Bike, just like, some dream come true happens to be a part of your life. You flaunt it to your friends, acquaintances, and family only to learn that it is bulking up on your budget because of heavy petrol expenses. Everything goes right into vain, right? Mileage, thus, is one of the foremost things one checks before investing on a bike. You look for a bike which you can afford both while buying as well as maintaining. In short, you dream of a bike that serves you with the best by not being too much on your budget.

It can broadly be described as fuel economy. It is one of the growing concerns among people while buying a bike. Mileage is defined by a number of kilometers per liter or gallon of fuel. Now, as it is directly linked to your fuel expenses, hence the term fuel economy.

You might have come across the word ‘mileage’ quite frequently in your life. Everyone talks about it. They discuss their vehicle mileage and confirm with others. But what does it exactly mean? It can be too overwhelming for someone purchasing a bike for the first time in life. So, a bike’s mileage is defined as the average number of kilometers it travels in a liter of fuel. Practically, it is calculated by kilometers traveled on a full tank of fuel. Now, every vehicle is bound to give a specific mileage to its customer and it is regulated directly by regulatory bodies.

In India, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) carries out fuel economy test based on Indian Driving Cycle (IDC). It is a laboratory test that is conducted on a rolling road which stimulates a typical Indian driving environment over 10 kilometers. Nevertheless, practically you cannot expect your vehicle to exactly match with the ARAI terms and a -10% to -20% ratio is also formidable and considered safe.

Before deciding on a particular bike you can calculate the mileage on your own for your benefit.

Let’s see how,

First Method

It is calculated by a simple formula: Distance traveled/ Fuel used.

For example, if your bike travels 400 km on 20 liters of fuel, then the bike mileage shall be,

=400/20 = 20 km/L

Additionally, what you can do is calculate the mileage for 100 km,

For example, if a bike travels 400 km on 20 liters of fuel, then the bike mileage per 100 km shall be,

= [(100 km x 20 L)] / 400 = 5 L/100km

Thus, your bike’s mileage would be 5 L/100Km.

In such cases, you just have to fill your bike tank to the fullest and set the trip meter to ‘0’. Then refill the tank again after traveling 100 kilometers. This way you can determine the mileage easily. You can repeat this 3-4 times to get an average result. This method is easy yet does not give accurate results because one cannot completely confirm if the tank is really full or not.

Second Method

Now, bikes also come with a reserve method to save you from running out of fuel. To properly determine the mileage you have to take reserve position into account as well. Switch the reserve position on your bike when you get reserve and note the odometer reading. Let’s assume it is 16,000 km.  Then fill the tank again with fuel say 4 liters. Now, ride the bike until it again reaches the reserve point and notes down the odometer reading again. Let’s assume it is 16,200 km. Now, subtract the earlier reading from the latest one to get the difference. Assuming that your bike traveled 200 km after it reached the reserve position, the mileage can be calculated

= Kilometres covered/ Number of litres of fuel consumed.

That is,

= 200/4 = 5 km/L.

Thus, the mileage of your bike is 5 km/L. Similarly, repeat the process 3-4 times to get an accurate result.

The above two methods are easy but rely on the tank conditions which one cannot put hands on. Another and more reliable method is the bottle method in which a 1 L bottle is attached directly to the carburetor of bike. The trip meter is as usual set to zero and the bike is run until the fuel in bottle finishes. The final reading is noted down and mileage is calculated.

You can apply any of the three methods according to your ease and calculate mileage easily. and if your calculated mileage is less than what company promised then you must be doing something wrong that leads to more fuel burn. you can check out our guide on how to increase bike mileage. there small things like engine oil change, bike servicing, the way of riding etc you need to consider to maintain a good mileage of the bike.

Of course, bike your treasured possession. It takes years of hard work, and passion to buy one. For many of the people out there especially of the younger generation, purchasing a bike on their own is one of the most treasured dreams. The dream begins at the stage of early childhood and fascination to know about them which grows on with age including the introduction of latest models, upgrades, and stats. It carries on until you reach at the point of buying one. First bike is special, overwhelming, and a dream come true. You flaunt it to your friends, take care of it like your own baby but every vehicle requires maintenance from time to time. Whether it is about getting the servicing done or overcoming tiny faults including scratches, you need to care for your vehicle to get the service done.

Scratches are common, isn’t it?

