How do you do it?

[Loss4wrds]

So I have some general questions about how you guys and gals do it...

How often do you change the plugs on your bikes?

What do you guys think about synthetic oil in your bikes? How often do you change your oil? Do you change the filter everytime you change the oil?

Air Filter, how often do you change/clean it? What do you think about aftermarket filters such as K&N or other washable filters?

How often do you lube your chain? How often do you replace it?

What kind of life do you get out of a set a break pads? When you replace, do you go back with stock or do you go for aftermarket, what brands do you like?

Do you re-tighten all your nuts and bolts on a regular basis? If you just hit a few key bolts to snug up which ones do you hit?

Do you lube your cables (brake, clutch, throttle)? How often and what do you use?

I am not looking for what the manual says on this stuff (I've got a manual) but what actually gets done in the real world by guys that don't trust a shop to do the work for them and do their own maintence. That and I thought it had the potential for a good thread... So share your good or bad habits, what not to do, or just your oppinions....

[CajunRider]

Ok... I'm probably not right about this... but here's what I do::

Change plugs when they look like they need it or if bike starts to miss...

Synthetic oil... no prob. (After break in... 1000 miles or so)

Air filter... change when it needs it... clean after a ride in the dirt. (Go aftermarket!!!!)

Chain... no set lube time... I lube it every once in a while... every 1000 miles should suffice.

Break pad life is different for every person.

Lube break/clutch cables if they start to get sticky. (Pull clutch, it should "snap" back..... roll throttle, it should "snap" back) If either doesn't "snap" back... lube it and clean it until it does.

[chappy]

I replace sparkplugs at 12,000. I feel synth oil is good for about twice as long as regualr so I use it and replace it at about 6000, with a new filter every time.

I use a K&N because it is re-usable and the factories charge too much for replacement filters. I clean and re-oil at 20,000 or when the bike seems to be running rough.

I lube my chain whenever it looks dry. I get about 22,000 out of chains and brake pads. When the chain begins to require adjusting more offten than 2000 miles it is time to order a new one. I usually order a chain & sprocket kit.

I use EBC or SBS brake pads. I check all availble bolts before an overnight trip. I check all hidden bolts whenever body parts are off for maintenance.

The mileages listed above are guidlines. I will change plugs/coolant/service air filter early or late to coincide with valve clearance check which requires removal of fairing, radiators and tank thus saving effort by combining procedures.

[Loss4wrds]

I have never had a street bike with a chain all of my cruisers were shaft or belt driven so the chain is a new thing for me. (Ok I had one bike with a chain but that was before I understood the concept of maintence I don't think it ever had the oil changed or any maintence at all.) I have not adjusted my chain since I got the bike except when it was in for service @ 500 and 1k they said it was fine. Had a new tire put on around 4k and chain was adjusted then. I have been lubing it if I see rust on it or after long rides if I remember. (about every 500mi or so)
I wanted to get a K&N for my SV but have been told that sometimes you need to get a Power Comander to adjust the fuel after changing to a K&N but wanted another opinion. (I run K&N on every car I have owned in the last 12yrs)
I think my book says to inspect/change the plugs around 7k mi which is comming up but that seemed like a really short interval.
I haven't really snugged any of the nuts and bolts on it except the one on the shifter that I had problems with the whole shifter falling off...
I have been changing oil and filter every 3k since break-in with Suzuki oil but have heard stories about a "friend of a friend" who used synthetic and it ruined the transmission and that sort of thing.
I have lots of life left in the brake pads now but was interested in what others were running.
I haven't had any issues with any of my cables yet but was reading my manual and they recomend lubing them every 600mi and was curious if anyone actually did that.


Thanks for the info but I know we have more than 2ppl on this site that work on there bikes... So post up....

Chappy - do you know what the valve adjustment interval is for a SV? I cannot seem to find that in my manual. I may just go search SVrider and see if I can find it...

[Loss4wrds]

double post

[mattc]

I believe valves for the SV is like 12k. I just turned 13 and havent messed with it.

Chain-- my stock stuff lasted 12,700mi before i replaced it with no real maintenance. I plan on taking care of this one.. lube before every long ride or like 400 mi.

