Riders Tips
Please scroll down for our Hints and tips on all things biking brought to you by our team of professionals.,
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ENGINEERING MAINTENANCE
Please find some tips below on Engineering Maintenance
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Replacing Wheel Bearings
The condition of wheel bearings are often overlooked, when you replace the tyres why not check them for free running and make sure they are not worn out. If you need to replace them aerosols of nitrogen are available from plumbers’ merchants. You can ‘freeze’ the bearing so that it contracts and will ‘knock’ into the wheel easier. Julian: Freelance
Replacing fork seals
It is always advisable to replace the bushes at the same time as it maybe these that are leading to the failure of the fork seal/s in the first place. Use the old fork seal, as a drift to knock the new one home. If you remove the rubber from the outer of the old seal it will not stick in the fork leg. Julian: Freelance
Make a job easier...
Sometimes you cannot always start and finish a ‘job’ in one day. You may need to order parts so it maybe sometime until it is back together. Why not take a photograph of the project before you start rather than relying on your memory. This may help you on re-assembly. Julian: Freelance
Masking tape to the rescue...
When pulling off switches, light units, wiring looms or any part of the wiring system, sometimes it is not obvious which wire goes to which on re-assembly. Dabble over masking tape on each ‘connector’, ‘wire’ or ‘block’ and write on the tape where it goes. Julian: Freelance
Prevent pitting of disc brakes
When your motorcycle is off the road for a while, push the brake pads back so they are no longer in contact with the discs. This will help to prevent pitting that often forms where the pad and disc are in contact. Do not forget to check your brakes before you ride off again. Julian: Freelance
Nail Varnish and chips
Unfortunately sometimes stones can chip the paint work on our motorcycles, this is bad enough but if water creeps under the paint it will look a whole lot worse. Nail varnish painted over the chip can help stop the elements affecting the area. Julian: Freelance
A toothbrush can help keep your chain clean too!
Use a toothbrush with a good chain cleaner to remove old chain lube. With the bike on a centre or paddock stand turn the wheel away from you and clean each link individually before applying new lube.
Julian: Freelance
Zip-ties assist bleeding the front brake
Sometimes you just cannot get that last bit of air out of your front brakes. They still feel spongy and it’s frustrating. Using a zip-tie (cable tie) to hold the front brake lever on and leave it in place for about 6 hours. Release the front brake lever and there should be a great improvement. Julian: Freelance
Stick your grips
It can be annoying, or possible MOT failure and unsafe when your grips ‘spin’ on the handlebars. There are many grip glues out there which help to slide the grips in place and then set. If you have not got any to hand hairspray is a cheap alternative. Julian: Freelance
Petrol tank removal
If you’re removing your petrol tank for servicing, repairs etc. Use an old tyre as a stand for your tank. The bottom of the tank is less likely to be chipped or marked and is less likely to be damaged. Julian: Freelance
WD-40/GT85
WD-40 or GT85 are very good at removing old chain lube and general road dirt from your wheels. (Obviously do not apply it to your brake discs). Julian: Freelance
Bushes/sliders
Where applicable always replace the slider bushes as well as the fork seals. The bushes ‘limit’ the amount of force exerted onto the seals so they last longer. Julian: Freelance
Winter storage
Petrol can go off relatively quickly over the winter months. Remove most of the fuel from your tank and all the fuel from the carburettors (if fitted) during storage and add a fuel additive to prevent corrosion. Julian: Freelance
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SERVICING
Please find some tips below on Servicing your bike
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Keep your servicing bills up to date
When you have a service at a dealers ask for the ‘job sheet’ relating to the work done. A stamp in a book is just a stamp. When you do the next service, maybe at another dealer, either you or they will know what has been done. If you sell the bike it looks so much better to have service bills rather than ‘stamps’. Julian: Freelance
Chain
It’s the only thing driving the rear wheel forward! A snapped chain due to poor maintenance is not funny and it could be dangerous. Lubricate regularly every 200 miles or so, even if it’s been raining! Use a good lube, adjust in accordance with the hand book and keep an eye on the wear of the sprockets. If you can’t do it....learn, or get someone who can! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Spring check over
After a long standing (e.g. over winter) there are many things to consider. Your handbook should guide you and you should take into consideration the suitable condition of; brakes, battery, fuel, lights, chain & sprockets, tyres & pressures, fork seals, oil, coolant etc. Julian: Freelance
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Riding
Please find some tips below on Riding
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Contributions By;
Pre Ride Checks
Use the acronym B E S T C O P S. Brakes, Electrics, Steering, Tyres, Chain, Oil, Petrol, and Suspension. After the winter lay off, a good inspection and all round check will ensure you get the best from your machine, remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Prevent winter corrosion
The wet British climate, road salt and winter weather can cause havoc on the finish of your motorcycle. Wurth Dry Chain Lube sprayed over the top of nuts/bolts etc. Can prevent water affecting their finish. Julian: Freelance
First ride after the winter weather?
