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Bike Maintenance for New Biker YBR

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Ollyc
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Joined: 16 May 2018
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PostPosted: 18:41 - 16 May 2018    Post subject: Bike Maintenance for New Biker YBR Reply with quote

Hi all, I’m new to biking and have bought myself a 14 Plate Yamaha YBR to start with. Using it to eat to and from work and have been getting plenty of practice at the weekend so really clocking up the miles.

I don’t know the first thing about maintaining the bike and want to keep it in good nick both mechanically and visually. Obviously going to a garage will get expensive, I want to learn to do it all myself.

My questions are:

What things should I be checking and cleaning regularly and how often?

Best method of washing, waxing and coating including products? Also are there any ways to remove current rust that was on the bike when I bought it?

In regards to oil change, how much oil do I have to put in each time I change it?

Sorry if these questions seem very remedial, I just want to learn and am completely new to this!

Cheers,

New biker Very Happy
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linuxyeti
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PostPosted: 19:28 - 16 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1208156/Yamaha-Ybr-125.html?page=2#manual
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 19:30 - 16 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Olly,

Tyres and chain are the two biggies for regular checking and maintenance. Check the tyres for damage and keep on top of the pressures - bike tyres can go very flat without it being visibly obvious.

Clean and oil the chain regularly with pretty much any oil, wax or whatever magic gubbins you feel like trying. I just use clean engine oil for all that it costs. Others will recycle engine oil or use gear oil, chainsaw oil, wax, or techno-lubes. It's all good, just above all keep it clean so that you don't form a gritty grinding paste on it.

Keep an eye on the chain tension and adjust if necessary. Have a look at the sprockets for any signs of hooking or damage. Once a chain starts to stretch, it can go very slack very quickly. If you can lift it clear away from the rear sprocket then the links have badly stretched and no amount of adjustment is going to fix that.

Engine oil is about a litre. There are plenty of decent YouTube videos covering oil changes and chain maintenance and adjustment which I'd suggest you have a look at.

More irregularly, you'll want to check or change the spark plug, keep an eye on the brake pads for wear, change the brake fluid every couple of years, lubricate the clutch and throttle cables, and check the rear drum brake arm travel. Oh, and consider changing the fork oil.

I'd assume that none of this has been done to your bike, regardless of any assurances or service stamps to the contrary and at the very least change the engine oil ASAP.
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Ollyc
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Joined: 16 May 2018
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PostPosted: 20:23 - 16 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you! That’s a massive help, very kind of you.

I’ve had a look at YouTube but it’s hard to know what to believe with contradicting videos. I’ll have a watch about all the things you’ve said and I’ll give my bike a “makeover” this weekend and make sure all is in tact.

Thanks again, the help is much appreciated.

Olly
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M.C
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PostPosted: 22:40 - 16 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

The owners manual will cover most of that.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 08:27 - 17 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

But this is the new, friendlier BCF.

Oh, for the corrosion, you can get commercial products like Kurust. It's really just a moderately strong acid. Depending on how bad we're talking, you can also have a go with a milder acid like vinegar or coke (drinking, not snorting).
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Teflon-Mike
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PostPosted: 08:51 - 17 May 2018    Post subject: Re: Bike Maintenance for New Biker YBR Reply with quote

Ollyc wrote:
Hi all, I’m new to biking and have bought myself a 14 Plate Yamaha YBR to start with.

3-4 year old machine, the early owners taking the hit of new-bike depreciation, whilst leaving more life in the thing than they have used, and some assurance its not been ridden and crashed into the ground during MOT exemption.... you're either pretty smart to start, or you have read up a lot.... good choice
Ollyc wrote:
Using it to eat to and from work and have been getting plenty of practice at the weekend so really clocking up the miles.

Maybe not so smart.. IF you are competant and confident enough to commute... you shouldn't need practice... just the tests... then you could have a full licence and no need to 'practice'... you need practice... go practice, don't commute.

Daily commute is wot you has to do, not wot you want to do.. and anticipating the grief you are going to get, whilst you wake up.. you are not really in a learning frame of mind, or the most alert or clued in, to learn anything, even if it isn't the 'Rush-Hour' and you are trying to dodge umpety other numpties also onlyt half awake, contemplating a day of grief from boss or customers or clients or collegues, also not the most alert to what they should be doing like... WATCH THE EFFIN ROAD!! NO, that poor biker DIDN'T come out of no-where!!!!!! And "Sorry-Mate-I-Didn't-See-You" DOESN'T make it all alright!!!