Oil-- I ran synthetic for a while and got tired of paying too much, I use Rotella T. One gallon for $9. change every 3k roughly with new filter.

Air filter- whenever I pull the tank up for whatever reason I just beat all the dust out I can, but still doesnt need it. Ill probably get a K&N when it needs to be replaced.

Brake pads- I changed the rear and really cant tell the difference. Stock fronts are still on. FLUSH YOUR FLUID often. I didnt do it until about 9k and it felt like a new bike.

Nuts, Bolts, Cables-- I dont mess with them unless I take things apart which probably isnt the best idea, but it hasnt fallen apart.


Have fun

[Loss4wrds]

Anyone else to put in there $.02?

[minig0d]

So I have some general questions about how you guys and gals do it...

How often do you change the plugs on your bikes?

What do you guys think about synthetic oil in your bikes? How often do you change your oil? Do you change the filter everytime you change the oil?

Air Filter, how often do you change/clean it? What do you think about aftermarket filters such as K&N or other washable filters?

How often do you lube your chain? How often do you replace it?

What kind of life do you get out of a set a break pads? When you replace, do you go back with stock or do you go for aftermarket, what brands do you like?

Do you re-tighten all your nuts and bolts on a regular basis? If you just hit a few key bolts to snug up which ones do you hit?

Do you lube your cables (brake, clutch, throttle)? How often and what do you use?

I am not looking for what the manual says on this stuff (I've got a manual) but what actually gets done in the real world by guys that don't trust a shop to do the work for them and do their own maintence. That and I thought it had the potential for a good thread... So share your good or bad habits, what not to do, or just your oppinions....

plugs - every 3k-4k mi... they are cheap and fairly easy to do... and when i pulled mine at even 3-4k miles mine were nasty and halfway worn... I also felt a big difference after they were changed...

oil every 1500-3000 miles, mobil 1 synthetic or amsoil and change the filter every time with mobil 1 filters... definitely run synthetic in a modern day sportbike... they rev really high and synthetics provider better and more consistent lubrication...

air filters - clean or change whenever they are dirty... dont waste your money on the K&N drop in filters... if you get the pods (kind of like the cold air intakes for a car) then they are ok but you'll need to rejet or if your bike is fuel injected use a power commander to compensate for the extra air flow..

chain - lube it every 500 miles or after you wash the bike or ride in the rain... personally I think maxim chain wax is the best... PJ1 blue label is ok but it doesn't last as long

I lubed my throttle and clutch cables on my R6 at 1500-2000 miles or so and I could feel a differences (apparently they aren't very lubed from the factory)... they are a pain in the butt to lube properly though but I did a write up on them on R6messagenet.com if you want to see how to do it... and you can use chain/cable lube to lubricate them or what i used was a little kit called "cable life" i think it was called which comes with a little tube that's meant to inject the lube into the cable sheath (the tool didn't work super well but that's discussed in the writeup if you wanna read it)

brakes aren't on a cable but are hydraulic like on cars... you should change your fluid every 6 months... stainless steel braided brake lines make a big difference too... use Motul RBF600 or the other Motul fluid that's rated with a 600 degree dry boiling point too... or ATE makes a fluid called super blue or something like that that has a very high boiling point and is colored in either blue or gold so you know when you've bled all the old fluid out of the lines (you can see the new fluids color and you just alternate fluids)... brakes fluid is hydroscopic meaning it absorbs water and Louisiana is so humid it tends to do so very quickly here... best to change it every 6 months or if you did a track day or something you rode your brakes hard on then every time... speed bleeders make the task much easier...

the only maintenance item that you didn't ask about was tires... I think that's the biggest thing to keep up and easiest to do... get a good digital gauge and keep your tire pressures where you need them to be... (I'm running 33front/36rear right now and seems to be working very well in terms of grip and wear)

[minig0d]

