Look, Check, Test, Ride: The Ultimate Motorcycle Pre-Ride Check
It’s a crisp Sunday morning. The group chat has been buzzing since 6:00 AM, the route is locked in, and your mates are already waiting at the local servo. When the sun is shining and the open road is calling, it’s incredibly tempting to just chuck your lid on, throw a leg over the saddle, and hit the starter button.
But taking that shortcut is a massive gamble.
When you’re travelling at 100km/h on a piece of winding bitumen, a mechanical failure isn't just an expensive inconvenience, it is a critical, potentially life-threatening emergency. A motorcycle pre-ride check only takes a few minutes, but those minutes are the most important investment you’ll make all day. It’s the easiest way to identify a hidden problem before it becomes a disaster halfway through your ride.
At First Aid for Motorcyclists, we talk a lot about preparedness. Managing a crash scene is vital, but preventing the crash in the first place is the ultimate goal. Before you head out, make this comprehensive motorcycle safety check an unbreakable part of your pre-ride routine.
Tyres: Your Only Contact with the Tarmac
Take a second to look at your tyres. Those two small patches of rubber, roughly the size of a credit card, are the only things keeping you and your bike connected to the road. If they fail, nothing else on the bike matters.
Pressure is Everything: Always check your tyre pressure when the rubber is cold (before you’ve ridden more than a kilometre or two). Use a quality gauge and stick to the manufacturer's recommended PSI. Just a few pounds of missing pressure will make your bike handle like a wheelbarrow full of wet cement, ruining your cornering lines and drastically increasing your braking distance.
Tread and Damage: Roll the bike forward to inspect the entire circumference of both tyres. Are there any nails, screws, or shards of glass embedded in the tread? Look for deep cuts, sidewall cracks, or bulges. Finally, check the wear indicators. If your tyres have squared off in the middle from too much highway commuting, they will feel incredibly unstable when you tip the bike into a corner.
Brakes: Stopping Power When You Need It Most
Going fast is entirely optional, but stopping is absolutely mandatory. If a roo jumps out from the scrub or a driver pulls a blind U-turn in front of you, your brakes are your best friend.
The Squeeze Test: Grab the front brake lever and press the rear brake pedal. They should feel firm, progressive, and strong. If the lever feels spongy, travels too far back to the grip, or feels completely wooden, you have an issue. It could be air in the lines, boiled fluid, or glazed pads. Do not ignore a change in brake feel.
Visual Inspection: Get down low and look at the brake calipers. Make sure there is plenty of friction material left on the pads. Glance at your brake fluid reservoirs (front and rear) to ensure the fluid level sits squarely between the lower and upper marker lines.
Lights, Vision, and Controls
"Sorry mate, I just didn't see you." It’s the most common excuse car drivers use after pulling out in front of a rider. Make sure you are giving them every possible chance to spot you.
Illumination: Turn the ignition on. Check that your low beam and high beam are functioning. Tap both the front brake lever and rear pedal to ensure the brake light activates for both. Click the left and right indicators, and give the horn a quick beep.
Controls and Cables: Snap the throttle open and let it go; it should aggressively and smoothly snap back shut on its own without sticking. Squeeze the clutch lever; does it pull smoothly without catching? If you ride a bike with a cable clutch, check the lever end for any fraying wires. A snapped clutch cable in heavy traffic is a nightmare you want to avoid.
Mirrors: Ensure they are secure and correctly positioned before you take off. Adjusting your mirrors while moving takes your eyes off the road ahead, which is a dangerous distraction.
The Drive Chain, Suspension, and Fluids
This is where you need to look a little closer at the messy bits of your bike preparation.
The Chain: If your motorcycle is chain-driven, it takes a serious beating. Check its condition, tension, and lubrication according to your owner's manual. A chain that is too loose can skip off the sprocket, potentially locking the rear wheel. A chain that is too tight will chew out your gearbox output shaft bearing and ruin your suspension travel. Give it a quick clean and a spray of lube while the bike is warm.
Suspension: Run your fingers lightly around the chrome sliders of your front forks. If they come away oily, your fork seals are weeping. This isn't just a suspension issue; if that oil drips down the fork leg, it will coat your front brake calipers and rotors, completely eliminating your braking power.
Fluids: Have a quick look under the bike where it was parked overnight. Are there any fresh puddles of oil or spots of bright green coolant? Stand the bike upright and check the oil sight glass or dipstick to ensure your engine is adequately protected.
Fuel and Route Planning
It sounds painfully obvious, but check that you actually have enough fuel for your planned ride. It is incredibly easy to forget that you parked the bike with the fuel light flashing two weeks ago.
If you're heading on a longer motorcycle trip into regional Australia, don't rely entirely on your bike's fuel gauge. Know your range, know where the rural fuel stops are, and plan accordingly. Running out of fuel on a remote stretch of road with no mobile reception is a situation that can escalate from annoying to dangerous very quickly.
Make it a Non-Negotiable Habit
A pre-ride inspection doesn't replace regular, professional motorcycle servicing and maintenance. Rather, it is your daily safety net. Your motorcycle can be perfectly serviced on a Friday and still pick up a massive screw in the rear tyre on a Saturday afternoon.
Take a few minutes. Check your bike. If something isn't right, make the tough call and don't ride until you've dealt with the issue.
A good motorcycle pre-ride check comes down to four simple words: Look. Check. Test. Ride.