Basic servicing and repairs

[p.dath]

Attachment 227906Attachment 227907Attachment 227908This is the spanner wall at home:

Attachment 227905

I was tossing up creating a shadow board, but I like your idea better, of getting a board with holes in it like that, and using hooks to hang everything up.

[Flip]

Mitre 10 sells half sheets and Smiths City sells the hooks loose and cheaply. You just have to paint the board white and mount it about 3/8ths off the wall.

[vifferman]

Your Aquilla is a v-twin, n'est ce pa?
Then also get one of those telescopic magnetic retrieval tools. V-engined bikes have a small black hole installed in the V by the factory. This has a powerful attraction for nuts, bolts and the like.

[Owl]

Then also get one of those telescopic magnetic retrieval tools.

Kincrome do one that's fairly cheap and also has a built in LED light. Very useful!

[Gremlin]

First impulse buy in a while was a torch from repco a few weeks ago, mechpro I think. 6 LED bulbs in a circle, centre was a telescopic magnetic pickup with flexi head.

[scumdog]

Your Aquilla is a v-twin, n'est ce pa?
Then also get one of those telescopic magnetic retrieval tools. V-engined bikes have a small black hole installed in the V by the factory. This has a powerful attraction for nuts, bolts and the like.

And what I call a 'hymen extractor' - one of them 2-foot long wire flexy things with a 4-claw 'grabber' at the end wot expands when ya push the button at the other end with yer thumb, ya put it around the 'visible-but-seemingly-irretreivable-object', easy yer thumb of the button and waah-lah! it's back in yot grasp.

Ya need it for thing wot don't have no magnetisation...

[Gremlin]

I thought you only found out it wasn't magnetic when you couldn't pick it up... Or is that just me?

Bloody bolts that aren't magnetic

[HenryDorsetCase]

I haven't seen anyone mention a torque wrench yet - and having stripped a sump plug and knowing you are also knew to servicing I'd highly recommend you get one rather than tightening "by feel".

Also there is an oil filter "tool" (sorry don't know the name of it) that goes around the oil filter and attaches to a socket or torque wrench to allow the easy removal of the oil filter (Cycletreads sell these).

A funnel is handy for pouring oil into the bike so you don't spill it.

A tray to catch the drained oil is also needed, and then something to store the used oil. Note that disposing of used oil can be a real bitch.

good tip re the torque wrench. You can get one that is OK (I am thinking Teng Tools brand) for cheap-ish. I think on special I paid $120 for a 1/4 inch drive one?

Most councils will have (at transfer stations) a free receptacle where you can dump used oil. they do in chur chur anyway. Councils want that stuff disposed of properly, so they dont charge you to dispose of it if you go there to do it. They dont want it in the stormwater system or the sewers or whatever for sure.

Ive had a cheap Repco "oil change kit" for about 20 years. It was about $20 or so then.

When you fit your new oil filter, I religiously tip some oil into it so the time the bike spends running with no oil pressure is minimised.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Well here is Dans on line motorcycle repair course.............

This page is brillant, I wasted a whole day at work reading all this stuff......

http://www.dansmc.com/mc_repaircourse.htm

This is my basic metric tool kit, it lives in the back of my old CJ (BMW) side car, what is not shown here is I also carry a tow rope, spare parts, oil's, torch, water and a first aid kit. The large 7/8th spanner is to remove the axle nuts.

Attachment 227828Attachment 227829

This is my basic imperial Harley tool kit, I carry a slightly bigger socket set, there is no feeler gages, more puncher gear incl some tubless plugs, I should add some wire to this kit as well. The wee tool bag lives in one saddle bag, the socket set is in the other.

Attachment 227830

P_

Was that you i was talking to on the CJ on Colombo St today at lunchtime-ish? I was wearing the red carnation, I man black Belstaff jacket.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I thought you only found out it wasn't magnetic when you couldn't pick it up... Or is that just me?

Bloody bolts that aren't magnetic

I've got a really long tongue that I use to catch flies, and pleasure women (not usually in that order) which can be useful for non-ferrous fasteners...

[Flip]

Was that you i was talking to on the CJ on Colombo St today at lunchtime-ish? I was wearing the red carnation, I man black Belstaff jacket.

There are so few men about who look good with flowers. Yes it was I on the brown beast.

[scumdog]

There are so few men about who look good with flowers. Yes it was I on the brown beast.

Fark, it might be true - but it won't go down well on KB - OK, except for the Honda riders that is...

[Fatt Max]

Just to say thanks to all of you for your advice here, really appreciated

Big ups you all as those stupid bad mutha's' in South Auckland insist on saying..

[St_Gabriel]

Why worry about the the bike stand, I made one for the VL for less than 20 bucks. Got 2 pieces of wood 200x50mm, 500mm long (7 bucks) and screw them together so you get a block 200x100x500. Then get a 600mm piece of 25mm pipe (i think 10 bucks or so) and drill a 25mm hole through the wood block. This is your handle.
Slide the wood under the rear of the frame and lever the handle so the block stands up. (made sure that the wood will only sit on things that shouldnt break).
Sure makes oiling the chain a piece of cake.
Hope thats clear enough for you, but will post some pics if needed. Though your more than welcome to drop in and see it in action for yourself if your down in t his neck of the woods.

[St_Gabriel]

Heres some pics for if anyone else is interested.

Just make sure that you have clearance to the frame and that if anything protrudes (exhaust/brake rods/squashed elves) you may have to notch the wood. Seems to work fine for a Suzuki VL250, very stable.