Bike maintenance tips in Rainy season

It might look cool to drive on open road amidst the lush green surroundings in rainy season. Why not, Bikes are meant to give you the best proximity to the natural elements while driving. However you need to pay extra attentions towards your bike maintenance in rainy season though, as your bike’s critical parts are more exposed to rain than well covered cars. Also it is important with your safety point of view as roads behave more treacherous during monsoon.

Here are few pointers to help you with upkeep of your bike and make your ride more safe in rainy season.

1. Brakes: 
   • Well brakes are the most important thing that you have in your bike to ensure your safety. Roads are notoriously slippery during monsoon and good breaks should be on the top most of you safety checklist. If your bike has drum brakes , make sure to get your disks inside your drum brakes and liners cleaned up. Also ensure brake oil is sufficient.Get the brakes checked up at an authorized service station to ensure that your brakes are in great condition. If you have got discs brake, get the discs checked for any damages. Do not try to apply brakes suddenly on a skiddy road, if the brakes fail you might get hurt.
2. Tyres:
   • One of the most important things to take care of while using your two wheeler in the monsoon is your tyres. Never ride in the rains with worn out tyres. The treads of the tyres provide grip by dispersing standing water. Your tyre should have deep treads, not only in the center but also on the sides.
   • Use a one rupee coin to test the depth of the groves. Insert the coin into the groove and make sure that a minimum of 2-3mm depth is in the grove. If below that, you should consider changing the tyre. Anything below that, and you should consider changing tyres.
   • Tyre pressure can also make a huge difference in the grip you get. Ideally you should set your tyre pressure a couple of psi below the levels required in the dry. Check for tyre pressure regularly to ensure it is at optimal levels.
   • Since heat expands in the heat, tyre pressure in the summer are usually on the lower side. This means that in the monsoon, since the air is colder, it contracts and the tyre pressure falls. Thus make sure that the tyre pressure is at optimum in the monsoon, but is also not overfilled.
3. Parking:
   • It’s not always easy to find covered parking when you take your bike out of your own garage. But if possible, it is best to avoid parking in the open where your bike will get wet a lot in the summer.
   • To avoid the bike’s colour getting faded due to too much exposure to the elements, you could coat the bike’s body with Teflon before the monsoons. This will protect the colour so your bike will look younger for longer.
4. Anti Rust protection layer:
   • Back in the day, rusting was a much bigger problem than it is now. Today most bikes are made of fiber bodies which make them resistant to rusting. However the bike’s main metal frame needs that extra protection which you can get from a cheap anti-rust protection layer.
5. Oil up drive chain:
   • In case your bike has an uncovered drive chain, then you must make sure that it is oiled well and must also wash it regularly as a lot of mud may get deposited in it, especially in the wet season.
6. Clean up the Air Filter:
   • Since the air is heavy with moisture in the monsoon, your air filter might not work at its best. The air filter might hold a lot of moisture making it get clogged, and not allowing air to pass through easily. This could mean your bike stalling, jerking and/or pulling the accelerator. Thus, keep a clean, dry air filter for best results.
7. Lubrication:
   • All the hinges and levers should be well lubricated to have a smooth journey.

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