5 Fast Maintenance Checks For Your Street Bike

There is no greater feeling than the wind in your hair and the open road ahead of you. With over 140,936 Missourians owning a bike, apparently we're not the only ones who think so! Surdyke Yamaha takes great pride in providing you with the best street bikes in the Lake of the Ozarks for you to enjoy all year long! What do you do, though, if you've skipped a few maintenance checks and now you and your bike are dealing with something bigger than a simple check? Surdyke Yamaha has the best motorcycle service center at the Lake of the Ozarks and we'd love to help get you back on the road! Here are a few easy maintenance checks that will help keep you on the road for many miles to come.

Tires

This seems like a no-brainer, but you really must triple check that you have the correct tires on your bike, and make sure the pressures are correct. There are plenty of horror stories out there about bikes with incorrect tires, and we don't want you to fall victim to this. Every time your wheel turns and they are under-inflated, a larger-than-normal part of the tire is distorted into a flatter contact patch. Distorting extra rubber takes energy from your bike's engine and converts that into heat. The power that should be propelling you down the highway is now being wasted in heating up your tire. Before you head out, always check the pressure while the tires are cool and use the recommended pressure in the manual.

Oil & Filter Change

Keeping the oil changed in your motorcycle is the single most important and cost-effective maintenance to be performed on your ride. Old oil can drain power from your engine and accelerate the wearing process.

Air Filter

When your engine's air filter is clogged with dust, grit and water from the combustion chamber, you are making your engine work harder. A dirty filter can also affect the air/fuel mixture on carbureted bikes cause the engine to run rich, wasting gas and reducing peak power output.  A new air filter only costs a couple bucks, or you can clean it by blowing it out with an air compressor. The idea is to make sure you get it clean, allowing your motor to breathe easier.

Chain & Sprockets

Lubricating little and often is the idea when taking care of your chains and sprockets. A worn, dried-out drive chain will soak up a heap of power. Also be sure to do a regular, deep-cleaning on your chains with a chain cleaner to get all the power-sapping gunk, grit and grime out. Missing sprocket teeth and rusty, kinked chains can make it impossible to transfer power from the counter shaft to the rear wheel.

Brakes

Your brakes are SUPPOSED to stop you, but if they aren't cared for and checked regularly, they can bind and drag which will drain your power. You can check the brakes by lifting it on a rear stand and trying to spin both wheels, one at a time. The rear will have some drag from the chain, but the front should spin pretty freely. If you feel ANY drag, you'll want to have them looked at. Don't forget to have this important detail checked!

These five checks will help keep you on the road, enjoying every bit of summer that you have left! We can help you with any maintenance questions you have, along with parts you may need. We have an extensive online motorcycle parts store, so when you're looking for parts for your new bike, or something aftermarket, be sure to visit http://www.yamahaktmparts.com/index.htm. Our showroom has a vast selection of Yamaha bikes at the Lake of the Ozarks, but whether you're looking for something on the water, land or road, we have something that will add more adventure to your life. Stop in and let our team show you what life can look like when you're having fun.

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Highway Store Location        Marina Store Location         Surdyke's Port 20
5863 Osage Beach Parkway       1660 Yamaha Drive                 5395 Spruce Lane
Osage Beach, MO 65065            Osage Beach, MO 65065         Osage Beach, MO 65065
(573) 348-6575                         (573) 348-9283                      (573) 348-3178


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