Jul
Just got my first motorcycle, a '97 Ninja EX500 and I'm going to begin bringing it to work which is 50mi one way.
As I’ve never owned a motorcycle, I'm not sure on what I should be doing to maintain the bike.
For the chain, when do you know to lube it and/or adjust it, and what’s involved with that?
I'm assuming my battery is the maintenance free type, but haven't found anything on the internet that backs up my hopes. Are the refillable batteries for really old bikes?
Anything else I need to take into account?
Answer:
Purchase a service manual.
It will tell you what to do, when to do it, why it should be done and how to do it.
More information than you'll every get here.
http://www.motocom.com/motorcycles/
Answer:
Get yourself a shop manual. You won't regret it.
I got a Clymer service manual for my bike on EBay. It was the best $25 I spent on my ride.
This will give you step by step instructions on how to perform any maintenance task on your bike. The manual will also tell you the intervals they are required. There can be tiny things that can be overlooked if you don't have a service manual.
On my bike for example, the oil sump screen needs to be cleaned each other oil change. Without the service manual, I would have not known this existed or how to gain access.
You can also checkout a procedure before you begin to see if you are getting in over your head. If you need to bring it to a mechanic, you’ll understand what is being done.
Answer:
Clean and lube the chain each 600 miles or so. While it is on the center stand for that, check the chain adjustment. As for the battery, a battery tender (*also called a maintainer) is a good idea, especially if it's not going to be ridden for a few days. Locate an Owners manual for other scheduled maint. like air filter, valve adjustment etc. Book Mark it-> del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Facebook | Technorati | Google | StumbleUpon | Window Live | Tailrank | Furl | Netscape | Yahoo | BlinkList