“But it has not even run 10,000 km.”, exclaimed an annoyed customer at the service center. This person was talking about his motorcycle’s chain. The service engineer just told him that the chains had lived its life.
I believe 90% or more of premature failure of chains and sprockets is because of lack of maintenance. It is not that people do not want to maintain their vehicles; it is just lack of awareness. Some even avoid it because of the cost and time involved in going to the service center to get the chains lubed. Guess what, you can do it at home at the fraction of the cost.
Today, I will share my tips for motorcycle chain maintenance. I have finalized on these over years of trial and error. Generally, I do this every 800-1000kms. Or, if I start getting jerky vibes on my foot pegs or hear noise from the chain while riding. If I ride off road a lot, I do this process as and when I wash the muck off my motorcycle.
Start with a good Chain Cleaner spray. Once you apply it leave it on for around 10 mins. This helps loosen the muck and grime stuck to the chain links. Use a chain brush to scrub the links. Apply a little more of the chain cleaner spray if needed. Wait for few mins and use water to wash it all off with a hose pipe. It works best if it does not leave a residue and washes off easily with water. In case you are out of Chain Cleaner Spray, you can use Diesel, it cleans muck off the chains, though washing it off is a tad cumbersome. Please do not try the previous steps while the engine is running.
Run the motorcycle in gear for some time on a paddock or main stand. Else, ride it around if you do not have either. This will help to get rid of the water on the chains.
Once dry, apply Chain Lube. This part is important, how you apply the lube decides if they will be all over the tires, get flung off on to the rims or be utilized without much wastage. It is best you apply the lube to the inside of the chain links and the lube gets pushed out to the outer side as it rotates. You may want to top up a little from the outside if needed. The part between the outer and inner links, where the rubber rings are located, is where the lube needs to be sprayed. I let the lube sit, without riding the motorcycle for at least 30 mins. Leave it overnight for better results.
I carry chain lube and cleaner with me when I go on long rides. And if the chain is not dirty and mucky, I lube it as soon as I end the ride. I believe that the chain being warmed up helps adhere the lube better. It is a good idea to wipe off excess lube that may have sprayed onto the swingarm or the tire and rim.
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Today we are witness to the worst impact on Earth and its resources. And it is only getting worse. Some may even say, “It’s true but what can we do?”
Slight changes in your lifestyle and the way you travel can go a long way. Here is what you can do to make travel sustainable.
- Buy Less
- Make a choice to buy less gear.
- The more you fill up your wardrobe; the less you use them
- If you have more than what you need – give it to people who can use them
- Pack Light
- The less you carry, the lighter your load is.
- The more you leave behind, the easier your journey
- Maintain Your Vehicle
- Service your vehicle at regular service intervals
- Change parts that need replacement
- Use Hi-Quality or OEM replacement parts on your vehicle and good quality fuel and lubrication
- Be Conscious, Dispose Sensibly
- Dispose your waste sensibly
- Carry a trashcan with you at all times in your vehicle to collect your waste
- Anything your throw away is trash – there is no differentiation
- Travel To Beautiful Places, But Stay Local
- You contribute to the local community by staying in smaller places
- When you arrive at your room – make sure you switch off systems like air-conditioner, lights, fans
- Keep showers short and shut off water when you are brushing your teeth or shaving
- if you are staying multiple days – reuse sheets and towels
- When you camp – make sure you pack out all your trash and leave no trace
- There is nothing better than staying with family, friends, or friends you have never met
- Talk to your hosts – ask them how they dispose trash
- Spread awareness – Check about recycling programs
- Spread awareness – Do they reduce energy consumption
- Eat Local and Healthy
- Local food is travel’s greatest gifts
- Find places that serve local cuisine
- Eat at simple homestyle restaurants
- Hang out in local bars and cafe’s – it’s the best way to absorb the pulse of a way
- Most often ingredients used are grown locally and are not carted from big cities far away
- Try and eat vegetarian – smaller destinations most often don’t have poultry farms etc;
- Which means – meat / chicken / eggs travel a long way to reach your plate
- Smile And Respect Cultures
- Smile is traveler’s greatest ally
