Whether you want to keep your motorcycle in mint condition or you want to extend your riding time, you should always be ready to service your motorcycle and take care of its maintenance.
One of the most common maintenance terms in the motorcycling world is a tune-up. So if you have questions like “what is motorcycle tune-up?” or “what does motorcycle tune-up cost?”, you’re in the right place!
Today, I’ll walk you through a brief guide with everything you need to know about motorcycle tune-up. So without further ado, let’s hop in!
What is Motorcycle Tune-Up?
Before diving into the juicy stuff, you first need to understand what a motor tune-up exactly means.
A “tune-up” is a common term among most motorcycling communities when addressing motorcycle maintenance.
Although the term is more commonly used with motorcycles, it can be used with any other vehicle as well. To put it in the simplest way possible, a tune-up for a motorcycle is a relatively more extensive session of checkups and servicing of the vehicle.
Throughout a tune-up, an expert or a professional would check various parts as well as the fluids of the motorcycle and see if there are any specific ones that require replacement or maintenance.
Unlike some maintenance aspects of motorcycles, a tune-up is one of the things that can be performed by the owner, provided that they have enough knowledge and experience on how to perform it.
These tune-ups are usually done regularly and motorcycle owners shouldn’t wait for something specific to break before they have to do it.
In fact, performing a regular tune-up for the motorcycle has a lot of advantages for both the rider and the motorcycle. But more about this later in the article!
How Much Will a Motorcycle Tune Up Cost You?
As you can see, a motorcycle tune-up isn’t necessarily one thing. Since a different set of tasks need to be done depending on the condition of the motorcycle, putting a specific cost for a motorcycle tune-up can be quite the challenge.
Not only that, but depending on the type and model of motorcycle, the complexity of the job, and where you perform these tune-ups. The costs will most likely change.
However, you can still have some sort of estimations regarding motorcycle tune-ups in some specific situations.
For instance, a basic tune-up of a healthy motorcycle that only requires a basic inspection, as well as changing filters and fluids, might cost you anywhere between $50 and $150.
Of course, if during the tune-up, a mechanic finds that your motorcycle needs to change some basic parts, such as a spark plug or a valve, you should expect the job to set you back even more.
In most cases, a motorcycle tune-up that calls for a lot of replacements and work might cost you up to $500 to $600.
If your motorcycle is a high-end model that is designed to offer better performance, the price might go up even further.
Keep in mind that the costs of motorcycle tune-ups can be noticeably decreased if you managed to do all the maintenance on your own in your garage.
However, while this will save you quite a huge sum in the long run, it requires a decent level of expertise on your end as well as free time to pull it off.
What Does a Motorcycle Tune-Up Consist of?
There are many different aspects of motorcycle tune-up. You don’t necessarily need to go through all of them in a tune-up session, especially if some of these parts are doing fine and need no improvements or changes.
Ideally, a motorcycle tune-up will check the engine oil, brake fluid, and other liquids as well as changing them if they need to. It also includes checking and acquiring new filters, whether they’re air or oil ones.
Also, worn tires, wheels, and brake pads would be replaced during a tune-up. As for motorcycles, the chains and spark plugs will also go into check during a tune-up.
Why Your Motorcycle Needs a Tune-Up
A tune-up means a vastly improved efficiency of the inner works of your motorcycle. This means a better motor volumetric efficiency and greater power per the same displacement.
A recently tuned-up motorcycle will most likely perform much smoother and stay fuel-efficient for as much as possible.
Moreover, if you’re planning to sell and upgrade your motorcycle in the near or far future, a motorcycle tune-up will ensure that it stays in a mint condition, which allows you to sell it at the higher end of the bike’s price range and make the most out of the deal.
How Often Should You Do a Motorcycle Tune-Up?
Ideally, you should perform a motorcycle tune-up as frequently as possible to ensure that the motorcycle stays in the best conditions as long as you can afford it.
But, as a rule of thumb, it’s always for your best to tune up your motorcycle at least once every 5,000 miles.
This includes the major tune-ups, such as checking all parts and changing anything that needs a replacement.
However, engine oil might not last for 5,000 miles, so you should make sure that you replace it every 2,500 miles.
For the lightest motorcycle users, you might get away with performing it as infrequently as semi-annually if your mileage doesn’t break the 5,000 miles before that period.
Wrap Up
There you have it! A complete guide that walks you through everything you need to know about motorcycle tune-ups and how much you should expect them to cost you.
As you can see, the range of motorcycle tune-up costs is quite vast and relies on a variety of factors.
Of course, the better you’re at finding quality replacement parts for a better price and doing the job yourself, the more you’ll be able to save. There are plenty of guides on the internet and on youtube on how to do the job yourself.
However, if you prefer to leave the job to a professional or you don’t have enough time for the project, you can contact a professional to get the tune done over within a much shorter time for the right price.