Essential Tips for Emergency Roadside Cruiser Maintenance
Riding your cruiser can be the ultimate experience out on the road. With nothing but pavement flying by your feet, it’s easy to just start riding and not stop. Unfortunately, just like any motorized vehicle, emergencies can happen and you can find yourself on the side of the road with a cruiser that won’t budge. It happens to even the best of riders, but the best of riders are prepared for this kind of situation.
That’s why Indian Motorcycle® of Orange County has provided some tips for handling a roadside breakdown. You can also visit us at our location in Westminster, California, to safely chat with our experienced staff about some of our tips and our Indian cruiser motorcycles for sale. We proudly serve all those from Los Angeles and Orange County, so visit us today!
Preventing a Breakdown
Of course, the best roadside breakdown is no roadside breakdown at all. The key to a healthy bike is preventative maintenance, so make sure you’re taking good care of your cruiser when you’re not on the road.
Review your owner’s manual for a complete maintenance guide pertaining to your specific model. Likely, this will include regular oil changes and ensuring you’re taking it in to a professional for servicing.
Perform an inspection before each ride to try and catch problems before they blow up in your face. Look for damaged tires, leaks, and low fluid levels. Handling these problems at home can not only be less stressful, it’ll be safer for you and other commuters.
Preparing for a Breakdown
But as we mentioned, even the best riders have their bad days. It’s better to be prepared for an emergency that never happens than to assume you’ll never run into a problem and not be prepared when you do.
Have a basic tool kit with you that won’t take up too much room, but can allow you to fix minor problems without needing to call a tow truck.
You’ll also want to have someone you can call, like a roadside assistance program. Odds are, if you have one for your car, you can just add your motorcycle to your plan.
Handling a Breakdown
If the worst does happen, the first thing you’ll need to do is find a safe spot to pull over. This can be a shoulder, a parking lot, or some other area that gets you as far away from traffic as possible. This may require a little bit of rolling to get you to a safer location.
From there, you’ll need to assess the situation and try to figure out what’s wrong, because you’ve essentially got 2 choices:
1. Fix the Cruiser Yourself
If you know what’s wrong and you have the tools to fix the cruiser yourself, this can help you save time and money. Of course, you’ll still want to visit a professional technician to ensure the problem doesn’t happen again, but a quick fix can help you get to the nearest mechanic faster, so long as you can do so safely.
2. Call for Help
Whether it’s because you can’t figure out what’s wrong or you can’t resolve the issue on the side of the road, sometimes you’ll need to call for help. This is where a roadside assistance program comes in handy, or at least a friend who can help you out of a sticky situation.
In both cases, you’ll probably need a trusted service team to then look over your cruiser and ensure you won’t run into the same problem again. That’s where Indian Motorcycle® of Orange County comes in. Our expert technicians will help make sure your bike is road-ready in no time. If you’re near Westminster, Los Angeles, or Orange County, California, ask us today how we can assist you.