What’s the Most Important Motorcycle Maintenance I Should be Doing?

motorcycle maintenanceLike any vehicle, you own from your lawnmower to your motorhome regular maintenance is important.  Motorcycle maintenance is even more important for a few reasons.  First, your motorcycle is a high-performance machine so many parts are working very close to the edge so without the right maintenance you’ve got a higher chance of breaking down.  Second, since you’re on 2 wheels if your bike doesn’t operate the way you expect it to, it can be very dangerous.  

There are a lot of important motorcycle maintenance items that we wouldn’t recommend skipping on.  Things like keeping your tire pressure correct, lubricating your chain or shaft drive, and keeping things clean are certainly important and both in safety and protecting the value of your bike.

In our opinion, the most important maintenance item you can do on your motorcycle is to keep the oil changed.  

In your motorcycle the oil lubricates both the engine and transmission so by hanging it on time you’re benefiting both your engine transmission.  By keeping your engine and transmission properly maintained you’re not only protecting the value of your bike you are making sure it’s safe to ride.  Your motorcycle having the power you expect and up and downshifting the way you expect will not only make your ride comfortable but can help keep you safe especially if you get into a sticky situation.  In extreme cases, a poorly lubricated motor or transmission could seize up which would lock up your back tire and could cause a crash.

There are some of us that put enough miles on our bikes and ride year-round so it’s easy enough to keep up with engine oil changes since we hit the mileage requirements to change the oil quickly.  If you’re like most riders then you probably don’t commute full time on your bike and it can be a struggle to hit the mileage limits on an oil change in a season.  The other factor is if you live in a cooler climate and your riding season is short and your storage season is long.  

There are a few reasons why it’s important to change your oil every season regardless of your mileage.  The biggest reason is to help protect your engine and transmission during the offseason.  We recommend changing your oil a few miles before you put your bike away for the winter.  As your ride over the course of the season, the combustion process is going to deposit sulfur into your oil.  If you leave sulfur infused oil in your motorcycle while it’s stored it will become sulfuric acid which can damage your engine and transmission.  Sulfuric acid can cause pitting in the smooth surfaces of bearings, crankshafts, and camshafts leading to inefficiencies and weakness in engine components.

When you’re ready to change your oil consider using Goldfire Synthetic 4T Motor Oil.  Goldfire Synthetic 4T Motor is available in 10W-40 and 20W-50 weights and is recommended for all 10W-30, 10W-40, 20W-40, and 20W-50 applications.  It’s specifically designed to protect the bearings in your motor and transmissions, your piston rings, and your clutch.  If you’re ready to store your bike for the winter change your oil using Goldfire motor oil today!

Photo by Tekton on Unsplash