Two minutes before you ride can catch the one problem that ends your day badly. Here is the checklist worth memorizing.
Two minutes versus a very bad day
Most riders just hop on and go. Then one day a soft tire, a dragging brake, or a loose chain turns an ordinary ride into a crash. A two minute check catches almost all of it.
Racers and motorcycle cops do a version of this every single time. You should too. Here is the simple routine.
The T-CLOCS check, simplified
The acronym T-CLOCS covers everything that matters. Walk around your bike and hit each one. It takes about two minutes once it becomes habit.
- T is for Tires. Check pressure with a gauge, eyeball for cuts or low looking sidewalls, and glance at tread. Tires are your only contact with the road.
- C is for Controls. Squeeze both brake levers, twist the throttle to confirm it snaps back, check the clutch feel. Look for cracked or kinked cables.
- L is for Lights. Headlight on high and low, brake light when you press each lever, turn signals, horn.
- O is for Oil and fluids. Quick look for leaks under the bike, check the oil level, glance at the coolant if your bike has it.
- C is for Chassis. Chain tension and lube, sprocket condition, and that nothing is hanging loose. Give the suspension a quick push.
- S is for Stands. Make sure the side stand springs up fully and the cut off switch works. A stand that drops in a left turn is a fast crash.
The two killers this catches most often are a nail in a tire that has slowly gone soft overnight, and a chain that has gone dangerously loose. Both are invisible at a glance and both can put you down. Thirty seconds of looking finds them.
Make it automatic
You will not remember a six point checklist forever by willpower. Make it a habit instead. Run through it while your gloves go on, or while the bike warms up. Within a few weeks it becomes second nature and takes no real time at all.
If something feels off, trust it. A weird noise, a spongy lever, a tire that looks low. Those small signals are your bike telling you something before it becomes an emergency.
When the check finds a problem
A pre ride check is only useful if you act on what it finds. A soft tire, a loose chain, or a spongy brake means the ride waits until it is fixed.
If you spot something you are not comfortable handling yourself, our service garage can sort it fast. Better to lose a day to the shop than a season to a crash. Ride checked, ride safe.
Everything in this guide, vetted by riders and backed by a real service garage. Free shipping over $49.
Shop the collection →