You can observe them very frequently especially on Fuel Tank or on any of the metallic parts. The funniest thing about these scratches is that you never know where you get them from. You might discover them on your vehicle and keep on pondering over reasons without actually finding one. Scratches might not be a huge problem to address but it definitely ruins the entire look of your bike. Imagine purchasing a brand new bike and discovering a scratch on the Fuel Tank part. It will eventually look old. Thus, maintenance is the only key to get rid of such little issues related with your vehicle. Secondly, you cannot run to the garage or service centre for a regular scratch. It may take a toll on your budget as well as time. So, the best thing is to avoid them by taking simple measures and remove them from your vehicle by means of some easy DIY methods. Most of the times the solutions are right in front of our eyes at our home all we have to do is make use of them.

Now, before getting in to the solution, let us first of all discuss in brief about the problem itself; the scratch. If you might have noticed then scratches are also of three types,

1. Colour Coat Scratches

These can also be called the superficial scratches and are the easiest to remove. As the name suggests, this type of scratch only affects the outermost colour coat of the vehicle. It is not deeper and can be addressed quite easily.

2. Primer Coat Scratches

A primer coat is a second layer just beneath the colour coat. It is applied to level out the unevenness of the bike as well as protect the third coat from UV radiations. So, this type of cut is a level deeper than the former one because it goes to the paint itself. Now since, the scratch has affected the paint layer, you cannot easily remove it and so the best option is to repaint the bike.

3. Paint Scratches

It is the paint which gives colour to your bike. You might have noticed a silver coloured scratch on your vehicle. Well, it is nothing but a paint scratch. This type of scratch goes deeper than the primer one and actually removes the paint and primer completely from the vehicle rendering the inner metal exposed. This is certainly the worst type of scratch and it can ruin or corrode the metal if not checked earliest.

How to Remove Scratches From Your Bike

So, you are acquainted with the scratches. Now, let us know how to remove them:

Candle Wax

You might not be aware of it but a candle wax can fix a lot of things at your place including your bike scratch. However, it can only be used for the superficial scratches, that is, the colour coat scratch.

What you have to do is clean the bruised surface of your bike thoroughly, let it dry in the sun, and then rub a light coat of candle wax on the area. This candle coat will easily cover and seal the area. Let us make it quite clear here that this is still not the permanent solution to your scratch but a temporary one. You can try it to conceal the area for a time being while you think of the permanent solution. This hack can definitely save you from urgent needs.

Urethane Auto Paint

A urethane paint is basically a mixture of pigments and polyurethanes. It is quite durable than the regular acrylic paint as well as it imparts a glossiness to the surface. If you can get your hands on one then getting rid of scratches is a child’s play. Follow the drill and make sure the surface is clean and dried before spraying the paint to the area.

The only thing you have to ensure is to match the colour of your bike with the paint. It can at times be difficult to find the exact palette. Also, it can sometimes be expensive. So, you can try the alternative and touch-up your bike with the regular car paint. You can visit an auto dealer in your area, find the colour matching your bike and get rid of the scratch easily.

Nail Polish

Who would have thought that a cosmetic item from your place can help you with technical problems? The good news is, YES, it can. Nail polish is not just meant for your fingernails but it also offers another horizon. It can save your day from ugly bike to a brand new one. It is cheap as well as a go-to solution to your problem. Unlike urethane auto paint, you are at high chances of finding the exact palette of your bike in the nail polish section (Surprisingly, YES). It is easy and more permanent than a candle wax.

Once you get your hands on the shade of nail polish, clean and dry the area and apply the coat evenly. You will need 2-3 coats spread evenly on the scratch to make it invisible.

Toothpaste

Surely, you might have heard about multifarious uses of toothpaste but you have no clue that it can help you with bike scratch too. A toothpaste formula consists of abrasive materials that can easily clean the surface as well as remove minor scratches from your bike. It is just like a sophisticated sanding tool.

You can get best results if you try the hack with teeth whitening formula. First of all, clean and dry the surface, take an ample amount of toothpaste on a clean paper towel and buff the area. Take another paper towel to wipe off the toothpaste and see the results. You will notice a slight change in the area. Repeat the process until the scuff is entirely erased.

