| Front End |
| Front tire mounting direction - check that the arrow on the sidewall points the right way. |
| Front tire air pressure - 38 psi is a good starting point for a street bike, 32psi for a dual sport. |
| Front axle bolts tight - this is a part of your bike you want to stay attached. |
| Front brake caliper bolts tight - brakes are a good thing to have and keep. |
| Front rim true - Hold a pencil up against the fork leg, point barely touching the front rim, and spin the front tire. |
| No visible cracks or dents in rim |
| Front brake rotors clean and true - no oil or scum on rotors. Hold your pencil against the fork leg, point barely touching the brake rotor, and spin the front tire. |
| No loose spokes - tap each spoke with something metallic. They should each ring a bit, not thud, with a similar tone. |
| No fore/aft movement in front wheel - grab the rim and pull forwards. |
| No side to side movement in front wheel - grab the rim and pull side to side. |
| Fork legs pinch bolts tight - we don't want the forks sliding up in the triple clamps when we hit a bump. |
| Steering is free lock to lock - nothing binds, nothing gets pinched. |
| Steering stem top bolt tight. |
| Handlebar bolts tight. No movement of handlebars when you push or pull. |
| Forks more freely - sit on the bike, lock the front brake and push down on the handlebars. |
| Forks adjusted identically - same pre-load, same damping on each leg. |
| Controls |
| If you have an adjustable seat, pick a position for it. |
| Adjust the handlebars to suit you |
| Adjust the brake and clutch lever height. When you're sitting on the bike with your arms in their relaxed normal position, put your fingers out at their natural angle, just a tiny bit below level with the tops of your hands. Now, your fingertips should be very lightly resting on the levers. |
| If you have a street bike, tighten up the clutch and brake levers. If you will ever go off-road, leave the levers just a little bit loose so that they can rotate in a fall instead of break. |
| Adjust your mirrors |
| Adjust the throttle cable so that there is almost no free play in your throttle. |
| Ride around a bit, make sure your shift lever is adjusted correctly. When you move your toe under the shift lever, you should have to move your toes downwards just a little bit to get it underneath. Your foot should be in contact with the shift lever as soon as you have your foot under it - if you have to pull up at all to touch your shift lever, it's too high. When adjusted correctly, the shift lever is about at a level with the center of your toes when your feet are in their relaxed position. |
| Adjust your rear brake lever so that when you move your foot over, it barely touches the brake lever. You should not have to move your foot downwards to contact the rear brake. |
| Middle |
| Coolant level correct. The radiator overflow bottle will have high and low level marks. |
| Oil level visible when cold - bike on the center stand, site glass or dip stick shows between high and low marks. |
| Oil level correct when warm - bike on the center stand, site glass or dip stick shows between high and low marks. |
| Dipstick or oil fill cover tight. |
| Brake and clutch levers work easily. |
| Clutch and front brake fluid levels - check site glass on the handlebar reservoirs. |
| Rear brake fluid level - check site glass on the reservoir. |
| Body panels have all fasteners. |
| Radiator fan spins freely. |
| Throttle snaps shut. |
| Mufflers attached securely - pull on them, there should be no movement. |
| Warm idle 1000 - 1200 rpm. Too slow is hard on your crankshaft bearings, to fast is hard on your brain. |
| Rear End |
| Rear tire mounting direction - check that the arrow on the sidewall points the right way. |
| Rear tire air pressure - 38psi is a good starting point. |
| Rear axle bolt tight |
| No visible cracks or dents in rim |
| Rear rim true - bike on center stand, hold a pencil against the swing arm, point barely touching the rim, and spin the wheel. |
| Rear brake rotor clean and true - - no oil or scum on rotor. Hold your pencil against the swing arm, point barely touching the rotor, and spin the wheel. |
| No loose spokes - tap each spoke with something metallic. They should each ring a bit, not thud, with a similar tone. |
| No fore/aft movement in rear wheel - grab the wheel and tug on it. |
| No side to side movement in rear wheel - grab the wheel and tug on it. |
| Rear brake caliper bolts tight |
| Chain slack 1¼" at the loosest point with no one on the bike. |
| Rear shocks move freely - sit on the bike and bounce. |
| Rear wheel aligned with front - put 15' of string around the front tire, and pull the two ends back to the back of the rear tire.Touch the string to the widest points on the back of the rear tire, and look at the string where it hits the front of the rear tire. |