Hello all, Not long owned my new Blade which is my first high performance bike and hoping it’s going to be reliable over the next few years. Please could I have any maintenance tips on any known issues to look out fo to prevent future problems. Also any good upgrades to keep the Blade working well, which are non- performance/power increase related. Thanks for any advise
Check the usual, oil, water, air filter, brake fluid etc... Change the oil every 2k miles if you're anal like me, and it'll soldier on forever.
Keep the bike clean,brakes,chain,sprockets etc. Depending on what weather you ride in have the calipers off at least once a year to clean inside and pistons,will prevent problems when coming to change pads. A good lube like wurth will keep the chain performing. Best modifications you can do that you don't have to tell the insurance about,get the suspension set properly and if you're still using the OEM tyres,change them,you'll be glad you did
radiator grill, radiator grill a must on our gravel pothole infested roads. Plus a fender extender! otherwise I would keep the bike as standard as possible other than a better finished exhaust if your has gone/ goes rusty but be careful if you remove the O2 sensor and the exhaust valve in the silencer, the engine will perform differently and not always better
I was considering a radiator guard for the blade, but as a London commuter with loads of time spent Idling. This was a bit of a worry for me with the bikes engine cooling. On my Triumph I was able to use a free program called Tuneecu where I was able to change the cooling fan switch-on temp through the bikes ECU. 100% with the fender extender. Thanks
the guard I have is made by R&G who are well established. If you are interested but hesitant, give them a call to find out how much it affects the air flow at low speed/ standing still. I would be surprised if it were noticeable. Once the radiator grill start collecting things (dead insect ,etc.) and the fin is bent, then the air flow in that part becomes restricted anyway. You should have two radiator fans the first one kicks in at 105 deg. I find that in traffic even during warm summer days (we don't get hot summers here no matter what the press says!) it would keep the temp between 90~107 and don't think the second fan has ever kicked in. I also suggest you use full synthetic (more resilient to high temp breakdown) oil and something like 10/50 (which is what I use) if your engine is running at high temp most of the time keep your chain is good state and you will benefit from a better gear change.
Thanks bonjo. I may consider getting a radiator guard for my blade. Been looking at the R&G & Evotech websites so far.
regular coolant change, its not the cooling directly I am wanting to control its the corrosion that can occur if the corrosion inhibitors are not replaced. Then you get restrictions in the waterways, that in turn cause Hot spots, you can go on from there to consider the result of poor cooling. this is often overlooked, and is often a semi-silent precursor to major problems.
I have read many good reviews on Evans Waterless Cooling. But the expense & the fact that you cannot top-up the system with anything but the Evans coolant put me off the idea. I have attached good web link for anyone interested.
