Who does your bike maintenance??

[BanannaMan]

With a good percentage of organs on other bikes now, just wondering, who does your maintenance? and what bike do you ride?

I'm still riding a 2002 SVS (owned since new) and have done all maintenance myself (so far).

[STRAMASHER]

I bought a new one in 2013 and the worst thing for me has been having to go back and deal with dealers. Not a good experience. The actual spannering appears to be fine as far as I can tell.

My previous GSX1400 was bought new in 2002 and was serviced by the dealer for the warranty stamps then by myself and an independant.

I will be doing the same with this one after the warranty runs out. In fact my independant guy (keen to get in about it) advised sticking with the dealer for the stamps till then.

I hate not being able to talk to and see whom is working on my machine. Loads of bad experiences back in the day from dealers particularly when a relative noob. The only person scraping, snapping, dinking, breaking and "forgetting" bits of my bike should be me.:)

[jambo]

I've never owned anything young enough to have a warranty so I've built up a decent tool chest and can do just about any job I'm likely to come across with a brace of old sv650's. Not got as fresh as fuel injection yet I'm a little behind the times and just starting to learn about tuning carbs.

Jambo

Sent without a real keyboard

[dirtydog]

Have always done 99% of my own maintenance. only exceptions were, a new bike that needed dealer servicing for the warranty and my first SV which I got a free service.

Current SV, hazel bought new in 2001 and it had dealer servicing to start with, but I've done it for the past 7/8 years

[Jayneflakes]

These days, I do the majority of the work myself, aided by wifey when I need some help. My friend Sian is an exceedingly well qualified engineer so her help is often really appreciated, especially when it comes to Carbon Fibre.

The only thing that I cannot do is change tyres or balance wheels, so my mate Steve does that for me in his shop. He does however run an exceptional Bike garage here in Weston called Bridge Motor Services, although coming over from the States for a service may be a bit of a trek and your bike would need another service once you got home again.

Meanwhile, I have heard serious rumblings through the grapevine about our local dealer being at very serious risk of going under. Comments coming through are that the lack of an actual qualified mechanic, a history of causing damage and financial irregularities saw Yamaha take away their dealership status, leaving them with only Royal Enfield and a collection of cheap Chinese Honda rip offs. I do not know how true these rumours are (as is the case with gossip), but when I popped in last week there was not a new Yam anywhere to be seen.

[maviczap]

Just tyres & wheel balancing is the only thing I don't do, although I've never stripped and engine down.

[Littlepeahead]

Both my bikes were bought either new or within a warranty so for that reason I took them to a dealer. Now the GS is out of warranty I'll start to do some of it myself. Having never worked on bikes before I'm enjoying doing motorcycle maintenance as a college course and then using that knowledge on my own bikes.

I may still take the GS to a dealer for the more complicated work.

[Heorot]

I am completely mechanically useless. Luckily, there is an independent garage in our village whose owner and chief mechanic is also a biker. We have two sports cars and use him for everything so we are on first name terms. He loves to work on my bike and charges very little (off book).

[carelesschucca]

I do minor services on the Street myself but I have been getting the dealer to do major services. TBH the electrics on the bike scare the willies out of me... Theres more wiring under the tank and on the airbox than there was on the whole of the SV.

I miss the SV for its simplicity and ease to work on. I used to be able to remove the front fairing in about 5/10 mins. its a nice little bike to work on and I do sometimes think about getting one again just for the joy of working on it.

[Bibio]

me and when i cba the dealer comes in his van and takes it away then brings it back when done opens my wallet and proceeds to empty it.

[L3nny]

I am useless when it comes to anything mechanical so try and do as little as possible, the odd screw on modification like fitting a new end can are the only things I have tried.

I would rather take the bike to someone who knows what they are doing. Unfortunately I have yet to deal with a motorcycle mechanic who fills me with confidence and/or isn't a complete rip off merchant so I tend to stick to bikes which are new enough to still be working properly and get rid of them when things start to go wrong.

[Sir Trev]

When I had my curvy SV I did almost all myself once out of warranty. As above it was nice and easy to work on and I enjoyed doing so. Now I have something more complex and, frankly, I'm a lot more lazy. So by choice I visit Spannerman over in Sunbury-u-Thames for an entertaining chat and a properly thorough service at sensible prices when needed.

