| 1.
Before riding your motorcycle at any time, do
a general inspection of the entire bike to be sure it’s
in safe riding condition:
2.
Start by checking the oil and filter and inspect other
fluid
levels. Harley-Davidson motorcycles are made
to make oil changes
easy. If you do it yourself, don’t slack off on the
maintenance schedule. And make sure the old oil is properly
disposed. It
should be sealed in an approved container and taken to
a legitimate oil disposal facility.
3.
Next you’ll want
to check the controls to be sure they operate properly.
On your list of controls to inspect should
be the front and rear brakes, throttle, clutch and shifter.
You should also examine the steering for smoothness by
turning the handlebars through the full operating range.
4.
Check tire pressure often, daily when you are touring,
and
always using a good gauge. Consult your owners’ manual
for correct pressure and load rating. Air pressure
can change with the air temperature. While you’re
at it, inspect the tires. Replace them if there’s
less than 50 percent of the tread left, or if there’s
any cracks, cuts or signs of distress. Tires should be
changed by your dealer.
They are expertly trained to replace tires and to inspect
your wheels.
5.
Check for any fuel, oil or hydraulic fluid leaks. Give
the cases
and lines a once over to make sure
there
are no leaks.
6.
For high-mileage bikes, inspect the drive belt, sprockets
and
brakes.
7.
Check your headlights, directionals, tail light and brake
light
every time you ride. Not only do they
help you
see where you’re
going, but they are your best way of being seen
by others. If a light is out, it is easy to change
yourself. If replacing
a headlight, be certain the beam is focused properly.
8.
Before you start riding, sit on your bike and take
a look in the mirrors to be sure they’re
adjusted properly. Even if you don’t
think you’ve moved the mirrors,
do a quick check just to be sure.
9.
You can double the life of your battery by checking and
correcting
its water level regularly.
It’s as easy as looking at
it with a flashlight for most models. In
warm weather climates, check the water level
on
a regular basis. Otherwise, every
2,500 miles is a good guideline. For those
who can’t
ride as often as they’d like, install
a battery charger with a convenient disconnect.
If you travel often, for instance,
the charger will help you avoid a dead-battery
homecoming. If you own a newer bike you will
have a maintenance free
battery, you still need to keep it charged
and the connections clean
and tight.
10.
Doing basic maintenance yourself can save you time and
money
in the long run,
but don’t venture into the land of
do-it-yourself if it’s not your natural
habitat. The risks just aren’t
worth it. If you are the least bit unsure,
go see the experts in their natural habitat:
American Motorcycle Trading Co.
If
you own a Carbureted model check this out, it will
save you some trouble on the
road:
Resist
Temptation, the Enrichener is Evil
This
is one of the most common problems that our technicians
see, and it is
a problem that can be
entirely avoided
if you take the time to pay attention
to what you are doing.
We’re
all guilty of it. It’s morning,
you want to ride, so you hop on your
motorcycle,
pull out the choke (or the enrichener, to those of you who
are hip to Harley lingo),
fire up the engine, and let the bike
idle for a few minutes. Or maybe you don’t have the
time to wait, so once the motorcycle is
running you throw it into gear and
roar out
of your driveway, figuring that the
bike will warm up along the
way. Not a big deal, right? Wrong,
dead wrong.
During
cold startups, the enrichener pumps extra fuel to your
engine,
allowing for
much easier
starts. Once
the engine
is
running, however, all the extra
fuel that the enrichener provides is just
that, extra.
Since
your engine
can’t
use all of the fuel that is being
dumped into it, all of that excess
is being dumped onto your spark
plugs,
causing your engine to hesitate,
lose power, idle rough, and smoke.
Once
the motorcycle is started you
should push the enrichener
in as
far as possible
(while
still leaving
the motorcycle
running) and from that point
manually control the motorcycle’s
warmup with a fast idle. In
warmer months, try not to use
the enrichener
at all.
Regards,
Frank Klaczak
Service Manager |