The sun is out, the roads are dry and salt free, it’s time for the first blast of the season. The bike may be rust free, but what about you? It’s been 5 or 6 months since your last ride, take your time, ease yourself in, and build up slowly. Don’t become an early season statistic. Trev: Ace Moto Training
Slow speed riding and control
Your last U turn was on your riding test, and you are never doing another one as long as you live, right? Slow speed riding and good clutch control is an art and if you don’t practice, it won’t get any better! Try riding at a walking pace using clutch control; maybe even try ‘dragging’ the rear brake. It will get better and practice makes perfect! Trev: Ace Moto Training
MOT & Tax your bike in the same month
You get insurance and tax reminders but you don’t get a reminder for the MOT. MOT your bike in the same month as either the insurance or tax, as a reminder for you; this may mean the difference between riding legally and illegally. Julian: Freelance
Keep your tax disc waterproof
‘Sello taping’ the outside of your tax will keep it waterproof and it will not be any use to a thief. Julian: Freelance
Carry spare cables
An old despatch rider’s trick of the trade was to ‘zip-tie’ spare cables to the existing ones (i.e. throttle, clutch). If a cable was to fail you could attach the new one on the side of the road – hopefully! Julian: Freelance
T.W.I
Means Tyre Wear Indicator and is written with an arrow on the side wall of your tyre. Follow the arrow to the treaded part of the tyre and a ‘bar’ of rubber should be across the tread. When this bar is level with your tread it is under the legal limit – Change it. Julian: Freelance
Tyres
On your bike it’s the only thing in contact with the road. Don’t buy cheap, don’t trust ‘used’ buy recognised brands, watch the tread depth, 1mm is the minimum depth on a motorcycle. Keep an eye on the pressure and replace in good time. Trying to squeeze an extra 100 miles from a bald tyre is not only illegal, it could end in tears and an insurance claim! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Fluorescent Jacket
It is now a legal requirement in many European countries for you to wear a fluorescent jacket if you breakdown. This applies to motorcyclists and car drivers etc. Julian: Freelance
Relax
To get the best out of your bike, you must ‘be at one’ with the machine (remember star wars?) feel the force, I mean, feel the machine, relax, and get an idea what the bike is doing, arms locked solid will only add to your fear. Remember, you are riding the bike, it’s not riding you, you are the master! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Be Seen, Be Safe
It’s not just about hi vis jackets and Sam Browne belts; you could invest in more colourful clothing and a bright design on your new helmet instead of black. Always ride with your headlight on dipped beam, and concentrate on good road position, make sure you are as visible as possible! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Blind Spots
Remember your CBT and pre test training? All vehicles have blind spots as well as the occasional blind driver! Do not ride in blind spots; position the bike in order to be seen by the vehicle in front. Solid vehicles such as lorries and vans have no interior rear view mirrors, make sure you can see their wing mirrors or they can’t see you. Trev: Ace Moto Training
Controls
New bike? First ride in a while? Over the years, motorcycle controls have become standardised (apart from Aprilias and BMWs). Familiarise yourself with the controls on your machine. Not a lot of good if you cancel your indicators whilst trying to hit the horn in an emergency situation. If fitted, know where the reserve fuel tap is and how it works. Trev: Ace Moto Training
Emergency braking
Your last emergency stop was your riding test and you haven’t needed to use the skill since, right? Find a safe and well surfaced section of road, practice braking from 30, 40 maybe even 50mph, get a feel for emergency braking, know your limits, your bikes limits, when you have the opportunity, practice your braking. You can always get better at it. Trev: Ace Moto Training
Track Days
As a newly qualified rider, or even a veteran, tracks are one of the safest places to ride, run off areas, qualified instructors, no white vans, drivers on mobiles or diesel spills and everybody going the same way! Acceleration, braking, cornering and track reading skills will all translate to the road and remember... No points or fines for speeding! Book one soon, learn and enjoy! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Separation distance
‘Only a fool breaks the two second rule’. Keep your distance from other vehicles; your bike has no metal shell, airbags or seatbelts to keep you safe. Any contact with other vehicles could result in a paint job for them and a plaster job for you! Don’t tailgate, give yourself space and time to ride in, ‘2 seconds apart is smart’.
