Fatbiker.co.uk

This section contains a set of tips and checks. Please feel free to add comments. If useful I will add your comments to the main text section…

• Keep your bike clean and tidy. Not only will your bike look good, but it’s a good way to spot any problems. Don’t be afraid to check up those bolts every so often. During the summer months when there are loads of fly’s around, give the forks a wipe down after a run. This will save the oil seals failing prematurely. Be very careful if using a jet wash. Dont use full pressure and keep it away from the chain where appropriate, oil cooler and gaskets. You could blow a hole in a gasket joint if you are not careful. A good degrease with S100 or muc off does wonders. One other thing, dont use hot water coz this will help accelerate salt corrision and the like….
• During the winter months protect the bike with ACF-50 or something simular. This magic stuff leaves an invisible layer on the bike and helps stop corrision.
• Check your brakes. Look through the front and rear callipers to check the wear of your pads. If you’re brakes pulsate when braking then you may have a warped rotor.
• Keep an eye on your brake fluid. The reservoir is located on the handlebars. They have maximum and minimum marks on them. Make sure your fluid is between these marks. don’t forget to check over the rear reservoir too. Brake fluid attracts moisture like a sponge so make sure its changed annually.
• Cables. Check the condition and routing of the throttle cables. Give your handlebars a twist to make sure they dont get trapped whilst turning the bars.
• It’s essential that you check your tyre pressures every week. This week alone I lost 2 psi in both tyres. I’ve printed my tyre pressures out on a label and have stuck it on the underside of my saddle.
• Tyre wear. Using your bike for day-to-day motorway miles can cause the rear tyre to ‘square off’ – with less tread left in the middle than on the edges. This can cause handling problems and if you experience this it’s time for new tyres. Stick to twisty roads or go for a dual-compound tyre to avoid the problem. Be careful here. Believe it or not, you might need to advise your insurance company of the rubber change. Best cover your backside coz they could use it as an excuse to save them paying out.
• Lights. Just a quick check over to make sure your headlamp, tail light, brake light and indicators are working could keep you safe and prevent a telling off from the police. I had an incident recently where the rear brake got stuck on. It eventually turned out to be a small piece of grit stuck between the rear brake pedal thus stopping it from returning to its normal position.
• Check your oil level.  Check the oil after a run. The bike needs to be level when checking the levels. The Buell also needs to have its transmission oil checked monthly. This needs to be done with the bike level so a side stand will not do. If needed get help. It only takes a moment to do…