Basic Maintenance: Daily Check

[rdprdp01]

Your checklists Rdprdp01 are very close to what is professionally used in these parts.

I am a ROSPA-IART* Group Tutor here in Ireland (along with many others) and run motorcycle training sessions for "associates". It is a registered charity and annual membership is €25 for associates (~$26 US) and all training is free. There are monthly group rides and quarterly meetings/presentations but the majority of the training is direct and on the road either one to one or one to a few.

It is very popular with returning motorcyclists who took a break from motorcycles whilst raising a family. Training is based on the superb UK Motorcycle Roadcraft - The Police Riders Handbook. I went through this training about 9 years ago as a returning rider and it taught me a good few things even though I thought I was an excellent rider

These checklists are the very basic foundation before any ride and form part of the examination which is conducted by an outside tester.

Machine Checklist - POWDDERSS
Petrol - enough for the planned journey?
Oil - engine and brake/clutch
Water (if watercooled)
Damage - general bike damage
Drive - shaft or chain condition
Electrics - does everything work
Rubber - tyres but all other rubber, e.g. grips, footrests
Steering - free movement, no snags, no change in engine revs
Suspension - working smoothly, no leaks

Human Checklist - I AM SAFE
Illness - will any illness affect my riding?
Attitude - How do I feel about the journey, am I focussed?
Medication - on any meds that would affect my riding or judgement?
Sleep - am I suffering from lack of sleep?
Alcohol - have I had any drink, am I impaired buy alcohol?
Food - am I hungry or thirsty? Could low blood sugar or dehydration affect me?
Emotion - Am I in the right state of mind to ride, e.g. depressed, angry, stressed.

Now as a Tutor, I often catch out associates on a training session. While doing a POWDDERSS check I will often see worn out brake pads, a screw in a tyre, weeping suspension or other defects they were totally oblivious to. I have actually picked up two screws in my own bikes tyres doing a pre-ride POWDDERSS.


*Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents - Irish Advanced Rider Training

Tev62, I follow your posts. They are always engaging and usually have some humor weaved in for good measure. They are great.

Thanks for sharing the ROSPA-IART pre-ride checklist.

I have been relying on my butt to confirm the shocks are right, but I believe I will add a visual scan per your list. That is a great addition!

I check the oil every time I fill up with gasoline because the engine is warm when I pull up to the pump. So far, I have not leaked or burned a drop of oil. I doubt it ever will, but I check none-the-less.

Finally, I learn you donate your time to help returning riders. What a truly noble thing to do. I would love to attend a class. I am sure I would come out a better rider for the experience. My father’s people immigrated from Ireland. For all my travels, I have never set foot on the Emerald Isle. I think it may be time for me to come home and go to school.

Thank you for sharing information about your tutoring exploits. It is inspiring. David