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Here’s why it’s important to read your owner’s manual

It may seem boring, but the owner’s manual contains some extremely valuable information.

EJ Punsalang EJ Punsalang on Apr 19, 2022
Here’s why it’s important to read your owner’s manual

If you’re a motorcycle enthusiast, chances are you’re part of several bike-specific forums and groups in social media. Chances are, as well, that you’ve seen some seemingly stupid questions posted on these forums, such as what type of gasoline to use, what size of tires can fit, as well as tons of other seemingly commonsensical questions pertaining to a bike. Well, all these people probably have one thing in common, and it’s truly something to be ashamed of: not reading the owner’s manual.

All motorcycles come with an owner’s manual, however, it isn’t uncommon for owners, especially first-time owners, to completely disregard this valuable document. The owner's manual can be considered as the bible of your new motorcycle. As such, it’s absolutely essential that you read it from cover to cover. Not doing so could result in lots of trouble down the road, as the manual comes with valuable information about your motorcycle.

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Not all bikes are the same

Here’s why it’s important to read your owner’s manual

Modern-day motorcycles are chock-full of technology. Even entry-level two-wheelers like the Yamaha Aerox are equipped with features that were once only found on premium big bikes. Some of these features include Bluetooth smartphone pairing and other electronic features. As such, it’s nothing to be ashamed of if you can’t operate these features without some help. That’s exactly what the owner’s manual is for. Furthermore, not all motorcycles are the same, and stuff that’s standard for one particular model, may be a big no-no for some other bikes. One such example would be the octane rating of gasoline. 

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It contains information you can't live without

Here’s why it’s important to read your owner’s manual

This brings us to our next point. The owner’s manual contains vital information on your specific motorcycle, information which, if neglected, could result in some serious problems. As mentioned earlier, some motorcycles require fuel with octane ratings of 95 or higher. Meanwhile, other bikes prefer lower octane fuels such as 91 RON gasoline. Other valuable pieces of information include tips on maintenance and consumables, such as maintenance intervals for oil changes, as well as the specific type of oil to use on your bike.

When it comes to maintenance, most of the tolerances for basic maintenance jobs can be found in the owner’s manual, too. For instance, the optimum chain tension for your specific bike will be clearly highlighted in the owner’s manual. The type of coolant, spark plug gaps, tire pressures, and brake fluid, are among the other essential pieces of information you can obtain from your bike’s owner’s manual.

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