Maintenance schedule
Motorcycle maintenance schedule: intervals table
By Oscar Gallego · Updated
The table collects the general intervals that motoring clubs, tyre makers and rider-safety bodies publish. Your owner's manual overrides every line, because it knows your model.
| When | What to do | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Before every ride | ||
| Before every ride | Tyres and wheels, controls, lights and electrics, oil and other fluids, chassis (chain included) and stands: the T-CLOCS walk-round. | Source: Motorcycle Safety Foundation, T-CLOCS pre-ride inspection checklist (in the USTMA Motorcycle Tire Guide) |
| Monthly | ||
| Once a month and before every long journey | Tyre pressures, checked cold, and the tread wear indicators. | Source: Michelin, Motorbike tyre maintenance |
| By distance | ||
| About every 1,000 km (600 miles), or sooner if your manual says so | Clean and lubricate the chain and check its tension. On a chain without seals, check the tension about every 500 km (300 miles). | Source: RACE (Spanish motoring club), ¿Cómo y cada cuánto tensar la cadena de moto? |
| The distance or the time in your manual, whichever comes first | Engine oil and filter. No general figure fits every engine, so this row has none. | Source: ADAC (German motoring club), Wartungsintervalle: the manufacturer sets what a service renews |
| By time | ||
| Every year once tyres are 5 years old; replace at 10 years | Professional tyre inspection, counted from the date in the DOT code. | Source: Michelin, When should I change my motorcycle tires? |
| Every 2 years, whatever the distance | Brake fluid. | Source: ADAC (German motoring club), Bremsflüssigkeit wechseln · Yamaha MT-07 owner's manual (a motorcycle example) |
| Every 5 years or sooner, counted from manufacture | Helmet replacement. | Source: SHARP (UK Department for Transport), When to replace a motorbike helmet |
| By the 3rd anniversary of registration, then every year | MOT test (England, Scotland and Wales). | Source: GOV.UK, Getting an MOT |
Your owner's manual takes precedence over every row. Where a row gives both a distance and a time, do the job at whichever comes first.
Guides and tools for each interval
- How long do motorcycle helmets last? Snell and makers →
- How long do tires last? Tread, age and the 10-year limit →
- How often to change brake fluid: time, not distance →
- Tyre (tire) date code checker →
- Motorcycle helmet age checker →
- ITV and TÜV due date calculator →
- Motorbike MOT: due date calculator and checklist →
Your manual overrides this table
Intervals depend on the model, the engine, the market and how the bike is used. The table shows where published sources agree. It does not replace the maintenance chart in your owner's manual, and where the two differ, follow the manual.
Why time limits count on a bike that sits
Brake fluid absorbs water and tyres harden whether or not the bike moves, which is why ADAC and Michelin set those limits in years. If you ride little, the time limits are the ones you will meet first.
Turn the table into reminders
Copy each row your manual confirms into a tracker with both of its limits, then record the date and the odometer reading each time a job is done. The maintenance tracker page shows how Rydger does it.
Useful for
Riders who want the usual intervals at a glance before they check their own manual.
Available in Rydger
- Free reminders by date or distance
- Factory schedule suggestions: Pro
Sources
- Motorcycle Safety Foundation, T-CLOCS pre-ride inspection checklist (in the USTMA Motorcycle Tire Guide)
- Michelin, Motorbike tyre maintenance
- RACE (Spanish motoring club), ¿Cómo y cada cuánto tensar la cadena de moto?
- ADAC (German motoring club), Wartungsintervalle: the manufacturer sets what a service renews
- Michelin, When should I change my motorcycle tires?
- ADAC (German motoring club), Bremsflüssigkeit wechseln
- Yamaha MT-07 owner's manual (a motorcycle example)
- SHARP (UK Department for Transport), When to replace a motorbike helmet
- GOV.UK, Getting an MOT
Turn this schedule into reminders
Rydger's Free plan reminds you by date or distance, whichever comes first, for one vehicle. Pro suggests the factory schedule for your model where one is available.
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