Bike Strip Down and Clean?

As many of you will know I am a complete kn08 when it comes to bike maintenance, in fact cleaning and lubing the chain makes me feel like I am venturing into mechanic territory.

I used to have a go on the SV, successfully fitting an exhaust, hugger, new lights, tail tidy and doing several oil changes and I enjoyed doing it. However I always knew I had this place to get me out of trouble when I needed it and I always did.

However with the CBR I feel a bit more exposed as there are less on here, strange that being an SV forum. I have joined the CBR forum, but frankly it's no help.

Earlier I cleaned and lubed the chain and thought I would have a look at taking some of the bodywork off and give it a spring clean underneath, but after a bit of success I started to worry about breaking those flimsy, yet expensive fairing parts, so put it all back together again

I'm going to be increasing the miles soon too, so it is essential that I get the basics down so I can keep costs down where possible, I just don't know where to start really to build my confidence up.

I realise the above all sounds gay, but my bike is pretty much the only thing that is just mine and kids and wife don't get to sod up for me!

[G]

I have stripped my cbr down loads of times, Did it this winter to get it immaculate again, the only things you need is a few spare fixings as sooner or later they break or round off.

There's nothing to worry about when doing it, there's also not much benefit in doing it either if your doing big miles as it will all get dirty again instantly anyway. Keep the chain lined and job done.

Haynes manuals are a gift from the gods. Their motorbike service techbook also explains (with very clear pics) routine maintenance tasks and some other bits. Their manuals are based on a complete strip-down and rebuild of the vehicle and there is often guidance on how to avoid silly mistakes.

They don't do a haynes manual for my bike though, otherwise I would buy one.

Its a fairly new one, one may show up in a few years, as the bikes are fairly common. Found some links anyway.

http://www.wemoto.cz/parts/picture/CM-62MFJ00/

http://www.diyrepairmanuals.com/products.asp?cat=14458

[fastdruid]

Its really worth buying the proper honda service manual if there is nothing available, they are really really good, if rather expensive.

WRT bodywork personally I think everything seems to have gone backwards, my '89 VFR takes about 30secs to strip most of the bodywork from with no danger of anything getting damaged (7 dzus a side). Only thing that would make it any better is if the tank hinged rather than having to be removed.

Druid