What this checklist is for
Fill out the form on screen; download as a CSV or a PDF. Or download a blank version to scribble on with pen and paper.
Use this form when it is time for tires, brakes, fasteners, the battery, cooling, controls, lights, oil, filters, or the drive, according to your owner’s manual. It is not the two-minute walk before each ride.
Those tasks is considered two separate jobs by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation operator manual. Before departure, do a quick inspection of your stands, chassis, fluids, lights, controls, and tires (T-CLOCS). Then follow your motorcycle’s owner’s manual for regular maintenance like tune-ups and oil changes.
Similarly, MSF Riding Tips advises: “Do the pre-ride checks you can do every day;” then have an authorized dealer perform any listed service, or if you are qualified, do it yourself.
Crash data is not a table of recommended service intervals. The link to the NHTSA document titled “Motorcycles: 2022” (DOT HS 813 589), is included for those who ride a street bike without the passenger-car protective cage.
What it is not
- It is not a motorcycle pre ride checklist and not a T-CLOCS every-ride walk. Keep that shorter sheet for the driveway. This form is the shop-interval service.
- It is not a CMV walk, a CDL skills test, or a driver vehicle inspection report. Do not copy truck tread or air-brake rows onto a street bike.
- It is not a car pre-purchase inspection or a four-wheel lot walk. For tire condition on a car or light truck, use the published tire inspection checklist.
- It is not an official Honda, Yamaha, Harley-Davidson, or state inspection sticker. Intervals and torque values come from that bike’s manual, not from one mile number treated as federal law.
How to fill each block
A dark lamp, a dry chain, or worn brakes are not minor annoyances; they’re safety issues. Note also from that same fact sheet that rider protection gear, including a DOT FMVSS 218 helmet and visible gear, remain necessary even though they do not appear as lines on this mechanical form.
Write down the following: Year; Make & Model; VIN; Plate #; today’s date and the odometer; Engine hours (if it has an hour meter). Air or Liquid cooled? Chain, Belt or Shaft drive? Mark “N/A” on those items that don’t apply at this station, but don’t skip them silently!
The next due date and miles come from the owner’s manual, and you cannot rely on memory. The published vehicle maintenance log is your date-and-miles book to maintain as you go, keeping record of every bike/car you own. Use one form per service visit.
Check the oil while the bike is upright or on the stand using the dipstick or sight glass, and mark it as N/A, Due, or Done. If scheduled to change oil and the filter, do them both at once. Check for new leaks under the cases. Note which oil spec was used.
The 2019 CB300R owner’s manual from Honda shows engine oil as a one-year replace item on their chart and specifies changing the filter with the oil. This is one OEM example, not a national interval.
Tune up the drive you’ve got: Inspect sprockets per MSF. Set belt or chain tension according to manufacturer spec. Lube the chain, but do not lube a belt, per T-CLOCS tear-out. For shaft-driven bikes, use the specified gear oil or final drive oil, not chain paste.
Chain is inspected/lubed at 600 miles (1,000 km), per Honda’s CB300R chart for example. Repeated hard launches, rain, and dust shorten the interval. Belt or shaft marks the rows. This does not apply to a chain bike. On a belt or shaft bike, it is the reverse.
Brakes. OK? Is there a defect? Or it is not applicable. Each brake must be firm enough by itself to stop the bike. Check the calipers, hoses, masters, discs, and pads for wear using the OEM marks. Check that the fluid level is at the reservoir marks and that there is no seepage. Both pedal and lever must illuminate the brake lamp.
With ABS, check lamp operation as described in the manual. Many bikes has a time frame for brake-fluid life. The CB300R chart from Honda calls for replacement at two years.
An NHTSA recall report (18V-076) on certain Harley-Davidson ABS bikes shows why that two-year DOT 4 flush in the owner’s manual is not optional marketing: old hygroscopic fluid can gel and stick valves. Follow the fluid type listed for your bike. Don’t mix DOT grades.
Compare cold pressure with the load rating in the manual or tire label (not sidewall max). Look for bulges, embedded objects, tread, and weathering. Tires should be replaced at minimum depth marked on their model or when wear indicators are exposed.
That minimum varies per axle, and sometimes even by brand, so it doesn’t print just one. If they have spoke wheels, they get checked for damage and tension. For cast wheels, they get checked for dents and cracks. Mark N/A if you don’t have that style. For a more detailed four-wheel tire approach, continue with the tire inspection checklist for the car.