[dizzyblonde]

I have four year old dwarves who do it...... :---)

For minor things like brake pads Peg does his. However, for major work, he rides it 250 miles to Orwells in Ipswich who have been caring for his bike since new in 2008. You just don't feck about with a ZZR14 for things like valves and shims for instance, its an engine out job to get at them. Orwells have a very good reputation for dealing with the big boys, something which is sadly lacking around here. Dealers can sell them, but they don't like to maintain them and recoil in horror when you ask!

I aren't stupid when it comes to playing around with machinery. However, if I devote my time to doing something on the bike it always lasts about two minutes before I get pulled away because the whole world will collapse without mum :ncool:


All bike tyres done elsewhere

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

I currently run two bikes, the SV1000S has only had front wheel bearings, tyres and rear wheel/swing-arm bearings done by someone other than me.

I've changed the brake discs, pads, lines & brake fluid, clutch line, oil (x 3,) oil fiter (x 3,) water, spark plugs, battery, front fairing, screen, clip-ons, radiator, GSX-R 750 K7 forks & brake callipers, brake light, indicators, added full luggage kit, changed exhausts and air filter.

For the R6 I have changed the oil and oil filter. And the only thing not done by me has been the tyres, but, not done as many miles or crashed the R6 as often

[SIII]

Bought SV brand new, so took it back for 500 mile service at the end of the first week !!!


Since then done all my own work on the bike, except for the gear position indicator on the Gixxer, was under warranty so dealer got to do that.


Done caliper strip & clean, swingarm out, oil changes, brake line changes, Reg/Rec replacement, plugs change, etc, etc,,,


Only other person to work on the bike is Bibs balancing TB's on the SV. Prefer to do all my own work, I trust me. After watching the bike shop taking rear caliper off and making it look so difficult, to change the rear tyre, decided I felt better with only me working on the bike (and Bibio).

[TamSV]

I do everything myself on the bikes apart from fitting and balancing tyres. If there's something I haven't done before I'm pretty keen to find out how to do it.

Don't really know why but I can't motivate myself to do anything at all to the cars and everything gets done by a local independent. Even with really simple jobs on the cars I just can't be bothered.

[timwilky]

Own a GSXR 600 and do all maintenance except fit/balance tyres.

I am by profession, a Mechanical Engineer and as such feel adequately qualified to undertake truck/car/bike maintenance. I have worked for a number of truck/car manufacturers and also spannered for racing teams on Formula ford, F5000, F2, Atlantic and touring cars. on such things as Chevron B25, B26, B32, B37. All from a time when there was fun coming out of Bolton. But I think the craziest was racing Moskvitch's. hard work getting parts.

[squirrel_hunter]

I do all my own maintenance with the exception of fitting and balancing of tyres. But even then I just take the wheels in. My Grom is still young enough to have a Honda warranty but I still did the first service, and intend to do the second service myself.

Engineering work and when I don't have the equipment I will farm out to good quality local shops. But I like to do as much as I can as I enjoy it. However I don't particularly like working on my car.

[Dave20046]

Ironically a mechanic once said to me "you'd trust someone else spannering on your bike?! that's your life" or something along those lines.
Never took one back since*



*okay okay I did let one do my valve clearances a couple of years back

[NTECUK]

PX it when it needs doing ;)

[Wideboy]

All me, fit my own tyre's and balance them. Only time one of my bikes see's a garage is for the MOT.

[Luckypants]

I do all of mine these days, but it will go to the dealer / independent mechanic for the valve check.

[Crawling Finn]

Have used dealer once: for 600 mile service for Gladius. I ride so much that I would have to take it in every 10 weeks so home service it is. CBR600 lasted 100K with same practise so hopefully this does the same. R1200GS gets less mileage and is perfect for annual home service. Tyres are easy enough to do at home. You need diagnostics tools for both though - Healtech for Japs and GS911 for the Bumwee.

[TheRamJam]

Do most of the work I can myself. Things like tyre changes and valve clearences i'll quite happily give it to the dealer to do.

My current Blade is a 2009 so doesn't have a warranty. Its currently in hibernation. Not seen the light of day since September. Hopefully next month i'll get her back on the road. So i'll be replacing all the fluids and doing the usual checks before the season starts up in March :-)

Also wanna do the PAIR mod too and got a new exhaust to fit

[PLINK63]

Apart from getting tyres fitted and balanced, I do all the work myself. As a mechanic, I'm not going to pay someone else do it. There is nothing scary on an SV.

[Zim]

Trying to do much more myself, and I have to say, the encouragement, enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge on the org is very much appreciated.