L-Plates is for learning... to pass tests... not dodging them or getting too and from work on the cheap.... you want to 'Learn' go do it on your own time, where there aren't so many half awake idiots to dodge and you dont have to make excuses to the boss if you are late.. and take tests.. THAT is supposedly what you have L-Plates for.... when you have the licence, then you can go play with the psyco-killers-in-cages on the way to work.... maybe.....

Also worth mentioning that L-Plates and going it alone, is not the best way to learn much.... it don't teach you what you should do, either to get from AtoB on a bike, or make man with clipboard for a personality happy and give you licence..... just punishes you.. brutally.. with pain or costs usually... if you get it wrong.... and dont even tell you what WAS wrong very often.... so back to top.... L-is-for-Learner, to learn to pass tests, not dodge'em or get to and from work on the cheap... and if you is good enough to get to and from work, you is good enough to take tests, or vica versa... if bot good enough to take tests... PROBABLY not a great idea to try getting too and from work every day!!!

Ollyc wrote:
I don’t know the first thing about maintaining the bike and want to keep it in good nick both mechanically and visually.


I dont believe you... basic daily checks and routine maintenence should have been covered on the CBT.. A-N-D you know enough to ask.....

Beyond that.... the owners manual is as good a place to start; should tell you what routine checks and adjustments should be done, like when it needs an oil change or a fresh spark plug, what the tyres pressures should be and all that stuff.

Haynes Manual is also useful, and goes into a lot more detail on a lot more stuff, to the point of complete over-haul and minor repairs like replacing a rear view mirror....

STUFF You-Tube tutorials... any-one can make one of them, I have even done it myself.... like most stuff on the net, you have absolutely no idea whether whoever has created the tutorial or post or advice page knows the first thing about what they are talking about, or if its really a good idea to follow thier advice..... Haynes manual, for all the chapter hopping frustration they may cause IS written by folk that know what they are talking about, and you can have some confidence in.... get one, use one, save asking silly questions and getting silly answers, and possibly being lead up the garden path by it all.

Ollyc wrote:
Obviously going to a garage will get expensive, I want to learn to do it all myself.


Err.. yeah... maybe... almost forty years ago, now, I was told, "If you want a motorbike, you need know how to fix one... 'cos if you cant fix it you gotta pay some-one who can, and if you can afford that, you wouldn't be messin' with motorbikes, you'd be able to afford a car..." Which... held a lot of truth forty years ago, and more than a little still now... but....

Mistakes COST.. end of.

As going it alone on L's hoping that you will learn by accident... not being taught what to do, but being able to work out what went wrong when you fell off..... the ecconomic models you create to justify your ideas and aspirations can very quickly get rather dented by the real world...

And little learner bikes, IF they aren't thrashed, trashed and crashed to oblivion between periods of complete neglect... are as often killed with kindness and over enthusiastic fiddle fingers.....

One of the most common examples here, is the Chain... you get told on CBT to check the tension every ride..... and some completely ignore that lesson and ride the thing till its as slack as a witches.... or they take it to heart and adjust the tension every day.... and cause all manner of havoc... usually setting the chain over tight.. putting stress on the gearbox out-put shaft that then chews its oil seal and bearing, which then starts to whione and leak, but probably only after they have moaned about 'funny steering' becuse the axle is at an angle in its slots, the chain adjusters are chewed to high heaven, and the brake is probably binding 'cos they have never slackened off the brake adjuster to move the wheel back-wards when they have tensioned the chain....

It's all not that daunting to DIY... but the possible effups are myriad, and if you have cracked a sump over tioghtening the drain plug doing an oil changfe or stripped a thread cross threading a spark plug in its hole.... this idea that DIY 'must' save you money can get rather turned upside down, when you have to pay some-one even more, not just to do what you did wrong, but fix the damage you did trying.....

Now, paying a mechanic may NOT be such a daft ecconomy..... Think hard on that.

IF you want to learn mechanics.... it can be fin, I have spent the last 40 years playing spanners... B-U-T you dont learn it all over night, nor do you collect all the tools you need at halfords in an afternoon, and for less than what you might pay a half decent mechanic in a year.....

Start adding in the tools to do the jobs you need to, and it can be a very long time before you start to see any actual 'savings' over using a half clued and kitted pro-mechanic.... you just have more clutter to keep clean and have folk expecting to borrow.....