I have never had a street bike with a chain all of my cruisers were shaft or belt driven so the chain is a new thing for me. (Ok I had one bike with a chain but that was before I understood the concept of maintence I don't think it ever had the oil changed or any maintence at all.) I have not adjusted my chain since I got the bike except when it was in for service @ 500 and 1k they said it was fine. Had a new tire put on around 4k and chain was adjusted then. I have been lubing it if I see rust on it or after long rides if I remember. (about every 500mi or so)
I wanted to get a K&N for my SV but have been told that sometimes you need to get a Power Comander to adjust the fuel after changing to a K&N but wanted another opinion. (I run K&N on every car I have owned in the last 12yrs)
I think my book says to inspect/change the plugs around 7k mi which is comming up but that seemed like a really short interval.
I haven't really snugged any of the nuts and bolts on it except the one on the shifter that I had problems with the whole shifter falling off...
I have been changing oil and filter every 3k since break-in with Suzuki oil but have heard stories about a "friend of a friend" who used synthetic and it ruined the transmission and that sort of thing.
I have lots of life left in the brake pads now but was interested in what others were running.
I haven't had any issues with any of my cables yet but was reading my manual and they recomend lubing them every 600mi and was curious if anyone actually did that.


Thanks for the info but I know we have more than 2ppl on this site that work on there bikes... So post up....

Chappy - do you know what the valve adjustment interval is for a SV? I cannot seem to find that in my manual. I may just go search SVrider and see if I can find it...

you wont need a power commander for a drop in air filter (one that's the same size as stock and just pops into your factory air box)... the reality behind it is they dont usually flow any better than stock and in some cases dont even flow as much as stock... I think its a bunch of hype personally... the OEM filters flow fine and on the R6 at least are washable... maybe if you are riding a dualsport would i go with the K&N if your OEM filter wasn't washable just for that reason..

The 7k interval on the spark plugs is probably accurate... bikes rev much higher then cars which means in reality they spark much more often... the standard plugs in your bike are probably plain old copper plugs so I wouldn't expect great intervals... maybe if you went with platinum's you might get a little more but I'd just stick with oem plugs and replace them....

as far as snugging nuts and bolts I wouldn't really worry about it until you saw something loose or something feels wrong...

the oil stories are about people supposedly burning up the clutch not the transmission... that isn't caused from synthetic oil but rather people using synthetic oil meant for cars... bikes use a wet clutch system which means the clutch is submersed in oil... car synthetic oils are "energy conserving" meaning it has friction modifiers that are not good for wet clutches... with that said there are lots of racers that run car synthetic oils anyway and dont have any problems.... if you want to avoid the issue all together just get motorcycle synthetic oil... they sell it at any dealer and even carry it at walmart in the motorcycle section...

brake pads most people run SBS or EBC... as long as you get an HH rated pad you'll be fine (the HH are the highest grip ratings of cold and hot temperature braking respectively)

the manual recommended lubing the cables at 600mi or the chain? the chain I'd say do it... unlubed chains cause excess wear and in Louisiana, RUST... another thing is to check your chain slack and adjust accordingly (all this while keeping your rear tire aligned... and dont use the swingarm hash marks for this)

[kenwelshons]

OK. I agree with minigod on the spark plugs, 5K to 7K change them. I'm to lazy to read much more after that...

The best chain lube for the street I have seen is Silkolene. Hands down the stuff is great. Cleaner, clear, and a waxy powder when dry. Expensive and hard to find locally I got turned on to the stuff while racing karts. The more you lube it the more your chain will love you. If it has rust on it your chain hates you.

I run old fashion oil and change it more often, every 3k and change the filter every other time. The big issue with synthetic oil that I have is that it doesn't transfer heat as well as oil fashion oil. The oil fashion oil is better on the clutch and transmission parts than synthetic. Now I heard this on the internet so who knows if it's true. But at 15K when I took the busa's trany down for inspection it was factory fresh following the old fashion way.

I would change the oil more often than not because you get clutch and gear filing in the oil and 90% of that just punches right through the filter due to it's shape. In the KLR I think I will have enough metal out the oil to make a spare piston this time.

Cables lube them, but more importantly keep them clean and clean them if you can before when you lube them.

just follow the old saying... the more you love your bike the more it will love you.

Or you could get a honda and just put gas in it every 150 miles or so... they don't need anything else.

