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Pre-ride
Safety Inspections
“It
sure is a pretty day. I think I’ll go for a ride!”
Which is usually followed by you hopping on your
motorcycle (after properly ATGATTing yourself up of
course) and taking off.
So when was the last time you checked the air in your
tires? Is there oil in your engine? How’s your chain?
It seems that if there is an issue, chances are really
good that you’ll discover it when your exactly half
way into your ride, so this week I want to discuss
pre-ride safety inspections.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation created the T-CLOCK
mnemonic as a memory and organization ad for a pre-ride
safety check of a typical motorcycle. Each letter
represents a particular inspection category, as follows:
 | T - Tires & Wheels |
| C - Controls |
| L - Lights and Accessories |
| O – Oil and Fluids |
| C – Chain and Chassis |
| K – Kickstand
|
- Check your Tire
pressure. Do your wheels look OK? Spokes?
- Operate the Controls:
throttle, clutch, front and rear brakes and shifter.
- Check your brake Lights,
turn signals, and all other electrical equipment and
switches, including the horn.
- Check your Oil
and coolant levels. And make sure to look at your
oil. Milky oil is usually a sign of a
water-pump-seal failure—quite common on the F.
- Make sure your Chain
(or belt for you BlackBelt folks) is adjusted
according to specifications.
- Check that the Kickstand
is operating properly (I’ve seen the K left off,
in other words T-CLOC, but I like the K left on the
mnemonic since some of us don’t have center stands
as a backup if the kickstand were to fail).
A few other things you can do…
| Turn the handlebars to make certain your
motorcycle is turning smoothly and properly. A
notchy feeling is usually an indication your SHBs
(steering head bearings) may need to be replaced.
|
| Look for any oil or coolant under the engine (on
the floor). Coolant on the ground could be a sign
your water-pump seals have failed.
|
| Look at your fork tubes. Any oil leaking from the
seals? |
So when’s the best time to do the pre-ride
inspection? Duh… before you ride! Well, it turns out
there are two schools of thought on this.
Obviously you can do this before you ride, but some
folks suggest it be done immediately when you return
from a ride. The reasoning is if there is an issue, you
have the opportunity to fix it (and maybe get parts in
from Germany) when there is time to do so. Finding an
issue right before you take off on a ride could ruin
your day.
I must admit… I don’t do my pre-ride inspections
until I am about to leave on a ride. The only thing I
want to do after one of my rides is sit in a comfortable
chair or take a nap. I also am of the opinion it’s
better to ensure proper tire pressure before you leave.
And if my water-pump seals fail, the puddle of coolant
from the weep hole will easier to see after the
motorcycle has spent the night in the garage.
Regardless…
A proper inspection will help to ensure your motorcycle
is in proper working order and perhaps reduce the chance
of injury or equipment damage. It only takes a couple of
minutes, so make it part of your routine… T-CLOCK.
Be Safe!
References:
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/pre_ride_motorcycle_inspection/
http://msf-usa.org/
http://www.ehow.com/how_5253_check-motorcycle-before.html |
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