Easy Motorcycle/ATV Maintenance and Repair for Kids

Countless adults develop a passion for servicing and repairing powersports vehicles as children by helping out their dads with basic maintenance in the garage.

If you want to empower your kids to learn how to fix their own machines, there’s no better way than starting them off doing some very simple maintenance tasks. It’s important young riders take a degree of ownership in their powersports machines and learn how to maintain them properly. And even though the best person to teach them is you, watching repair and maintenance videos on how to fix a motorcycle or ATV together is a great supplement to hands-on learning.  

Basic do-it-yourself maintenance tasks will help your young riders get familiar with motorcycle and ATV parts, including what each part does and why they’re important. Here are 5 easy repair and maintenance tasks for kids to learn to do on their own.

1. Air Filter Cleaning and Replacing

Air filters are the lungs of the machine, and if the filter isn’t cleaned and maintained, the bike won’t perform at its peak. Servicing the air filter is one of the simplest maintenance tasks kids can do. Partzilla has many videos like the one below you can watch with your children to show them how to clean or replace an air filter to improve a machine’s performance.

2. Engine Oil Change

If the air filter is the lungs of the machine, the engine oil is the blood. Changing the oil on a motorcycle or ATV is perhaps the most important easy maintenance job a young rider can do on their own bike or quad. Show your kids how to do a simple oil level check by taking out and showing them the dipstick. Next, let them help you change the oil and filter on your machine, or show them how to do it on their own motorcycle or ATV if they have one. 

3. Chain Cleaning and Adjustment

With proper chain maintenance, including chain slack, chain alignment and the correct way to clean and lube the chain, you’ll help teach your kids one of the most basic yet important tasks to get the best performance and longevity out of their machine. 

4. Change Spark Plugs

The spark plugs can tell you whether the motor is running too rich or too lean. Show young riders how to remove the spark plug from the engine, inspect the electrode, and learn what the physical appearance of the plug tells them about the health of the engine. 

5. Check and Adjust Tire Pressure

Another incredibly easy thing to teach your kids how to do is checking and adjusting the tire pressures. Correct pressure is essential to the proper handling of the machine. They should know that pressure too high or too low on the motorcycle or quad is a hazard. Teaching young riders how to check the tire pressures is the most basic of skills kids can learn to ensure they’re powersports machine is safe to ride. Make sure to teach them how to use a pressure gauge, and to follow the tire pressures specified in the owner’s manual. It’s also helpful to teach them how to inspect tires for tread wear.

Involving your kids in the care and maintenance of powersports vehicles is a great bonding experience. It also helps them to take ownership of a vehicle, and with that comes a greater appreciation and a sense of responsibility over their current and future rides.