Support
How To Use Moto Shed
This Moto Shed user guide walks through the core parts of the motorcycle-first maintenance tracker, from adding
your first bike or daily driver to managing service records, exports, reminders, and troubleshooting. If you are
looking for app downloads or feature details, visit the Moto Shed app page.
New to Moto Shed?
Quick Start
Moto Shed is built around each machine's service history - how you set it up at the start shapes how useful it
becomes over time. The two most common scenarios are adding a brand-new bike or vehicle you just purchased, or
adding an older machine with a history you may or may not fully know.
🆕
Brand-new bike or vehicle
You know exactly where the clock starts — mileage is zero and the service slate is clean. Moto Shed sets up
default intervals and you simply log services as you do them.
🔧
Used or older machine
You're joining mid-story. Enter the odometer reading from when you acquired it, add any service records you
know, then update the current odometer if needed — even with partial history.
Adding a brand-new bike, car, or truck
This is the simplest path. Your history is empty and you're starting fresh from delivery-day mileage.
01
Open the Shed tab and tap + Add Vehicle
Choose Bike or Car / Truck, give it a name (e.g. "Honda CB650R" or
"Toyota Tacoma"), set the purchase date, and enter the odometer when acquired - typically 0 to a few
hundred miles on something new.
02
Confirm the vehicle type
Motorcycles can use chain & sprocket, belt, or driveshaft options. Cars and trucks skip the motorcycle
drivetrain choice and use vehicle-specific maintenance defaults.
03
Review the default service intervals
Moto Shed pre-loads sensible defaults. Open Shed → Service Intervals and dial them in to match your
owner's manual — this is worth doing once, properly.
04
Log your first service when it happens
Tap any category on the dashboard and hit Service when you complete work. Progress starts from the
baseline you entered and becomes more accurate as you add real service history.
💡
Tip: Add your owner's manual PDF to the vehicle card right away. It's the fastest way to look
up interval specs without leaving the app.
Adding an older or used bike, car, or truck
Don't worry if you don't have complete records — Moto Shed works with whatever you know. The goal is to
establish a baseline so alerts and progress bars are meaningful going forward.
01
Enter the odometer when acquired
Use the odometer reading from when you bought or acquired the vehicle. After adding it, update the current
odometer from the dashboard if it has changed.
02
Backfill any service records you have
Oil changes, tire replacements, brake fluid flushes — add anything you know. Even rough dates and
mileages are better than nothing. These records become more accurate anchors for your alerts and progress
bars.
03
Don't know the last service date? Estimate
If you have no record of, say, the last valve check, leave it alone for now or add a reasonable estimate
based on what you know. If you need to change an estimate later, just tap that record in Logs to edit it. The goal is to improve accuracy over time, not make setup perfect on day one.
04
Review and customize your service intervals
Open Shed → Service Intervals and set them to match your owner's manual — don't rely on the defaults.
This is worth doing once, properly, so your alerts and progress bars are actually meaningful.
05
Let the dashboard show you what's overdue
After setup, red panels on the dashboard indicate items needing attention. If earlier service history is
missing, Moto Shed may look conservative at first — use the blue banner guidance and add older records as
best you can.
ℹ️
Partial history is fine. Moto Shed is designed to work with incomplete information. It
starts tracking from the purchase date and odometer reading you enter, and becomes more accurate as you add
service history over time.
Overview
Dashboard
Finding Your Way Around
Moto Shed has three main tabs at the bottom of the screen:
HOME
The dashboard for your active vehicle — progress bars, overdue alerts, fuel
stats, and quick service logging.
SHED
Your garage — all your vehicle cards, photos, VIN status, cost totals, and access to
settings and service intervals per vehicle.
LOGS
Your full service history — view records, filter by category, tap any record to edit or
delete it, and export to CSV or PDF Sales Report.
Quick Stats
Quick Stats shows your tracked miles/kilometers per year, average fuel economy, and quick actions like adding
notes or fuel records.
