what do you do before you go for a ride?

Funny I too get a little complacent in the walk though, same thing here have a grade a AP dude. It could be also from doing so much and it's a habit, thou interesting enough once in a while I do find something in question which is the whole point. same thing on the bike.
Any one here check the side to side play on the rear wheel bearing on the swing arm? that one has me going one of these days just due to its placement and job?

No CFI here, SLO, thou if we where to get the chance to hook up be fun to go for a spin huh?

 

Oh I'm definitely going to take you up on it. Used to fly to Moses Lake a lot with my old job. Lately I've just been ferrying stuff around the southwest. Working on getting a new gig right now, not sure where they fly though.

Time to get me some Robby time before I head up!

 

Robby OMG now theres a laugh, opps, thread jacking Hey, FWIW just added a fun little video to my signature.

 

haha chris2711 has it right I am pretty sure. hahahaha
on a serious note, i check the tires (kicking them), look at the oil window, listen for sounds, thats about it. I look at the chain every now and then, but I have to say, the way its hidden, if my coolant was low, I would probably have no idea...
I get so excited to ride before I get on it, I can barely stand to wait for a walk around. but I know, i know its imporant!

speaking of which, im off to ride that thang. Aprilia literbike vs. VFR this afternoon, hmmm. could be tough

 

If you don't, it's like going around with a loaded gun. :biggrin:

 

Thought you were going to bounce it (actual touch & go)on your Sig. video :wink:


I'm a pilot & trucker, so I'm over kill on cking the bikes, B-4 I ride, & I usally sneak in the back pack enough tools to repair tyres & rebuild the bike :tongue: especially riding with the Hard bags :biggrin:

 

I usually bring the bike outside in the driveway and start up.... listen to make sure everything is sounding normal, turn on the hazard lights and walk around to make sure they are all working. I ride a couple of blocks to the gas station, put a couple of dollars in the tank and check the tire pressure there so I can fill it right away if needed. After my ride I clean the chain and clean the bike if needed and clean and put away my gear. The visor on the helmet takes a beating!!!! Some of the bugs that you hit out there.....Anyway, not like the car, can't just take for granted everything is working before you go out

 

Oh & I almost forgot,

I make sure I bring Visine for my eyes from my loss of moisture from laughing so hard from having fun, that my eye's dry out :biggrin:

 

pre-ride checklist

Like you I always do a pre-ride once over. A little preventative maintenance goes a long way. I never know what I might encounter on the open road and its always nice to know that you can be confident in your machine when you really need it to perform in a tight spot far from the relative safety of the garage. Besides, how many out there have ever had to push a 500lb ride any distance?

 

Always do a pre-flight. And I like to spend time to do a good wash often as well. There is no better way to do a full inspection than to touch every surface detailing the thing. Its amazing how familiar you become with it and you will spot anything out of place.

When I was flying the pipeline, I would find something about once a month that needed attention on the aircraft.

Its also how I found out that my upper peg bolts had backed out on a recent ride. A quick walk around at a fuel stop and it just didn't look right...

 

I suppose the equally instructive question is have any of you, on your routine pre-ride checks, found anything that made you mighty glad you did check? You know seeing something that gets your heart racing in fear because you know you could so easily have ridden off without checking?

Or are Hondas just too reliable for major problems to creep up unawares?

 

I lost two bolts on a ride and didn't notice until I did a pre-ride inspection the next day. Granted they were only filling the empty holes where I'd removed the passenger peg on the left side but they still fell out.
Locktite Dumbass!!
Does that count?:smile:
Oh, and another time someone had bumped my mirror while it was parked and I had to readjust it.
That's got to count for something.

 

Well the first thing I do a go take a piss and get geared up. The next thing I do is remove the disc lock. Then I do a visible check of the tires and the bike in general for leaks, if it has been tampered with, the chain and the tires, (2 - 3 times a week I check the tires - I always check tires when I plan on doing highway or going on a long haul). I turn the bike on and make sure it is in neutral, I wait a few secs for the FI light to go out then I start the bike - check for any strange smells, smoke or weird noises. I check the fuel level and also check to make sure the clock is correct (I noticed when I had RR issues the clock would act kinda funky and reset or sumthin), check my mirrors and roll a few revs and then check the brakes, kickstand up and I am off. The first few blocks I ride I am listening to the bike and checking the clutch and brakes again.