Many riders fear locking up their brakes or haven't learned to swerve to avoid an accident.
Many inexperienced riders (and too many seasoned riders) use only their rear brake in an emergency, resulting in unnecessary impacts in some cases and unnecessarily high impact speeds in other cases. Your rear brake can only provide about 30% of your motorcycle's potential stopping power. The front and rear brakes can and should be used together to maximize braking effectiveness.
Experienced motorcyclists learn to "cover" the front brake lever by lightly resting a couple of fingers over the lever when riding in traffic and near intersections to give their reaction time a head start.
Emergency stopping and swerving are techniques that you should practice and master before you find yourself in an emergency situation. The best place to practice such techniques is in a controlled environment such as the motorcycle safety foundation's (msf) rider training courses. The msf's motorcycle rider courses (fundamental techniques) and experienced rider courses (advanced strategies) present hands-on instruction of the bas1c principles of motorcycling and a variety of accident-avoidance maneuvers. Even a seasoned motorcyclist can improved his or her riding skills, and pick up a few new skills, through these courses.
Some insurance companies even offer discounts to course graduates.
If you don't have a helmet, buy a helmet and wear it every
time you ride
Special situations require special careSpark plugs
Your motorcycle comes equipped
with ngk cr9e or denso
u27esr-n spark plugs. To determine
if the standard spark plug is
right for your usage, check the
color of the plug's porcelain center
electrode insulator after motorcycle
operation. A light brown
color indicates that the plug is correct.
...
Engine coolant
Coolant level
The engine coolant solution
should be between "f" (full) and
"1..:' (Low) level lines on the engine
coolant reservoir. If the level is
lower than "1..:' (Low) level line,
bring it up to "f" (full) level by adding
50:50 mixture of distilled water ...
Engine oil and filter change
Change the engine oil and oil filter
at the scheduled times. The
engine should always be warm
when the oil is changed so the oil
will drain easily. The procedure is
as follows:
Place the motorcycle on the
side stand.
Remove the three screws of
the right fairing 1.
...