A buying guide to keep your bike in perfect working order and limit fuel consumption, with eBay
February 9, 2023
Even if the winter period is not the one that invites you to long journeys, but rather to limit travel to the bare minimum, there is a large portion of motorcyclists who can’t wait to leave: Elefantentreffen and similar winter gatherings manage to attract thousands of enthusiasts for whom the cold is no limit when it comes to grind kilometers upon kilometers… with related petrol consumption whose price per liter fluctuates – at the time of writing – between 1.8 and 1.9 euros/litre.
The answer for those who want (or need: think of commuters and those who use the motorbike to go to work) to move on two wheels and not affect too much the final costs of a short vacation or family ménage can be to look for in every way of limit consumption. As? First through one smooth ridedevoid of excesses and favoring low gas knob loads, in the second place keeping your bike in perfect working order: eliminating small friction by lubricating elements such as chains and bearings, always having the tires at the correct pressure, keeping the air filter clean are some of the precautions which – perhaps added together – can lead not only to higher overall performance but also to a reduction in fuel consumption.
Given that on an engine in disastrous conditions in terms of the efficiency of pistons, cylinders and other fundamental components, consumption cannot improve much – radical intervention is therefore necessary to bring the components back within their operating range envisaged by the Manufacturer – if we limit ourselves to those operations that those with a minimum of experience, a bit of dexterity and a few tools can perform in their home garage, the popular marketplace eBay can be a unique resource to allow you to save time in finding what you need and save money, since it is quite frequent that they are present on the global platform offers and bundles relating to spare parts, oils and tools to spend an afternoon dedicated to ordinary maintenance. Let’s see some!
Air filter
And air filter old or dirty restricts airflow and affects fuel consumption and performance, worse. Sponge or paper air filters can be mounted on motorcycles: the former are generally washable using special ones washing kits, the seconds must be replaced after relatively long mileages set by the manufacturer (mileages that must be shortened if the bike is used frequently on very very dusty roads). After having extracted them from their seat, a first palliative could be to blow them with compressed air (from the inside outwards) and in this it could be useful to have a small compressor in the garage which will then also be useful for the tyres, but the the most sensible solution is always to proceed either with the replacement or with the washing. If you want to have an exhaustive overview and quickly recover filters and cleaning kits, starting from the Cars and Motorcycles section of eBay, you will find the entry Articles for intake and injection for motorcycles where you can navigate by product or brand, under the entry Air filters for moto it will be possible to orient yourself in the huge offer of the marketplace by looking for the filter for compatible model (there is a “see all” link which opens the search box) or by brandwithout forgetting the cleaning kits and lubricating oils to be used on the sponge filters at the end of the washing procedure.
Tires at the correct pressure
We will never tire of repeating it: the tyres are a decisive element for the safety and performance dynamics of the bike and, in the case of fuel consumption, tire pressures that are too low not only make the bike undrivable and unsafe but consumption worsens noticeably. The pressures must always be restored to the level prescribed by the motorcycle manufacturer: to do this you can go to a professional tire specialist or, much more satisfying for those with a passion for two wheels, you can buy a small compressor (see link above) and equip yourself with a precision pressure gauge, which can be found with a simple search on the community. The costs are quite limited and you will see that in the long run the cost of fuel could benefit a lot. Obviously, it doesn’t make sense to have tires at the correct pressure but worn beyond the safety limits: if you want, you can take a look at our in-depth analysis on tires and maybe give your bike a new set.
Chain, crown and pinion
The final drive chain needs one accurate and frequent maintenance both to bring it back to the ideal tension and to keep it clean and lubricated. Tensioning, cleaning and lubrication at the intervals recommended by the manufacturer are essential requirements to lengthen its life and always make it work at its maximum mechanical efficiency, preventing the links or o-ring deteriorate and absorb more power than they are physiologically intended to absorb.
So arm yourself with a solvent suitable for not damaging the seals and a specific lubricant: on eBay just do a search using the keyword “chain cleaning kit”: you will notice that often with a tiny sum it is possible to buy solvent, a brush dedicated to removing sludge from the chain and spray lubricant.
But – be careful – the chain may not still be usable: if it can no longer restore the correct tension (remember to always check it in several sections of the entire length of the chain) because you have already reached the end of the stroke on the adjusters or if the sprocket and crown have dull teeth from wear, it’s time to install a new transmission kit for which we refer you to the category Articles for motorcycle transmission and clutch where you will find chains and sprockets, as well as the possibility of browsing in search of what you need according to brand or type (to give an example: here is a tool for the correct “unraveling” of the chain and subsequent correct assembly). Obviously, since the final drive is a safety-critical element, only carry out the work if you know what you are doing, otherwise entrust yourself to a specialized workshop.
A proper maintenance of these three elements (air filter, tires and drive chain) can help you limit the consumption of your bike but, and it is not a secondary element, they will also guarantee you better performance and greater safety to go far or… to guarantee you a winter of commuting without too many worries. Patemi that, if we look at the community di eBayare reduced to a minimum when buying on the marketplace: la arcinota eBay Customer Guarantee protects you in case something goes wrong with your purchase or delivery; all that remains is to put the bike on the stands and get ready for a few afternoons to take care of your motorcycle!
