New Bikes and future maintinence

This thread is really just a bit of advice I suppose. My dad had to completly strip my rear brake caliper on sunday and re-grease it all up. Ok, not a big job but consider this; everything was pretty much seized on! It took my dad 2 hours to get out the retaining pins, and it didn't appear that the caliper pistons ever had any grease on them either. I suppose the rear caplier had never been serviced, hence never taken apart and had parts greased up for easy future removal.

So, as a sort of warning to those with new bikes, go about and take things apart, like the calipers, and grease stuff properly, so that in 32,000 miles when you (or a future owner) comes to service those parts, they dont find a 20 mi job turning into a 3 hour job.

Cheers,

Matt

at least nothing snapped! just about everytime i go to do something on the bike bolts snap, sv shock change bolt snapped, chock plunger screw snapped, radiator mount on tl bolt snapped........ the list goes on and on!

at least nothing snapped! just about everytime i go to do something on the bike bolts snap, sv shock change bolt snapped, chock plunger screw snapped, radiator mount on tl bolt snapped........ the list goes on and on!

try soaking them in wd-40 for abit if possible and they might not break so quick!

[yorkie_chris]

If I bought a new bike I would completely strip it down to do all the maintenence that they don't bother with in the factory.

Look at rictus' SV... 150k mile and still on original bearings. That's advantage of maintaining your bike.

Agree'd YC. I try my best to maintain everything - frequent oil changes, lubricate things, grease stuff when it comes off etc etc. If I had more time and a second bike to run about on, I'd have the swingarm off and everything, grease all that up.

Helps to use a bike aswell, engines like being used. My dads mate has a new R1 (he's had it for about 4 weeks). Only done 32 miles. wtf?

how easy are bikes to take apart, in comparison to cars for example?? can anyone that is logical and has a good tool set do it??

[yorkie_chris]

Yes. Way easier than cars... stuff like doing a clutch is far easier. Biggest problem is everything is smaller and some things are hard to reach.

Other advantage is that bikes are a lot lower tech.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Yes. Way easier than cars... stuff like doing a clutch is far easier. Biggest problem is everything is smaller and some things are hard to reach.

Other advantage is that bikes are a lot lower tech.

Plus being underneath a car is not a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, particularly if all you have are axle stands and a trolley jack. Ramps are better, except for if you need to remove a wheel, but there's no substitute for the hydraulic lifts you find in proper garages.

i bet the clutch is, no heavy gearbox to disconnect!! will have to invest in a haynes manual i think

Originally Posted by arcdef

i bet the clutch is, no heavy gearbox to disconnect!! will have to invest in a haynes manual i think

that is not a bad idea, infact, its an accesory right up there with crash bungs

plently of jobs my dad has done to my bike have been made easier with the haynes open at the right page