Warning lights

The dashboard warning lights are the language your motorcycle uses to speak to you directly. Some are simple reminders, others are serious alerts that call for action without delay. The trap would be to lump them all together: learning to tell them apart means knowing when you can ride home calmly and when you must stop at once.

At the top of the hierarchy is the oil pressure light: if it comes on with the engine running, the instruction is clear — shut the engine down as soon as you can do so safely, because carrying on can destroy the engine in moments. At the other end, the tyre pressure light (TPMS) most often signals a pressure to adjust, frequently influenced by the cold, which is checked in a few minutes.

Between the two, the check engine light and the ABS light deserve particular attention. The first means a sensor or an injection/ignition function has detected an anomaly, which is read through a fault code. The second signals that the braking assistance has stepped back: the brake still works, but without the anti-lock, which changes how you brake.

A simple habit avoids many mistakes: at start-up, most lights come on for a few seconds for the self-test, then go out — that's normal. What matters is the light that stays on or comes on while riding. Before dramatising, also check the harmless causes: an ABS light can appear after a simple wheel change or a dirty sensor, a tyre pressure light after a cold night. But faced with a persistent engine alert or, worse, an oil pressure one, caution always comes first.

When a light comes on while riding, keep one simple reflex: get to a safe spot, then prioritise. A red alert (oil pressure, temperature) means shutting the engine down without delay; an amber light (engine fault, ABS) generally lets you ride home carefully to have the fault read. Don't just clear a code without understanding why it appeared: it will come back, and you'll have lost the information. On recent fuel-injected bikes, a simple compatible fault reader gives you the stored code, which points to a specific sensor or function — a huge time-saver for you and for the shop.

Select the light on your dashboard to understand exactly what it signals and the right steps to take. The guided diagnosis will tell you whether it's a point to keep a calm eye on or a reason to stop. When in doubt, especially for engine or oil-pressure alerts, have it checked quickly: better to spend 30 € on a diagnosis than 300 € on damage.