Bike maintenance

Intoduction
Motorcycle maintenance is more than doing maintenance on your motorcycle because you have to do it now or it is time to do it right away. On going general maintenance will keep your motorcycle in great condition with little or no unpleasant surprises on the road.

Motorcycle Maintenance

Modern bikes require less maintenance than they did in the 60's and 70's but they still need a lot more maintenance than a car. This higher reliability also means that there are a whole bunch of motorcyclists out there who haven't a clue how to work on their bikes or what really needs to be done to ensure reliability.
Motorcyclists should be able to do at least basic maintenance on their bikes.
The more care and maintenance you give a bike the longer it will last. Preforming general maintenance on your motorcycle will also help you spot problems before they happen. 

Check Regularly
Tip: There are dozens of parts on a motorcycle that could be checked on a regular basis and there is nothing wrong with check all those parts. But try to slim the list down to the most important items so you still have time to ride.
Here is a basic list of some of the most important things to check on a motorcycle. Even doing a little can make a big difference. Battery, Oil, Tires (tires), Brakes, Chain and sprocket (Shaft Drive, Belt Drive) and Fuel (Gas, Petrol).

 Brakes

Motorcycles have two brake fluid reservoirs, one for the front, usually found on the handlebars and one for the back, usually tucked away somewhere under the saddle. Both should be checked regularly. Topping up should only be done from a new, sealed bottle as brake fluid tends to absorb moisture over time. If your brake pads are thin and due for replacement, do not top up the reservoir - replace the pads first and the level in the reservoir will rise automatically (a dark art at work here!)
Beware - brake fluid, if spilt on paintwork eats right through to the bare metal.

Also check the thickness of the brake pads. If you allow them to go right down to the metal your brake disc will be damaged resulting in an unnecessary and expensive replacement. Fitting braided steel brake lines will increase the performance of your brakes by roughly 50%

Here the thickness of the brake pad can be seen. It clearly has a lot of mileage to offer before needing to be replaced. If your bike is used off road or is exposed to corrosive forces ensure that the pistons that force the pads onto the disk are cleaned and serviced once a year.

Chain, sprocket and pinion

These are three items that are essential to the well being of your bike. If not well maintained you will end up forking out a lot of money all too often to have them replaced.
Lubricate them often with a commercial chain spray (every five running hours/once month/every 300km). Spray liberally on the side of the chain that comes into contact with the sprockets. Ensure that you spray both left and the right hand side of the chain. Position a piece of newspaper so that you do not dirty the rear wheel rim as you spray. Use a second piece on the floor to catch any drips. Wait five or ten minutes before you wipe all excess oil off the chain. (This whole process is a lot easier if your motorbike has a centre stand) I find that an old sock slipped over my hand works the best. If your chain has been recently lubricated you only have to spray small sections. Spinning the back tyre will ensure that the rest of the chain is lubricated when it comes into contact with the sprocket and pinion. This is a task that is best done when you return home from your ride while the chain is still warm.
Bike chains are never taut but must be able to sag between 20mm and 40mm at the mid-point between the two sprockets. The sag is used when the bike suspension moves up and down over uneven surfaces.
If your chain is not an endless loop it will use a master link to join the two ends together. Check the condition of this link on a regular basis. Unfortunately replacing it usually requires a special tool to force it to separate.

The closed end of the master link must precede the open end on its way around (see arrow)

Cleaning. If your chain becomes very dirty e.g. after a long ride on a dirt road, leave it overnight. The crud becomes hard and is easily brushed off with a small steel wire brush the next morning. If you do want to clean it with a solvent do not use petrol as this dries out the small rubber O rings in the chain. Use a commercial chain cleaner, kerosene or diesel fuel as these are all oil based.
Chains stretch with time no matter how well they are cared for. You will know when the chain has stretched too much when you are able to pull the chain off the back of the rear sprocket. See diagram below
 

When you try this when the chain is new, it will not budge from the sprocket but when it has become stretched, it moves off easily.

Fuses

Know where your fuses are. Most bikes have a set of spare fuses next to the ones being used. One fine day your bike may not start or the lights and hooter (horn) may not work and you will be required to replace the defective one.

In this picture spare fuses are stored around the ones in use above.  In reality this is too few. Should your bike develop a short you will probably burn at least five fuses before you find the problem.

Do not be fooled by a fuse that looks good. Swap it around with a spare before you take for granted that the fuse is good.

Wiring

It is a fact that the electrical systems on motorcycles are more prone to giving problems than any other single sub system. Therefore make it a routine when giving your bike a through cleaning to check for loose and frayed wires that can cause intermittent problems or short circuits.

Sending motorbike for service/repair 
Suggestion is to take off all the non essential fairings/plastics and then ride your motorbike in naked - the BIKE, not the rider! This allows you to inspect it thoroughly yourself before you hand it over and no, you do not have to be a mechanic to do this. Look for cracked rubber hoses, rubber hoses that have become hard and brittle, loose bits, missing bolts, loose spokes, loose and chaffed electrical wires,  soiled areas as a result of a leak, battery water levels, battery acid corrosion around the battery area, kinks in your chain, worn chain master link, thin brake pads and all other fluid levels. Then you can specify your concerns on paper when you check it in. When you collect your bike you can then see the work for yourself as 'the lack of work' cannot be hidden behind the plastics.

Removing all the plastics as in this photo above is not difficult and reveals the true condition of a lot of parts that can give trouble on the road

Good Condition Tips

Keeping your bike standard maintains it value. Fitting expensive aftermarket bits and bobs does not increase your bikes value - it can even reduce it
Fit a tank protector to protect your tank from your jacket and zips
Keep your air filter clean and this saves on fuel
Fit crash bungs and engine protector guards to protect your bike should you drop it
Protect your motorcycle's top yoke (the area around the ignition). Do this by fitting a yoke protector or do not have dozens of keys that will scratch the yoke.
Rear hugger mudguards and front mudguard extensions will protect your bike from flying crud.
Protect exposed metal work from corrosion. There are many protective products available.
Use a bike cover even if you store it in a closed garage.