A couple of noob maintenance questions...

[magicmonkey]

I decided to give the bike a bit of a birthday today, I've done about 2500 K's on it and have no idea when the previous owner did any work. So I changed the oil and filter, completely forgot to buy a new spark plug (but that can be done tomorrow) adjusted, cleaned and lubed the chain and generally spent more time cleaning and polishing than I usually would, got into all the nooks and crannies I usually go past.

So, now I have a whole load of oil, filthy stuff, and no idea where to put it; what do you kiwi's do with your old oil?

Also, the chain, after being left for 2 days, had a huge and unattractive rust patch on it, I was really pissed off on seeing that. Got the kerosene and tooth brush out and cleaned it right back then lubed and adjusted the chain, only to find a tight spot, I was even more pissed off! I've made sure it's tensioned properly and just taken it out for a ride to, hopefully, loosen it up a little and get all the oil to where it needs to be but should I be worried about that at all or is it just part of general maint? Is there anything I can do to avoid it in the first place?

and the other thing, when I put the bike on the centre stand, I used the kill switch and left the keys in the 'on' position, leaving my lights on and draining the battery, doh! I bump started it and it's managing fine at the moment but I'd like to get the battery out and give it a proper charge. Does anyone know if I can just top up the water and use a normal car battery charger on a GN battery? I'm assuming it's 12v but the writing on the battery is all in ideogram and there are no numbers at all to let me know what I'm charging!

As I'm sure you are all aware by now, I'm a complete noob, sorry for the deluge of silly questions :Pokey:

[RT527]

I decided to give the bike a bit of a birthday today, I've done about 2500 K's on it and have no idea when the previous owner did any work. So I changed the oil and filter, completely forgot to buy a new spark plug (but that can be done tomorrow) adjusted, cleaned and lubed the chain and generally spent more time cleaning and polishing than I usually would, got into all the nooks and crannies I usually go past.

So, now I have a whole load of oil, filthy stuff, and no idea where to put it; what do you kiwi's do with your old oil?

Also, the chain, after being left for 2 days, had a huge and unattractive rust patch on it, I was really pissed off on seeing that. Got the kerosene and tooth brush out and cleaned it right back then lubed and adjusted the chain, only to find a tight spot, I was even more pissed off! I've made sure it's tensioned properly and just taken it out for a ride to, hopefully, loosen it up a little and get all the oil to where it needs to be but should I be worried about that at all or is it just part of general maint? Is there anything I can do to avoid it in the first place?

and the other thing, when I put the bike on the centre stand, I used the kill switch and left the keys in the 'on' position, leaving my lights on and draining the battery, doh! I bump started it and it's managing fine at the moment but I'd like to get the battery out and give it a proper charge. Does anyone know if I can just top up the water and use a normal car battery charger on a GN battery? I'm assuming it's 12v but the writing on the battery is all in ideogram and there are no numbers at all to let me know what I'm charging!

As I'm sure you are all aware by now, I'm a complete noob, sorry for the deluge of silly questions :Pokey:

Cant help you too much Im not hugely mechanically minded, You could try buying a battery conditioner which plugs in and trickle charges it, most small factor m/cycle battery`s cannot be serviced , not a good Idea to top up a m/cycle battery with water , But most of all No question is a dumb question....You need to know something someone else knows , the only way to find that out is by asking :niceone:

[Slyer]

For the oil, find a big container to start collecting it in. Keep adding your fluids as you go through them, brake fluid, suspension fluid etc etc.
I'm not sure about Wellington, but in Auckland and other places you can just take your container to the Haz Mobile when it's in town.
http://www.hazmobile.govt.nz/index.htm
They also take your old batteries and anything else.

Most chains would never rust like that, if you are still running on the stock chain and it's giving you problems, replace it! Any chain you replace it with will be of better quality and last longer!

For the battery, yes it's fine to top up the water if it is running low, just make sure you ONLY add distilled water and not tap water. Trickle chargers are best to use on motorcycle batteries, the slower you charge the battery the better. You can use a volt meter to make sure you don't overcharge it.
More: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/maintenance/battery.htm

Also, if you are looking for parts, here is a good place: :)
http://www.bits4bikes.co.nz/parts/suzuki/1200.aspx

[Howie]

Good on you for getting stuck into maintaining your own bike.

