[BeeLDub]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Welcome!

Good for you for getting off on the right foot with the MSF course, and for thinking rationally about your choice of bike.

Riding tip: The party starts at about 9,000 rpm. Keep it wound up and it's a hoot. The engine can take it, all day long. And except in a straight line, a Ninjette in the hands of a capable rider can be as quick as a Gixxer. Remember... a chimpanzee can twist a throttle. It takes a good rider to be fast in the corners.

Safety tip: ATGATT!!! Read a couple of my blog posts (link under my avatar). A year or two ago I spent five days in the hospital for a simple infection. Nothing but bed rest and IV antibiotics. The bill was about $20,000, and my out-of-pocket was $750. That expensive gear doesn't seem so expensive by comparison, does it?

Thank you! I've got my helmet and gloves. Currently shopping for jacket and boots. ATGATT (which I had to google) is what I've always been told. Dress for the fall, not the weather. I have a couple of big-time bikers in my office, so I've been given lots of advice over the years.

Originally Posted by adouglas

Maintenance: If you've got mechanical experience, that's great. All the basic wrenching skills translate (use the right tools, don't overtorque things, etc.). The biggest difference is that your Jeep probably isn't carbureted. Other minor differences... chain maintenance, cable lubing, stuff like that.

Get hold of a factory (repeat, factory) maintenance manual and just do what it says. This ain't rocket surgery... problems usually happen due to inexperience and neglect.

As far as what you should do...

Change all the fluids even if the prior owner claims to have done so.

Inspect all rubber parts. The bike is only eight years old so they're probably fine, but assume nothing. If the tires are cracked, the bike probably lived outdoors. The same environmental conditions that affected the tires also affect other rubber bits.

If it's the original battery, it might be due for replacement. If you're in PA you probably won't be riding over the winter... remove the battery and take it indoors, and hook it up to a Battery Tender. What kills batteries is neglect.

Put Sta-Bil in the fuel tank for winter storage. A lot of bikes get sold because they run lousy due to ancient gas that gums up the carbs. If you don't ride much, you might want to just put Sta-Bil in the gas anyway.

Winterizing the bike after the bad weather arrives (i.e. November) sucks. For one thing, it's cold and gray outside. For another, the holidays are approaching and who has time to screw with the bike? That's what kills bikes... people forget and before you know it the thing's been sitting for three or four months with no maintenance.

My own regimen: I winterize my bikes on Halloween... go for one last beautiful ride, and fill up the tank just before I get home. I put Sta-Bil in and change the oil while it's still hot. I give the bike a once-over -- lube the chain, clean it up. Put it up on stands. plug in the Battery Tender and leave it until spring. Starts up right away every time, and it's ready to ride when the salt and sand have washed off the streets.

I'm about 90% sure the factory owner's/maintenance manual is under the rear seat, as well as a factory tool kit. I'll make sure to read through it a few times. I know one thing that can irritate people on the Jeep forums are questions that are easily answered by that.

Thanks again!