Have to say, that it IS good fun, much more so than another TV reality show; its also very rewarding, and you get to know your bike..... and hopefully..... very very hopefully.... that its as mechanically good as it can be, and jobs are done, and done well... which you probably don't, when you leave it with a pro and go back and get a bill, for what they say they have done...

BUT, starting out, you probably wont save much, you will likely end up spending a LOT on tools and the like, and mistakes cost.... and you WILL make them.....

Buy the book.. do it to the book.... and it should limit how far wrong you might go, and how much money you wast along the way.....

Ollyc wrote:
What things should I be checking and cleaning regularly and how often?


Buy the book!!! Theres a checklist in the front. Remember your CBT and your pre-ride and daily checks!

Most important thing on a bike is the tyres.... you are balenced on a knife edge between life and death, and them two skinny bits of rubber is pretty much all thats between you and catastrophe! Make sure they is good! And on a YBR that means not the ever-lasting chit they fit at the factory, or cheapo after market replacements.... good tyres are a boon on ANY bike, and even more so on a lightweight.... but completely useles if they dont hold air or have tread on them.... so check them regular.

Brakes! Before you 'go' make sure you can STOP! You probably have a low maintenance disc on the front, that is self adjusting, and easily ignored as theres not a lot to check other than the master cylinder reservoir has fluid in it..... fluid does tend to go off with age though, and what you got is probably past its best.... there was proposal to have a fluid test on MOT not so long ago, the stuff has a service life of maybe 3 years before it needs changing, and if hard used, probably sooner... and on your bike, good odds its never been flushed and replaced. Brake pads... you should just about be able to see from the front if they have meat left on them; oft harder to see is whether the pads are chewed up. Easier to see if crap has got between them and the disc if there are grooves in the disc.. but that too is oft ignored, as discs are expensive..... most likely cause of early wear though is neglect, the things have pins the caliper moves on that should periodically be cleaned and greased, and frequently aren't..... again, back to the book, its likely covered in the over-haul sections, rather than routine maintenance, but a thorough clean and grease is something that most bikes disc brakes could do with, at least annually.

Suspension... lack of effective suspension can seriousely effect your steering and stopping.. it is worth paying heed to.

Check on CBT is a quick bounce of the suspension.... but doesn't tell you much other than you have some..... rear suspension units are as standard rather bouncy to begin with, and sealed for life, you cant do much with them even if they are a bit soggy, other than replace.... but they do have rubber mounts, these could do with a quick squizz to make sure the rubber is there, the bolts tight and the units are secure.

Up front... the forks dive every time you brake... and little learner bikes get broken a lot.... learners are notoriouse for being rather 'reactive' and harsh on the brakes, using them a lot, and hard, and this pounds the front springs and the damping oil inside them.

Generally not paid much attension until they start weeping oil, and folk mutter that its a 'quick-fix' that 'only' costs a fiver... it err.... is and it isn't.... pair of fork seals are probably only £6 and a bottle of oil maybe £10.. isn't too hard a job to replace them, but its not a five minute job..... changing fork oil though is something that probably should be done far more often... and usually isn't and on a 4-year old YBR good chance its never been done.... be a good one to consider doing, and probably aught be done about once a year.

Steering.... most lightweights still use loose balls in the steering bearing, which are 'cheap' if not the easiest to lube or overhaul... they could use new grease periodically, but good chance you will loose the balls trying to fit it! Your call! They DO need asjusting periodically though to take up the slack as the bearings wear, and like a lot of stuff, often ignored until the thing is failed on MOT for it.... generally needs a special C-Spanner and is a pain as the top yoke often has to be removed to get at the nut, which means removing handlebars and stuff... which is why its oft neglected.... but is worth doing when you get a new bike, and periodically after... maybe once a year before the MOT man can moan.

Take note... gone a long way down the list so far and not even got close to anything 'engine' wise.....

Lights... you need them, they should work, and lenses shouldn't be cracked or anything. Again, its a CBT pre-ride check, oft ignored, but.. worth doing.. and a little time spent cleaning contacts and making sure lenses aren't full of condensation, spraying stuff with WD40, as a water repellant wot it was actually develoiped for, NOT as a chain oil or release agent on rusty nuts and bolts.... can save a lot of grief in the long run....

PETROL!.. probably the number one on the CBT pre-ride check-list... "Make sure you have enough furl for journey" but, you have a YBR and a late example with Fuel-Injection I would hope, that is known for eating its own fuel pumps... worth keeping tabs on that one.

