Pre-Ride Checks and Motorcycle Familiarity
Pre-ride inspection is where the exam separates riders who check their machine from riders who just start it. The DDS manual teaches a repeatable walk-around - T-CLOCS - and questions often describe a specific defect and ask what you should do about it.
T-CLOCS, in order
- Tires and wheels: pressure checked cold against the owner's manual, tread depth and wear bars, sidewall cracks, objects in the tread, spokes, wheel bearings, and free spin.
- Controls: clutch and brake levers, free play, a throttle that snaps back on its own, cables for fraying or kinks, steering head bearing (bars fall smoothly to the stop on a stand).
- Lights and electrics: headlight high and low, brake light from both the hand lever and the foot pedal, turn signals, horn, kill switch, battery hold-down.
- Oil and fluids: engine oil, brake fluid level, coolant, fuel and reserve, and any drip under the bike.
- Chassis: suspension action, fork seals for leaks, frame, mirrors.
- Stands: side-stand spring tension and that the stand retracts fully.
The drive chain is set to the slack in the owner's manual, commonly about ½ to 1 inch, then lubricated; sprocket teeth should not be hooked or worn.
Gear and loading
Wear a DOT helmet, eye protection, gloves, over-the-ankle boots, and a jacket. Load weight low and centered, secure it, stay under the gross vehicle weight rating, and add tire pressure and rear preload as the manual directs. A top-heavy load makes the bike want to fall into turns.
Worked example
A used bike shows about 1.5 inches of chain slack against a 0.8-inch spec, plus a throttle that returns slowly. The slack means the chain can slap or jump a sprocket tooth; the slow throttle can stick open at the worst possible moment. Fix both before riding - the correct answer is not 'ride gently and check later.'
Traps that cost marks
- Checking tire pressure after a ride, when heat inflates the reading.
- Testing only the hand brake light and never the foot pedal.
- Treating a slow-returning throttle or grabby lever as normal.
- Overloading a top box or tank bag and ignoring suspension and pressure settings.