Now that the snow is on the ground and not going away anytime soon, I feel the need to play with my new to me ride.

I have been told that the vibrations of the touring bikes merits checking and tightening fasteners. Which ones need to be checked and re torqued on a routine basis, and how often should this be done? Please be as specific as possible.

I have owned only metrics up to this point, what other things need to be checked over that may be outside of what is normally done on a metric.

So far I am finding this bike to be a bit more complex then my past rides, so any help is appreciated.

 

You need to check what are called "critical fasteners" as defined in the service manual. My suggestion for a winter project is to make sure you have an HD service manual and parts manual and go from there. Dependent on your scoot's mileage I would also consider checking/changing the cam tensioners over the winter. Possibly also changing out the fuel filter in the tank, etc. Take the opportunity to get to know your bike.

 

The list of critical fasteners in the service manual is a good start.
Check all fasteners that attach floorboards, handlebars, saddle bags, tour pac, brake pedal, shifter arms, fenders etc. The fewer fasteners holding it on the more likely it is to come loose.
One thing I do is any time I'm using a wrench on the bike I'll go around and check every fastener I can find that is that size. I usually don't find any that are loose.

 

Another good thing to do is check things like saddlebag hinge springs and lubricate them. If they are failing, replace them. Lubricate all other pivot points like tour pak hinges, floorboard (passenger and rider) pivot points, etc.

 

And check the saddlebag latch screws and the lock latch nuts.

 

Thanks Guys,

I did get my hands on a digital copy of the service manual. I found the critical fasteners page. I ended up printing out the whole maintenance section.

Is there a known issue with cam tensioners? My bike has 36K on it. The dealership I bought the bike from has been able to call the previous owner for some other info I needed. I can check with them to find out if the tensioners were ever done.

Today is a sad day for me as I only racked up 100 miles on the new scoot, and I just seafoamed the fuel for the winter. In years past I have been able to get some miles in through out the winter months on nice days, but this year is looking like last winter in PA, no breaks in the snowy weather.

 

Yes. You can replace them with the same, you can replace them with the new hydraulic setup or you can replace them with gear drive cams (providing your crank runout is within spec).

 

If the cam chain tensioners have never been replaced I would do that now. While they are in there you might want to consider upgrading to the hydraulic tenioners and high capacity oil pump especially if you plan on putting some miles on the bike.

 

Every time I service my bike, I detail it. If you have fasteners that are loose, this is when you will find them. My bike is an 05 Ultra, and I've never lost a screw or bolt using this method.