1. A tight spot in a chain isn't the end of life for the chain as long as it's not really badly different to the rest of the chain. Make sure you adjust the chain for the amount of slack specified at the tight spot though, otherwise your chain well be to tight, and well put undue stress on your engine sprocket, and the seals (counter shaft seals)where the shaft for it come out of your engine.

2. A car battery charger is fine for a 12 volt bike battery. If you have already had the bike running since draining the battery, it well be fine with a good run as the bike charges it while it is running. As long as the battery isn't a Gel battery(which I doubt on a GN) adding water to the fill mark on the side of the battery is fine. I would recommend using distilled water which you can get from various retail (I think repco and supercheap have it)outlets if you don't have another source. Others well probably reccomend de-Mineralised, but even tap water is better than none.


3. Disposal of waste oil can be a problem, but most landfills, and transfer stations now have oil recycling drop off points (may be a charge though), or ask your local mechanics business what they do with theirs is about all I can suggest.

[CookMySock]

If the chain is going slack-loose-slack-loose when you turn it, then its stuffed. Replace it before it freaks out completely, damaging things in its' path.

Smaller car charger should be safe on a bike battery - 5Amp max would be my guess.. Even one or two amp would be fine.

Steve

[magicmonkey]

If the chain is going slack-loose-slack-loose when you turn it, then its stuffed. Replace it before it freaks out completely, damaging things in its' path.

Smaller car charger should be safe on a bike battery - 5Amp max would be my guess.. Even one or two amp would be fine.

Steve

The charger I have is 12v 1600ma, I'm assuming that translates to 1.6a and is therefore safe, if you could confirm that though I'd be indebted!

[magicmonkey]

For the oil, find a big container to start collecting it in. Keep adding your fluids as you go through them, brake fluid, suspension fluid etc etc.
I'm not sure about Wellington, but in Auckland and other places you can just take your container to the Haz Mobile when it's in town.
http://www.hazmobile.govt.nz/index.htm
They also take your old batteries and anything else.

Most chains would never rust like that, if you are still running on the stock chain and it's giving you problems, replace it! Any chain you replace it with will be of better quality and last longer!

For the battery, yes it's fine to top up the water if it is running low, just make sure you ONLY add distilled water and not tap water. Trickle chargers are best to use on motorcycle batteries, the slower you charge the battery the better. You can use a volt meter to make sure you don't overcharge it.
More: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/maintenance/battery.htm

Also, if you are looking for parts, here is a good place: :)
http://www.bits4bikes.co.nz/parts/suzuki/1200.aspx

Sweet, thanks for those links :D

as for the chain, I was pretty surprised that 2 days and one night could leave it like that. It gets cleaned with kerosene and the lubed with proper chain oil once a week and I do a bloody thorough job, for it to start rusting to that degree really worried me! Still, I suppose the best thing to do is move house and find somewhere with a garage!

[YellowDog]

Yep, the winter can do lots of damage.

On my old bike the exhaust plate mountings had rusted to powder.

[Slyer]

Sweet, thanks for those links :D

as for the chain, I was pretty surprised that 2 days and one night could leave it like that. It gets cleaned with kerosene and the lubed with proper chain oil once a week and I do a bloody thorough job, for it to start rusting to that degree really worried me! Still, I suppose the best thing to do is move house and find somewhere with a garage!
I've lubed my chain like 4 times since I bought the bike a year ago, no rust on mine. :bleh:

[Flip]

1600ma is a perfect size for a bike battery.

If the chain is slack and tight it might be a bit stuffed. Keep an eye on it. If you are a bit clever, find out the make of the chain and check the max pitch wear limit. Just measure say 10 links with a ruler and times the max pitch by 10.

There is quite a lot of sea spray in wellington and if the chain was dry it will rust pretty quickly. Its kind of normal to oil your chain weekly. Lack of oil wears chains pretty quickly. My last bike a Triumph Trophy, the first chain lasted 24k km (oiled weekly) the second after I firred a scott oiler lasted 60k km and was still going strong when I sold the bike.

Your local garage probably has a used oil container give it to them. It gets recycled into fuel oil for boilers. Happy valley landfill also has a used oil tank.

