What this checklist is for
This is a pre-ride checklist for your street motorcycle. You enter data about the bike and rider into the form, which you can fill out on-screen. Then you can save that information as a CSV file or a PDF file.
The form itself documents the state of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) T-CLOCS inspection stations: Tires and wheels, Controls, Lights and electrics, Oil and other fluids, Chassis, and Stands. It records OK / Defect / N/A marks on the six MSF T-CLOCS stations, defects found, and the rider sign-off. A signature from the rider completes the form.
This form has an itemized list based off the MSF T-CLOCS acronym. Before each ride, Texas TDLR also gives these six letters. Washington DOL uses a shorter memory aid: T-O-L-L-S-S. That's tires, oil, levers, lights, suspension, and stands.
Again, the aim of the exercise is the same, to take a few minutes in the driveway and run through a routine checklist. It is just like checking the weather before heading out.
There is no mention of the T-CLOCS acronym in the California Motorcycle Handbook. Yet, it will still tell you to check your motorcycle before each ride. Inspect the following items: tires, fluids, lights, battery, brakes, chain or belt, kickstand, clutch, throttle, and mirrors.
The owner’s manual has that cold tire pressure info on it along with the motorcycle placard and the sidewall load table. In other words, an NHTSA-hosted Indian Motorcycle owner bulletin states as much. Before every ride, check the tires condition and pressure. When measuring pressure, do so when tires are cold. And always use the manufacturer-recommended values.
What it is not
- It is not a periodic shop service. Oil-filter changes, valve checks, and scheduled fastener torque belong on a motorcycle maintenance checklist, which is unpublished on this site. Name that form in plain text if you need the interval sheet. Do not treat this walk as that service.
- It is not a commercial motor vehicle pre-trip. CMV walkarounds use the published CMV pre-trip inspection checklist (49 CFR 392.7, 396.13, and a CDL station order). Do not copy 4/32 inch steer-axle tread or a DVIR header onto a motorcycle.
- It is not a four-wheel tire sheet. Light-vehicle door-placard psi and 2/32 inch passenger-car tread live on the tire inspection checklist. Motorcycle pressures are front and rear, often different, and they change with passenger or cargo.
- It is not a state inspection sticker, an MSF RiderCourse score sheet, or a substitute for the owner's manual procedure for your year, make, and model.
How to fill each block
The form provides spaces to write in measured values and specs. It doesn’t create a Pass/Fail psi limit.
This part of the form tell us about the rider and the motorcycle. Here we put in the name, time, date, mileages, plate number, VIN, year, make, and model. This tells who rode it and what was ridden. We note if there’s a passenger or cargo on board.
In Texas and Washington state, additional weight requires changing suspension settings and tire pressure. Next, we record the cold psi numbers found on the original equipment manufacturer, sidewall load table, or placard for both the front and rear tire. Finally, we record our own cold reading numbers. The maximum pressure printed on the sidewall isn’t necessarily the everyday setting unless the manufacturer said so.
T. Tires and wheels
MSF begins with tire condition. First you inspect the tires for wear, tread depth, weathering, embedded objects, bulges and seat evenness. Next, set cold air pressure to the correct level based on your load. Check front and rear.
If the wheels are spoked, inspect them for missing, broken or bent spokes. Examine wheel tension at its highest point. The MSF cue for OK is a ring sound. Loose spokes will cause a thud sound. If the wheels is cast, examine them for dents and cracks. Mark the N/A row if it doesn’t apply. Rims should be checked for true/untrue and out-of-round conditions. When spinning the wheel against a stationary pointer, MSF suggests 5 mm of deviation.
At this station MSF checks that bearings has no click (hub to axle) and no growl while spinning; seals for cuts, cracks, tears; excessive grease; red/brown film on exterior.
Brake function is also part of the station, including the condition of the pads and discs. The bike shouldn’t roll with each brake by itself.
The second station is Controls (C). Check that your handlebars are straight, turning freely. Are grips and bar ends secure? Is the pedal in good shape with no cracks, bends or breaks in the lever? Are mounts tight? Are the ball ends on the handlebar levers intact? Is the adjustment within the original manufacturer's range? Are pivots lubed? Are there any kinks or frays to cables? Are interiors and ends lubed? No pull at suspension or steering head. Are hoses free of cracks, cuts, leaks, bulges, chafing? Routing rule again.
Throttle moves freely; snaps close. It does not raise rpm when you turn the bars. Texas and California say clutch and throttle feel should be smooth. Clutch should be tight. When you let go, throttle should snap back.
L. This is the lights and electrics station. Clean battery terminals and make sure they is tight. Make sure the battery is held down. Is the battery serviceable? Check electrolyte range. Is there a vent tube? If so, is it kinked? Is it routed and open? Mark the vent row with an N/A if using sealed batteries.
