Today, in our in-depth coverage of T-CLOCS, we are covering the 2nd C. The 2nd C in T-CLOCS stands for chassis. The chassis covers the frame, suspension, drive train (chain, belt, or shaft), and fasteners. Things that are supposed to be stationary should not move, and things that are supposed to move should move easily.
I know that on my older Harley Davidson, I quickly look over the chassis before each ride, but sometimes, when I wash it, I find things I should have seen when checking the chassis. A time when you may not be able to ride will be a great time to find those missing or loose bolts or clips. You can get them replaced or tightened before getting back on the road.
Checking the frame includes looking for cracks and rust and if anything like engine guards, saddlebags, or luggage racks are loose. You should make sure everything that should move moves correctly and without issue. This is also a good time to check bushings to make sure you haven’t lost any or that they are not in bad shape.
The suspension check can be fun. If you have an air-adjustable shock, you should check the pressure to make sure it’s set where you need it. Then, you can sit on the bike, bounce to check the shocks, and push down on the handlebars to check the forks. Fork seals going bad is a common issue, and it’s best to find this earlier rather than later. If you get fluid leaking when you push down on the forks, you have a problem, and you also have a problem if the forks do not come back up after being compressed.
If your bike has a chain drive, you need to make sure it is not too loose or too tight, that it’s aligned on the sprocket correctly, and that that sprocket does not have damaged or missing teeth. Chains need to be lubricated, so this is also a good time to do that. As you lubricate the chain, check for any loose or damaged links.
If your bike has a belt drive, you must inspect the belt for any damage or wear. Make sure the belt is adjusted correctly. Belts do not need to be lubricated.
If your bike is a shaft drive, there is very little you need to do. Check that the shaft knuckle is not worn out and that there is no play in the shaft. Other than that, there is not much else to do. I had a worn-out shaft knuckle on my Yamaha at about 90,0000 miles, and it’s a strange feeling when the bike is running, but there is no power to the back wheel.
Checking fasteners usually gets missed in your daily pre-ride check; you typically don’t realize you lost a nut or bolt or have a loose one until you clean your bike and notice it’s loose or missing. Most bikes have some vibration, some more than others, and after a few miles, that will cause things to work loose. A product called Lock-Tight® is great, but it is still a good idea to double-check that everything is nice and tight.
Stay safe everyone!
Here are some extras with some good information.
https://msf-usa.org/downloads/T-CLOCS_Inspection_Checklist.pdf
