Servicing your own bike...

[Scotty]

The road bike is due a big service so I started on Sunday afternoon - easy bits first (oil and filter change, checked the pads, enough left for a while, not quite down to the wear marks, they can wait)
It's time for a valve clearance check, the first time I've done the job on this bike. Have a browse through the manual on CD, doesn't look too difficult, the actual checking operation is exactly the same as on my old ZXRs, swapping shims a little more involved as the cams will have to come out..
The bike was already on the workbench, bellypan and fairing sides removed, and I started this evening at 19:30, aiming to at least get as far as doing the checks... 3 hours later I'm now in the position to finally remove the cam cover so I call it a night... Jeez, are modern bikes complicated.. ::) road bikes especially - give me a race bike to work on any time - sooo many plugs to undo and stuff to get out of the way, and when I'd removed the injector bank I was faced with a thin rubber mat covering the top of the engine, that acts as a barrier to keep dirt and moisture away from all the electrics... easy enough, just pull that out of the way - not so fast...at the back of the engine it's threaded through both mounting bolts, so I'd need to remove them to free it off, and the top mounting bolts are already removed to gain access to the cylinder head so that wouldn't be a good idea, and at the front it goes over the top radiator mounts FFS! >:( Only course of action was to remove more of the fairing to access the rad mounts and free it off, and the mat is now rolled to the back of the motor, out of the way. Next step, remove plug caps.. except Nos. 1 & 4 won't come straight out as there are flat plates bolted beneath the frame spars to accept the top engine mounts and they inhibit plug cap removal, 6 bolts, only two of which are accessible with a socket... :-? got 'em all out without any drama and removed the plug caps, and it was 22:35 so time to say sod it and give up for the night...
Modern bikes eh? on my old ZXR race bike I could have dropped the motor, rebuilt the top end and had it running again in that time (in my first race with Phase One we dropped a valve on the ZXR so we dropped the motor out, replaced barrels, head and one piston and rejoined the race in 57 minutes... honestly, it was pretty impressive to watch, and the late great David Jefferies got changed out of his leathers and helped me to strip the necessary bits off the spare engine, then got changed again and took the bike back out. Top man, he really was) [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[Davey]

and people complain when they have to bring to the professionals ;) As I say if you aren't 100% knowledgeable and understanding of maintenance don't bother starting - this time of year we see so many bikes from peoples self servicing - with comments like it didn't rattle last year - won't start - oil pissing out of the drain plug etc etc If you have to think which way a bolt unbolts maybe DIY mechanics isn't for you [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

**this isn't aimed at Scotty as I know he knows what he's doing**

[Jon_W]

I find it's all about patience.... I do all my own servicing and know the pain... but rushing and frustration produces mistakes.

But bike are getting worse. The Honda is all accessable and all you do is remove the tank to access the top of the engine... but ...The sv is a bu**er!!... getting to the rear cylinder takes nearly an hour...

Am witing to see how good the Gs is... so far I've only had a peek under the tank, but it looks well layed out...

The motto is to go careful, be slow, methodical and patient. And if in doubt ask!!!

[Kevinb]

I admire people who can service their own bikes. I wouldn't dream of touching the MT-01. Dealer service every time. Drop it off the night before, go to the pub, home, sleep, go out for the day and then pick the bike up in the evening. ;)

[igbell]

I used to always do my own servicing until I got the V4 and all the gubbins with this one, so I have always taken it to Bike Treads.

[FJ_Biker]

Good on you Scotty, I would not fancy servicing a new bike. [smiley=tekst-toppie.gif]

This is why I run old FJ’s; simple engineering, easy to service, all spares are available through the owners club plus tool hire for the bespoke parts.

[finbar]

Modern bikes can be interesting to service I agree. Kawasaki have made life really hard with their monocoque (up and over) frames where the beams of the frame cover the top of the engine. R1's have too many fasteners and are abit tight around the engine. Sv's as said before are a pain especially getting to adjust the carbs/throttle bodies. Sad to say the smaller the bikes get the worse things get, but good on anybody who wants to service their bikes...just take your time...and if you mess it up, give me a call! ;D [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

[smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

[SupeRDel]

You have to actually do it to learn how. Start with small jobs and work your way up. Patience is the key and good tools - Do not start a job knowng that in 2 hours you need to ride it.

First time may take ages but you learn more all the time. Use a little bit of care. Bikes were fitted together in the factory - not forced together so if you start levering and bashing things with a hammer you are doing something wrong.

Us classic owners take photos as we strip things.

At least you know things are done if you do it yourself. On some of the VFR Hondas the front spark plugs don't get changed because there are a bugger to get too.

[Davey]

Us classic owners take photos as we strip things.