Is headlamp lens intact and not cracked? Are the reflector and mount sound? While sitting, aim the light by checking for height and left/right. Are tail and brake lamps tight and clean? Do both the front and rear brake lights illuminate the stop lamp? Do the turn signals flash on all four corners? Switches: Engine cut-off. High/low beam. Turn signal.
The horn must work in Texas and California.
The mirrors are tight, clean, and in position when seated. Reflectors and lenses is properly mounted. There is no excessive condensation. Insulation on wiring is intact. Wiring should have no pinch at the steering head or suspension. Connectors is tight
Check the oil and other fluids at the Forth station. Check engine oil when warm (MSF). Do so on the center stand or as per the manufacturer level. Level surface is required. Use sight glass or dipstick. If equipped, check shaft-drive/gear oil levels. Check hydraulic fluid in clutch and/or brake reservoirs/sight glasses.
Coolant is checked when cool only. Look at fuel tank or gauge for fuel. Look for leaks at the carbs or injectors and the fuel valve. Check the fuel lines and radiator hoses. Look at the master cylinders and calipers. Check the breather hoses, housings, and gaskets.
Weekly checks of coolant and brake hydraulic fluid can be done, according to Texas. If the bike is dry and you have already done that this week, you may still mark today's look. If your bike uses air cooling or has chain/belt final drive, mark off rows for coolant/oil/gear-oil as N/A.
What varies
C stands for Chassis at the Fifth Station.
Look for raised paint. Check for frame cracks at gussets and accessory mounts.
Steering-head bearings should have no tight spots during full travel.
Raise the front wheel. Push and pull on the fork. There is no play.
Raise the rear wheel. Push and pull on the swingarm. Check swingarm bushings.
Front forks should be smooth.
Air or damping settings should be equal.
Rear shocks should have smooth travel.
Preload should be equal.
Linkage should be lubricated and free.
Tension of chain or belt should be at its tightest point. Use the OEM slack number. Do not make up a number. Lubricate chain side plates when hot. MSF says do not lubricate belts. Sprocket teeth should not be hooked.
Sprockets must be tight.
Threaded fasteners should be present and tight.
Clips and cotter pins must be present and not broken.
S stands for Stands.
Center stand (if so equipped) shouldn’t be bent or cracked. Make sure springs is installed and have sufficient tension to retain the stand. Do the same for the side stand. If the bike has a safety cut-out switch or pad, check it as well.
According to Texas, the side-stand spring should keep the stand tight up. When riding, a center stand should rest snugly against the frame. For California, check your kickstand: Are there bent springs? Is there a crack? Does it have the right amount of tension? On bikes without a center-stand, you’ll mark that row as N/A.
Then there’s the last part, which is about defects and sign-off. Here, you note defects and their location. You select one of these actions: no defects, repaired before this ride, scheduled after the ride and still safe, or the bike stays parked. If none of those apply, then you checkmark “I did not ride.”
After you finish
Default is US. State law governs equipment and licensing. Street legal minima include brakes, working lights, mirrors and a horn per California.
Washington’s printed memory aid collapses Controls and Chassis into levers and suspension. Regardless of what your state handbook has added, such as a sidecar brake or coupling, T-CLOCS ensures everything is covered in one walkthrough of the MSF list. Those items go in the comments section if they’re not their own station here.
N/A markings depend upon how you have your bike set up. Liquid-cooled vs air-cooled engine matters. Shaft vs chain vs belt drive matters. Cast wheels vs spoke wheels matter. Cable clutch vs hydraulic clutch matters. No center stand bikes matters. Only mark it N/A if that part doesn’t come on the motorcycle.
Adjust the cold psi for cargo and passengers. Change suspension preload. When load changes, you check those two stations again.
You don't copy a car door-placard psi to a motorcycle. You don't apply CMV 393.75 tread floor data to two wheels. If you want a copy, you download it as a filled-in PDF or CSV. Answers remain on this browser. The next visitor will see a blank form.
Before you ride, fix flaws like a stand that won’t hold up or problems with lighting or control. A leak check isn’t a substitute for scheduled shop work, like Texas suggests (weekly fluid check). That’s on the motorcycle maintenance checklist. It is not part of this walk.
Not a substitute for the OEM or a licensed inspection
Above is the form. Below the form are the preview image and printable PDF.
This is a record keeping template. This is not legal advice. This is not a substitute for a State Rider Course or MSF Course. This is not a substitute for a licensed inspection. This is not a substitute for the manufacturer's procedure. If there is no psi, no slack, and no tread number on your side wall or placard or owner's manual in front of you, you should of not make one up. Don't invent a Pass/Fail limit.