Things I have learnt through my own and other people's experiences to save you money

[B0000M]

1: Check your spokes regularly. if they are siezed, dont just leave it. sort it out before the rest become stretched and the affected ones rub on the seats on the rim and fuck it

2: when cleaning your bike, which you cannot do enough, lift the rear shock bump stop and clean under it. not doing so, you will end up like me forking out for a new shaft.

3: take the time to clean and grease your rear suspension lingages. its not that hard, doesnt take that long, and will save you money. if your suspension has play in it, check these linkages. if you leave it too long you will wear through the bearing shell and into the dogbones etc. this reminder includes the swingarm.

4: clean your forks. not doing this will shorten the life of your seals.

5: if you drown your bike in water / mud / whatever. drain and flush your oils, particularly your transmission as soon as possible. not doing this could cause the shit inside to fuck gears.

5: check your clutch freeplay when the bike is cold. if its slipping, its going to fuck it.

im sure ill think of more.. so ill add to it as i go. everyone else is welcoem to add to it too

[barty5]

Replace your fuel or use it before it gose stale:Pokey::rofl:

Sorry had to throw that in there for cheese its just one of those thing that will just not go away.

[Sully60]

3: take the time to clean and grease your rear suspension lingages. its not that hard, doesnt take that long, and will save you money. if your suspension has play in it, check these linkages. if you leave it too long you will wear through the bearing shell and into the dogbones etc. this reminder includes the swingarm.



Great post B000000000000000MMMM

Especially this part, if I had profit share in all the linkage bearing kits I sold during my time in the industry I'd have, well, some money now instead of none. Don't think this just happens to older bikes either, the factories only use enough grease that any test would only render a trace element result.

Wearing through the bearings is the least of it, let them seize and just watch as your shock shaft bends the next time you land a double. And like B00000M said, forget the swingarm and you get the supersized fucked rear end combo (with large fries).

[oldskool]

How do you remove a totally seized bolt that won't slide out of one of the dogbones?

[Sully60]

How do you remove a totally seized bolt that won't slide out of one of the dogbones?

Heat it up and use your FBH, you'll need a vice also.

[oldskool]

Heat it up and use your FBH, you'll need a vice also.
frame is in the way, I think I'm up shit creek on this one

[t3mp0r4ry nzr]

hacksaw blade, an hour of your precious time, lots of cursing!!

[Assasin]

1: Check your spokes regularly. if they are siezed, dont just leave it. sort it out before the rest become stretched and the affected ones rub on the seats on the rim and fuck it

2: when cleaning your bike, which you cannot do enough, lift the rear shock bump stop and clean under it. not doing so, you will end up like me forking out for a new shaft.

3: take the time to clean and grease your rear suspension lingages. its not that hard, doesnt take that long, and will save you money. if your suspension has play in it, check these linkages. if you leave it too long you will wear through the bearing shell and into the dogbones etc. this reminder includes the swingarm.

4: clean your forks. not doing this will shorten the life of your seals.

5: if you drown your bike in water / mud / whatever. drain and flush your oils, particularly your transmission as soon as possible. not doing this could cause the shit inside to fuck gears.

5: check your clutch freeplay when the bike is cold. if its slipping, its going to fuck it.

im sure ill think of more.. so ill add to it as i go. everyone else is welcoem to add to it too

Some good info there thanks :2thumbsup

[oldskool]

hacksaw blade, an hour of your precious time, lots of cursing!!
yeah you're not wrong, a lot of cussing, blood and blisters. I'll have to cut both sides of the bolt off...the blade end will just slide in between, with the rest of the blade wrapped around a rag. And if I do get it off I still have to press the rest of the bolt out. I have a spare frame, might be easier just replacing the bone. :mad:

[takitimu]

1: Check your spokes regularly. if they are siezed, dont just leave it. sort it out before the rest become stretched and the affected ones rub on the seats on the rim and fuck it


There's a new excel rim on my bike as living proof of that one.

6: Anytime you put the axles back in grease the axle & the spacers.

7: Remember to check the bolts on the front guard, real embarassing when that falls off.

[barty5]

Keep chain addjusted correctly and change sprockets at the same time.

Keep water out of steering head bearing as much as possible (im fitting new set this weekend)

[courts]

Keep chain addjusted correctly and change sprockets at the same time.

Keep water out of steering head bearing as much as possible (im fitting new set this weekend)

Is there a quick and easy way to keep this lubed?

[oldskool]

Is there a quick and easy way to keep this lubed?
I've read online somewhere you can stick a grease nipple in there.

[barty5]

I've read online somewhere you can stick a grease nipple in there.

ive read that some where once as well problem is it wont put the grease into the bearing as they are cone tappered bearings so to lube you really need to pull appart. not really a big job just one lot a people dont think about ( i didnt cause bike only go 40hrs on it in hind site should have geased them while i did the fork seals a while back.


Which reminds me clean your dust seal on your forks ( i did just blew them out on a ride)

[Atomic]

Step 1 - Ride, unload straight off trailer and into garage, drink beer.
Step 2 - Purchase new bike each year.

[B0000M]

Step 1 - Ride, unload straight off trailer and into garage, drink beer.
Step 2 - Purchase new bike each year.

beginning to look like a good idea!