Shoe Polish and Sand Paper

A weird combination, right? But it is surely an effective one. Use the shoe polish on the area and wipe it off to check the level of damage to your bike. Wipe it off with clean cloth and dry it under the sun.

Now, make sure that you are using a shoe polish with a darker palette than your bike. Spread the polish on to the area so that it fills the scuff. The properly exposed surface is now ready for the sand paper action. Rub the areas around the polish to even out the surface. Sanding will even out your paint and make the scratch invisible. Make sure you do not sand down excessively or it may cause more damage to your bike.

Super Glue

Super Glue is super for the number of reasons including even out surfaces. If your main concern is to even out your bike surface then super glue is a very handy option to do so. Apply a thin coat of super glue on the affected area and let it dry. Once it is completely dried, you can touch it up with a nail polish or auto paint.

Final Verdict

You just have to look around to find solutions. The solutions are not going to come to you unless you approach them. Make sure that you clean the surface. It is very imperative as the dust and grit might just stick to your paint and cause harm to the vehicle. Keep in mind that these hacks are just temporary solutions or permanent solutions to superficial scratches. These tricks cannot completely remove the scratch but extend the life. For more complicated and larger stuff, you will need to seek professional help. However, making use of these tricks can definitely solve the problem on minor levels and save your bucks!

The number of people owning bikes is increasing every year at a rapid speed even after their prices accelerate every other day. Bikes have become a very common medium of commuting on a daily basis. But does your bike burn holes in your pocket due to low mileage performance? It could be really burdensome on you spending a huge amount on petrol due to poor mileage functioning.

Everyone wants their bikes to give them the best mileage possible to save some extra bucks. The increasing price of petrol every now and then is not in your hands. However, what is in your hands is to improve your bike’s mileage for a better and efficient running of your bike. There are some pretty simple and easy things that one can follow to improve and increase the mileage of their bike. These things are so petty and common that people are not even aware that they are weighing down their bike’s mileage and overall performance. In this article, I will try to address some clean and smooth tips & tricks to help you boost-up your bike’s mileage.

Ten Tips to Boast Up Your Bikes Mileage

On time maintenance and servicing

Regular basis maintenance and service of your bike will give you a healthy engine without causing any kind of loss to the engine. A good and healthy engine will give you improved and efficient mileage. On the other hand, a bad engine would give you poor mileage performance and even might harm your engine. To be on a safer side, get your bike serviced on a regular basis and enjoy its perk of increased mileage. Also, it is suggested to use the same oil which is suggested by the company to avoid any kinds of complications in the future.

Check Tyre Pressures

Most people are not aware that tyre pressure plays a huge role in the performance of your bike’s mileage. The better the tire pressure, the better your bike will run. But if you would ride under low tire pressures, then it would put load on your bike, and the higher the load, the more fuel your bike will eat-up. So, keep the optimal level of tyre pressure as recommended by the company for minimizing the fuel consumption and increased efficiency of your bike. And avoiding tyre rupture would save your bike from falling mileage.

Good Quality Fuel

Make sure to put up good quality fuel in your bike because there are cheap contaminated fuels available the market damaging your bike’s engine health. The good quality fuel whereas keeps your engine’s health in a good condition and is effectively known for increasing fuel recession.

Carburetor Settings

It has been mentioned by experts that the carburetor problems play a dominant role in reducing down and degrading in your bike’s mileage. If are facing mileage problems in your bike, then make sure to check that your carburetor is tuned and dirt free. If not, then try to re-tuning and cleaning it and you will immediately see improvement in mileage of your bike.

Engine Retardation

Now, suppose that you’re driving at a speed of 45 Kmph. If you will slowly cut down the speed controller without holding onto the clutch, you will feel a little jerk slowing down your bike. This is called engine retardation. Using this as much as possible is going to boast up the fuel economy. But if you’re going to take sudden brakes, which will thwart the motion of the bike while consuming more than necessary fuel in the midst of brakes. However, in engine retardation, you don’t thwart the motion, but just use the energy the engine has to make a stop.

Ignore Engine Idling

While waiting for the traffic light signal to turn, you should shut down your engine as the bike is not moving but still, your fuel gets wasted, Similarly, during traffic jams keep in mind to close the engine and re-start it when the jam clears up.

Cruising Speed

The cruising speed is between 50 Kmph–60 Kmph, where the vehicle moves with perfect efficiency and performance. At this speed, you are neither over loading your bike, nor you’re under loading it while balancing the engine load it will obviously lead to fuel economy boast up.

