5 Basic Repair Skills Every Two-Wheeler Ride Must Know

Two-wheeler trips are a great way of exploring the world on a budget. The reliability of your machine is crucial when it comes to reaching your destination without any problem. When you are alone on the highway with nothing but vast expanses of tarmacs stretching in front and behind you, you need to know a few basic maintenance and repair skills to get out of a difficult situation if your two-wheeler happens to have a technical glitch. These 5 simple skills can make all the difference between being stranded on the side of the road and reaching your destination on time.

Change Oil And Lube

Engine oil serves the vital operation of lubricating the engine and keeping it cool and maintaining its optimum performance parameters. Your two-wheeler needs the right quantity of engine oil to continue to work properly. If you hear clunking noises, smell burning oil, experience jerky motion in your motorcycle or sudden dip in the performance of your motorcycle; low engine oil could be one of the many reasons. On an average, engine oil lasts for about 8000 miles (12000kms) after which it starts disintegrating. So, it is advisable that you change your engine oil before setting out on your journey. Changing engine oil can be completed in a few simple steps.

Steps to change engine oil

Put the two-wheeler on the centre stand
Loosen the nut on the underside, and allow for the old oil to flow out
Wait for all the oil to draw out completely and let the bike stand for a few minutes before replacing the underside nut
Gently pour in the new oil using a funnel
Tighten the top screw and wipe off excess spillage etc. From all surfaces
Start the bike and allow it to idle for a few minutes

Chain Cleaning

The chain connects the engine to the drive train. The alternative to a chain is a belt or a drive shaft. All of these serve the basic purpose of propelling the two-wheeler forward and a dirty chain increases the drag on the drive train and significantly reduces mileage and performance. In the long term, this can become a serious roadblock to the overall performance of the motorcycle. Make sure to clean the chains of your bike on time and keep it well-lubricated so that drag is kept to a minimum and you get a great overall mileage.

Steps to clean chain

Remove the chain cover and keep all screws and attachments safely to the side
Use a thinner to dislodge the dirt and grime from the chain sprockets. WD40 is a good product which works great for removing old grime
Use a chain brush to physically dislodge caked mud and dirt. If necessary, apply another layer of dirt thinner and use the brush on the chain once again
Allow the chain to dry for a while before putting it back on the sprockets
Lubricate the chain and replace the cover, if any.

Changing The Spark Plug

Consider spark plugs to be the heart of a combustion engines. Without the spark plug there would be no ignition and hence no combustion! If by any accident the spark plug loses its ability to produce the all significant spark, you will be stuck even with a full tank of fuel in your motorcycle. That is why you must always make sure to carry at least two spare spark plugs with you in your motorcycle side luggage box for those times when you have to replace them in a paints. Replacing spark plug is very simple all you have to do is remove the cover that keeps the spark plug protected against dust and water, and using the proper tool remove the old plug and replace it with a new one. Check the instruction manual that came with your two-wheeler will help you find out how to complete all the steps properly.

Repairing Tire Punctures

Another important skill that every two-wheeler rider must know is how to repair punctured tires. If you have a two-wheeler that uses the traditional tube mechanism instead of puncture resistant tires you might have to repair a puncture yourself if you can't find a technician to help you out. Convenient puncture repair kits are available online these days which are invaluable when it comes to getting you out of a difficult situation and find the right person with the correct tools to help you out completely. If you have not ever seen how to repair a punctured tire make sure to check out a few YouTube videos for the brand and make of the two-wheeler that you ride.

Change brake or clutch cables

Finally, you must also know how to replace a broken cable connecting the brake levers order clutch in your motorcycle. Both of these are comparatively more complicated than replacing the engine oil you can manage to do with which simple tool that came with the motorcycle. In most cases when you are in a city you can easily find a repair technician to help you out but when you are in out on the highway which nobody around for miles you might have to do with yourself. Which is why, it is highly recommended that you find out how to replace the brake and clutch cables in your two-wheeler.