First Time Maintenance - right or wrong?

I followed a few walk-throughs on here to carry out my first ever bike maintenance.

Can you please confirm if I have done the right things and am thinking in the right way?

Here's what I did and my concerns;

1 - Replaced gear selector rod (The one that runs behind the Foot peg)

The rod I bought, although labeled as for an SV650s 99-03 on eBay, was not the same length as the rod that was previously fitted (The new one was shorter). I removed the rearset, the old gear selector rod and the clamp type thing that grips the bar that sticks out the gear box.

After cleaning, I fitted the rearset, new rod and clamp but not at the same angle as the original was set at. This shouldn't matter should it?
I actually put it on upside down originally and didn't realise that I had turned it in to 1 up 5 down until the end. After 5 minutes of not understanding why I couldn't find neutral I solved it.

So - I think the actual angle of the clampy thing doesn't matter as long as it's the right way up? The length of the the rod also doesn't matter as you can compensate with the angle of the clampy thing and the amount of wind on the thread of the rod?

2 - Engine oil change and Filter change.

I bought an oil filter tool which had a chain. Turns out these are **** and just chew up the filter.

I couldn't get the old one off with it so I smashed a screwdriver through it and got it of with that.

The oil drain bolt rounded off as soon as I got my spanner out of the tool box so I had to file it down and get it off in the most annoying way possible.

It's now been refitted but I will need a new one. Know what exact bolt it is or have one I can buy?

The new oil filter is an OEM Suzuki one. I wound it on as tight as possible by hand then used the chain tool thing to wind it on a bit more. It started to chew the filter up again so I stopped after a full turn.

So - Is the oil filter tight enough? I didn't want to wind it up too much as I will end up putting a hole in it but it's on there ok. Is super tightness a requirement?

I put in 2400ml of Semi -Synthetic oil. I didn't pick it myself, it's just the one I got from the garage. Is this the right amount with a filter change?

Can I easily get another sump bolt?

3 - Clutch adjustment

I mentioned in a previous post that with the clutch pulled in and the bike in gear but not running it was extremely difficult to push the bike. It didn't free wheel.
http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=126381

I followed the instructions here

With the oil change and this adjustment it wheels freely in all gears.

Does this mean that this was the problem and I have solved it or could there be an underlying issue which will crop up again?


4 - Chain adjustment.

I adjusted the chain, keeping the plates on both sides and equal distance from the end of the swing arm. They weren't bang on the lines and the edges of the plate are not dead square so I how do know if I have put the wheel out of alignment?

Is there a way to check this?

I have left 1 inch of play when I am sat on the bike at the area behind the sprocket (ish) where the chain is easily accessible.

Is this right? I don't want to over tighten.



Thanks for taking the time to read this. I want to maintain the bike as well as I can but I have no experience of doing all this with a bike.

I'm not a mechanical idiot, I just haven't done it before and I don't want to drop it having made a silly mistake in the garage.


Thanks!

sounds like your doing pretty good tbh.

i use a chain one on my filter and yes it does start to chew a little but a long handle keeping one hand on the chain pushing up to stop slipping and the other to turn slowly has always got me by. but sounds like youve got it bang on.

as to the oil level, check the sight glass on the right on the engine. take it for a little spin once you think youve got it about right ( just round the block mind ) come back leave it to cool and settle and top up if needed as theres no real way to measure it perfectly .

clutch play sounds good but again check that with a little ride to make sure your happy with it.

chain wise if your unsure bit a card and tape it to the inside of the swingarm half way long between front and rear sprocket ( do this on its side stand or if on a paddock stand put in gear and move the wheel until the chain goes tight then measure from there)
as to alignment its easiest to do the chain side until your happy with tension remembering how many turns you did on the nut, then do the same to the other.
to check piece of string to a fixed point and check both sides of the swingarm.

sounds like youve done it all right but riding it will let you know.

I've always done my oil filter up by hands only, never had any problems, so you wont either. (Once i left the old rubber washer on by accident though, POP. lol.)

Thanks,

What am I looking for when riding?

smooth gear change mainly, if your having trouble shifting then check the chain and clutch again which will just be cable adjustment if the worm drive has been done right.
and remember check that oil lever!!!

Oil lever? What is that?

He meant level

Got you!

no its there...next to the flux capacitor

i would never tighten a oil filter an tighter than hand tight other wise it can over tighten an become extremly difficult to get off next oil change.
rest sounds fairly good