[scott411]

Step 1 - Ride, unload straight off trailer and into garage, drink beer.
Step 2 - Purchase new bike each year.

i have a customer who is very much like you, he was at ardmore a few years ago and asked Norm Cobb if he could look at his suspension, Norm walks over and the guy is having a smoke, he looks at the bike in disgust and ask if he has ever cleaned it, he responds that he does not clean bikes as he can afford to trade them every year and they clean them after that, Norm then walks off muttering something, he enjoys telling this story very much

[B0000M]

i have a customer who is very much like you, he was at ardmore a few years ago and asked Norm Cobb if he could look at his suspension, Norm walks over and the guy is having a smoke, he looks at the bike in disgust and ask if he has ever cleaned it, he responds that he does not clean bikes as he can afford to trade them every year and they clean them after that, Norm then walks off muttering something, he enjoys telling this story very much

whats the cost of a new 450 and the the trade in value 12 months later with a non maintained bike done around 50-60 hours?

[Atomic]

i have a customer who is very much like you, he was at ardmore a few years ago and asked Norm Cobb if he could look at his suspension, Norm walks over and the guy is having a smoke, he looks at the bike in disgust and ask if he has ever cleaned it, he responds that he does not clean bikes as he can afford to trade them every year and they clean them after that, Norm then walks off muttering something, he enjoys telling this story very much

All in jest mate, not serious.
I fastidiously maintain my bikes and use only the best oils etc.
I could even sleep with my bike on white 1000 thread count linen.

[barty5]

whats the cost of a new 450 and the the trade in value 12 months later with a non maintained bike done around 50-60 hours?

if it cost 12 guess you might get 9 on a good day 7-8 for somthing not looked after who would want to pay for something that looked 2-3 times it real age.
In saying that my neghbour traded his rx7 ( noisey bit of shit ) on a 07 rm450 at the start of the year had it for a month and sold it for 4500 needed the cash 1st owner had thrashed it for the 3 months he had it. So that was 4500 after less than 6 months alot of $$ lost there.

[clmintie]

I used to have something called "spare time", now I have four dirt bikes to maintain .... We try to ride twice a week with three of them, if I didn't keep on top of it, it could get very costly. Good thread Boooom. :cool:

[husky]

Steering head bearings can indeed be greased by the installation of a grease nipple in the frame. You don't even need to take anything apart. Just pick a suitable spot behind the front number board about in the middle between the bottom bearing and the top one. Drill a nice hole in the frame tube and bang in the nipple. You will need to pack a fair bit of grease into the nipple before you will see the grease start to come out at the top and bottom seals (you have to fill up the cavity surrounding the steering yoke). The grease goes through the bearing cones on its way out the seals. Never change a bearing again...

[Coyote]

My best advice is don't crash. Crashing tends to break things, and replacing broken parts cost money.

The more you know.

[cheese]

Ok, I'm off to tighten my 3 loose spokes.

[theblacksmith]

Keep chain addjusted correctly and change sprockets at the same time.

Keep water out of steering head bearing as much as possible (im fitting new set this weekend)

Hmm - I need to do mine as well.

[barty5]

Ok, I'm off to tighten my 3 loose spokes.

about bloody time.

[B0000M]

about bloody time.

he told me me there was 4

[B0000M]

shouldve added this to the original post - all of these things dont need to be done if you dont intend to ever ride your bike.

things more important should be moisture reduction, maybe a day in the sun from time to time and a good rust preventative on steel parts.

thatl keep you out of trouble cheese!

[raglanash]

Radaitor braces will save you $$ as well. Radaitors are made of gold..
And fitting a hour meter so maintainence can be scheduled not done randomly helps too.

[xen]

Good tips cheers! Gonna check my rear shock bump now

[cheese]

shouldve added this to the original post - all of these things dont need to be done if you dont intend to ever ride your bike.

things more important should be moisture reduction, maybe a day in the sun from time to time and a good rust preventative on steel parts.

thatl keep you out of trouble cheese!

What was that? you don't need my rear shock?

[B0000M]

What was that? you don't need my rear shock?

i dont recall saying that...

definately still keen on the shock for the 26th

[barty5]

QUOTE=B0000M;1856621]shouldve added this to the original post - all of these things dont need to be done if you dont intend to ever ride your bike.

things more important should be moisture reduction, maybe a day in the sun from time to time and a good rust preventative on steel parts.

thatl keep you out of trouble cheese![/QUOTE]

:Pokey:CHEESE:Pokey:[

[B0000M]

QUOTE=B0000M;1856621]shouldve added this to the original post - all of these things dont need to be done if you dont intend to ever ride your bike.

things more important should be moisture reduction, maybe a day in the sun from time to time and a good rust preventative on steel parts.

thatl keep you out of trouble cheese!

:Pokey:CHEESE:Pokey:[[/QUOTE]


wow, you really fucked that up barty5

[barty5]

What was that? you don't need my rear shock?

What you going to strip it for parts now??

[cheese]

Nah just lend it for a day.

[A&R]

I used to have something called "spare time", now I have four dirt bikes to maintain .... We try to ride twice a week with three of them, if I didn't keep on top of it, it could get very costly. Good thread Boooom. :cool:

Your not joking I'm damn always in that garage. I've now bought a 45 gallon drum of oil to cope with all the oil changes. Reckon I've saved myself about $6.00/litre.

[barty5]

Your not joking I'm damn always in that garage. I've now bought a 45 gallon drum of oil to cope with all the oil changes. Reckon I've saved myself about $6.00/litre.

pends on what you payed for it we get oil at round $3 a liter for that size drum and bike oil is allways givin to us for free :2thumbsup havtnt paid fo bike oil for 5 years now.

[husky]

Hey lazaerracer. Thanks for the PM unfortunately I don't have enough posts to reply to you but you can contact me on 021 733 980 regarding steering head grease nipples. Husqvarna 4EVA!!!!!