Is Motorcycle Maintenance Expensive?

Is Motorcycle Maintenance Expensive?

Just like our human body, your motorcycle also needs maintenance. But the real question is, is motorcycle maintenance expensive? 

Generally, the ideal cost of motorcycle maintenance is around $800-$1500 in a year. However, the maintenance cost depends on the region you’re living in, the motorcycle you’ve, and the way you ride it.  

So what’re the motorcycle parts where most people spend their money, and how can you minimize the motorcycle maintenance cost? We know you must have these questions, and in this post, we’ve discussed all the answers you may want to know. 

Is Motorcycle Maintenance Expensive: 

As mentioned above, the motorcycle maintenance would cost you around $800-$1500 in a year. But this cost would be highly influenced by the environment you’re living in. 

You can decrease your motorcycle maintenance cost by practicing some activities like pressing the brake of the motorbike slowly, greasing the motorbike chain regularly.  

Can You Ignore Motorcycle Maintenance: 

Well, it depends upon you. It’s your decision either you can ignore motorcycle maintenance or schedule motorcycle maintenance. 

But we always recommend spending some money on motorcycle maintenance. After all, motorcycle maintenance can ensure your motorbike’s longevity. 

How Much Would Maintenance of Motorcycle Parts Cost: 

In the ideal condition, the motorcycle maintenance would cost you around $800 to $1500. But you need to know the individual cost of motorcycle parts. 

How Much Would Maintenance of Motorcycle Parts Cost: 
Oil Change would normally cost you under $500. 
The brake maintenance would cost you around $100. 
Motorcycle chain maintenance would cost you around $200-$500. 
Motorcycle tires would cost you around $300-$500. 

Oil Change: 

Although the oil change would cost you under $500, it also depends on the type of oil you’re using. The frequency of oil change with conventional oil would be after every 3000 miles, while if you use synthetic oil, then the frequency would be around 5000 miles. 

And obviously, the frequency of oil change also depends on the way you’re riding. For example, if you’re a regular rider who rides in the cities, the oil will deteriorate faster.

The same logic also applies to the racing motorcycle. However, if you ride your motorbike in the dirt and race with your motorbike in the dirt track, you might need to change the oil filter more frequently. And changing the oil along with the oil filter would cost you more than $500. 

Motorcycle Brake: 

Experts always recommend pressing the brake easy and slowly unless it’s urgent. It’s because pressing the lever too tight would rip off rotors which cost more than the pads. 

Generally, the pad would cost you around $40-$50, while you can expect the rotor to be $200-$300. So it’s better to follow the expert advice and not press the lever too tight. 

Although you can expect the time taken to replace the brake parts to be less than 2 hours, sometimes the whole process takes longer. 

Motorcycle Chain: 

You can’t ignore the value of the motorcycle chain in your riding life. After all, it’s the only component that connects the engine to the rear wheel. 

The chain maintenance would cost a bit more than any other parts, around $200-$500. Although you should take your motorbike for maintenance every 5000-50,000 miles, if you’re racing a motorbike, then be ready to take your motorbike every 2000 miles. 

The frequency of motorcycle chains also depends upon the condition in which you store your motorcycle. For instance, if you store your motorbike in a garage full of dirt, then the frequency of chain maintenance might increase. 

Motorcycle Tire: 

Just like motorcycle chains, the motorcycle tire also costs a bit more than any motorcycle parts. For instance, a pair of motorcycle tires would cost you approx $200-$400. 

Again the cost of motorcycle tires depends on the type of tires you use, the type of motorbike you’re using, and the way you’re riding. We always recommend checking your tires’ health every 3000-4000 miles. 

If you live in a hot climate and ride too harshly, apply brakes too harshly, then we’d recommend checking the tire more often. 

How You Can Save Money on Maintenance: 

There is probably no one on our planet who doesn’t want to save money. Although we don’t recommend saving money on choosing the best parts for your motorcycle, we surely recommend saving money when it’s about maintenance.  

Here are some ways by which you can save your money on motorcycle maintenance: 

How you can save money on maintenance: 
You can save money by changing the oil by yourself. 
You can save money by changing the coolant by yourself. 
Cleaning the air filter on your own. 
You can save money by cleaning the motorcycle chain. 