Trev: Ace Moto Training
Observations
‘I use my mirrors a lot more now I ride a bike’.... A phrase we hear a lot whilst training new riders. Take your newly learnt skills into your car driving and become a better driver, but don’t bring your bad habits from the car when riding your bike. Remember, you have to think for yourself and every other driver when riding your machine. Just be better. Trev: Ace Moto Training
Overtaking
Look, Assess, Decide! Be assertive, be decisive, make sure you are in the right gear for the job, accelerate quickly and smoothly, leave a good space between you and the other vehicle, conduct a left shoulder check before returning to your original lane. Don’t tailgate prior to overtaking; remember...you have the power!
Trev: Ace Moto Training
Night riding
It’s dark for 50% of the time so it’s going to happen! This is where you find out how good your headlight is, how your perception of things change in the dark, how important the 2 second rule is and finally, how clear your visor is. A scratched or damaged visor will badly affect your view in the dark, if you suffer from a ‘starburst’ effect from other headlights when night riding.....change it! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Carrying a pillion
Maybe not something you do a lot but when you do, it’s different! Remember A B C, acceleration should be smoother and slower, braking will be affected by the extra weight, do it sooner, not sharper! And cornering will feel different with the extra weight on the back, no knee down! Keep your pillion happy, we might get another biker! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Advice to a new pillion
Make sure they are wearing the good motorcycle clothing and their helmet is securely fastened. They should be comfortable on the seat holding on to you or the grab rails in the bike with their feet on the foot pegs, at all times. Ensure they lean ‘with the bike’ when cornering and sit still when doing slow speeds, a bad pillion will equal a bad ride! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Pillion adjustments
If carrying a pillion for long periods, such as touring, you may want to consider adjusting the following. 1. Tyre pressures, increase pressure for the extra weight. 2. Rear suspension; increase the preload to account for the extra weight and luggage. 3. Headlight, this may dazzle oncoming traffic, adjust beam alignment temporarily. 4. Mirrors, looking at tarmac? Give them a tweak to realign. Trev: Ace Moto Training
Luggage
If touring or carrying additional items, don’t rely on bin bags and bungee cords. A badly loaded bike will also make the handling strange and ‘interesting’ to say the least. Use properly designed motorcycle luggage, tank bags, tail packs and throw over soft panniers can be bought for a reasonable price. Luggage also keeps all those dangly bits out of the back wheel, which could make things interesting....without warning!
