Question: How often do you service your bike ?

I drop the oil HOT immediately after nearly all of my rides, which range from 75 to 110 miles. The only time I don't is when the ride is very short in time and distance. I clean the Scotts oil filter every 3rd ride.

Valves are checked every 10-15 hours after the engine is broken in. usually they do not require adjustment until 15 hour intervals, and then only are 0.001" out of adjustment (loose).

I quit checking engine bolts, because they were never loose. The other ones on the bike that do change I put blue loctite on, and that holds them until disassembly is required.

You didn't mention air cleaner. I clean mine every 3rd ride unless its real dusty or very wet as in raining, in which case its is changed every ride.

Wheel bearings, swing arm pivot bearings, and head stock bearings. I regrease these when the bike is new, using boat trailer aluminum based grease, and then repeat the process every year, unless riding in water and mud in which case I do it right after the ride.

I use filters on my carb vent lines, which I clean when dirt has collected on them. or they have been immersed in water.

When dumping my oil, I look for metal in my oil , on the drain plug magnet, oil screen, and in the solvent I clean the oil filter in. This gives me a heads up on wear problems such as progressive bearing failure, and timing chain rubbing on the aluminum case.

Engine noise, starting characteristics, power band, etc all need to be paid attention to to ensure prompt attention to prevent costly failures.

This is just a hint as to what I do. As you get familiar with a brand you develop an understanding as to what is needed, kind of like a 6th sense!
You then settle into a service schedule that includes running time sensitive items and an awareness of when something starts to go wrong.
Regards,

Joe

Brett...
Ditto!

Yere what he said but i change my oil filter every ride and clean my airfilter after every ride.
When draining the oil i put a clean white rag over the container to filter out and metal or anything coming out of the motor and as i race moto cross i also check my valves after every race .

cheers doug

98-02 bikes: Oil after every ride, if it is a long one; or about a days worth of riding when it's short rides. Paper oil filter every other ride; clean the stainless ones each change. Air filter after each ride when it is dusty; when it looks dirty otherwise (couple tanks of fuel). Valves when it gets hard to start. Dry out the ignition each oil change (or when I remember). Check fluids before each ride, just because. Drain and flush coolant each year, no matter how much it is ridden. Nuts, bolts and fasteners before, during, and after each ride

04: Oil and filters each ride. Haven't ridden it enough to even worry about the valves or any other maintenance activities.

When I'm racing I check everything before and after each race. Never had any major failures, yet. (Well, lost the front axle during a race because I forgot to check the axle clamp bolts, but who's counting that?)

Brett
You didn't mention how long a ride was, that can have a bearing upon how often servicing occurs, but assuming that a ride 4 to 8 hrs, it seems to be conservative but acceptable. The bolt tightening seems excessive, unless you are talking about KTM/Husaberg rear spokes.

Mine is all most the same as JoeUSA, except I drain my oil through a auto body painter paper screen / funnel. Also I change my fork oil once a summer riding season. And I bleed my brakes two or three times a season. I inspect my brake pads & chain tension after every ride and replace the pads once a season. Also I inspect my throttle cable every time I inspect my valves. And lube it every winter / spring.

I'm the odd man out here.

I change my oil every 15 to 20 hours.

Check my valves at the same time.

Clean my airfilter every 10 to 20 hours.

Clean my stainless oil filter every 2 or 3 oil changes.

Check air pressure once a month, due to temp changes. I have never had a flat on the trail; even at 8 psi in Moab.

I only wash the bike when it is excessively covered with mud.

Change the fork oil every 3 monthes. I do it myself, when you see all the gunk in there, you'll never wait a year to service forks. Shock goes to Dick's Racing for service 2 times a year; no one else can bleed them right.

Lube my chain EVERY ride; except in Moab, I was preoccupied and forgot 2 times.

Check spokes every 3 months.

New tires when knobbies are 1/2 worn on rear, 1/4 worn up front.

Splat,
that´s really odd

I change my oil after 8 - 10 hours. And I mostly ride under moto cross conditions.
Nearly every ride I clean the air filter or better said: I change it.
I have got several filters on stock, when all of them are dirty I´ll wash them.
Oil filter is to be changed after 2 or 3 times of oil change.
Checking valve clearances all 15-20 hours.
And I keep constantly an eye on all screws, bearings, air pressure etc.

Everything runs well by doing all the maintenance that way. And my bike has to work hard... :wink:

greetings

hribman

I am like Splat, same schedule, although I would change my oil a bit more often, but that's because I ride the heck out of it and it's air and oil-cooled and it over heats considerably with me on top.

Oh, I know, you don't care about my little peewee DRZ.

Oil approx 100miles, filter every 3rd.
Valves every 500miles.
Air Filter as needed.

Change the oil every ride if possible. Every other if the rides are short.
Change the oil filter every 5th oil change.
Service the air filter every other ride.
Lube the chain and check tire pressues every ride.
Adjust the valves at 5 hours initially. Then in 20 hour intervals unless excessive noise or hard starting occurs.
I do not service the suspension fluid at any given interval. It gets changed if a repair is needed.
I run DELO most of the times unless the ride will be particularly, long ,hot or brutal. Then I run Motrex 10/50 synthetic.
Pump gas 91 octane.
Engine Ice for coolant although I will be switching to Evans shortly.
http://www.evanscooling.com/main3.htm
I change the tires out at about 1/2 way worn. Heavy duty tubes with slime. 12psi front and rear. Thinking about going to 14psi on the rear.

berger said:

...Thinking about going to 14psi on the rear.

Click to expand...

Is that because of me?

Yes

re: meanie

Now you're just trying to hurt my feelings, and frankly it...... well it hurts my feelings....

I'd go 15

thanks,
json

Do I hear 20??

Brett,
I do just what you mentioned in the original post.
I have created a "commitment" spreadsheet that I use to keep track of the Maintenance items and the intervals. I call it "commitment " because I knew buying a Husaberg (or any other performance RFS) was going to require this commitment on my part in order to keep it up (peak performance). If you knew my previous maint history, and or saw my garage you would tell me to buy an older air cooled XR 600. Now the wife is worried - I'm a changed man..

It includes Date, Maint. Performed, Hours, and Miles. With that in place it gives me pretty good overall picture of what needs to be done and when.
The Maint performed section also includes changes to the bike, like bar position, damper install, tail light removal wiring changes etc..
Cheers All..
John