MotoBFF

The 5-minute motorcycle pre-ride check: T-CLOCS

By MotoBFF · 2 min read
The 5-minute motorcycle pre-ride check: T-CLOCS

The short answer

T-CLOCS is the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's pre-ride checklist: Tyres and wheels, Controls, Lights and electrics, Oil and fluids, Chassis, Stands. A quick version takes about five minutes and catches most problems before you leave, which matters even more before a group ride.

Nobody wants to be the rider who holds up the group with a flat tyre in the first ten kilometres. A five-minute check the evening before, or at the meeting point, prevents most of it.

T-CLOCS in five minutes: tyres and wheels, controls, lights and electrics, oil and fluids, chassis, stands

T: Tyres and wheels

  • Pressure. Check cold, with a gauge, against the numbers in your manual or on the swingarm sticker. Under-inflated tyres feel vague and wear fast.
  • Tread and damage. Look for cuts, bulges, nails and the wear indicators.
  • Wheels. Spokes tight, no cracks or dents, bearings without play.

C: Controls

  • Levers move smoothly and return.
  • Clutch and throttle cables aren't frayed. The throttle snaps back closed on its own, with the bars turned fully left and right.
  • Brake lever and pedal feel firm, not spongy.

L: Lights and electrics

  • Headlight, low and high beam.
  • Brake light, from both the lever and the pedal.
  • Indicators front and rear, and the horn.
  • Battery connections tight.

O: Oil and fluids

  • Engine oil at the right level, on level ground.
  • Coolant if your bike is liquid-cooled.
  • Brake fluid above the minimum in both reservoirs.
  • Leaks. Look under the bike where it was parked overnight.

C: Chassis

  • Chain tension and lube, sprockets not hooked.
  • Suspension moves smoothly with no leaks from the fork seals.
  • Nothing loose: mirrors, luggage, number plate.

S: Stands

  • The side stand springs back up firmly.
  • The centre stand, if you have one, too.

A side stand that doesn't retract fully is one of those small things that becomes a big thing in the first left corner.

Before a group ride, add three things

  1. Fuel. Fill up the night before. The group plans fuel stops around the bike with the smallest tank, not yours.
  2. Phone charged, with the ride chat open.
  3. A small kit: tyre plug kit, a few tools, a spare pair of gloves if it's cold.

Questions riders ask

What does T-CLOCS stand for?

Tyres and wheels, Controls, Lights and electrics, Oil and fluids, Chassis, Stands. It was created by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

How often should I check my tyre pressure?

Before every ride, or at least weekly, with the tyres cold.

How long does a pre-ride check take?

About five minutes for the quick version. A full T-CLOCS inspection takes longer and is worth doing at the start of each season.