🚴 Bike & Motorcycle Travel Q&A
How do I handle bike maintenance on long trips?
Service the bike fully before departure, run a short daily check on tyres, chain, oil and lights, and carry the few spares and tools that let you fix roadside basics.
Answered by the RealTripGuides editors. We check what we can against official sources and say when something varies by country or operator.
Before you leave
- Fresh oil and filter, and coolant checked.
- Tyres inspected for tread, age and damage — replace anything marginal now rather than abroad.
- Brake pads, discs and fluid checked.
- Chain cleaned, lubricated and correctly tensioned; sprockets inspected.
- All lights, indicators and the horn tested.
Every morning, two minutes
Tyre pressures, chain slack, oil level, lights, and a quick look underneath for drips. Almost every roadside breakdown that strands a rider was visible days earlier.
Carry
- Puncture plug kit and a compressor or CO2 canisters.
- Chain lube, cable ties, duct tape and electrical tape.
- Spare fuses, bulbs and a clutch or brake cable for older bikes.
- A multi-tool with the hex sizes your bike actually uses.
Save the phone numbers of dealers along your route before you go, and check whether your breakdown cover extends to the countries you are crossing. Rider forums for the specific region are the fastest way to find a mechanic who knows your model.
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