Monsoon maintenance for your royal Enfield bike… Rains have a tendency to mess with your bike … So some tips..

Change the engine oil if it is more than 1500 km old. The rain will add more water to your oil because of this the bike will not be able to dissipate heat as it should do. Water may also enter the oil pump which leads to more corrosion. A good thick oil means that the oil pump will be able circulate the oil to all the parts. Thicker oil also means that it stays there leaving no room for moisture.

Clutch case oil: If you are using engine oil for clucth oil, change to any thinner oil as the thicker oil increases the tendency for a clutch slip.

air filter: Old air filter already dirty by the summer added with the moisture and water spray will make your bike litteraly suffocate. Change the air filter, it will only cost 30 bucks.

contact breaker point and condenser: Clean the points, set the gaps to the standard setting and put some thing over the point cover. Clean and grease up your point plates and the auto advance mechanism behind the point plates.

controller cable: Change your controller cables. Oil all the new cables. A technique for oiling the cables, take a small plastic bag cut a hole which has the same diameter as that of the cable. Put the cable through the hole and tie to the bag so that it will not slip off. Pour the oil into the bag. The level of the oil should be enough to submerge the end of the cable inside.  Hang this whole assembly for on night. Do this to all cables.

Fork and steering: If you are not an expert in this field and you do not know what you are doing leave it to the mechanic.

Brakes: drum brakes may lock up during the rainy season. Since we have changed the cable the culprit this time would be the cams. Open the hub and dismandle the full brake setup along with the liners. Replace the liners if nessesary. You must also clean the innner side of the drum. While doing this check the bearings for wear and tear and play.

Chain: Clean the chain using some solvent. Put it back on the bike and rotate the wheel while spraying some oil on it. check the chain for any wear and tear. If it is too much worn out replace it.

Electricals: Check all the wires for cuts and cracks. Check the battery electrolyte level, top up if nessesary. Clean all the connectors with sand paper. cover the horn relay to prevent water from entering it. Carry a lot of fuse with you because blown fuse is a common problem.

Spark plug: Spark plug may get soaked during rain. So always have a spare spark plug with you.

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