Riding a motorcycle is much different than driving a car, which means your bike will experience different issues as well. Whether you’re new to motorcycles or have ridden them for years, it pays to understand the most common problems your bike may face. Here’s what you can do about them.

Bad fuel

If your fuel goes bad, it can damage your engine and hurt your bike’s performance. This mostly affects people who don’t ride their motorcycle frequently. But it could also affect those who’ve stored their bike for the winter. In any case, your gas can go bad if you don’t ride often enough. HotCars says if your bike runs less than 25 miles a week, then there’s a good chance your fuel will go bad.

Prevention is easy, though it’ll involve some math. You simply need to buy some fuel stabilizer and put the correct amount in your gas tank. Then, turn on your engine for a few minutes and let the stabilizer do its job.

Bad gas mileage 

If your bike’s not as fuel-efficient as advertised, then it’s likely due to your engine oil. Changing your oil will help improve fuel efficiency. You can also do other things to help, like drive at more modest speeds using the proper gears to maximize fuel mileage. 

Bad brakes

This could be due to a lot of reasons. Fortunately, maintaining your bike’s brakes is easy. If the brakes feel funny while in use, then you likely need to bleed them out. Find your bike’s brake levers and its bleed screws. Then use them to bleed your brakes out. 

You can also inspect the brake pads. Check your bike’s manual to see if your brake pads are too thin. If they are, replace them. Easy enough.

Bad batteries

Like your gas going bad, if you don’t ride your bike often enough, your batteries will get drained and your bike won’t start. There are two ways to fix this; either ride more often so your battery can maintain its charge or charge your battery when you’re home. 

Be sure not to overcharge your batteries. This could damage them to the point where they explode. According to Consumer Reports, you can prevent this by buying a battery minder and charger, which can charge the batteries safely.

Bad appearance 

A dirty bike means poor performance, according to HotCars. Not only does dirt look bad, but it can also damage your engine. The solution is obvious; wash your bike routinely. HotCars recommends cleaning it once a week to prevent dirt and grime from doing any lasting damage.

Bad drive chain

If your drive chain feels off, it likely doesn’t have enough lube or it’s become too loose. It’s important to keep your chain lubricated because you’ll crash if it snaps. Additionally, routinely tightening the chains will help prevent them from snapping. Keep in mind that drive chains will naturally loosen with age, so you’ll have to replace them eventually.

Bad tires

Worn-out tires are the leading cause of bikes breaking down. If your tires get too worn out, then you must replace them. However, preventing your tires from breaking down in the middle of the road is obviously crucial, too. Routinely inspect your tires to see if they’re damaged or not. If you can spot this early, then you can replace your tires from the comfort of your garage.