How to tell your motorcycle needs a mechanic — not a quick fix

Riders ask all the time whether something is worth bringing in. The honest answer is that most running problems are worth a phone call, because the ones you ignore tend to come back at the worst moment.

Bring it in

• It will not hold an idle, or it stalls at lights.
• You smell fuel, see fluid under the bike, or notice a new wet spot.
• The brakes feel spongy, pull to one side, or make noise.
• There is a new sound — a knock, a click, a whine — that was not there last week.
• It runs fine cold and rough hot, or the other way around.

Probably fine to handle yourself

• Chain cleaning and lube.
• Tire pressure and a visual check of tread.
• Basic fluid top-offs when you know what you are looking at.

The line is not always clean. If you are not sure, call. A two-minute conversation costs nothing and a lot of the time it saves a tow.

The thing to remember about this shop is that Steve will tell you straight whether it is something to bring in. He is not going to talk you into work that does not need doing. That is most of why riders keep coming back.