Hey brothers. I keep my engine oil changed religiously and have always done it myself. Beyond that, I've always left periodic maintenance in the hands of my indy. Other than the motor oil, my bike is past due for service. I've been really stretched financially with a couple things going on in my life, so I need to do some of this stuff myself. I do have a maintenance manual, but need some guidance on what is most important to focus on ( mainly which other fluids to change). But anything else that ranks up there in terms of maintenance/safety, I would also appreciate any input. Thanks

 

There are only three others: Primary drive fluid, transmission fluid and brake fluid.

I always change the trans and primary fluids when I do the engine oil...about 3k miles, more or less (although sometimes that runs closer to 5k).

I'm a little weird about brake fluid. I like to flush it out once a year. Probably not necessary, but "can't hurt, might help". If yours looks dark, it's time. If you don't know the last time it was done, it's time.

Do you have your indy change your tires? If so, do you know if he services the wheel bearings when he does? If so, they are good for the life of the tires. If not, doesn't hurt to pull them out and give them a service (ie, fresh grease).

Beyond that, there's not much left. Obvious stuff like check the tires, check tire pressure, check drive belt tension (FWIW, these belts don't seem to stretch much at all, and you'll replace the rear tire before you have to adjust the rear axle for belt tension), look at the brake pads for wear, give the whole bike a good once over looking for anything coming loose, etc. Unless there's something else specifically telling you it needs attention, that's about all there is to it.

 

^^^ What 0maha said...

I'd also give the cables a lube, adjust the clutch, and in honor of TD put a quarter can of SeaFoam in it...

 

All of the above, and one last thing: front fork oil. I do mine every couple of seasons, but I am a bit ****...Fighting the fork caps it the toughest part, but others on this forum have tricks to avoid having to pull the fork caps. I like using Mobil 1 synthetic transmission fluid in my forks. It's a little heavier than factory fluid and gives me the ride quality I like.

I am with Omaha on the brake fluid. It's pretty easy to connect a clear tube to the bleeder nipple and have it drain into a clear glass jar. I just let the brake fluid gravity drain for a while and keep topping off the master cylinder with new fluid. This is just for a freshening up of the fluid and is not a replacement for bleeding a known air in the line problem or issue.

I do this while I'm servicing something else on the bike and just keep an eye on it so the master cylinder does not run dry. Double check what fluid your bike calls for. Chances are (again double check) it is DOT 5 and you can get that at any Orielly, Advance, autozone. It is colored purple to help you know when you have replaced the old fluid (probably will be yellow or worse) with new. Look for the purple color going into the jar. The purple does not last long, and your fluid will change to yellow or amber as it ages, and just because it is no longer purple does not mean your fluid is "worn out" or "bad".

Bearings will last a very long time if taken care of and not abused by "power washers" and if they get cleaned and repacked on a regular basis. YD

 

Exact info I was looking for, I think I can handle it all. Thanks for the replies.

 

Any time you do something yourself think about how many tanks of gas you can buy and how many miles of extra riding that can be.

 

Make sure you have a battery tender. It will certainly push the life of your battery.

Minimum most folks get by: Oil change, tranny change every other oil change. Keep tires at right pressure.

You be surprise how many folks go for years without fork oil or brake oil change. I'm gonna tell you I've done it. Not because of cost, but laziness.

 

You should service your brakes.

Take them apart, clean everything really good, check the pads and wear points, then grease the pins and all moving parts with good quality brake grease and put it all back together.

Your bike will stop on a dime after you do it. I service my brakes this way every 5k miles.


carl

 

All good advice here. Also a good idea to lube the throttle and clutch cable (a few drops of oil at the upper end is all you need. I also grease the throttle sleeve, clutch and brake lever pivots, brake and shift linkage. A shot of grease in the grease fitting for the steering head bearings is good, too (if equipped).


Also, check the primary chain adjustment while you're in there. Grease the wheel bearings at every tire change, and they'll last the life of the bike, even if you put as many miles on it as I have on mine.

 

what nobody puts a greasegun to the neck or brake pedal