Get Your Harley Ready (Pre-ride Checklist)
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. This pre-ride checklist – called T-CLOCK – is included in many rider-training manuals nationwide.
• T – Tires and Wheels: Your tires are the only thing between you and the road. Check your overall tire condition regularly, looking for tread wear, bulges, weathering, uneven wear and other problems. Regularly check your air pressure, spokes, rims and wheel bearings. Your tires are not the place to save money when you’re talking about your safety.
• C – Cables and Controls: Check your throttle, clutch and brake linkages for wear and smooth operation. Also check the operation of your shifter, your brakes and the proper operation of your kill switch.
• L – Lights and Electronics: Check your battery regularly as well as the wiring in general. Also check your switches, lighting and the operation of your horn. Keep extra fuses and bulbs handy, just in case.
• O – Oil and Fuel: Look for fluid leaks, keep an eye on your oil level (check with bike upright with the engine cold), and regularly inspect your air filter, fuel lines and your brake/clutch hoses and fluids. Check water levels in battery.
• C – Chain and Chassis: Check your chain for proper lubrication and tension. Give a once over to check your chain guard, your foot pegs, all accessory mounts, all your pin and clip attachments, your frame and your shocks and forks. Turn your steering back and forth a few times to make sure there’s nothing wrong with your steering head bearings.
• K – Kickstand: For your jiffy stand, make sure it’s secure, retracts fully, isn’t bent and leaves you with enough ground clearance when retracted.
Useful Hand Signals
