What to buy? Maintenance of a new bike.

[Deus]

I've bought a rather expensive bike, so I figure I might as well throw in a little bit of extra money to make sure I take good care of it.

I was hoping someone could point me in the direction of a guide or something so that I can make sure I have all the basics to make sure I have everything I need to clean and keep the bike in top condition.

If I go down, so be it, but I want to make sure it is always in the best possible condition when I ride it .

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Chain lube, that's all you need worry about.

And stuff to wash it with obviously. Auto Gym stuff is good.
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[Deus]

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

I just use this Auto glym car stuff, works for me.

Yeah, the market is pretty big, I personally like Wurth HP Dry chain lube, or Mottrax HP lube, steer clear of PJ-1 chain lube IMO.
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[boredatwork]

[Spit-Fire]

a set of tools would be a good idea to, every one will give you a diffrent answer for good chain lubes, just beacause you can only give advice on what you have used, auto sol for polishing you metals, muc off make good cleaning products(buy a multi pack, works out at better value), if your to lazy to scrub then a jet spray works well too(not to powerful mind, they strip grapics etc) and oil, erm cant think of any thing else, theres probably more tho
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[Doddmaster]

Get a decent 3/8" socket set, good ones normally come with torx, allen, and screwdriver bits too

[map]

Workshop manual - Clymer if you can afford, Haynes if you can or e-copy from the likes of eBay.

Learn to take off any panels/plastic. Remove as much as you can if you need to take your bike to garage for any work. Should reduce cost as much of this is labour/time in removing/fitting this stuff.

As for chain lube, chain adjust and low maintenance - get a shaft drive


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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
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[syl]

How much you got left over after the bike?

I'd suggest you spend money on:

Socket set
Screwdriver set
Torque wrench (probably need two to cover 8Nm to 200/300 Nm)
Breaker bar
Impact driver
Tool box/cupboard
If you're desperate to burn money the next step would probably be a compressor/Air tools/Welding kit

In that order.

Halfords pro do a good range and usually have one or two items on offer (like their 120 piece socket set at present). If you're loaded, look at Snap-On.

You'll also want a rear +/- front paddock stand.
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Current bike: Kawasaki Z750S

[Deus]

[Spit-Fire]

[quote]If you're loaded, look at Snap-On. [/quote lol loaded being the key word, there tools cost so much £££ its scary, buy what your going to use tools wise, no point spending money on tools that are beyond your maintenance abilities, the cleaning stuff depends on how furrow you want to be and as for lubes and oils buy it when you need it if your short for cash
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they say the good die young... i say we just live faster

[Kal]

One of the things that was suggested to me was buy as many inexpensive tools as possible - as they break get worn out replace them with more expensive ones as they are the ones you are getting the most use from.
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Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[Deus]

[Kal]

Pliers - needles and boxnose, wirestrippers and cutters, large adjustable spanner (you never know what size nut you need rounding off), tongue and groove adjustable plumbing pliers, medium sized hammer, metal drift (I use a spare axle I had lying around), Powerdrill, hacksaw.

A couple of pieces of wire attached to crocodile clips and an old bulb holder for testing when circuits are live.
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Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[steppen22]

Get the basic tools - you can actually get a wide range to start with in discount stores like poundland. Then if they prove unsatisfactory, go a little upmarket.

There's no point spending silly money on tools if all you want to do at first is remove a few panels, etc. Cheap tools will be up to such a task. Socket set, torque wrench, spanners, pliars, screwdrivers - nothing that any household should be without, really.

What you want is a self service routine.

First of all, set aside a few days just to take the non mechanical parts of the bike off/apart. Don't rush things. Label items - put any screws in a bowl, etc. If you do not make a deliberate effort to keep screws, etc, in order - something WILL go missing. Remove the fairing, the seat, etc, find the air filter, identify the spark, adjust the shocks, etc. Look at how you would remove the wheel, but don't do it, unless yopu very confident - becuase there are issues of balancing.

Basically, just take the bike apart, and then put it back together - in an orderly fashion and WITHOUT touching anything too important (ie. don't begin by disassembling the engine!). Think through everything you do - if I take this off, can I get it back on?

The point of this is to DEMYSTIFY your bike. To know where things are, what's hiding under what panel, etc.


- Clean the bike every two weeks - any products you're not sure of, TEST first. You might want: degreasers, chrome polish, shampoo, scratch restorers (although use cautiously), wheel cleaners, "back to blacks", plus chamois leather and microfiber cloths. You can spend a lot of money here, or you can experiment with "cheaper" products in stores like supersave, etc. It's up to you whether you want to buy "specialised" motorcycle cleaners but I've never been convinced it's necessary. Car cleaning gear should suffice.

Every month service the bike
check brake pads, oil level, idle setting, chain torsion, etc.

