Five-minute checks you can do at home every Sunday

Most of the faults we fix at the workshop give a warning weeks before they become a repair. A five-minute check once a week, on a Sunday morning before the first ride, catches most of them. You need only a tyre gauge, a rag and a torch.

Start with tyre pressure, checked cold, before the bike has been ridden. The correct figures are on a sticker on the swing arm or chain guard, and in your manual; most commuter bikes run about 25 psi front and 30 to 33 psi rear. A gauge costs around ₹300, and petrol pump readings are often off by 2 to 3 psi.

Next, engine oil. Put the bike on its main stand on level ground, wait two minutes, and look at the sight glass or pull the dipstick and wipe it, then reinsert it without screwing it in. The level should sit between the two marks. Dark oil is normal; oil that looks milky or smells burnt is worth a call to us.

Then the chain. Push the lower run of the chain up and down at the midpoint. Most bikes want 20 to 30 mm of total movement. Much more, and it needs adjusting; much less, and it is too tight. Look for dry, rusty links after rain. Finally, switch on the ignition and check the headlight on both beams, the tail light, both indicators and the brake light with each brake lever. Squeeze the front brake and push the bike forward; it should not roll. If anything feels different from last week, book a quick check before it becomes a bigger job.