Trev: Ace Moto Training
Drinking and riding
It’s a no brainer. A couple of pints might turn you in to Valentino Rossi, or so you think. It will slow your reactions, affect your judgement and increase rider error. There are no second chances if you drink and ride. This practice is for the terminally stupid. Don’t do it, end of. Trev: Ace Moto Training
Drugs and riding
Suffering from ‘man flu’ or aches and pains? Be careful what you take for it, even over the counter medication may lead to drowsiness. Hay fever season is a classic example. Read the labels, take the advice and be careful, falling asleep behind the bars is not a smart move! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Speed limits
At some point everyone will speed. But the excuse of ‘sorry officer, I thought it was a 40’ when caught at 50 won’t wash! Speed limit changes are signed at the junction at which they change, when entering a new road, check for the speed change, when approaching a junction, check the speed change. The decision to obey them lays with you, but sorry, no excuses. Trev: Ace Moto Training
Diesel gloves
If you are unfortunate to be caught in a downfall and your gloves are not waterproof; petrol stations ‘give away’ diesel gloves which you can put over your gloves and are a good temporary measure. Julian: Freelance
Road signs
Believe it or not they are there for information, not decoration! Take time to observe the signs around you, ‘slow’ painted on the road and a ‘bend ahead’ sign could be clue to what’s in store. It’s not rocket science; learn to read the road and the clues provided on the side of the road to prepare you in advance. Trev: Ace Moto Training
Knowledge
Every ride is different; don’t for one minute believe you know it all. The day you believe you are the master, is the day it bites you in the a**. Bikes demand respect, control and an ever increasing skill level, your machine is the result of a lot of engineering and artistic work, it’s your baby and you love it! Get out, ride, smile and enjoy the ride, see you on the road! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Flashing headlights
They are telling me to go, giving me right of way, aren’t they? The Highway Code Rules 110 and 111 say otherwise, the ‘Urban Highway Code’ probably won’t stand up in court, flashing headlights could signal any reason, but have a read of the Highway Code get in good habits and practice what it says.
Trev: Ace Moto Training
Head up
Where you look is where you go, you might have heard this advice more than once. Guess what? It’s true!! Keep your head up and your eyes looking in the direction you want to travel, everything will become easier and smoother, staring at that oncoming vehicle or a big fat tree whilst negotiating a bend is not a good idea. Head up, look up! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Town riding
Ride defensively, you must adopt this attitude if you want to survive, expect the unexpected, give other vehicles plenty of room, play ‘spot the idiot’ be mindful of courier vans and delivery lorries they have a habit of stopping out of the blue, shoppers and children will have their head in the clouds, think for everybody. Cover your brakes, just in case. Trev: Ace Moto Training
Wet weather riding
Not only do you have the normal hazards to deal with, as a motorcyclist we also have the following to think about. 1. Manhole/inspection covers; these can be slippery when wet. 2. Diesel spills, these can be fatal, diesel is oil, and will not evaporate, if you smell fuel, watch for the ‘rainbow’ on the road and avoid. 3. Tarmac over banding, if wide enough these can cause your tyres to slip. Plan your route! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Don’t ride angry
Make sure that you are in the right frame of mind to enjoy your ride; don’t get on the bike after an argument with your partner, your dog or your hamster! Take a minute to clear your mind and concentrate on the job ahead, focus, relax and enjoy......do the miles and end in smiles! Trev: Ace Moto Training
Filtering
One of the joys of biking, but also one of the more dangerous manoeuvres. Take your time; don’t travel at more than 10-15 mph faster than the stationary traffic, watch for impatient drivers and car wheel position. The most dangerous time is when the traffic just starts to move and sudden lane changes occur. Remember, they won’t check blind spots. Think for them! Trev: Ace Moto Training
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Clothing
Please find some tips below on Motorcycle Clothing
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Keep your clothing dry
No matter how waterproof your panniers or rucksack are meant to be, you can guarantee they will leak at the worse possible moment. Put you clothing and personals into bin liners before putting them into your luggage. Julian: Freelance
Do your gloves stink?
With everyday riding your hands sweat and after a little time the gloves begin to hum. It is the bacteria ‘living’ off your sweat that causes the smell. Easy remedy – kill the bacteria. Put the gloves into a sealed bag, and then place these into the freezer. The cold will kill the bacteria and they won’t smell for a while. Julian: Freelance
Wear tights, keep warm
Ladies tights under clothing may seem odd – unless you are a lady. But they do keep you amazingly warm during the winter months. If you’re a man don’t tell your friends! Julian: Freelance
Plastic bags - waterproofs
It can be really difficult to put waterproofs on over your jeans or leathers as they snag especially when wearing motorcycle boots. Putting plastic bags over your boots then ‘slide’ your waterproofs over and then remove the plastic bags. Julian: Freelance
Plastic bags keep the rain out!
Putting your feet into plastic bags before putting your boots on will keep your feet dry even in the most torrential rain; but your feet will sweat more!! Julian: Freelance