[CookMySock]

1600ma is a perfect size for a bike battery.I agree, particularly so if its a modern one that can swap between boost and float modes. If it does, it will generally have some lights indicating charging status. If you have one of these, then you may charge the battery at your whim, and leave it connected as long as you choose without care or consequence.

Steve

[Pete.Viking]

The charger I have is 12v 1600ma, I'm assuming that translates to 1.6a and is therefore safe, if you could confirm that though I'd be indebted!

The prefix m stands for mili i.e. 10^-3, hence there are 1000mA in one Amp. So yes this translates to 1.6A. I think I used a 2Amp car charger on my bike battery, worked well.

[RDjase]

Sweet, thanks for those links :D

as for the chain, I was pretty surprised that 2 days and one night could leave it like that. It gets cleaned with kerosene and the lubed with proper chain oil once a week and I do a bloody thorough job, for it to start rusting to that degree really worried me! Still, I suppose the best thing to do is move house and find somewhere with a garage!


Maybe the battery overflow pipe had driped acid on the chain causeing the rust?

[magicmonkey]

1600ma is a perfect size for a bike battery.

If the chain is slack and tight it might be a bit stuffed. Keep an eye on it. If you are a bit clever, find out the make of the chain and check the max pitch wear limit. Just measure say 10 links with a ruler and times the max pitch by 10.

There is quite a lot of sea spray in wellington and if the chain was dry it will rust pretty quickly. Its kind of normal to oil your chain weekly. Lack of oil wears chains pretty quickly. My last bike a Triumph Trophy, the first chain lasted 24k km (oiled weekly) the second after I firred a scott oiler lasted 60k km and was still going strong when I sold the bike.

Your local garage probably has a used oil container give it to them. It gets recycled into fuel oil for boilers. Happy valley landfill also has a used oil tank.

I wonder if my idea of what a tight spot is could be wrong. When I was turning the wheel to clean the chain I noticed it was the wheel wasn't moving as easily at some points on the chain, is that a tight spot or something completely different?

[magicmonkey]

Maybe the battery overflow pipe had driped acid on the chain causeing the rust?

That's over the other side of the bike and quite a bit forward of the rust spot. The only bit that had rusted was where the chain was exposed to the elements, at the bottom before the rear sprocket so I can be reasonably sure it wasn't that...

[Crisis management]

Don't panic.







The GN is built to a very low budget so the running gear is a bit shitty, accept these foibles a sign of it's character and ride the pants off it.
Rusty chain? The moving parts are the pins and rollers, lubricate those and ignore the rest, yes they will get surface rust, thats ok, it rubs off when you ride it.
Flat battery? As you did, jump start it and recharge it, if it is a wet cell type you can put water into feel free and top it up. If the battery has had a work out it will have evaporated off some fluid and will need replenishing.
Cleaning? What is this, doesn't it rain down your way?





(good on you, cleaning and maintaining is the best thing you can do after riding the thing)

Just remember, the GN will absorb all sorts of abuse, ride it anywhere and everywhere. :Punk:

[howdamnhard]

That's over the other side of the bike and quite a bit forward of the rust spot. The only bit that had rusted was where the chain was exposed to the elements, at the bottom before the rear sprocket so I can be reasonably sure it wasn't that...

Use a different chain lube if it's rusting after only 2 days. Also don't leave a chain unprotected to long after after cleaning it as metal wants to return to it's natural state - metal oxide.

[glegge]

try not cleaning your chain, and just lubing it, the lube will protect it. road bike chains don't need to be cleaned (in my humble opinion - and years of not cleaning a chain on my bikes - although i must admit - they where all o-ring chains).
a tight spot will cause the wheel to be hard to turn, but to verify it is the chain (not something else), just keep pushing the chain up and down like you do when you adjust it, while slowly turning the wheel, if there is a tight spot in the chain, you will notice the chain go tight and you wont be able to move it up and down so much.

as for battery charging, general they will only draw the current they need and if you just leave it on for a night, by morning it will probably be all set to go, although you need to be a little more careful with non lead acid type's (gel etc). it is recommended to disconnect the battery from the bike before charging. (I've tried both connected and disconnected, it does not seem to bother things, but you try at your own peril! - manuals etc will state 'damage to motorcycles electrics may result')

great stuff - workin on your own bike. well done than man!.

