I am not a big fan of cold or wet, I ride for pleasure and crave the feel of warm sticky rubber on tarmac so my bike has remained under cover on paddock stands in the garage, I'm going to make a start on preparing to bring pride and joy back for what I hope will be an actual summer this year. I cant bring myself to completely forget riding over winter so I like to use this time to carry out any upgrades and essential maintenance. Last season I performed a fairly comprehensive strip, clean and lube job, removing most fairing parts and cleaned inspected and lubed most of the rolling chasis including any bearings & spindles I could find. I was fairly supprised to note that the bike appeared to have very little if any grease applied to many of these areas during assembly. Last week I had a slightly later than scheduled 16000 mile service including valve clearence checks, usual fluid checks, oil and filter sump plug and washer changed. Apparently the original Champion spark plugs had burned out and have been replaced with the NGK alternatives. Before I get an MOT I need to replace the pads and service the brakes, during the last off seasons maintenance I replaced the standard hoses with HEL braided lines and replaced the brake fluid. I doubt this has seen more than 2500 miles so I'm not planning to replace the brake fluid yet. I'm hoping this job will be a simple brake pad service. The plan is to slacken the caliper bolts, remove the wheels strip and clean the calipers ensuring the pots are in good order, clean and move freely. Having done a little research http://www.redrubbergrease.com/ I understand red rubber grease should be applied and getting hold of some on a Sunday might prove a bit of a challenge. While the wheels are off they will get a thorough clean, and touch up a few marks on the rims. I have experienced loose or missing bolts on numerous occasions so I'll strip the lower fairing clean and inspect the under side checking for any loose nuts or bolts and apply ACF 50 in the hope this will reduce corrosion. I'm going to buy a cable oiler for the clutch cable, having the ASV Short leavers and tiny hands I like to maintain a smooth clutch action. It would be great to learn some of the service checks and upgrades your planning or have completed. Perhaps some the more experienced might like to contribute a little wisdom of the maintenance tips or checks you have learned to keep your bikes sharp and in top condition.
