Who does your bike maintenance??

[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


All bike tyres done elsewhere

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