I don't do classics but also take piccys - mobile phone camera is a godsend :)

I know Jaydee at one point was doing lessons in the basics - guess thats stopped as he's back on crutches after him...ermm...trip down the stairs (that is what u said wasn't it ;) ) Well worth doing rather than trying and doing it wrong

[alanTDM]

when ever i replace the shims on the TDM i write down the sizes in sequence of the valves so next time i measure them i know which ones i have to get if i have to replace any if measurements are out of tolerance

[Snowy]

Patience, bit of experience, the right tools, manufacturers manual and another bike to use so you don't rush [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[Jon_W]

Good on you Scotty, I would not fancy servicing a new bike. [smiley=tekst-toppie.gif]

This is why I run old FJ’s; simple engineering, easy to service, all spares are available through the owners club plus tool hire for the bespoke parts.


Ditto with the Superdream... simple, easy, cheap and only a couple of specalist tools required (all of which you can make!).

Also use piccies... better that a thousand words.

[Geordie Stu]

I will do the basics. Oil. Oil Filter, Plugs, Pads thats about it any more then off to Kawasaki Bristol as its under warranty still they can do it plus always good to get a dealer stamp in the book. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[Scotty]

Well, the clearances are checked, all ok, but erring towards the lower end of the tolerance, except for one on the lower limit, and another 0.02mm below it, so the cams came out so I could measure all the shims... well, I say the cams came out, they sort of did, but someone at Kawasaki thoughtfully put a couple of holes in the sprockets at just the right place for the camchain to be cable-tied onto the sprockets to maintain the correct timing (which isn't a difficult job tbh, but it saves doing it all the same) and whilst I've got it all apart I'll shuffle quite a few of the shims around to take all the clearances back up to mid-range or just above, which does mean buying some more (at £7.80 +VAT each... :() - I'm just waiting for the spares dept at GW to ring me back so I can order them.... >:(

[alanTDM]

I have been in that situation and needed just one shim but get mine from Fowlers in Bristol ,if i order them they are through my letter box next morning plus i find they can be cheaper.
If you go through a middle man who orders them they useally put there postage charge on and VAT on top again makes them more expensive

[Scotty]

Yeah, I've ordered the shims and air filter from Cradley Kawasaki who are the boys for Kawasaki spares, good as gold :)

[Scotty]

Yeah, I've ordered the air filter and shims from Cradley Kawasaki who are the boys for Kawasaki spares, good as gold

[BoatingBiker]

Having carried out various jobs on various bikes, last year had a broken stud in the head on my 1981 Yamaha xj650 ( 4 cylinders !) couldn't remove it with the engine in the frame as one of the front down tubes was in line. So thought I would drop engine out ! That when I found a broken frame. So the decesion was made after compling a budget and requesting funds from her indoors to completely strip the bike down and complete a re-build. The project was started knowing that it would cost more than the bikes resell value but seen as a winter project rather than financial gain (is't it the same with most old bikes!)

Found a second hand M/C hydaulic bench, purchased a spares list on e-bay and started taking photo's. Have purchased a few new items from e-bay and local Yamaha dealer.

Currently the frame has been welded, shot blasted and power coated (looks great) The engine has had the broken stud removed (took all of 10 mins) and was soda blasted with baking soda and currently being painted by hand with engine paint. Hope to replace engine in frame next weekend and a trip to the Bristol Classic ( by car )

I have polished and laquared the aluminium forks legs, rear brake drum outer, rear footrest mounts etc.

The swinging arm has been replaced with new taper bearings.

The steering head refitted agian with new taper bearing replacing the orginal loose ball bearings.

Both wheels currently temporary re-fitted, more for stability on the bench than anything.

Took loads and loads of photo's now saved on the pc but nearly not enough- reminds me to take some on the rebuild for future reference.

Target completion is Easter, hopefully after sucessful passed a new MOT'd and back on the road for the Salisbury 5 Valley run in early April. If not still got the Bonnie ! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[jonnydangerous]

or you could buy a 2 stroke, 3 moving parts (piston, conrod,crank) and no valve clearances (no valves! (ok, some powervalve motors are a bit more complex)) :-) .......just carry loads of spare spark plugs and rebuild the engine completely twice a year...hahaha

i was doing some lessons, but since my "fall down the stairs" (ahem!), i havent been able to get about so well....... ;-)

some enngines are more prone to valve train wear, and can be badly affected by "Valve float" if you miss a gear, so dont rely completely on the manufacturers recommended service interval...

if i left my Honda CRF till the book said id have had engine internals that were external!...

another point worth trying, is taking photos of the thing before its stripped, and at each stage, so that its easy to see where pipes/bolts/cables went....saved my Ar5e a few times :-)