[theenglishman]

I'm only using a dealer at present as the main bike's under warranty. But it's an independent and not a main/solus place. I did everything myself on previous bikes - but then BMW boxers are so stupidly easy to work on.

I've a MT350 project in bits in the garage. The £500-£1000 quote for an engine rebuild made me realise I may just be spending a fair bit more time in the garage over the coming year.

[Nutsinatin]

Steve Jordans do my 15,000 service and the odd job that I can't do yet, and I get someone to fit tyres and balance them. Other than that I do it myself as I need to learn.

[Moleman]

On the subject of fixing I do not know a ball part figure at what it would cost to have rear swinging arm bearings replaced prob the ones for the linkage to? it feels ok but mot advisory to have arm bearings replaced? Anyone paid to have this done??
I was thinking local Indy might do it. Bike has done 24k now mostly dry looking at the overall condition and lack of any rust that I can find

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

On the subject of fixing I not know a ball part figure at what it would cost to have rear swinging arm bearings replaced prob the ones for the linkage to? it feels ok but mot advisory to have arm bearings replaced? I was thinking local Indy might do it. Bike has done 24k now mostly dry looking at the overall condition and lack of any rust that I can find

When I had them done on my SV1000S I am sure it was about £400 odd.

[Moleman]

Cheers bud,

Yeah that was what I was kind of thinking it might cost. I do some stuff myself but think this and the cam adjustment checks will have to be done this year by the local indy. Will be a costly trip I suspect.. Will give them a call in a couple of weeks and ask when I book for a rough figure ouch..

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Cheers bud,

Yeah that was what I was kind of thinking it might cost. I do some stuff myself but think this and the cam adjustment checks will have to be done this year by the local indy. Will be a costly trip I suspect.. Will give them a call in a couple of weeks and ask when I book for a rough figure ouch..

The valve check I had done by an independant, but, only because that is getting into advanced motor stuff and I don't have the tools.

The rear bearings are quite easy if you've got a way to support the bike without a rear swingarm, which also currently I don't.

Going forward it'll all be brought "in house" bar MoTs

[Moleman]

I had a quick look at removal of swinging arm, don't have the castle tool needed and no way of supporting the bike I feel comfortable with otherwise looked OK. I have done bearings before with no probs but will feel better paying this time I think. As for me valves not a job I would want to get stuck into as lack confidence to be honest.

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Castle tool comes in handy as it is used at the front as well as the back and I have one from when I changed front forks.

[Ratty]

The swing arm nut tool is quite cheap on ebay. Also check that the bearings are definately worn because it may be the notorious end float which can be shimmed out. My bearings just needed a regrease at 20000 miles but I had to shim out the end float on the swinger. Valve checking is quite easy and shim changing is less of a hassle on the SV1000 because you don't have to disturb the camchains. I took the rad off for easier access and because I was changing coolant anyway.

Ratty

[Moleman]

Yes I did see the castle nut tool on ebay but had decided I probably didnt want to sort the job myself. When I had mot they showed me there was play left/right at the swining arm which they put down to bearing worn, I didnt know about end float issue but will be worth looking into first I think. Bike is great and cleanest I have seen to date but want to get it sorted as I am hankering for a 1000 :-) the 650 is a great fun bike and with the suspention all being sorted it handles starts and stops with the best of them but I have a sv1000 stuck in my mind so get mine fixed and will prob be looking to chop it in in the next few months all being well.

Thanks for the replies guys

[Ratty]

left right movement along the pivot spindle is not bearings. It's the end float.
SV1000's are ace. Let me know when you need to know anything.

Ratty

[Moleman]

Yeah has def slight left/right wiggle only slight but it's there. Never used to be a fan of the SV in the budget bike war I pref the fazer and had a new well almost new 600 of 2000 vintage. Had a go quite a while back on a curvey that was for sale local just before I bought the one I have. It was quite a poor example and dispute being 1 owner had been poorly maintained so travelled for the one I got now and no regrets these are very under rated bikes and a cracking fun machine even though soft front and cheap rear shock lets it down, mine have all been replaced and it's better for it.
I do like the 1000 though, had a look at two now but neither were quite right.. I am a bit fussy.. If poss I would like a black half faired one but not found one yet mods not bothered about as happy to tweek to my taste over time just need to sort my one out ready to sell and would never sell knowing it had faults so need to sort first and then trawl the net for a good 1000 :-) happy days