- Treat locals with respect, make conversations with them – you might just end up having a wonderful experience, get invited to a local’s home, get to eat some local fare or you might get to see places that otherwise you would have missed
- You would have ridden or driven to this place – but a walk in town / village is a fantastic way to experience the place
- Walk with that smile on your face. And don’t forget to respect their culture
- Respect Local Wildlife Reserve and Protected Area Laws
- Appreciate the sanctity of these places
- You are a visitor, best said an intruder
- Avoid trespassing into protected areas
- Watch as you pass by – by stopping your vehicles – you are creating nuisance
- Avoid travelling post sunset in protected areas, even if it is a highway
- Besides disturbing wildlife – you miss the chance of seeing beauty
- Don’t touch or collect specimens – besides being illegal, understand that you are behaving like a thief
- Respect local forest laws
- Water
- Don’t buy water, carry a water filter, or water purification tablets
- Most places offer filtered water – fill your bottles at such station
- Bottled water increases trash
- Offset your carbon footprint: This is a tough one to make small
- There are multiple organizations to choose from to offset your carbon footprint. You can choose to put your money in any one of them. There is nothing like consciously reducing your impact and using your money to offset, by going out there yourself and planting a tree or contributing to an organization locally. The least you can do is to plant trees in your neighborhood.
Let’s take a pledge to lower our impact on the places we go to and let us make this a part of our conversations, to not trash our travel
conceptualized by #IDontTrashMyTravel
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You may have read the ‘Beginners Guide to Off-Roading’ earlier. You have taken the bite and have the relevant riding gears to start off. Here is a list of things for your motorcycle to get ready for off road use.
- Dual Sport or Knobby Tires
While the knobby tires offer deep square block treads meant for aggressive off-roading, the dual-sport ones are more streamlined, making it usable on both on and off-road conditions. And while the knobbies will offer an advantage in the dirt, a basic set of dual-sport tires will be fine, as long as they have at least half of their tread‐life remaining.
- Bash Plate / Skid Plates
Bash plates protect the underside of your motorcycle, from unexpected contact with rocks. This well-placed aluminium plate is a small price to pay when compared to the powerplant it protects. They are also called skid plates as there are times when your motorcycle would see-saw on a large rock or log and you can slide your motorcycle along without worrying about damaging the engine casing.
- Engine Guards
Falls are inevitable in the dirt. Hence, to keep your worries at bay, you can add a set of robust engine protection bars. These will help you get away with minor or no damage to your motorcycle’s engine.
- Raised Mudguards
It will be a good idea get your mudguards raised. When riding in trails, mud tends to stick and build up on the tires. With regular mudguards, they tend to pile up inside it and cause the wheel to jam up. This can lead to unwanted slides leading to injury.
- Hand Protectors
Most are designed to protect the rider from exposure to the elements as well as passing tree branches and thorny bushes. The more robust versions come with additional reinforcement, to protect the levers in case of falls.
- Wide Footpegs
Most stock footpegs are narrow and slippery, especially in muddy conditions. This makes it difficult to stand on and control the motorcycle when required. Wider, studded or spiked footpegs provide better grip to your riding boot and makes the experience much more comfortable.
- Handle Bar Risers / Taller Handle Bar
When riding off-road, you will eventually learn to stand up on your motorcycle. While this helps navigate much better over rough terrain, it becomes critical for you to have a comfortable reach and grip on your handlebars. Bar risers or taller handlebars help bring the bars closer to the rider, making it easy to manoeuvre the motorcycle.
- Model Specific Tool Kit
Considering you will be riding off-road, there will be times when you are in a remote location. In case needed, you should have some basic tools to take care of punctures, reduce or increase air pressure, adjust control levers etc. You should keep in mind the specific tools needed for your particular motorcycle. Also, the aftermarket accessories you may have fixed, which need to be removed to access something on the motorcycle.
There is a lot more in the matter of modifications one can do and that is each to suit one’s needs. The list above should get you going and you can slowly build on these to make your motorcycle more suitable to your needs while off-roading.
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LEAVE THE ROAD 