Bike maintenance for a rainy day...

I was thinking about how nice it would be to have a check list of things to do to your bike when its already got the big maintenance covered (Oil changed, tires in good condition etc.) Things that aren't super important as far as a having your bikes running good but things that could prevent some problems in the future or just keep your bike 1 step ahead of the rest.

Some things I though of that a person could to their bike when they're board....

1-Hit the rear brake spring with some wd-40 to prevent rust/sticking (When I first got my bike the spring was so bad I had to really work it with cleaner/degreaser to work the rust out)

2-Hit the areas with exposed wire with some wire grease to prevent corrosion.

3-Put some graphite lube in the locks especially if they where recently left out in the rain. Don't forget the helmet /seat lock in the back. Sense its probably not used often it can get a little rusty/corroded.

4-Replace fuel lines/fuel filter. (Not really important if you know that they are in good condition but if you got a older bike and haven't check the fuel line/filter they can be getting old and stiff and its a pretty cheap thing to do.)

These are just some ideas, mainly looking for ideas because I'm waiting on parts but I got itchy fingers and I want to do something. Plus if your reading this you might see something you have been forgetting about and do some preventative maintenance. Let me know if you know a better method for any of the things I already mentioned. I'm not a mechanic or anything just a guy trying to keep his stuff nice.

 

well you could
check the tire pressure
lube the cables
open the seat and dust that stuff off
open the float bowl drains and flush out any crap in there
or my favorite
just sit on it and go vrooom vrooom

 

You should check the brake fluid for contamination. The old lines on mine turned brake fluid bad after three months.

Also check the drive chain free play and alignment. It took me a lot of time trying to get the chain straight and a lot of back and forth eye balling what else there was to check, and it did help after I loosened up the rear drum brake. I noticed a big difference in the sound that was coming from the sprockets.

 

Take off some of the dirty and rusty parts. Clean , paint or polish. Replace rusted screws with new ones, I replace mine with stainless.