I don't have any motorcycle friends, so I don't get to learn habits from others. I'm curious what you do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to keep your machine in good running shape. What kinds of things you check regularly, or do regularly. I'm hoping quite a few of you chime in, I've got alot to learn.
thanks.

 

What kinda bike you have again? Hows it working out for you. I am a big fan of lubing the chain, probably do it too often.

Also, I was lazy about checking tire pressure. Bad idea. It accelerates tire wear as well as being unsafe. Those rubber hoops are expensive, and a pain in the *** to change out compared to a car.

I've had health problems and can't ride very much right now but still taking the bike out periodically to keep the battery healthy as well as getting everything hot to drive out moisture and keep the oil flung around on everything to prevent corrosion.

 

I dont ride it

 

I have a 2000 Kawasaki ZR-7 (The naked street bike, not the sport bike)

I lubed the chain tonight, about how often is it good to do that?

Also, I do check the tire pressure 2-3 times a week. That's the one thing I have been told to do, from reading "Motorcycles for Idiots". heh.

get healthy falcon!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by falcongsr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What kinda bike you have again? Hows it working out for you. I am a big fan of lubing the chain, probably do it too often.

Also, I was lazy about checking tire pressure. Bad idea. It accelerates tire wear as well as being unsafe. Those rubber hoops are expensive, and a pain in the *** to change out compared to a car.

I've had health problems and can't ride very much right now but still taking the bike out periodically to keep the battery healthy as well as getting everything hot to drive out moisture and keep the oil flung around on everything to prevent corrosion.


</TD></TR></TABLE>

i mostly do what he does. lube the chain every 2 weeks if you ride everyday, if not every 500 miles will do. check the tire pressure at least every month, or if you think you ran over something bad. i check all my lights before each ride just to be sure everyone around me knows what im doing on the streets. change oil/filter every 1500 miles. check the tires every so often to see if anything punctured them or if there is any hazardous residue. and just keep an eye out on your chain, especially if you have high miles. just see if it gets loose or not. thats about most of the stuff you should do. ride safe

 

oh yea and you should clean your chain at least every month too. just to keep it in tip top shape. lube afterwards of course.

 

Daily - check tires (for punctures, etc.) and look over the bike.

Every week - check tire pressures.

Every two weeks - clean chain, lube chain. look for loose bolts.

Every month - battery on battery tender.


Everyone has a different method for cleaning their chains, but this is what I do:

Lift the rear wheel off the ground so it can spin freely (hopefully with a stable stand). You can use a centerstand if your bike comes so equipped. Spray the chain with WD40. Be careful to keep it on the chain only. Wipe it down with a grunge brush. Reapply with the chain lube/wax. Wipe it down lightly with a cloth or paper towel.

Please do NOT use the engine to rotate the rear wheel.

 

The ZR7 is a sweet bike, that was my first bike

I think the big service item on that air-cooled motor is checking and adjusting valve clearance (forget when and how often). Its a bit of a project since you have to remove the camshafts to get to the shims, if the valve clearances were out of spec. 2 of the 8 valves on my bike needed adjusting when I did the first big servicing. Unless you're really comfortable with tearing into a motor like that, I'd let a reputable shop handle it. They'll have the necessary gaskets and shims to handle the job. I would also stay on top of oil changes, and watch for oil consumption! Since it is air-cooled, it is built to a looser spec than liquid cooled engines, and it will burn some oil if you do a lot of highway riding - this is normal, but oil can get low so keep an eye on it. (check oil levels when you lube your chain etc.)


Thanks for the well-wishing. I am working on moving to a part of the country that literally won't make me sick anymore.

 

Thanks for the tips man. I've been having alot of trouble with the ZR7 so far, but I'm working on getting things taken care of. I'll take a peek at the oil level more often. Can I check that by just looking at that gauge on the lower side of the bike or do I have to find a dipstick or something? I will probably have the valve clearances looked at in 500 more miles...

where are you moving to? Whats the deal with where you are living?

 

What kind of trouble are you having? how many miles does it have? does it run like crap? its probably bunged up ignition or more likely someone fucked up the carbs, or a vacuum line is cracked, leaking etc....what else can go wrong with that bike...the transmission is pretty solid unless its been ragged... sorry to hear that... btw, there is a large community of zr7 riders on http://www.riderforums.com/ you should register there. the bike has its own subforums there. they will love to help you.

yes there is an oil sight glass. they recommend you put the bike on the centerstand on a level surface and wait 5 min, there should be marks to show the low and high fill levels.

as far as my health, the dallas area is just a bad place for me to live with allergies and asthma. i am having to take a lot of meds just to be able to come to work and sit at my desk without having an asthma attack. i can't exercise or i'll get wiped out bad. i play ice hockey and i am missing too many games, and cant finish the games i go to. can't ride my bike because for 1 day of riding i spend 3 days miserable. i have seen pulmonolgists, immunologists and regular doctors. all they can do is prescribe more and more meds. i've run out of options. when i leave this region, my symptoms go away. i gotta get out of here. just finishing my resume and starting my job hunt in NorCal but also looking at Portland and Washington state. there are more reasons i want to leave TX but this is the main one.




Modified by falcongsr at 11:31 AM 3/3/2006

 

I would move to the NorthWest in a heartbeat.

Good luck man, that sounds awful.

...more on problems later....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by big pete &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I dont ride it </TD></TR></TABLE>

lol....keep it on two wheels

 

I just ride mine...I do lube the chain occasionally.

 

Once a Week-- Lube the chain, Check Tires, Check Oil, Go over all my body bolts and screws.

Bi Weekly- Wash the bike using the armor all car was wipes (work great on bikes) and condition my seats with meguires.

Monthly-- Strip all the body work off and clean inside and out, check all nusts and bolts on the motor check the air cleaner.

Milage-

every 3000miles, Change The oil (mobil 1 10-w40, K&N oil filter) check the spark plugs.

every 5000-7500miles, check the chain and sprockets for wear ( usually do this while i lube the stuff but i will take them off and inspect here) check my brakes, change plugs.

every 10,000, replace pads (this is coming up really soon) don't know what else i'm going to do.

 

Threadjack question:

Whats up with my chain getting loose around every 300 miles?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PotatoePAPA &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Threadjack question:

Whats up with my chain getting loose around every 300 miles?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Your axle nut is not tightened enough.

 

torqued to factory spec

 

I lube the chain every few weeks.

I start it up every few days to make sure she ain't dead

I wash it every few weeks.

Oil change every 3k miles.

I garage it every night.

That's about it

 

I have a battery charger on it whenever it's parked. Learn from my mistakes.
Lube my chain every 300-500 miles.
Check my tank to see if I have gas lol.
Check the tire pressure religiously with a Roadgear Hi-Tech Digital Tire Pressure Gauge. http://www.motorcyclecruiser.c...gauge/
Wipe it down w/warm water and a cotton towel. Dust it occasionally with a feather duster.
Stored inside a garage all the time.
Lifted on stands.
Haven't checked my bolts yet tho. But I did safety wire a couple of the brake bolts.
I broke like 5 bits trying hahaha. Need a drill press. http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0002_hand/


Modified by ScareyH22A at 6:06 PM 3/3/2006

 

i was thinking while im not using my bike leave it on the stands but is it safe? i have pitbull front and rear

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ba4 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i was thinking while im not using my bike leave it on the stands but is it safe? i have pitbull front and rear</TD></TR></TABLE>
How long do you leave it alone? I'd only leave it on stands if my bike wasn't going to be used for more than a week. I don't see how it's unsafe. Unless some ******** walks over and picks up your rear stand while the bike is still on the front one.