Note: Miles/Kilometers per Year is based on mileage tracked from the starting odometer value
entered in Moto Shed. It does not estimate mileage ridden or driven before the vehicle was added to the app, so
used bikes, cars, and trucks may show a low value at first. The number will update as you continue updating the
odometer.
Maintenance Categories
The Home tab is your maintenance command center. Motorcycle dashboards cover key service areas like Oil Life,
Engine, Brake System, Tires, Drive System, and Suspension. Car and truck dashboards use vehicle-specific items
such as oil and oil filter, engine, brake system, tires and tire rotation, transmission fluid, cabin air filter,
wiper blades, and serpentine belt.
Green (55%+) — Good condition, no immediate service needed
Yellow (20–55%) — Service approaching, plan ahead
Red (0–20%) — Critical, service needed immediately
Progress is calculated based on both mileage and time
intervals. The app uses whichever threshold is reached first. Some categories use weighted bars — a minor
service moves the bar only a little.
Missing Earlier Service History
If you add a vehicle with existing mileage and no prior service records yet, some items may appear due soon or
overdue. A blue banner on the dashboard explains that Moto Shed is currently tracking from the purchase date and
odometer reading you entered, and encourages you to add previous maintenance records to improve accuracy.
Alerts on the Dashboard
Overdue maintenance, upcoming service warnings, registration and insurance expirations, and safety recall
notices all surface directly on the Home dashboard — there's no separate alerts page. If you have device
notifications enabled, Moto Shed will also send local push notifications for predictive and past-due alerts
based on your mileage pace.
Logging a Service from the Dashboard
1
Tap a Category (e.g. Oil Life)
Opens the detail view for that maintenance area.
2
Tap "Service"
Opens the record entry form.
3
Save
Hit Save Record. Moto Shed recalculates the category progress bar immediately.
Fuel Quick Stat
Tap the Avg MPG / fuel quick stat on the dashboard to record a fill-up. Moto Shed recalculates
your running average based on the odometer and fuel amount you enter. See Fuel & Parts for the full fuel workflow.
Adding Notes
Tap Add Note from the dashboard to log modifications, adjustments, or issues you want to track
in your history without it being tied to a formal service category.
Garage
Managing Your Garage
Moto Shed supports multiple motorcycles and can also track cars and trucks - perfect for riders with more than
one bike, daily drivers, project vehicles, or a full garage.
1
Navigate to the Shed Tab
Tap "Shed" in the bottom navigation.
2
Tap + Add Vehicle
Opens the setup form for a new bike, car, or truck.
3
Enter Vehicle Details
Choose Bike or Car / Truck, then fill in the name, purchase date, and
odometer when acquired. Motorcycles also ask for chain & sprocket, belt, or driveshaft; cars and trucks use
car/truck maintenance defaults automatically. Moto Shed uses the date and odometer reading as the starting
baseline for maintenance tracking.
4
Save and Select
The new bike, car, or truck is automatically selected and becomes your active vehicle for tracking.
⚠️
Warning: Deleting a vehicle permanently removes all associated maintenance records. This
cannot be undone. To delete, tap the … menu in the upper-right of the vehicle card.
Adding a Photo
Each vehicle card supports one photo, displayed on the right side of the card in the Shed. Tap the photo
icon on the right side of the card to add a photo from your device photo library or gallery. To remove or replace it, tap the red X on the photo and then add
a new one.
Cost Tracking
Every service record can include an optional cost. Moto Shed aggregates these automatically — your total
maintenance spend per vehicle is displayed on the vehicle card in the Shed. Cost data is also included in both
the CSV export and the PDF Sales Report, giving buyers a full picture of what was spent keeping it maintained.
Updating Your Odometer
Your current mileage updates automatically when you log a service record or fuel fill-up with a higher odometer
reading. You can also tap the mileage badge in the app header to update the odometer manually between services.