Every year either pay for the bike to be serviced or do it yourself
oil change, new pads, etc - consult your manual.

So, what do you need?
- tools. Basic for basic tasks, though. A screwdriver for a pound will undo a screw just as well as a 20 quid screwdriver.
- cleaning gear
- a decent weather cover
- puncture repair kit (relevant for your tyres)
- digital pressure guage
- Lubricants (chain oil, lithium grease for moving parts)
- engine oil (when needed)
- you might want to get spare brake pads, fluids, etc, in case of an emergency but it's probably not worth it until they;re needed


Remember, mechanical ptoblems require knowlegde. So get to the library and read up on things before you need to know.
But keeping the bike shiny is just a matter of bothering to, really.
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[Deus]

Cheers steppen22 for your input.

I'm planning on doing pretty much exactly what you said. Although I'm not a mechanic myself, I have been doing quite a lot of research into all of this as I think it is really important to know about something you are going to essentially trust with your life.

And of course I've got a few mechanic friends to spare, just in case! My main goal is to avoid minor services (as you said, check brake pads, oil level, idle setting, chain torsion, etc) because it's not worth spending a small fortune for little things like that. Obviously I'll be getting the bike services properly by my garage when necessary.

And regarding your list of what I need, I think that's everything I now have on my list!

I've also obviously found (on the web) all the service and technical manuals for my bike. One of them has diagrams showing exact construction of every single component of the bike which is always useful to have.

Thanks again mate.

[iooi]

[neil.]

Just got the YBR its 4k mile service (in accordance with the manual), and the stuff they did was:

Oil change
Calliper service
Full chassis check
Checked/set valve clearances
Tyre pressures
Lubed pivot points
Adjusted the steering as bearings had a slight notch
Checked switch gear and bulb fitting as I had problems with a flickery front light which I sorted myself but they checked anyway.

The oil change and tyre pressure stuff I do myself also, but for the other stuff like valve clearances/steering bearings, I don't have the necessary skill for (yet!).

Big difference in the bike, it felt very different to start with and took a few miles of riding to get used to. The engine doesn't take so long to warm up before I need to turn off the choke, it climbs up to 40mph a lot more steadily than before. The brakes feel a lot sharper/less spongy and the clutch engages a little later than it used to, which makes gear shifting smoother. Worth getting done imo.

As others said, generally you just need a few tools, lubes and cleaning stuff. I also spray anti-corrosion stuff on the exhaust/shiny bits as I noticed a bit of rust forming. Keeps it at bay. Oh and get a multimeter for checking electrics (voltages/continuity etc).
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CBT February 2008 | A2 June 2008 | Yamaha YBR125 (written off) | Honda CBF125 (current)

[Moonie]

The best polish I can recommend is Crystal Glo, which is wonder stuff, and if your feeling really flush, S100 cleaning spray for polished metal makes it look better than new when paintbrushed on and rinsed off. £12.50 a bottle though

Crystal Glo is £4 a bottle, can't go wrong.
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[neatbik]

Autoglym super resin polish - its as good as anything out there, and definatly as good as more expensive stuff.
For shampoo i use Autoglym wash and wash, but any dedicated car/bike shampoo will do the trick.
Before i shampoo the bike i give the wheels and heavily soiled areas a spray of tfr, that shifts the heavy stuff.
After i've cleaned and chamoised the bike i give all the metal parts i.e frame, fork stanchions etc etc a wipe over with wd40/gt85 or whatever i havent run out off. This gives all the shiney parts a bit more protection against corrosion.
As for tools, Halfords Pro series are excellent, easily as good as MAC/Snap on, and cheaper too
Get a Paddock stand too if your bike hasnt got a centre stand, makes lubing/adjusting the chain a lot easier

[Deus]

Actually doing some buying now. Been looking at Halfords Pro stuff.

Spanner set? https://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_216036_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varient__categoryId_76864_crumb_33958-31562-76859-76867_parentcategoryrn_76864
Seeing as it's half price, it's very tempting.. Thoughts?

Socket set? https://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_177537_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varient__categoryId_76863_crumb_33958-31562-76859-76867_parentcategoryrn_76863

[superstacker]

If you want to buy Halfords Pro tools, find a friend that qualifies or has a trade card...

you get quite a discount

[Fnatic]

Lidl were just selling a socket set and loads of other bits for £15 and a spanner set for £15.

Also a heat gun for £5.

[Bikerchic1467]

For washing and cleaning "Muck off" Spray it over the bike let it soak for a few minutes and hose off. I was amazed at how much dirt it takes off even the wheels.

[stinkwheel]

Can't believe noone has mentioned corrosion inhibitors.

Scotoil F365 or ACF50 sprays applied to the bits you can't reach to clean effectively and used everywhere through the winter will make your bike last for much longer.
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