Basic Motorcycle Maintenance
For your sake and the sake of other road users, your motorbike has to meet minimum requirements for environment and safety before you start riding it on public roads.
In the UK, the road-worthiness of your machine is determined by an MOT test. For vehicles that are more than three years old, an MOT is required annually. You can’t skip the MOT, since the MOT certificate is required for both road tax and insurance purposes.
| Maintenance type: | How often? |
| MOT | Once a year |
| Oil levels | Every ride (although it may not need adjusting) |
| Brakes (fluid and pads) | Every ride (although it may not need adjusting) |
| Coolant | Every ride (although it may not need adjusting) |
| Tyre Pressure | Every ride |
| Tyre change | Every 10,000 miles/ below 2mm tread depth |
| Spark Plugs | Once a year |
| Chain | Every 500 – 1,000 miles (Check on every ride) |
| Lights | Every ride |
How often you carry out these checks depends on how often you ride your bike; if you’re a commuter and using your bike daily, you should be keeping an eye on your tyre pressure, oil levels and lights as these things can cause serious problems if they aren’t maintained regularly.
If you’re only using your bike for leisure activities and leave long breaks between each ride it’s still recommended to give your bike a quick once over to make sure everything is running smoothly.
Most checks can be done in less than 10 minutes and they’re simple to do.
Check out this short video on motorbike maintenance.
What about if I have an accident?
Being involved in a motorcycle accident can be scary, regardless if you’re a new to two-wheels or have been riding for the past 20 years.
There are certain steps you can take to make sure your bike is as safe as possible when you’re riding – like checking tyre pressure and making sure your lights are working properly to make yourself as visible.
There are a few handy things to remember if you ever happened to be involved in the unfortunate event:
- First things first, are you okay? Seek medical attention if you’re injured or unwell.
- Use your smartphone to take pictures and evidence. You need to document as much detail as possible about the accident.
- Report your accident to your insurers ASAP and have your documentation to hand.
Check out the video below for more advice…
Insured with Devitt? Make sure you call our 24/7 Claims line if you’ve ever involved in an accident on 0345 872 3611.
Insurance
Your motorbike needs to be adequately insured. The cost of insurance is determined by a lot of factors, including the rider’s age, driving record, where the bike is kept, the theft rate of the model of the bike, the population density of where the rider lives and many other considerations. It is recommended that you shop around for the best deal.
You can get an instant quote today for your motorcycle insurance with Devitt or call our friendly team on 0345 872 3614.
Devitt and GBRacing have partnered up to offer you a 10% discount on your motorcycle insurance.