[The Pastor]

Tight spots will wear your sprockets out quicker, i wouldnt worry too much but bear in mind you might need a new set of sprockets in a year or so.

[crazyhorse]

Only way to learn is by doing it yourself - good on ya :first:

[magicmonkey]

Tight spots will wear your sprockets out quicker, i wouldnt worry too much but bear in mind you might need a new set of sprockets in a year or so.

well, that's good to hear as I very much doubt I'll still own the bike in a years time :D

[The Pastor]

well, that's good to hear as I very much doubt I'll still own the bike in a years time :D
You sir, are the reason I hate buying or selling bikes!

[magicmonkey]

Only way to learn is by doing it yourself - good on ya :first:

I've been doing all my own work on my cars for over 10 years and most of it carries over so it's not that much of a big deal really, just a few new things I need to learn about. I do intend to get a project bike soon though, rebuild it from the bottom up so I can get a really good handle on how things work as I think the mechanics is more important on a bike than a car, and it'll be some fun for when it's raining outside ;)

[magicmonkey]

You sir, are the reason I hate buying or selling bikes!

nah, if I'm going to sell it I'll tell the next owner, I fucking hate buying motors and then finding out how much of an idiot the previous owner was after the sale!

[The Pastor]

I've been doing all my own work on my cars for over 10 years and most of it carries over so it's not that much of a big deal really, just a few new things I need to learn about. I do intend to get a project bike soon though, rebuild it from the bottom up so I can get a really good handle on how things work as I think the mechanics is more important on a bike than a car, and it'll be some fun for when it's raining outside ;)
You wont get much cheaper than a gn250.

[magicmonkey]

You wont get much cheaper than a gn250.

I was thinking more along the lines of a completely crapped out BSA or something, a complete restore project which I could pick up for pennies, probably spend a fortune on in time and parts and then maybe sell if I haven't got too attached to it :)

[Flip]

I wonder if my idea of what a tight spot is could be wrong. When I was turning the wheel to clean the chain I noticed it was the wheel wasn't moving as easily at some points on the chain, is that a tight spot or something completely different?

Seems funny but chains don't wear evenly. When you spin the rear wheel you will see that the botton of the chain, the loose bit tightens and slackens. A bit is ok and normal as the sprockets and chain are not perfect, but a lot is usually a worn chain.
I know it seems funny but water and lack of lube kills chains very quickly. If the water finds it way into the pins and bushes in a chain, it corrodes and the chain wears very quickly.
A tight bit may be the brake binding, wheel bearings or a worn chain. Look closely and listen to the noise the wheel makes as you turn it round.

[magicmonkey]

well, i've topped up the battery and although the charge was reading 12.4 on my multimeter I left it on a maintained charge for 24 hours to make sure it has a proper deep charge on the plates rather than just the surface charge which it got from riding. I've oftne found that a little battery maint on cars can save a whole lot of problems further down the road so I presume it's the same with bikes, can't see any reason why it shouldn't be...

The chain is another matter though. Taking the bike for a ride did smooth out the tight spot (I think it just needed the lube to spread properly) but even now I'm oiling the chain twice a week I'm still seeing rust spots. At the moment I'm putting this down to keeping the bike outside and living in wellington (salty sea air). I'm going to move into a place with a garage early next year so I don't see the point in changing the chain until then as it'll just rust again but is it safe to ride for a while? As far as I can tell there's no pitting and the rust comes off with a bit of kerosene (I'm only cleaning once a week though, can't be arsed doing that twice a week and I don't think stripping the oil off that often is going to do it any good).

Someone mentioned the lube I'm using earlier, I'm pretty sure the stuff is decent as welly motorcycles told me it was and they're pretty good down there. However, it's always good to get other opinions, it's the foaming spray lube in a yellow can, haven't got it on me at the moment to confirm the manufacturer but I'm under the impression it's one of the main brands sold over here...

