How to do a pre-ride motorcycle safety check

Motorcycling is not a set-and-forget activity. Even simple bikes are complex machines with lots of moving parts. As competent and reliable as modern motorcycles may be, bits still wear out and break so it’s important to keep up the maintenance and be vigilant about your bike’s condition.

Aircraft pilots won’t leave the ground without ticking off a comprehensive pre-flight checklist. Adopting a similar approach with your bike will ensure your rides are as safe and trouble-free as possible.

Start before you even get to the bike. Is your driving licence current, or did you overlook that renewal notice that came recently? It happens. What about the bike’s registration and insurance – are they paid and up to date? Riding with any of these items expired could mean significant financial pain in the event of an accident or police interaction, so it’s worth staying on top of them.

Give your riding gear a once-over. Check your helmet visor is clean and damage-free and that the shell is in good nick. Do the same with your jacket, pants, boots and gloves, noting any wear and tear. Make sure zips and fasteners work properly, seams are holding up and soles are firmly attached.

For checking the bike, decent light is a must. You’ll miss a lot in a dim garage so grab a torch or wheel the bike into the sunshine. Start with a general visual inspection, looking carefully for anything that appears obviously wrong or out of place.

Is your bike’s maintenance up to date? Have you checked the oil lately? If the bike is way overdue for a scheduled service or desperately needs an oil or air filter change, it may be best to put off that ride and get things sorted.

If the tyres are holding air, inspect the tread and sidewalls for cuts or embedded objects that could cause a puncture. Scan the tread depth to ensure its within safe limits and check the pressure with a quality tyre gauge, noting the recommended pressures and topping up as needed.

Examine the wheels too. Make sure they rotate freely and the rims have no obvious cracks, chips or dings. If your bike has spoked wheels, test the spokes for tension and tighten if required.

Check the brake calipers for fluid leaks, eyeball the discs for any defects and ensure the brake pads aren’t worn past their markers. Brake fluid reservoirs usually have a window to check the fluid level, so make sure it’s within spec. Test the lever and pedals aren’t spongy and work smoothly with proper resistance.

The drive chain should be clean and rust-free, well lubricated (but not dripping with the stuff) and tensioned correctly. Consult your bike’s manual for the appropriate settings. Check the chain moves smoothly and freely over both sprockets, and that the teeth on the sprockets aren’t overly worn. If your bike has shaft drive, make sure the mechanism moves easily without noise, vibration or fluid leaks.

On the subject of fluids, check the oil level and then carefully inspect for any oil, coolant, fuel or other liquid leaks, paying close attention to fillers and sump plugs, gasket and joints, fork seals and hose connections. A little oil weep here or there won’t necessarily stop play for the day, but it’s a sign something will need seeing to soon. A puddle on the floor beneath the bike is never good.

Twist the throttle and make sure it operates smoothly and, importantly, snaps back on release. Check the clutch lever works smoothly - if it is cable-operated, ensure the cable is in good shape with no fraying or damage and at least a bit of lubrication. Examine the other controls and switches on the handlebars, looking for any loose wires or dodgy connections.

Examine the battery and check the leads are tightly connected and the terminals are free of corrosion. Turn on the ignition and give the lights and electrics a once-over - try the horn, test the indicators (including the dash signals, if applicable) and do the same with the headlights, tail and brake lights and any daytime running lights.

Bounce the bike a few times on its suspension to make sure the forks and shock/s are responding as they should. If the springs are sagging or the damping feels soggy, you may need to look further. Turn the handlebars, and check the front end turns smoothly through its arc without any notchiness or obstruction.

Give the bike another all-over visual looking for any issues with the bodywork, such as loose or broken fairing panels and loose fasteners that you might have missed earlier. Confirm the mirrors are secure and showing what they should. Finally, open the fuel tank and make sure there’s at least enough in there to get you to the nearest servo.

That’s a pretty thorough checklist and realistically, you won’t need or want to exhaustively complete it before every ride. While a quick once-over is worthwhile before you hit the road, the key point is to make all these checks on a reasonably frequent basis. That way, you’ll get to know your bike and be more aware when something needs servicing or just isn’t quite right.

A little time spent on regular checks will mean a lot more fun time out on the road.