According to the Washington DOL motorcycle operator manual, the equipment required to operate your motorcycle on public roads includes: mirrors, headlight, turn signals, tail light, horn, muffler, and a license plate.
Your state’s list may be longer or shorter. Use this form to prove the following: engine cut-off, mirrors, and horn. Test both signals, the plate or position lamps (if fitted), and the tail lamp from each control. Test the brake lamp from each control and the high and low beam from each control. Trace out wiring at the steering head to make sure nothing pinches when you turn the bars.
Throttle should return to closed by itself in every steering position. The clutch must be smooth with freeplay equal to the manual’s listed values (for either hydraulic or cable systems). Inspect the cable’s housing ends and routing; check for frays. Check the mounting of the lever or pedal. Ensure it has a full range of motion with no tight spots. Check that the side stand springs up and remains up. If equipped with a center stand, it should lock into the frame while riding.
Perform monthly inspections by checking the battery monthly. Maintain the electrolyte level at the mark using distilled water only if the battery is serviceable (meaning it has cells), according to MSF Riding Tips. A lot of street bikes these days have a sealed battery. According to the Honda CB300R manual, do not add water or remove the seals from the caps of that maintenance-free battery.
Clean and secure terminals, verify hold-down, charge/tender in accordance with OEM instructions. Charge and terminal corrosion are considered routine service items for Harley-Davidson, not a quick pre-ride look, according to its maintenance essentials page.
Honda says to inspect the radiator hoses and clamps. If your bike is liquid cooled, also inspect the reserve tank. Only do this when the engine is cool, and keep levels between the marks. Do not pull off the radiator cap if it is hot.
Air-cooled: Look at any oil cooler, fins etc., row coolant N/A, still good but watch the color of it
What varies
Coolant change years vary by model. The CB300R chart shows that the replacement interval for that model is three years.
Check and change the air filter element at scheduled intervals or as needed if riding in the rain or dusty conditions. The Honda uses viscous elements that can’t be cleaned with compressed air; they’re replace-only. If your bike has a drain tube for the crankcase breather, service it. Re-seat the housing to ensure no unfiltered air gets around the element.
Service includes major nuts and bolts plus axle, exhaust, peg and control mounts. Check for cotter pins or missing clips. Most dealers schedule steerhead bearing service. If it's loose and you didn't tighten to the listed torque, mark it a Defect in that row.
What was completed? What parts were replaced? Anything left undone? Choose whether the motorcycle is released, held for parts, or only partly serviced. Both tech and owner sign. It’s stored as answers in this browser tab. Next person who visits gets a clean form.
There’s no federal mile number for changing oil on a street bike. One example: Harley-Davidson has a public essentials page that lists the “first service” at around 1,000 miles. After that, most of their bikes need service about every 5,000 miles. You may need it sooner if the bike is used in hard, cold, or dusty conditions, or before lengthy storage.
After you finish
Honda’s 2019 CB300R chart is based on an oil change interval of one year plus 4,000-mile increments (with a trip point at each). On Yamaha’s Y-Connect, the oil reminder trips either by elapsed days, or mileage, your choice. From the book, write down the interval that fits this VIN.
Other hardware splits too: drive, cooling, brakes. No chain slack on a shaft bike. No need to oil a belt. ABS or linked brakes still require checks for both controls; they just have different lamp and flush rules.
Washington's equipment list is not a 49 CFR truck rule, but is state law in Washington. Each state publishes its own motorcycle handbook.
The "normal" column shifts oil, chain and air filter rows to an earlier date by severe use (two-up touring, short cold trips, rain, dust). Manual trumps a shop menu if they differ. OEM procedure prevails.
If you would like a copy of this tab, you can download a filled out version in either PDF or CSV format. If you use a paper lift for service, you can download a blank version in PDF format. Save the document with your receipts. When the motorcycle changes hands, Honda advises owners to pass along the maintenance record.
Not a substitute for the OEM or a licensed inspection
This form cannot be used to close a recall, file a warranty claim, or contact a dealer. Park your bike if it’s Due or Defect; complete any repairs before riding. Recalls that are open remain listed on NHTSA’s defect system. This form won’t find those for you. Under the form above are the blank PDF and printable preview. They are not here in this article.
This is simply a record keeping form. It is not legal advice, not a state inspection, and no substitute for a qualified technician's work, the factory service manual, or the owner's manual. The motorcyclist should not make up pass/fail figures where none are stated in a regulation or by the manufacturer on this motorcycle.