Proper Disciplined Riding

You can save a lot of fuel while maintaining a constant speed throughout your ride. Without changing your gears very often and accelerating it, again and again, can also get you an optimal mileage to your bike. Also, try avoiding sudden brakes and avoid the potholes as much as you can to save your bike’s mileage.

Proper Parking

Try avoiding parking your bike directly under the sun, as it is believed that it could lead to evaporation of your fuel even if at a minimum rate it could reduce your mileage. So, avoid parking it under the sun for longer than an hour and increase fuel efficiency.

Timely Cleaning and Lubrication

Even after proper servicing, the chain of the bike needs cleaning and lubrication for proper functioning. If you leave in a dusty area, make sure to clean it at least once in two weeks for keeping your mileage at bay.

In a nutshell, the few little things that we think don’t matter can actually make a huge difference for an efficient and improved mileage of your bike. The above-mentioned points will guide you towards better mileage performance of your bike.

If you’re someone whom the blistering, red-hot sun outside can’t stop from getting out on your two-wheeler for riding, then this article is for you. But riding in summers is not going to be an easy task and if weather like India, then definitely it’s going to be a really challenging task with long lines of traffic along with strong loo winds beating the crap out of you.

So, for your help, we’ve come up with some safety tips and edge which will help you to have a secure and comfortable ride even in blazing summers.

Let’s get started, then!!

10 Tips to keep in mind while Riding in Summer

Be Ready Beforehand With a Plan

Before taking the journey, plan the route you want to take to reach to your final destination. If possible, pick a route that doesn’t have traffic issues and have lots of shady areas and stops on the way saving you from the burning sun. Moreover, if possible, avoid the timings to ride when the sun is at its peak, plan an early morning or late evening trip.

Allow Yourself to Acclimatize With the Temperature

Your body needs time to get acclimated with the temperature around. Don’t burden it with sudden temperature changes and harming it.  Initially, plan small trips and at a slow pace. Take it easy while riding because if you will ride at high-speed in hot weather it will take a toll on your body while draining out all the energy.

Stay Hydrated

Water should be your best friend during summer rides. Keep yourself hydrated in between your riding with water or some other energy drink whatever you prefer. Avoid dehydration because it will make you feel tired and exhausted slowing down your trip.

Eat a Good And Healthy Meal

Don’t start your trip with an empty stomach. You need to fully energize to take upon the journey under the scorching sun, draining all your stored energy.

Wear light and Comfortable Clothes

It would be wise to wear light-weight clothes in summers, preferably cotton clothes which will help to soak away your sweat, keep you dry and let the air pass through easily.

Cover Yourself up Precisely

The sunburns that the sun will leave on your exposed skin are not going to be easy, rather painful. To keep this in mind, Cover yourself from head to toe and save yourself from burning, itching rashes and marks. You can wear hand protectors on your hands and a simple cotton cloth around your neck.

Use a Sunscreen

As you might already know the reasons why to wear sunscreen before going out in the Sun. But, lets jog your memory a little by revising those reasons. The sunscreen will protect your skin from the harmful UV rays and from getting your skin tanned to a certain extent. The sunscreen will not only protect your skin from harmful rays but also from developing skin cancer caused by exposure to the sun.

Apply a Mosquito Repellent

The number of the mosquito’s as well other insect buddies increases as soon as the weather starts getting warmer. To keep them from eating you and turning you red, make sure to wear an insect repellent for a hassle-free trip.

Wear Helmet

Many people tend to intentionally ignore wearing helmets just because it’s hot. I would again repeat myself don’t forget to wear helmets using summers as an excuse. The point of wearing a helmet is your safety and protection in an unforeseen catastrophic circumstance which can happen as easily in summers as it can during any other season. Buy a helmet with a good ventilation system and boasted airflow, which will be comfortable as well as wouldn’t give you an excuse to wear it.

Back-up plan

Make a back-up plan if something by chance goes wrong you have an escape plan ready with you. Keep your emergency calls on your speed dial and as I said before sharing live location with your closed ones just in case of emergency, they would’ve aware of whereabouts.

