So, what happens to a bike when it's left standing for weeks on end?

That depends on how carefully you've looked after it. Follow the advice in the handbook and all should be well. Otherwise . . .

. . . for a start the battery goes flat, quicker if there is an alarm fitted. The tyres can loose pressure and even distort. The bike starts to look dirty. Damp gets into the engine, control cables, brakes and chain. All of these things make the bike unpleasant to use and even dangerous.

What do we need to do to get back on the road?

Sort out the legal things first - tell the insurance company that the bike is no longer laid-up. Do you need to get the bike MOT tested as any bike 3 years old or older must have a valid MOT. You can ride an untested and untaxed bike to the test centre as long as it is insured for you to ride it and you've made an appointment. But, and it's a big but, before you ride the bike anywhere you must make sure it's safe to do so. Even if the bike's going to the dealers under its own power it still needs to be checked.

Once the legal stuff is taken care of the next thing to do is make sure the bike is safe to use. What follows is a SAFETY CHECK and applies just as well to the veteran Ariel as to the Fazer and the Jog. What it does NOT do is tell you how to fix anything you find wrong. If you're not sure how to do something read the handbook. If you still don't know what you are doing GET ADVICE from someone who does - your local dealer being favourite. Remember too that the handbook is the authority: there may be other things as well as BOLTS that need to be done.

BOLTS is the word I use as a memory-jogger for what to check - straight from CBT.

Brakes, Oils, Lights, Tyres, Steering and suspension

We won't do things in this order this time, we'll attend to the oils first, then tyres, brakes, steering and suspension and finally lights.

OILS: Check the oils as per the handbook. Take the oilcan to the various pivots such as footrests both rider and pillion, controls both hand- and foot-operated and the exposed ends of any control cable there may be. If the bike has a back chain lubricate that as well. Use proper chain lubricant. This way it shouldn't get onto the back tyre and cause other problems.

If you bike is liquid-cooled, check the state of any hoses and check the liquid level. A hose which splits under pressure when the bike is hot can be really bad news.

TYRES: Check the tyre pressure using a proper, accurate pressure gauge which isn't the one on the footpump. Check that there is legal tread on the tyre: 1mm for bikes, visible for 'peds. Remove any bits of stone, glass, whatever that may be stuck into the tyre before they become punctures. Also look for any cuts, cracks or bulges in the tread and the side of the tyre. Cuts which expose the tyre construction are bad news as are any cracks or bulges. The law, quite rightly, is very strict on tyres and worn or incorrectly inflated or damaged or unsuitable tyres will get you into serious bother.

BRAKES: The brakes needs to work efficiently. It doesn't matter what sort of brakes you have - hydraulic disc, cable-operated drum, dummy belt or even rim brakes, the principles are the same.

Firstly, check the controls are working properly. There should be a little free movement of the control which is usually when the brake light comes on but we'll check that later. Then there should be resistance which is where the brake is actually applied and that resistance should increase until you can't move the control any further. This shouldn't be because the control is now hard against the handlebar or a footrest or something.

Now check the brakes themselves. With the brake applied, you shouldn't be able to push the bike; if you can SOMETHING IS WRONG AND NEEDS FIXING. Release the control and try to push the bike again. Now it should move freely with no trace at all of anything rubbing. A brake which doesn't come on when you want it to is dangerous but so too is a brake which doesn't free off properly. That rubbing will generate heat which will cause things to expand and so rub more which in turn creates more heat until you can't move - or the front wheel skids out from under you on the first bit of slippery road surface you meet. So if there's rubbing SOMETHING IS WRONG AND NEEDS FIXING.

Incidentally, if your bike has cast-iron discs (I know of Brembo discs being fitted to Ducati, Moto Guzzi, BMW and Lockheed discs fitted to various old British bikes) they will be covered in a loose rust. Get this rust off with a wire brush, not anything abrasive like emery cloth before you try the brakes as this rust can embed itself into the pads and make the brake very snatchy.

Check the fluid levels with hydraulic brakes. Also check that the brake pipes aren't leaking and don't bulge when the brake is applied. Check that the metal brake pipes aren't corroded and the flexible ones aren't cracking. With disc brakes check the amount of wear on the pads and disc. With drum brakes, check the wear on the linings. With cable-operated brakes, check the outers of the cables for damage and wear and check that the inners aren't worn or corroded.

STEERING and SUSPENSION: The steering needs to turn smoothly from one side to the other without being notchy or trapping cables or wiring and without touching fairing or tank. Look out for cables or wire which were retained with rubber clips or ties. Once the rubber perishes the cable or wire drops down and can easily get caught or crushed by the steering.

The suspension should go down when pressed and then rise up and then settle where it started from, both at the front and the rear. Do this by applying first the front brake and pushing forward on the handlebars and then the rear brake and pushing down on the seat. Before doing this however it's worth just wiping the exposed front fork stanchions to remove any dirt or corrosion. This will help the fork seals live a little longer. There should be no oil leaking from the suspension units - leaking oil means that the unit is damaged and can't be trusted and the oil - especially at the front - usually finds its way onto the brakes and then they don't work properly either. Suspension which doesn't move is both uncomfortable and dangerous as is suspension which has lost its damping and takes more than one down-up cycle to stop moving.

LIGHTS: Before starting the engine check that the battery is in good order and so are its connections. A battery which has been completely neglected for 3 months, no matter how new it was, will probably be useless. More than useless, a flat battery which won't take a charge can ruin the bike's charging system. So make sure the battery is OK, then check the lights and the horn. Wipe the lights to get rid of any dirt. Check the headlight, both dipped and main beam and pilot light, rear light, instrument lights, indicators and brake lights. Check that both brake lights work. They should come on in the first part of the movement of the control - having the light only come on after the wheel has locked is pointless.

FINALLY if, after checking, you're still not sure, ask you dealer for advice and perhaps even have it taken to the dealer by van or trailer.

© Smart Motorcycle Training 2009
Reproduced with permission.