self service!

[2kwacks]

have heard a few times that your warrany is not void if you do your own first or there after service! to a point of course, some services need special tools, so its not pratical! but minor servicing you can do your self! take a look at this link

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/howto/600_mile_service/index.html

[Lonewolf]

I've always done my own servicing on the Honda CB1300's I used to have but that was fairly simple. I've been quoted £160 for the service on the GTR with a Kawasaki dealer and for piece of mind I'm more than happy to pay that. The bikes got full service history so far from the previous owner and I'll keep that up.

Its a good selling point for when you come to trade in the GTR for a new one.  ;D

[Ziderman]

It's not right that they null the Warranty. I do all mine, I would take great offense to be told your not capable of changing an Oil filter. It's child's play. Going to a main dealer is more often than not worse. Think about it. Who does a basic Oil change ...the boy. The youngest school leaver in the Room. Why would any experienced Mechanic want to do it. Hes busy doing far more interesting stuff.

Least you know when you do it , it's been done properly....!

[Lonewolf]

Funnily enough, contrary to my post above I did decide to do my own bike service. Pound for pound it may not work out any cheaper but I enjoyed tinkering with the bike last week changing the coolant and air filter. I'm intending to do the oil change and final gear oil, (I think its called) this weekend followed by a check of all the brake pads etc. Also going to lube up the spigots on the brake and clutch levers and the gear selector.  Simple things, but its piece of mind that its been done thoroughly and I'm learning something in the process even if it takes me considerably longer than it would at the local bike shop.

[Ziderman]

If you do service your own Bike you tend to notice if anything else needs attention, a losse nut or a bit of lubrication needed some where. You get to know your Bike much better. You become as one..in love...!  :P

[Lonewolf]

Had a stab at doing the oil this morning, nearly finished but as usual a couple of hiccups! Firstly took the bike for a quick spin, about 20 miles just to warm the oil up. No problem there.
Then drained the engine oil and no problem there.

Then I came to remove the oil filter and I came across a problem. The filter was so tight it ripped my nut off the spanner.....now I need to buy a new wrench.



Then I needed to remove the plug from the final gear oil filler point. That was bloody tight too. I've damaged some of her Majesty's property doing it, am I in trouble now?

[2kwacks]

this is one reason why you should do your own servicing! I asume the last service was done by the dealer! who as tighten the filter to dam tight. more than likely been the chief bottle washer. tech name for theses "toss pots" are apprentices! the max tourqe for the oil filter is 17 nm, 20 nm at the very most! if you do not have tourqe wrench, apply by hand as tight as you can get it, use a wrag to get a good strong grip! then use the filter tool and spanner and give it half a turn more! p.s dont forget to oil the seal on the filter before fitting! as a last resort, if you dont have a filter tool to remove the old filter. tap a long screwdriver through the filter, you may need to do this in a few different positions, it messy but its works.

[Lonewolf]

I managed to get the oil filter out but it was tricky. I used the broken metal collar on the above photo and then used a chain link oil filter wrench. Got it moving straight away, I still think it was way too tight.
Yeah, you are right, all the previous services were done at a dealership.

I'll finish it off tomorrow.  ;D

[Lonewolf]

Ok, I got around to changing the engine oil today and interestingly the final gear oil. I know for a fact the bike was serviced last June when I bought the bike so I assume that the dealer did not change the final gear oil for some reason. Or is it normal for the oil to deteriate to this extent in 4000 miles?

This is what the oil should look like....



This is what it actually looked like....



It took quite a while for it to drain out as well in its thick gooey state.

[2kwacks]

make sure the gear oil you have used is of a GL5 rating heavy gear oil, gear oil will not stay looking clean for long, but I would say after 4,000 miles that is what the oil would look like. just change it every time you do a engine oil change, 10 min job!

[Lonewolf]

Yes it was a GL5.

[2kwacks]

Yes it was a GL5.

allways drain the final gear oil straite after a long run! then with the oil being hot, it will empty in seconds! I allways change my gear oil at the same time I change my engine oil, every 12 months or 3,000 miles "which ever comes first" of course gear oil dose not need to be changed as much, but for 10 mins work and a very small amount of gear oil might as well change at the same time! in fact a ltr bottle of gl5 gear oil for approx £6.95 is enough for approx 5 changes! no brainer really" considering the cost of a replacement shaft drive. so when your due a change! as soon you come in from a long ride leave bike on side stand and remove the drain bolt and filler cap on the shaft drive, go and have a brew for 10 mins! then back on the full stand then drain the engine oil and remove filter! while that is draining. refill shaft drive with nice clean gear oil! remember the gear oil drain bolt is only a tourqe of 8 nm if your not replacing the sealing washer tighen to 10 nm! if you do not have a tourqe wrench! only tighen by hand till it bites, then just give it a 1/2 turn with the spanner!

[Lonewolf]

Yeah, all the above makes perfect sense. If I hadn't had the problems getting the oil filter out I would have done both jobs at the same time but the oil filter palava threw me off my stride a bit.

[2kwacks]

Yeah, all the above makes perfect sense. If I hadn't had the problems getting the oil filter out I would have done both jobs at the same time but the oil filter palava threw me off my stride a bit.

ok! nice one. been caught out a few times with tight oil filters on bikes have bought for winter projects! had one that was on so tight, could I get that bugger off! ended up tapping a screw driver right through the filter. that was so tight the screw driver just ripped through the oil filter casing, ended up using chissel to tap the base round! full morning trying to remove that filter! it would have broke my heart if that was either my zzr1400 or the gtr1400. p.s roll on the better weather missing my breakfast at the ponderosa and ride out with the lads