The number of people who can afford to buy motorcycles has been consistently increasing in the past few years. With time, it has become very common for people nowadays to go on long, adventurous road trips with their families and friends. People who have been taking road trips for a while now are aware of the drill, but people who have newly found this as a passion and just has begun the search for adventure bike trips.

And I literally mean it when I say that it could be really tricky to go on such long adventurous trips with no information or only a little information. It is necessary for beginners to learn some basic things before they plan a long bike trip.

Eight things to consider while going on bike Adventures

 Plan your trip

The first thing before going on a bike trip is to plan and decide where do you want to go. Moreover, which route would you like to take to reach your destination as sometimes more than one route is available to reach there. In my opinion, you should choose the safest route to reach your destination after researching around it properly. After you are sure that you have planned and prepared well for the trip, you should finally execute it. Furthermore, stick to the GPS (following the route of your choice) while on the road to avoid getting lost.

Choose a Bike you can ride comfortably Ride on

Many people tend to try a new model of a motorcycle for their road trips, thinking that they are making their trip more fun & adventurous. However, it is not true; In fact, riding on a new model of a motorcycle could be risky. Considering the fact that you will be riding that model for the time that too on unfamiliar roads, which might become uncomfortable for you. Thus, you should ride on a motorcycle that you’re familiar with or have experienced riding for a certain and comfortable journey.

Wear a Good Quality Helmet

Adventurous Bike Trip is fun, right?

but to make them safe, you should wear a helmet that fits you perfectly. You would be riding on unfamiliar roads, which might be prone to accidents, making it even more important to cover your head with a helmet for safety purposes. Plus, it will also keep dust and bugs outside with a distraction-free riding.  Make sure the helmet fits you completely and is airy enough to help you breathe properly inside it because you will be wearing it for a great deal of time.

Wear Baggy and Comfortable Clothes

If you’re going for a long road trip, you should be wearing loose and baggy clothes to keep yourself at ease and enjoy the road trip all the way. Wearing tight clothes could make you uneasy and vexed which could keep you from enjoying your trip. So, wearing baggy and comfortable clothes would be a very wise decision.

 Install a Good Saddle Bag

Carrying gigantic and heavy backpacks on your shoulders and back could be very troublesome and excruciating for such a long time. On the other hand, after installation of a good quality and capacity saddle bag, which will easily carry tons of stuff removing your burden of carrying a backpack. There are many kinds of saddlebags available with features such as cushioned & organizer pockets for your laptops, tablets, documents, and so on. Even some saddlebags can be detached and can work as backpacks for you after you reach your destination.

Check Your Bike Condition and Documents

Before embarking on your journey, you should check that your bike is in good condition to take upon the journey you have planned. It would be ideal to get it serviced before you start your journey, but if not make sure that everything is in working condition such as brakes, lights, clutch, tyre pressure etc. Along with that keep a toolbox and extra spare parts handy with you to help you if something goes wrong. Besides, that keep all the important documents of your vehicle (such as insurance, RC), Driving license and Id proof with you safely in a folder just in case someone stops in between your journey. Along with bike insurance, you should keep your health insurance too in case of emergency you might need it.

Pack all the Essentials

According to your journey pack all the necessary things that you will need during the journey or even after that. Make sure to keep enough water and food supplies to keep you hydrated as well as energized. Keep extra fuel with you (suppose you missed the last fuel station; the extra fuel will help you to reach the next fuel station) just in case of emergency.  Also, check the weather of the route you’re taking and pack clothes accordingly. In addition, checking weather condition is necessary but to be on a safer side carry a raincoat to be prepared for worse weather condition, and luck!

Health Check-up

It has been believed that before beginning your journey, you should get a health check-up for yourself along with your bike. Riding such long journeys is not going to be an easy task; instead, could be tiring for you. To be sure that you are healthy enough to emplane on long trips, it is advisable that you should get a basic health check-up and then start your expedition.

Hence, if you’re looking forward to planning a long-adventurous trip on a motorcycle, then keep in mind all the above-mentioned points. All the points might not sound fun because road trips are not only about being fun and adventurous but also about being safe. Long motorcycle trips could be very risky, if necessary precautions are not taken. Because you will be Riding on hills and mountain roads which is not going to be a cakewalk. If you will try to follow and adapt the above suggested points and ideas you will definitely have one in a life-time experience without any kind of obstacles and hurdles in between your destination. I hope this article will help to have wonderful and safe journey.