[CookMySock]

[...] even now I'm oiling the chain twice a week I'm still seeing rust spots. At the moment I'm putting this down to keeping the bike outside and living in wellington (salty sea air). I'm going to move into a place with a garage early next year so I don't see the point in changing the chain until then as it'll just rust again but is it safe to ride for a while? As far as I can tell there's no pitting and the rust comes off with a bit of kerosene....That might be a fair assumption, but you should measure the chain pitch properly and see if its not really really stretched. If it is, it might fuck out at any moment and whip around and smash your engine casing, or lock your back wheel and ditch your bad arse on the concrete. :bye:


Maybe the battery overflow pipe had driped acid on the chain causeing the rust?Doesn't sound very harmful, but apparently its fatal for any chain to have one drip of acid on it.

Steve

[Pussy]

Doesn't sound very harmful, but apparently its fatal for any chain to have one drip of acid on it.

Steve

Yep... hydrogen embrittlement

[Throttle]

try not cleaning your chain, and just lubing it, the lube will protect it. road bike chains don't need to be cleaned (in my humble opinion - and years of not cleaning a chain on my bikes - although i must admit - they where all o-ring chains).
a tight spot will cause the wheel to be hard to turn, but to verify it is the chain (not something else), just keep pushing the chain up and down like you do when you adjust it, while slowly turning the wheel, if there is a tight spot in the chain, you will notice the chain go tight and you wont be able to move it up and down so much.


I agree with Glegge, cleaning the chain with Kerosene strips the oil from inside the chain rollers (if not an O-ring type). I use a spray chain lube and apply it after every second tank of gas (approximately 500km). If I want to clean the clumpy grime off the chain I simply wipe the chain down with an old pair of undies. Good on ya for doing your own maintenance, but be warned... people may work on their cars, but they love on their bikes!:hug: Cheers.

[magicmonkey]

I agree with Glegge, cleaning the chain with Kerosene strips the oil from inside the chain rollers (if not an O-ring type). I use a spray chain lube and apply it after every second tank of gas (approximately 500km). If I want to clean the clumpy grime off the chain I simply wipe the chain down with an old pair of undies. Good on ya for doing your own maintenance, but be warned... people may work on their cars, but they love on their bikes!:hug: Cheers.

at the moment I'm lubing the chain every 2-3 days (I usually ride for 2-3 hours a day) and then cleaning and lubing every weekend but there's still rust developing. I think it's more to do with the bike living outside in windy, rainy wellington though. I'll be moving into a place with a garage early next year though so I'll keep on top of the rust with overly regular maint. until the and replace the chain when I know I'll be able to keep the new one in a decent condition...

[The Pastor]

at the moment I'm lubing the chain every 2-3 days (I usually ride for 2-3 hours a day) and then cleaning and lubing every weekend but there's still rust developing. I think it's more to do with the bike living outside in windy, rainy wellington though. I'll be moving into a place with a garage early next year though so I'll keep on top of the rust with overly regular maint. until the and replace the chain when I know I'll be able to keep the new one in a decent condition...
no the rust is because its a cheap chinese chain and sprockets. replacement will stop the rust

[Slyer]

no the rust is because its a cheap chinese chain and sprockets. replacement will stop the rust
100%.
Change the chain and rust will DEFINITELY not be a problem anymore.

[The Pastor]

100%.
Change the chain and rust will DEFINITELY not be a problem anymore.
on the chain, the rest of the bike will rust.

[magicmonkey]

Well, I had the chain repaced this morning, I'll post again in a couple of weeks and let you know if the new one can stand up to the wellington weather ;)

[enth]

Also, the chain, after being left for 2 days, had a huge and unattractive rust patch on it, I was really pissed off on seeing that. Got the kerosene and tooth brush out and cleaned it right back then lubed and adjusted the chain, only to find a tight spot, I was even more pissed off! I've made sure it's tensioned properly and just taken it out for a ride to, hopefully, loosen it up a little and get all the oil to where it needs to be but should I be worried about that at all or is it just part of general maint?

Someone may have answered this or commented about it. You shouldn't use kerosene or petrol or anything that cleans oil on the chain. When you buy a chain it comes pre-lubed. It strips all the oil off and you'll never get it back to how it was by lubing it. Not such a massive issue if you regularly service your bike. A good thing to do if you see rust is get a fine steel brush and brush it away then get some good chain lube and lube it like there was no tomorrow.