Motorcycle Controls, Pre-ride Checks and Maintenance
Control and maintenance items reward riders who have actually held a spanner. The exam asks where a control sits, what a daily check covers, and what a symptom means.
Control layout
- Right hand: throttle and front brake lever.
- Left hand: clutch lever, with the indicator, horn and dip switch on the same cluster.
- Right foot: rear brake pedal. Left foot: gear lever, usually one down for first, the rest up.
- Engine cut-off switch on the right cluster; use it only in an emergency.
Braking
On dry tarmac the front brake supplies most of the stopping force, roughly seventy per cent, because weight transfers forward. Apply both brakes together and squeeze the front lever progressively. Grabbing a fistful locks the front wheel and puts the bike down.
Daily pre-ride check
- Tyres: pressure checked cold, plus cuts, embedded stones and tread wear markers.
- Chain: about 20–30 mm of slack at mid-span, lubricated, no tight spots.
- Brakes: lever and pedal firm, never spongy.
- Lights, indicators, horn and mirrors working.
- Fuel, two-stroke oil on a two-stroke, and no leaks beneath the machine.
- Helmet shell undamaged and strap functioning.
Worked example
A chain shows 45 mm of slack and looks dry. Correct action: adjust to the manufacturer's figure, usually 20–30 mm, then lubricate. Too loose and the chain can jump the sprocket; too tight and it loads the gearbox output bearing.
Traps that cost marks
- Checking tyre pressure after a long ride, when heat has already raised the reading.
- Assuming a spongy front lever is normal.
- Ignoring a frayed throttle or clutch cable until it strands you at a junction.