Engine Oil another CBT daily/Pre-Ride check. I would do an oil change as course when I got a new (to me) bike. Check book for amount and grade, it probably takes about half a litre of so, and likes it changed pretty often, as in every 1000 miles or so.... again heed Kill-it-With-Kindness warnings above, do NOT over tighten the drain plug!

Chain & Sprockets.... already mentioned, is a CBT pre-ride check, but take heed of the killing-it-with-kindness comment....

Chain lube is a topic talked to death, to which there is no right or wrong answer really. On bigger bikes, they have been fitting 'sealed' O or X ring chains for a couple of decades. These are pre-packed at the factory with grease in the rollers, and should be sealed for life.... the lube you stick on them just eases the take up of the rollers onto the sprocket.. and can do as much harm as good, collecting road grime and making a rather effective grinding paste to wear out chain and sprockets faster.... good cleaning to get rid of grim is probably far more worth while as a precaution, than actual lube.

Sealed chains are oft replaced with 'plain' chains on competition bikes, as they don't have to last as long, and maintenance intervals are far shorter anyway, and they are lighter and dont have the same inherent amount of power-sap.... which is why they are usually the OE fit on lightweights that have very little power to start with.

My sport is comp-trials.. I have used the same chain for seasons, even in the harsh conditions 'off-road', pulling it after every event,. cleaning and then pickling in old engine oil... and a couple of times a season 'hot dipping'... putting an old pot on a camping stove full of old oil and then running the chain through it for the oil to flush out any crap in the links.... then repeating with another pot with half a pound of axle grease, melted in it, to get the grease into the links, then leaving it to hang and cool, so that grease is where its most useful, and crud isn't.... NOT so practical on an every-day road bike..... but old boys, in my yooof swore by the practice and would do it as an annual ritual.

Practically then? Remove the chain to thoroughly clean, and clean the sprockets. Keep clean between times, and use as little chain oil as you can get away with, as often as you clean to prevent building up grinding paste.

Dont worry too much about brands and bottles.. chain wax is usually thicker and intended for O-Ring chains where its not got to flow into the links, so isn't going to be that useful on a plain chain where it should.

Oil is great on the chain, but not so great on the tyres... so again, pay more attension to them... chains and sprockets are service replaceable parts, expect to have to replace them, better to have to replace a C&S kit than come off cos the oil has thrown onto chitty tyres!

Oh! whilst on the topic... 3-4 year old YBR..... I'd be tempted to replace the C&S kit as a matter of course having got it, and not need worry about it again while I have the bike TBH... BUT, I would probably also replace the chain adjusters at the same time, as they are usually chewed up by folk learning to ride and look after bikes...

BUT number one, tip, I would also replace the cush-drive-rubbers between the sprocket carrier and the hub.... These are about a tenner a set at last look... they are rubber blocks that fit between paddles on the sprocket carier and the bub, and take all the drive force.... out of site out of mind they tend to get ignored, and they 'shrink' with use as the ends get hammered between the engine driving the wheel, and the wheel driving the engine, on acceleration then breaking.... and on more clumsily ridden learner-bikes they get hammered hard... and they go hard with age....

Worst case when they 'go' you tend to get a mysteriouse 'clonk' when you roll off the throttle or brake, but long before that, the slop makes itself felt in a more sloppy gear change that gets more awkward and les precise as time goes on...

Cheap and easy fix, a new set of cush-rubbers can completely transform the gear change and make the bike so much nicer and easier to ride... its worth doing just as a bit of prevenmtative, and once done, will probably not need doing again while you own the bike.

Ollyc wrote:
Best method of washing, waxing and coating including products? Also are there any ways to remove current rust that was on the bike when I bought it?


My road bvike, gets a wash, MAYBE once a year, if its lucky so the MOT man dont moan he gets his hands dirty waggling the forks.....!!!!!

Again, DONT kill with kindness! there's much more important things to worry about than how shiny the paintwork may be, like whether the electrolyte level is between the lines in the battery.....

Products? Lol! I am NOT a GQ-Man of the millenium, it dont need fancy brand-name brylcream to be kept clean, and it wont smell no better for it!

The trials bike, REALLY benefits from a good post event clean down every event; that's done with fresh water from a pressure washer; a bucket of hot soapy water and an old dust-pan brush cloth and sponge... and its done as much to get rid of the dirt and see possible damage to tyres, wheels, engine cases etc as to make it look good....

