When maintaining your motorcycle it is important to make sure you know exactly what your doing before going ahead carrying out any work on your vehicle, as with any automotive machine if the correct safety procedures are not followed it can be dangerous to the user of the vehicle there after. There are, however, plenty of courses available to train you in solving some of the more common problems as paying for a professional to repair your motorcycle for you can be costly.

For example with something that sounds fairly simple such as changing your oil and filter it is important to know what you are doing because problems with your oil and filter can stop your engine from working completely, plus the more often you change your oil the better your engine runs. Firstly you need to ensure you have the correct equipment mainly the right bolt torques (you will be able to see which type you need from the top of the oil drain plug) and of course the right filter for your engine there are many different types on the market so making sure you have got the right one is vital. The different types for most bikes consist of paper or cloth (internal/external), metal screen (course or fine), centrifugal and screw on. Also when changing your filter you will require the correct wrench for removing the old one and fitting the new. Once you are sure you have all the correct tools you can follow these step by step instructions:

• It is thought best to remove the oil from your bike while the engine is still warm after riding or maybe just leave your bike running for a few minutes for it to warm up. Make sure the bike is switched off before you start the process of draining!
• Find your bikes oil drain plug, then place a container large enough to hold all the oil your bikes engine can (you will be able to find this out from the bikes manual) underneath it to catch all the excess oil that will be removed.
• When you are sure all the oil is drained you can clean the oil drain plug as some have magnets to catch any loose particles of metal that may have come from the engine.
• Then if you look at the top of the plug you will see either an Allen bolt or one with a flange head. This is where you make sure you have exactly the right tool for the piece to be fitted back into place, and then you simply screw the plug back ensuring it is tightly in position.
• Once this sequence is complete you simply refill the engine with correct oil.

The changing of the oil filter is a bit trickier but with the right instructions can still become a simple procedure in the maintenance of your motorcycle. Many bikes have cartridge filters that just screw on either externally or internally, if it externally it is a lot like changing the spin filter on a car, if internal you will need to remove the oil pan and use special tools to be able to remove it correctly (refer to your bike manual).

• Cartridge filters are usually situated at the front or underneath the engine, once located use the wrench to remove the old one, being careful not to damage the housing of the filter.
• Once removed prepare the new one for installation by running a small amount of oil, using your finger, round the rubber ring that screws onto the filter housing this acting as lubricant to ensure it fits securely and screws on smoothly.
• Start to screw the filter into position, screw round once if doing it manually, if using a torque be sure to use no more than 14 lbs torque. It is important to ensure that the cartridge fits securely but it is extremely important to make sure you don't over tighten as this can cause the filter to fail.
• To be sure the filter is screwed on tightly enough make sure the rubber ring is touching the base.
• When this is completed all that's left to do is ensure you dispose of the old filter correctly.

As well as problems such as this you can also come across smaller problems caused by all sorts of factors, even the weather. For example when changing your bikes radiator water in the winter to prevent it from freezing use distilled water and if you use an anti-freeze ensure that it is specialized for bikes as car anti-freeze can damage your water pump. To prevent the metal on your engine wearing as quick and in some cases rusting you can always apply a thin layer of wax to the outside just to give it some protection to the elements. If the bike is not used often it is a good idea to just leave it switched on for a while every month or so just to stop the engine from ceasing up, as this makes sure everything is still going smoothly.

Although with common problems there are often solutions to be found in many places from DIY books to help sites on the net if you aren't entirely sure what the problem is it is always advised you get a professional opinion before attempting to carry out any major work. As well as making sure you have the correct information for the job it is also advisable you ensure you have the right safety equipment, as some motorcycle maintenance and repair work can be fairly dangerous.