it's terribly important not to mix different types of oil, but it isn't really. Oil, for the most part, is oil. Mixing different weights or brands or even synthetic and non synthetic doesn't make much difference. It's much more important that you have enough oil, of whatever type, weight or brand.
+Some people may tell you that it's terribly important not to mix different types of oil, but it isn't really. Oil, for the most part, is oil. Mixing different weights or brands, or even synthetic and non-synthetic, doesn't make much difference. It's much more important that you have ''enough'' oil than to worry about type, weight or brand.
-The one exception to that rule is that for most motorcycles, you want to [[Which oils should NOT be used?|avoid "Energy Conserving" oil]]. That rating on the bottle means that the oil could cause your clutch to slip. This isn't a problem for some bikes, but unless you're sure, avoid the Energy Conserving oils.
+The one exception to that rule is that for most motorcycles you want to avoid [[Which oils should NOT be used?|"Energy Conserving" oil]]. That rating on the bottle means that the oil could cause your clutch to slip. This isn't a problem for some bikes, but unless you're sure, avoid the Energy Conserving oils.
 '''Lubricate and Adjust the Chain'''
@@ Line 153: / Line 153: @@
 Cleaning the chain is ''way'' easier if you have a centerstand, or swingarm stand. If you don't, you'll have to push the bike around a parking lot as you expose different segments of chain.
-It's best to [[How do I clean the drivechain?|clean the chain first]], with some kerosene, WD-40, or specifically designed chain cleaner. Soak the chain with your cleaner of choice, and then wipe it off with a rag you don't care about (this is a messy job!). If you have latex or nitrile gloves, this is a good job for them.
+It's best to [[How do I clean the drivechain?|clean the chain first]]. Soak the chain with your cleaner of choice, and then wipe it off with a rag you don't care about (this is a messy job!). If you have latex or nitrile gloves, this is a good job for them.
-Once the chain is clean, go for a little ride. Ideally about 5-10 miles. This will warm up the chain, and evaporate any cleaner left on it. This short ride without any lubrication won't hurt the chain.
+Once the chain is clean, go for a little ride, ideally about 5-10 miles. This will warm up the chain and evaporate any cleaner left on it. This short ride without any lubrication won't hurt the chain.
 As soon as you get back, start applying your lube of choice to the chain. A good method is to apply a drop of lube to each roller, one on each side, at the sideplate. Apply it on the inside of the chain, so it will tend to work itself outward once the chain is spinning. You mostly want the lube to get down between the sideplates of the chain. Lubricating the rollers and the outside of the chain is fine, but you really want it inside the chain.
 Once the chain has gone a full revolution and you've hit every link, wipe off any excess with your rag. You're done with lubricating.
+For more information on lubing the chain, [[How often should I lube the chain; what should I use to do so?|see here]].
 For information on checking your drivechain's slack, see [[How do I measure chain slack?|this article]].