Its NOT the cleaning that matters, its the attension to detail..... and NOT doing too much and doing stuff to make problems rather than fix'em.

Rust? If you keep it clean and lube the bits that should be then there shouldn't be any.

On a YBR, there is the small matter of low quality chrome, probably on things like mirrors, handle-bars and exhaust.... you can waste many years trying to keep on top of this with solvol or even sand-paper... but this is britain... it'll likely be back within the week.... time and effort is probably better spent on 3in1 oil to lube the clutch cable and back brake rod links, checking tyres and remembering daily checks.... just be happy its not a Honda CBF rusting before your eyes... and learn to live with it..... or buy a plastic scooter!

Ollyc wrote:
In regards to oil change, how much oil do I have to put in each time I change it?

Go Buy and BY the book.

Ollyc wrote:
Sorry if these questions seem very remedial, I just want to learn and am completely new to this!


As said, most should have been taught on CBT, more still is IN THE BOOK, the rest common sense and experience....

Go get the book; dont go looking for stuff to fix for the sake of, keep an eye on the stuff you need to and do a little preventative and remedial to get started like looking at cush drive rubbers and greasing brake calipers, and dont be afraid to go to a mechanic BEFORE you get stuck or break anything...... cheaper in the long run to pay them to do a job right, than to fix whatever you break trying......

But the book as in the Haynes manual is your guiding light and font of all reputable knowledge... go get and follow the instructions... its only £15 or so, and the best investment you can make on your bike.
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Fizzoid
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PostPosted: 09:09 - 17 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ollyc wrote:
Thank you! That’s a massive help, very kind of you.

I’ve had a look at YouTube but it’s hard to know what to believe with contradicting videos. I’ll have a watch about all the things you’ve said and I’ll give my bike a “makeover” this weekend and make sure all is in tact.

Thanks again, the help is much appreciated.

Olly


I used this video for the oil change, although it's simple enough to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmazZJXyDkM

You'll be fine, but I couldn't take the oil strainer out due to mine having a kick start, and it's not as simple as in the vid
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha
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PostPosted: 10:06 - 17 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do your POWDER checks at least once a week if you're riding every day. You should ideally treat that 'powder' shit as pre-ride checks - but I never do. It's once a week, if that. I prioritise chain maintenance, tyre pressures, and oil level. Oil change by book - so probably 4k, I'm guessing.

But this is basically it for me (and I ride average 100 miles a day): chain maintenance is my biggie. I clean it using paraffin (and old engine oil in a mix of about 5 paraffin to 1 old oil) - a spray some on the chain when the bike's on a paddock stand, i.e. so I can rotate the rear wheel as I do it. I do this using a pumped spray bottle that I got from b&q. I pass the chain through my left hand whilst holding some blue roll or kitchen roll or bog roll etc., after it's had the paraffin sprayed on. I do this until the chain's fairly dry. From hoiking it up on the paddock stand to the chain being pretty damn clean it takes about a minute. Maybe two. I then squirt EP90 gear oil on to it - if it's winter I'm generous. If summer, a bit meaner.

I do this after (or before if I've been lazy) 90% of rides. Chain and sprockets tend to last as long as the bike in this way, although the chain *will* still develop some tight spots. Also, the front sprocket might need changing after 30k or so.

The rear wheel and perhaps the N/S tyre wall will get some oil fling - clean the latter using white spirit on a clean rag. Clean the former off using same. I tend to clean the back wheel very quickly every time I do the chain. The tyre, depends. Not very often tbh. Don't be alarmed. I've never known it affect handling and my chicken strips are pretty slim.

The metal parts of the bike (excluding brakes of course) just get a wipe over with a cleanish oily rag about twice a week - or daily in winter. The plastics - because it's a faired bike - never really get done in winter much but in summer I might do them as often as daily because flies. I just use a sponge and some fairy liquid and a relatively clean piece of rag to dry it off.

That's more or less it. I do get a valve check every something K - I want to say 10k. Could be as much as 14k though. I can't remember. I'm not expecting any meaningful adjustment via shims at this point though. Tbh the bike would probably hit 6 figures without any internal intervention at this stage - just oil every 4 or 5k, the odd clean of air filter here and there, and maybe a coolant flush once every aeon.