Vehicle Card Actions
The selected vehicle card includes direct buttons for Intervals, Parts, and
+ Manual / Manual. Use these buttons for vehicle-specific setup and reference
tools.
The … Menu
The … ellipsis button in the upper-right corner of each vehicle card contains the vehicle-level
actions that are not part of regular service tracking, including editing the owner's manual attachment and
deleting the vehicle.
Safety
VIN & Recall Monitoring
Moto Shed can monitor a bike, car, or truck VIN for manufacturer safety recalls and notify you when action is
required. Because recalls can affect safety directly, these alerts are treated with the same urgency as overdue
maintenance.
Entering Your VIN
You can add your VIN in two places:
- When adding a vehicle — there is an optional VIN field in the
Add Vehicle form
- Any time after — go to the Shed tab, open Service Intervals for
the vehicle, and enter the VIN there
Your VIN is always 17 characters. On motorcycles, it is often stamped on the frame near the steering head. On
cars and trucks, check the windshield dash plate, driver door jamb, registration, insurance card, or title.
Automatic Year, Make & Model Decode
As soon as you enter a complete 17-character VIN, Moto Shed decodes it and confirms the
year, make, and model of your vehicle. Beyond recall monitoring, this decoded identity makes
the Parts shopping search far more accurate — Amazon searches use
your exact year, make, and model for better fitment instead of just the vehicle's name.
Validation & Status
Once a VIN is entered, Moto Shed runs background checks to validate it and begin monitoring for safety recalls.
The result is shown directly on the vehicle card in your Shed:
✅
Green check mark — The VIN is valid and
recall monitoring is active. No action needed.
❌
Red error indicator — There was a problem,
such as an invalid or unrecognized VIN. Double-check the number and re-enter it.
Handling Recall Alerts
When a safety recall appears, tap the recall alert on the Home dashboard to review the campaign details,
affected component, consequence, and remedy. Mark a recall as Fixed after it has been completed
by a dealer; Moto Shed creates a recall maintenance record for your history. Use Dismiss only
when the recall does not apply or you do not want it shown as active.
⚠️
Act promptly on recall notices. Safety recalls are issued by manufacturers when a defect
could affect driver or rider safety. Contact your dealer as soon as a recall alert appears — recall repairs are
typically free of charge.
Reference
Owner's Manuals
Each bike, car, or truck in your Shed can have its owner's manual attached for quick reference. Moto Shed stores
a PDF you choose from your device and opens it from the vehicle card when you need it.
Adding a Manual
1
Go to the Shed Tab
Locate the vehicle card.
2
Tap "+ Manual"
Opens the manual attachment modal for that vehicle.
3
Choose a PDF
Select a .pdf file from your device, then save it. Online manual URLs are not attached directly; download
the PDF first, then choose it in Moto Shed.
4
Open, Change, or Remove
After a manual is saved, the vehicle card shows a Manual button. Tap it to open the PDF, or use the
... menu to edit or remove the attachment.
Ownership
Fuel & Parts
Moto Shed also tracks everyday ownership details that support maintenance records: fuel fill-ups, average fuel
economy, and the part numbers you rely on for repeat service work.
Fuel Fill-Ups
From the Home dashboard, tap the fuel quick stat / Avg MPG area to record a fill-up. Enter the
date, odometer reading, fuel amount, and optional cost, and mark whether it was a full or partial tank. If the
fill-up mileage is higher than the vehicle's current mileage, Moto Shed updates the odometer automatically.
Each fill-up can be marked as a full or partial tank, which keeps your fuel economy accurate. Fuel entries
appear in Logs alongside maintenance records — tap any fuel row to edit its details or delete it if entered by
mistake. Your average fuel economy also appears on the dashboard and vehicle card. Use Shed → Settings to
choose fuel units: gallons or liters.
