Getting bike road ready

[Geodude]

Bike has been off road for the last three months so i was after a bit of advice on getting it ready for the road again. Bike was fine before its winter break just wanted to know what i should i be checking/greasing etc. Thanks.

Check your tyres for a start - Pressure and their condition.
Check the fluids - Brake, oil, coolant & fork oil.
The usual everyday checks - brake condition, lights, chain/sprockets.

Three months isn't that long. As has been said, normal checks. If the battery has not been on a trickle charger, check it's condition before trying to start the bike. It'll need a good strong battery to get it kicked into life again.

3 months isn't much, if it's been in a garage even less of an issue. If it wasn't serviced before storing, maybe do oil, filter and plugs. I'll be servicing mine next month, just need to buy oil.

Originally Posted by Stig

Three months isn't that long. As has been said, normal checks. If the battery has not been on a trickle charger, check it's condition before trying to start the bike. It'll need a good strong battery to get it kicked into life again.

I'll be in the same boat soon.

How do you check the battery's condition?

I dont have an Optimate or anything (yet), but I do have a multimeter if that is all I need by any chance?

I started her up about a month ago after doing the oil change and it took what seemed like an age to start up, I was cacking it that the battery wasnt going to have enough kick.

Havent dared to try since.

[andrewsmith]

As Hong said and good once over with a torque wrench if outs been loosened. If your that way inclined a quick check and grease of the wheel, headstock and swingarm (if you've got the shock etc.. loose) bearings. Checked mine the other day and they still look brand new!

Hong Some optimates do, or go to halfrauds as most have condition testers in the workshops (they did mine free, failed and they out rid of it for no charge)

I was hoping I could do it without the optimate first It's on my to-get list, but Id rather wait til I have more spare cash then to have it as a requirement for getting my bike back on the road.

I have a halfords car charger pack thing but I lost the mains lead....but seperate thread for that.

So, can suitable checks be done with just a mmeter?

[Biker Biggles]

You will most likely need to charge the battery,so may as well bite the bullet and buy a charger.Every biker needs one.

[andrewsmith]

For voltage yes, ability to hold charge no. I think the tester is a specialist Bosch (or someone like that) item

BB its on the list as I can't nick anyones anymore

Just don't automatically think because the optimate (there other type of bike battery chargers available) says the battery is fine, that isn't always the case. I knew the battery on my YZF was past it's best. The optimate stated the battery was charged and fine. Truth of the matter it wasn't. The power ran out of the battery very quickly trying to start the bike. So much so I called out the AA who put a booster on and it fired up first time.

Have now got a new battery for it. If your battery is old and the bike hasn't been started for a period of time (couple of weeks or so) and the weather is as cold as it has been, that's a very good mix for the battery to fail.