Like any good relationship, the key to longevity is maintenance. Taking care of your ride is no exception. A healthy bike means a longer life - for both you and your machine. Everyday wear and tear can loosen nuts, bolts and screws. The last thing you want as you're cruising up Main Street on a Friday night is your chassis falling off.

The vast majority of modern bikes are too complex for the average rider to maintain alone, so we're not about to hand you a welding torch and turn you into amateur motorcycle mechanics. That's what the experts are for.

Yet, there are simple measures any rider can take to prevent rusting and cracking of body parts, or loosening of fasteners. You may need to upgrade your original tool kit, but all that's really required is a little time and commonsense. Let's take a look.