Parts Reference
Tap Parts on a selected vehicle card to store common part numbers or search terms. Motorcycle
fields include items like spark plugs, oil, oil filter, air filter, coolant, front and rear brake pads, front
and rear tires, battery, and drive-system parts such as chain, sprockets, or belt when applicable. Car and truck
fields include spark plugs, oil, oil filter, air filter, coolant, cabin air filter, brake pads, tires, battery,
wiper blades, and serpentine belt.
Parts auto-save when you close the modal. The shopping-bag button opens an Amazon search using the part value
you entered; if the field is empty, Moto Shed searches using the vehicle identity and part type.
Logging
Maintenance Records
Track every service with detailed records that support warranty compliance and resale value. If you know
earlier service history for a bike, car, or truck, add those older records as best you can so alerts and progress
bars have a more accurate baseline.
1
Choose a Maintenance Type
Tap "Add Service" in any dashboard category, or use the specific type buttons for multi-item categories.
2
Fill Service Details
Enter the service date, current mileage, cost (optional), and notes about the work performed.
3
Save Record
The record saves and immediately updates your dashboard progress indicators.
Logs
The Logs tab shows maintenance records, fuel fill-ups, notes, and pending recalls in
chronological order. Use the category filter to narrow the list.
Editing or Deleting a Record
Tap any maintenance record or fuel fill-up row in Logs — the chevron (›) at the end of the row shows it
is tappable — to open it for editing. Update the date, mileage, cost, or notes and save your changes, or use the
Delete button in the same screen to remove a record entered by mistake. Pending recall rows are
informational and are managed from the dashboard recall alert instead.
⚠️
Heads up: Deleting a record cannot be undone, and editing a record recalculates the related
dashboard progress bars and alerts immediately.
Exporting: CSV & PDF Sales Report
From Logs, tap the Export button. A modal will appear with two options:
Exports your full maintenance history as a CSV file you can open in any spreadsheet app. Useful for
warranty documentation, insurance claims, or your own records.
Generates a professional PDF document designed to share with a prospective buyer. The report includes:
- A complete breakdown of every service recorded on the vehicle
- An analysis section showing whether the prior owner serviced the vehicle on schedule relative to the
recommended intervals — giving buyers an at-a-glance picture of how well it was maintained
- A verification link at the bottom pointing to toddclement.net/verify.html, so buyers can confirm the report was
generated by Moto Shed
💡
The more complete your service history, the more compelling the report. Backfilling records before
generating a report for a sale is well worth the few minutes it takes.
Scheduling
Service Intervals
Customize maintenance schedules to match your riding or driving style, manufacturer recommendations, and
personal preferences. Intervals work from the most recent service record for each item. If no real service
record exists yet, Moto Shed starts from the vehicle baseline created from the purchase date and odometer reading you entered.
1
Access Intervals
Tap the Intervals button on any selected vehicle card in the Shed tab.
2
Set Mileage / Time
Enter how often service should occur in miles/kilometers and/or months. Setting either threshold to
0 disables that threshold.
3
Apply and Close
Changes apply immediately to your active vehicle's dashboard and alerts. Use Reset to Defaults if you want
to return built-in intervals to Moto Shed's defaults.
💡
Pro Tip: Set shorter intervals for severe use conditions such as track days, towing, dusty
environments, short-trip commuting, or extreme temperatures, and longer ones for easy highway cruising.
Custom Maintenance Items
Use Custom Items when your bike, car, or truck has a maintenance task that is not part of Moto
Shed's built-in list, such as a clutch cable, aftermarket accessory, special fluid, tire rotation variation, or
model-specific inspection.
1
Tap Add Under Custom Items
Open Shed → Intervals, scroll to Custom Items, and tap Add.
2
Name and Categorize It
Enter a clear name and choose the dashboard category where it belongs: Oil, Engine, Brake System, Tires
& Wheels, Drive System, or Suspension.
3
Set Miles and Months
Enter the mileage and/or time interval. Leaving a field blank means no threshold for that field; entering
0 disables that threshold.
