Do you do your own maintenance?

**sinfull** · 15th February 2009, 08:24

Originally Posted by cowboyz

where is the bike clinic?

Kapiti road in pram RH side next to Cobra exhaust just prior to TeRoto drive !

**Magua** · 15th February 2009, 08:55

I do all that needs to be done with the help of friends. Tyres are the only thing the bike shop does for me (though I haven't had a new tyre in years).

**mansell** · 15th February 2009, 09:31

I do as much as possible myself, once put a bike in a shop and they somehow managed to drop a small ball bearing into the clutch resevoir. Never again, except to fit tyres.

**pritch** · 15th February 2009, 09:41

For the last four years the bikes have been under warranty so my input has been limited to checking and adjusting tyre pressures, the chain, and controls, as well as general cleaning.

The warranty period on the VFR has just expired but there's no way I'm delving into the internals of a V Tec engine thanks so I'll pretty much be carrying on as is.

**Viscount Montgomery** · 15th February 2009, 18:19

Tyres are easy enough to fit once you've done a few, you don't need fancy equipment either, a car-jack , vice or whatever to break the bead, some old imperial spanners with a cut-off head shaped for tyre-irons, strips of cut-up plastic ice-cream container for rim protectors for under your tyre irons, bowl of soapy water, that's it.

Pop radial tyres back on with an open valve stem at a decent gas station air pump, that's if you can find one, the bullshit digital type air pumps at BP stations are shyte for anything like that. Oil companies shouldn't be seen to be giving too much fresh air to joe public..

Chicks'll be pretty fucked for changin' their own tyres though, weak arms, brittle finger-nails etc.. The big butch burly mustached girls who inhabit kiwibiker wouldn't have a problem though. If I was a chick I'd go for the slinky ass/ big breasts/ skin tight leather look and cock-tease mechanics into free fittings. No worries with broken nails then.

But for a male to pay someone to fit a tyre to his own machine - well, what's up with that?? Seems like there could be a lot more gays than first suspected riding motorcycles these days

**awayatc** · 15th February 2009, 18:25

By the by, betsedest, fasterested and easiesteredest way to break bead is to hobble a sec or two on flat tyre.......

**cowboyz** · 15th February 2009, 20:05

I brought my bead breaker for $119 from cycletreads. Tyre irons $10 ea and rim protectors were about $9ea from sulco tools. Didnt take long to pay itself back. I used to wander down to the servo to put air back in but since I had a christmas and was a good boy I got a compressor so that solved that.

**Max Preload** · 16th February 2009, 12:39

Everything but tyres, for the reasons outlined by Ixion.

**ynot slow** · 16th February 2009, 13:48

Oil and filter,air filter,plugs gapped.But now still under warranty till May this year will have to pay for 12000km service bugger,and within 500km of service.

**swbarnett** · 16th February 2009, 15:24

Originally Posted by Viscount Montgomery

But for a male to pay someone to fit a tyre to his own machine - well, what's up with that?? Seems like there could be a lot more gays than first suspected riding motorcycles these days

What about balancing?

**Max Preload** · 16th February 2009, 15:48

Originally Posted by swbarnett

What about balancing?

Static. Comes back to time/benefit though.

**AllanB** · 16th February 2009, 18:10

Originally Posted by Viscount Montgomery

If I was a chick I'd go for the slinky ass/ big breasts/ skin tight leather look and cock-tease mechanics into free fittings.

Yep if you looked like that I suspect you would have no problem at all getting something firm covered in rubber fitted for free............ probably even let you blow a bit of air into it........don't forget lots of lube so it fits easily..........and just wait for the big bang when it seats on your rim

**Supertwin Don** · 20th February 2009, 21:14

Tyres are about the only thing I try to avoid having to do!
Have done most other things - check out "juniordragbike.co.uk" under Riders - Andrew Irvine for starting from scratch, and forum item "Show us your guzzi" for the state of my poor California at the moment.
Will be starting on some more mods to my race bike as soon as I get the Guzzi back together (small garage!)

**Viscount Montgomery** · 21st February 2009, 08:12

Originally Posted by swbarnett

What about balancing?

Yes. Balancing and fitting are the same thing. Homosexuals will pay cash for either. Here's the usual balance vid, ignore the fancy cones and rods and shit, just do it with the wheel on the bike and calipers unbolted, it's piss easy

http://www.nomartirechanger.com/video/show/29