Changing Oil: 

As mentioned above, changing oil would cost you a couple of hundred dollars. And you can save a couple of hundred dollars by changing the oil by yourself. 

Thanks to friction, the used oil has some viscosity, making the oil difficult to drain. We recommend riding the motorbike for at least 10 minutes to warm the oil, so the oil would be easy to drain. 

After standing your motorbike on the center stand next, you need to remove the drain plug along with an oil fill plug. Changing oil would be a messy process; that’s why we recommend wearing a proper suit before changing the oil. 

Once the oil is drained from the tank, then remove the oil filter and clean it. Any impurities could enter the engine; that’s why please remember to cover your motorcycle with aluminum foil. 

After draining all the oil and cleaning the filter, you’ve to screw all parts you unscrewed recently. Now use a funnel to insert new motorcycle oil into your motorcycle engine.

It would be best for the environment around you not to throw oil in the drainage system. You can recycle the old oil in the nearest motorcycle maintenance shop or oil recycle faculty. 

Changing Coolant: 

Coolant helps the engine stay within a safe temperature region, and just like changing oil, the changing of coolant is also a piece of cake. 

First, you need to remove all bodywork to access the coolant, and we recommend removing the radiator cap to ensure the proper drainage of the coolant. 

Use the funnel to insert the new coolant in the engine and screw back the radiator cap along with all bodywork. Please ensure all old coolant is drained; otherwise, your engine could seize if you use two different coolants. 

We recommend that you ride your motorbike for at least 10 minutes and then remove the radiator cap. Put some more coolant if you see some more space, but please don’t overflow the room, or you can check the user manual to know the specific amount of coolant needed. 

Cleaning the Air Filter: 

Cleaning the air filter is essential if you ride your motorcycle a lot on an off-road or track full of dust and debris. Generally, the cleaning of the air filter would cost you a couple of dollars. 

But you can save money by cleaning the air filter yourself. Believe us, changing or cleaning the air filter is an easy task and time-consuming. 

In some motorcycles, the air filter is more accessible, while in some motorcycles, you need to remove the compartment or bodywork. 

We recommend not cleaning the air filter in the dusty environment and using aluminum foil to cover the engine so that no dust could enter the engine.

Cleaning the Motorcycle Chain: 

As mentioned above, motorcycle chain maintenance would cost you around $200-$400. And the best thing about modern-day motorcycle chains (O ring) is that you can clean the chain easily, even at your home. 

We recommend cleaning the chain after every 1000 miles, or you can follow the instructions given in the motorcycle manual. For cleaning the chain, you need to set the motorcycle on neutral before lifting the rear center for easy chain movement.

Now take a soft bristle brush and clean the motorcycle chain softly. After cleaning, don’t forget to lubricate the motorcycle chain with grease. The goal should be greasing the motorcycle chain thoroughly, even between the joints of O rings. So from this day, motorcycle maintenance isn’t expensive.

Frequently Asked Question:

Is motorcycle maintenance expensive?

Generally, the ideal cost of motorcycle maintenance is around $800-$1500 in a year. However, the maintenance cost depends on the region you’re living in, the motorcycle you’ve, and the way you ride it.  

Can you ignore motorcycle maintenance? 

It’s your decision either you can ignore motorcycle maintenance or schedule motorcycle maintenance. 
But we always recommend spending some money on motorcycle maintenance. After all, motorcycle maintenance can ensure your motorbike’s longevity. 

How much would the change and cleaning of the motorcycle chain cost?

The chain maintenance would cost a bit more than any other parts, around $200-$500. Although you should take your motorbike for maintenance every 5000-50,000 miles, if you’re racing a motorbike, then be ready to take your motorbike every 2000 miles. 

Our Verdict: 

Is motorcycle maintenance expensive? Generally, the ideal cost of motorcycle maintenance is around $800-$1500 in a year. However, the maintenance cost depends on the region you’re living in, the motorcycle you’ve, and the way you ride it.  

However, you can save maintenance money by cleaning and changing some motorbike components on your own. So from this day, motorcycle maintenance isn’t expensive.