Servicing yourself

[Tomzo47]

Hi guys, I'm doing an oil change and general check over/clean of my bike tomorrow, as I'm not paying somebody in a garage over £100 to do it for me. I've done basic stuff on my bike but on a service what really needs checking/cleaning or possibly replacing?
Thanks
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Ybr 125 > Bandit 650SA > GSXR 600 > Triumph Sprint St1050 > CB1300 > Z1000SX + FJ1200 (written off) > VFR750 >FJ1200

[_Iain_]

Oil, oil filter, air filter, plugs, fuel filter & valve clearances.

Did a write up on how to service a YBR125 over in bike pictures if you're unsure on how complex things are
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Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[Nope.]

Drop oil, change filter, replace sump plug and refill oil. (when I say replace I mean put it back, not actually replace it)

Check chain tention, chain and sprocket wear etc. and lube chain.

Check tyre wear and pressures etc.

Check brake pad levels, check brake discs for scoring and thickness. Check brake fluid levels and if its been over two years since it was last changed then change the brake fluid.

Check the fork seals aren't leaking.

Clean/Replace the air filter.

Lube any cables that are getting tight.

Check battery levels if its a refillable battery.

Check coolant level. If its more then two years old then change it.

Change spark plugs.

Maybe do valve clearances depending on mileage specified in the owners manual.
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Former: Derbi GP1 50, Sachs XTC 125, Suzuki GSXR 400 GK73A, Kawasaki ZX7R, Suzuki DR250, Yamaha RD350
Current: 2011 Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré, 2003 Yamaha YZR-R1 5PW (In Build), 2009 Kawasaki ZZR1400

[stinkwheel]

[Robby]

Get a Haynes manual, it takes you through everything you should do.

Make sure you have all of the parts and tools required before getting to work, particularly if your bike is your only means of transport.

Don't expect a massive saving the first time round - you'll need to buy the Haynes, you may need to buy some tools.

Don't get too far outside your comfort zone. Change oil and filters is very easy. Spark plugs can be more tricky on some bikes, due to the amount you need to strip before you can get near them (my old CBR600 was a pain in the arse for this). Valve clearances on an inline-4 is nearly always a ballache, particularly if they use shims for adjustment. The usual thing in this case is to spend ages doing them, when they didn't need adjustment anyway, and break something in the process.

A local BCFer will come over and give you a hand, far too many of us do this as a hobby and have nothing of our own to fix at the moment. Change the title of the thread to "help wanted" with your location and someone will come over at the weekend.

Allow some time as well. If you start on a sunday afternoon and need the bike to go to work on monday morning, something will go wrong. If you start on saturday morning, you'll finish by lunch and can spend the rest of the day cleaning your bike and drinking beer.

Final protip - order all of the parts from one place. The saving from shopping around is minimal, particularly after postage. Much easier to wait for one big box to arrive than lots of little ones. Don't worry about ordering more than you need - if you order some brake pads, and on closer inspection you don't need them yet, you'll have them on the shelf to fit in a few months when you do need them.

[Tomzo47]

Thanks guys, haven't started yet as had to work later than planned (gotta pay the bills somehow) and its too late to start now as I have work in the morning. I'll look into getting a Haynes manual, theres a halfrauds near me so will check out there (and ebay if i can't bring myself to pay their extortionate prices ) My girlfriends dad has offered to give me a hand this time, but will bear that in mind in future thanks
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Ybr 125 > Bandit 650SA > GSXR 600 > Triumph Sprint St1050 > CB1300 > Z1000SX + FJ1200 (written off) > VFR750 >FJ1200

[stinkwheel]

[bikenut]

:D fork oil, see cmnsl for the exploded views etc...... some pics wouil;d be good. :D