Learning to maintain a motorcycle

[LearnerGuy]

Hi. I'm pretty new to the whole motorcycle thing, having just got my L plates and starting out on a Gn250. I'm hoping to learn how to some of the more regular maintenance work myself to save some money. Was wondering if anyone knows of any short courses or workshops that are available for people like me in Auckland or any bike owners who are interested in teaching this sort of thing. YouTube is great and service manuals help, but what I'm really looking for is someone who can show and explain why and how to do these things. Thanks!

[tigertim20]

If youre going to start with basic things all you need is a manual and an internet connection for youtube.
Youre looking to start doing things like oil and brake fluid changes, cleaning and lubing of chain, lubing cables etc - theyre all basic tasks to cut your teeth on, are pretty hard to fuck up, and require minimal tools.

DO that a few times and work your way onto more complex things as you figure it all out.

- just saw you own a GN so you could just treat it like most Gn owners - do nothing but put fuel in it for 18 months until you get your full, then put pipe wrap and a brown seat on it and sell it for 5k as a 'cafe racer' to fund your next 'real' bike

[AllanB]

Please adjust and oil the chain on your GN. This part of those bikes appears to be frequently abused.

[OddDuck]

If you're cleaning the chain... for fuck's sake pull the key from the ignition, put it into your pocket, keep it there.

Lots of people have thought it was a good idea to pull the chain through a rag or a brush under power, lots of people have lost fingers, thumbs, entire hands. The sprockets just love to grab things and it will happen in the blink of an eye.

Turn the rear wheel by hand, pull the rag or whatever along the chain with the other, always work with the force going away from the sprocket and you'll be fine.

Some basics....

- mechanic's gloves (solvents etc) these are good

- six-point sockets best unless you're dealing with 12-point fasteners

- get the workshop manual, have it to hand

- if they say use loctite, go and get loctite, it's there for good reason

- well lit, clean, tidy work areas which you can lock up and leave are great

- buy tools as you need them - this can be done online as well as otc (Trade Tools etc)

- Kerosine is usually the best solvent with O-ring chains, see what's written on the back of the box of a new one if in doubt.

As the others have said... it's a GN. They're not great bikes. If you can trade up, you'll find that just about anything in the LAMs category these days is better*.

*CF Moto and Hysungs generally to be avoided, as is any pre-LAMS 250.

Anyway, hope this all helps.