I do keep an eye on fork stanchions though - seals can go, and if bad enough, can leak oil onto brake rotor. Clean the chromed part with a soft dry cloth regularly, esp. in winter.
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bacon
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PostPosted: 13:03 - 17 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I see you impressed Tef with your bike choice, then you let him down with your motives :p
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 13:33 - 17 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

bacon wrote:
I see you impressed Tef with your bike choice, then you let him down with your motives :p

Rated "Informative" since it saves OP and everyone else from reading it.
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Plus Life EV
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PostPosted: 14:49 - 26 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I learned everything from the haynes manual on my YBR. Very simple to follow, step by step instructions.

Oiling the chain and changing the tension took ages at first, but the more you do it the quicker you become at it obvs.

I must admit the first time I took the wheel off and put it back on I was pretty nervous riding it afterwards haha, but it was all fine, It's actually pretty simple stuff, especially for someone like you who is keen to learn.
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Nobby the Bastard
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PostPosted: 16:18 - 26 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

JamesSanii wrote:
If you need to learn how to take care of your automobile, every now and then the exceptional answer is to speak to an expert. In place of destructive your vehicle thru fixing it your self, learn the way to name a dependable mechanic.




Annnnd my enemy list is expanding by the day....
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stephen_o
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PostPosted: 16:31 - 26 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

As others have said

check oil level and top up if needed - depending on miles maybe a little bit every couple of ,000 any more than that then there is an issue.

keep chain greased especially after rain - my ybr chain gets wrecked in rain.

check lights every day, brakes and tyres especially tyre pressure every week.

IF it runs right then don't tinker!!

If you start getting fault lights coming on (the yellow light while the engine is running then the bike trys to clear them itself - if it doesn't then note the fault code from the bike and look it up.
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PostPosted: 22:06 - 28 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Buy Haynes manual. Follow its maintenance schedule.

Use Haynes explanations and corroborate with Youtube clips.
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Ste
Not Work Safe



Joined: 01 Sep 2002
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PostPosted: 23:15 - 28 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

JamesSanii wrote:
If you need to learn how to take care of your automobile, every now and then the exceptional answer is to speak to an expert. In place of destructive your vehicle thru fixing it your self, learn the way to name a dependable mechanic.

"Two-Up Bikes is your home for the best motorcycle clothing ang gear that money can buy, and all at prices that won’t break the bank."

I wonder if their leathers are suitable for those who enjoy potatoes.

This is where it turns out that Two-Up Bikes is run by Mr potato bottom himself! Shocked
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ThatDippyTwat
World Chat Champion



Joined: 07 Aug 2016
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PostPosted: 06:14 - 29 May 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

JamesSanii wrote:
If you need to learn how to take care of your automobile, every now and then the exceptional answer is to speak to an expert. In place of destructive your vehicle thru fixing it your self, learn the way to name a dependable mechanic.


The lad wants to know about routine, basic maintenance. If your shop is desperate for that kind of trade, your shop is utter shite.

The only time I go see specialists is if I don't have specialist tool's (Maxton for suspension etc) or knowledge (VTEC valve clearances).
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'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)
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Dabuke
Two Stroke Sniffer



Joined: 26 May 2018
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PostPosted: 11:53 - 01 Jun 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rogerborg wrote:

More irregularly, you'll want to check or change the spark plug, keep an eye on the brake pads for wear, change the brake fluid every couple of years, lubricate the clutch and throttle cables, and check the rear drum brake arm travel. Oh, and consider changing the fork oil.


I have been looking at videos with people oiling the cables but I dont understand if you take the cable off the bike? I know that probably sounds like such a stupid question but as a bicycle mechanic it is such a simple task taking the cables off but I haven't inspected a motorbike before with it. is this a hard task?
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Evil Hans
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Joined: 08 Nov 2015
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PostPosted: 12:37 - 01 Jun 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dabuke wrote:

I have been looking at videos with people oiling the cables but I dont understand if you take the cable off the bike? I know that probably sounds like such a stupid question but as a bicycle mechanic it is such a simple task taking the cables off but I haven't inspected a motorbike before with it. is this a hard task?


You'll need to disconnect one end at the very least. Depending on the bike they shouldn't be hard to get off ... make a note of the exact position of everything, it'll save you lots of adjustment hassle when you put it back together Wink
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Rogerborg
nimbA



Joined: 26 Oct 2010
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PostPosted: 14:14 - 01 Jun 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sure, it's easy enough.

Clutch, do this then screw the adjuster right out and that's the cable free.

Throttles, well, unscrew the right hand switchgear assembly and have a look. It's usually pretty straightforward once you see how the cable attaches to the end of the throttle tube on the bars.
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GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike
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