Guides

Step-by-step maintenance, repair, mods and setup from the community.

Change your brake fluid & bleed the brakes

Brake fluid absorbs water over time, and water lowers its boiling point - which is how brakes go spongy or fade under hard use. Changing the fluid and bleeding out any air restores a firm lever and full stopping power. This is a genuinely safety-critical job with a clear right way to do it; if you are not confident testing the result, have it checked before you ride.

moderate · 45 min

Maintenance

Check & replace your air filter

The air filter keeps grit out of your engine while letting it breathe. Clogged, it strangles power and economy and runs the fuelling rich; missing or badly fitted, it lets abrasive dust straight into the top end. This covers getting to the airbox, checking the filter, cleaning or replacing it by type, and - the part people get wrong - keeping debris out of the intake and sealing it back up properly.

moderate · 40 min

Maintenance

Lay your motorcycle up for winter (and wake it back up)

A bike parked badly for a few months comes back with a flat battery, gummed-up fuel, corrosion and flat-spotted tyres. A bike parked well comes back and starts. This is the lay-up routine - fuel, battery, protection, tyres and cover - plus the checks to run before that first ride in spring. Half an hour now saves a miserable, expensive wake-up later.

easy · 60 min

Cleaning

Wash your motorcycle without wrecking it

A proper wash does more than look good: it clears corrosive road salt and chain fling, and it's when you spot leaks, loose bolts and worn parts up close. It also has real ways to go wrong - blasting a pressure washer at wheel bearings, linkages, the chain or electrics forces water where it does damage. This is the safe routine: cool bike, gentle rinse, two-bucket wash top-down, wheels last, dry, and re-lube the chain.

easy · 45 min

Maintenance

Charge, maintain & jump-start a flat battery

Most 'dead' motorcycle batteries aren't dead - they're flat from sitting, and a smart charger brings them back. This covers identifying your battery type (it decides which charger is safe), charging it properly, keeping it healthy over a lay-up, and safely jump-starting when you're caught out. Get the type and the connection order right and this is a five-minute job; get them wrong and you can ruin a battery or worse.

easy · 30 min

Maintenance

Check & set your tyre pressures

Tyre pressure is the cheapest, fastest safety check you can do, and the one riders skip most. Correct pressure gives you grip, even wear, stable handling and the right contact patch; a few psi low ruins all four. This covers finding your bike's numbers, checking them the right way (cold), adjusting, and giving the tyres a quick condition look while you're down there. Two minutes a week saves tyres and skin.

easy · 15 min

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Maintenance

Clean, lube & adjust your chain

A clean, correctly-tensioned and lubricated chain runs smoother, lasts far longer and protects your sprockets and gearbox. This routine covers getting the rear wheel up, cleaning and inspecting the chain, lubing it properly and setting the slack to spec before torquing the axle and fitting a fresh cotter pin. Do it regularly and especially after wet or dusty rides.

easy · 30 min

Maintenance

Check & change your brake pads

Brake pads are a wear item with a direct line to your safety. This guide covers inspecting pad wear and replacing a worn set on a typical disc-brake caliper: removing the caliper, pushing the pistons back, fitting fresh pads, refitting to torque and bedding them in. Brakes are safety-critical — if anything feels wrong, stop and have it checked before riding.

moderate · 40 min

Maintenance

Check & change your engine oil

Clean oil at the right level is the single cheapest way to keep your engine alive. This walks through a complete oil-and-filter change on a typical motorcycle: warming the engine, draining the old oil, swapping the filter, refilling with the correct grade and confirming the level. Set aside about 45 minutes, work on a level surface, and have a way to dispose of the old oil responsibly.

easy · 45 min

Guides?

Change your brake fluid & bleed the brakes

Check & replace your air filter

Lay your motorcycle up for winter (and wake it back up)

Wash your motorcycle without wrecking it

Charge, maintain & jump-start a flat battery

Check & set your tyre pressures

Clean, lube & adjust your chain

Check & change your brake pads

Check & change your engine oil

Guides