4
Save and Track
The custom item appears in its chosen dashboard category, in the Add Maintenance Record flow, and in Logs
under that category.
Saved custom items show their category label and include edit, delete, and Disable controls. If you delete a
custom item that already has service records, Moto Shed archives the item so your history remains intact.
Disabling a Maintenance Item
If an item doesn't apply to your vehicle, open Shed → Intervals, find the item, and toggle
Disable. Disabled items do not generate dashboard alerts. Past history is preserved and you can
re-enable the item any time.
Reminders
The Reminders area at the top of Service Intervals stores the vehicle VIN plus non-mechanical dates:
Registration Expiration, Vehicle Inspection Expiration, and Insurance Expiration. Moto Shed shows active alerts
when those dates are expired or within the 30-day warning window, and local notifications are sent when alerts
are enabled.
Data
Backup & Export
Protect your maintenance history and move your data between devices easily.
🔒
Your data stays on your device. Moto Shed has no server and no account. All your vehicles,
records, settings, and photos are stored locally. The only external call the app makes is to the NHTSA's free
open-source recall database when you enter a VIN — your VIN is used for the lookup but is never stored
remotely.
Creating a Backup
1
Open Shed Settings
Go to the Shed tab and tap Settings.
2
Export Backup
In Backup & Restore, tap Export Backup to create a JSON backup of vehicles,
maintenance records, fuel entries, settings, parts, intervals, recalls, and other stored data. Photos and
manual PDFs should be restored manually.
3
Save the File
Store it in cloud storage, email it to yourself, or save it somewhere safe.
Restoring from Backup
In Shed → Settings → Backup & Restore, tap Import Backup and choose your JSON
backup file. Moto Shed validates the file, imports the backup, and reloads the app when successful. Importing
replaces the current app data, so export a fresh backup first if there is anything you may want to keep.
CSV & PDF Export
To export your history as a CSV spreadsheet or generate a PDF Sales Report, see the Maintenance Records section. Exports are accessed from Logs via the
Export button.
⚠️
Always keep a backup in a secure location. Your data lives on-device — if you lose your phone without a
backup, your history is gone.
Personalization
Settings & Customization
Open Shed → Settings to personalize the app and manage backup, restore, and notification
preferences.
App Themes
Choose from several professional color schemes: Classic Blue (Gulf Racing), Italian
Red (Ducati-inspired), Racing Orange, Energy Green,
Golden Shadow, Milwaukee, Gulf Retro, and
Martini Race.
Units, Fuel Units & Currency
Switch between Miles and Kilometers for odometer and interval tracking, choose Gallons or Liters for fuel
fill-ups, and set your preferred currency symbol for costs. Moto Shed attempts to auto-detect your location's
preferences, but you can override them in Shed → Settings.
Language
Use the Language selector to change the app language. Your language and unit preferences are included in
backups so they can move with your data.
Alerts & Notifications
Use the Alerts toggle to enable or disable local device notifications. When enabled, Moto Shed can notify you
about predictive maintenance, overdue items, registration and insurance renewals, vehicle inspection dates, and
safety recalls. Use the Test button to confirm notifications are working on your device.
Help
Troubleshooting
Data Not Appearing
Ensure you have selected the correct bike, car, or truck from the Shed tab. Each vehicle has its own unique
maintenance history.
Alerts Not Showing on the Dashboard
Check your service intervals. If an interval is set to "0", alerts for that threshold are disabled. For push
notifications, make sure Moto Shed has notification permissions enabled in your device settings.
Import / Export Issues
Ensure backup files are valid JSON format. Re-export if the file appears corrupted. There is a 50 MB
limit on imports.
Still Need Help?
Email clement.todd+moto-shed@gmail.com or join the community on Facebook where
you can ask questions, share tips, and follow updates.
🛍️
Moto Shed is a one-time purchase. No subscriptions, no ads, no paywalls — ever. Once you buy
it, it's yours.