Periodic Maintenance, Fault Diagnosis, Road Testing and Service Documentation
What the exam tests
Scheduled servicing, systematic fault finding, a structured road test, and the records that document every job.
Service schedule
First service at about 500-1000 km or one month, then every 3000-6000 km depending on the model. Typical items: engine oil and filter, air filter cleaning or replacement, spark plug condition and gap, valve clearance, chain lubrication and adjustment, brake check, tyre pressure, battery terminals and fastener torque.
Diagnosis
Work from symptom to system, not from guesswork. For a no-start: confirm fuel in the tank and flow at the carburettor, spark at the plug held against the head, and compression by thumb test or gauge (typically 8-12 bar). Only then check timing or the ECU. For a misfire, substitute one known-good component at a time.
Road test
Do static checks first: leaks, controls, lights, tyre pressure, chain. Then ride a short route covering idle, part throttle, acceleration, braking and coast-down. Note speed, gear, throttle position and engine temperature for any complaint, and reproduce the fault before touching anything.
Documentation
Job card with complaint, VIN and odometer; parts used with part numbers; measurements before and after; technician signature and date; next-service reminder. Warranty claims need photographs and the failed part retained. The record protects both workshop and customer.
Worked example
Complaint: poor pickup and black exhaust smoke at 30,000 km. Recorded: clogged air filter, sooty plug, sticking choke plunger. Reasoning: a rich mixture from a restricted air path plus a partly open enricher. Clean the filter, free the plunger, set the plug gap, road test, and record the before-and-after readings on the job card.
Traps
Tuning by ear instead of by instrument, replacing parts without a measurement, skipping the road test, and writing a vague complaint such as check bike, which cannot be verified later.