[Loss4wrds]

I think the air filter on my bike is paper and cannot be washed which has me leaning twards K&N or another washable filter.
I've got almost 7k on the bike I bought new at the end of last Oct. so I am at a good point to do a maintence weekend on my bike. I got the manual out and was reading what it recomended. But some of the intervals seemed way off to me. I know some of the guys on this site have 20+ years of owning and maintaining bikes. I think I would follow their recomendations from experience over the recomendations in a manual any day of the week.
I am very surprised on the sparkplug interval. I would have thought you would get allot more out of a set. But this is my first "modern" sports bike and I am willing to learn.

So does everone else have such bad maintence habits that they are afraid to post up or what?

I guess I will have to tell my lack of maintence story....
My first bike I rode almost 10k mi and never did any maintence at all. Never lubed the chain, never changed the oil, never changed the oil or air filter. It took me 3 weeks to get it running and once it was running I never worked on it again till I sold it. I was 15y/o at the time but I think I have most people beat on the crappy maintence history so don't be shy... Post up how you do it...

[chappy]

Hey, I already posted! I have good maintenance habits on my favorite bikes but I have too many vehicles to keep up with so some of them get neglected!

You still have the SV right? I have heard that the BMC washable air filter flows more air than the K&N on an SV. Since my SV's main role is Track Bike it does not roll upm many miles. At about 8500 I have changed the oil 3 times bit have done no other maintenance. I have replaced or epaired a bunch of broken parts tho! What is the change interval for spark plugs?

[Loss4wrds]

Yeah still on the SV... My manual says to change the plugs after 7k miles. Mine is an 05' don't know if that makes a diffrence.

But the bike I didn't do any maintence on was a Honda so that's OK right? hehehe

[minig0d]

Well the plugs will probably last a lot longer then 7k miles... problem is do you really want to take a 25-50% or even more loss in power due to worn plugs (as the plug electrodes wear they wear further apart from eachother (the tips wear off) creating a bigger spark plug gap... now you could always clean the plugs and regap them and put them back or just take the easier and safer road and replace them... (oh ya and even if the dealer tells you they are pregapped check the gap anyway)

whys it surprise you the plugs dont last that long? the plugs on a car only last 30k miles with copper plugs... and most cars redline at 5k-6k rpm... so your bike redlining at 3 times that and also on a bike you have a tendancy to cruise around at a higher rpm... so the plugs are firing just as many times as on a car and are lasting equivalently as long... I think the thing that throws it off are all the "modern" cars using platinum plugs which can last as long as 100k miles... however if you pull a platinum plug even at 30k miles in a car you'll see signs of wear and it'll probably be a good deal off in gap (15% probably)... from what I know most bikes dont run platinum plugs just regular old copper...

[minig0d]

also remember that car manufacturers have a good incentive/interest in making their cars seem low maintnance... motorcycle manufacturers would rather their bikes perform...

[Loss4wrds]

I get 15k easy out of a set of plugs on my truck. I do not hit the RPM's that the bike hits but I do run a Multi-Spark ignition box on the truck(up to 20 ignition sparks per stroke for 15* of the crank rotation). Most people do plugs on a car every 25k-50k miles if even that often. But I guess I also need to take into account the fact that the bike is a vTwin and the truck is a v8.
After 15k on my old supercharged V6 I could begin to tell that the preformance had dropped off not bad but enough I could see it in my 1/4mi ET's
I consider myself a moderate to good auto mechanic but don't have much if any experience with modern motorcycle engines. I might do Ok on a pre 1980 bike but feel lost doing anything but very basic maintence on my current bike.

Its no big deal just wasn't what I was expecting. I have no issues spending $5 for a new set of NGK plugs. I may be very surprised when I pull the plugs and check the gap. I will post pics if there is signifigant wear.

[minig0d]

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c303/minig0d/readmyplug3.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c303/minig0d/readmyplug2.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c303/minig0d/readmyplug.jpg

those are the plugs out of my R6 at 2-3k miles i forget when i pulled em... and 7k is 3x that many miles on the plug... may seem like a lot but the fkers sure do wear fast...