Regular Self-Maintenance

[fyreous]

I'm a fairly experienced auto-mechanic; but being new to motorcycles I had a couple questions about optimum maintenance procedures to keep my bike running like it should.

Obviously there are regular duties like changing oil, monitoring tire pressure and tires, etc... but I am more curious about how often I should check certain other components (which ones?), lubricate the chain, suspension tuning, etc...

Any tips will be much appreciated!

btw, my bike is a 2005 GSX 600F, all stock parts (for now). Thanks!!

[scottynoface]

I think the manual says to lube the chain every 600 or 800 miles. I just look at mine before I go for a ride, and if it looks a little dry I'll spray some on there.

Keep your clutch cable adjusted, chain tension correct, brake pads and fluid (fluid every two years is the recoomendation), make sure if your carbs get gunked up you dont wait too long to clean them, battery tender if you're gonna be off the bike for a while, just little stuff like that.

[CenCalKat]

Scotty covered alot. And much depends on how often you ride and how you ride. One good tip - when you change your oil, thow a bottle of Techron in the tank. It will help keep things clean.

Also, just another tip...you might want to word your thread title a little better...
Regular Self-maintenance sounds like something else! HAHAHAHAHA

[scottynoface]

Scotty covered alot. And much depends on how often you ride and how you ride. One good tip - when you change your oil, thow a bottle of Techron in the tank. It will help keep things clean.

Also, just another tip...you might want to word your thread title a little better...
Regular Self-maintenance sounds like something else! HAHAHAHAHA

Good call, I was thinking about that and forgot to type it. I use Berryman's but it's all the same.

Hahahaha, self maintenance...didn't catch that one...gotta make sure your pipes are still working!

[Maxxrox]

Heh.

Regular self-maintenance, haha; [insert myriad purile jokes here]!

For the manual's general maintenance guidelines, check out http://www.motorcycleanchor.com/kata...images/pmc.jpg

[Credit to CyberPoet for posting and hosting the image]


--B

[katanawarrior]

I usually just shave.....Wow.... wrong thread

Since no-one else said it
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE AT THE START OF EVERY RIDE!

[Enjay386]

Seems like everyone covered the big things. I lube the chain when it looks like it needs it too, tire pressure I check pretty regularly, like when I wash my bike because it takes 5 seconds. Brake fluid is something to check here and there but try not to get it on the fairings or it'll strip your paint in no time. There is probably a checklist in your manual somewhere, I'm assuming.

[scottynoface]

Brake fluid is something to check here and there but try not to get it on the fairings or it'll strip your paint in no time.

Yep, it will also fade your frame, I have a little spot on my headstock from spilling some fluid out of the front M/C

[fyreous]

Dangit, I seem to be prone to Freudian slips... meant to say self BIKE maintenance, hehe...

Thanks everyone very much for all the tips, this helps me a lot!

Also I read the bike's manual from front to back, lots of good advice in there.

My past experience with car user manuals has taught me that they really don't cover much at all, probably in hopes you'll just take the car to the shop for any little issue. But as I paged through my Kat's manual I realized it actually is extremely helpful and detailed.

[Black_peter]

IMO?
Change the Brake fluid every year. If not twice a year. It's dirt cheap, takes 30 minutes or so and you only have one wheel on the system. On a car you have 4 wheels working off the system with some redundancy. One caliper or even two wheels can have failed brakes and you still have 50% braking... 50% failure on the bike? I don't want to think about it..

[scottynoface]

^he speaks the truth. Now that I know how to do it, I'll probably be changing mine before every season.

Oh yeah, and fork oil...is it two years on that as well?

[Black_peter]

Yeah, bad thing is 98+ don't have fork drains..
Course IMO you need to clean the forks really well anyway, otherwise contamination will spoil the oil..

[The CyberPoet]

Here's my advanced maint schedule, the one I put in the "Art of the Katana" book...

http://www.motorcycleanchor.com/katana/CP_Kat_Maint_Sched.pdf

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[md86]

Yeah, bad thing is 98+ don't have fork drains..

Yeah , but when I popped the drain on MINE a couple weeks ago to drain it in preparation for a new seal , nothin'd come out . I ended up just taking it off and dumping the old oil out the top . I wasn't gonna wait for it to drip drip drip it's way out .

[Robgsxf750]

I like to keep my joint oiled.