Maintenance for Dummies - The least I should know

[BlackNinja8]

Hello All,

I have been browsing the forums and getting really great maintenance/mod advice. Some of these DIYs are very detailed but too difficult for me to understand given I have owned my first bike for 2 weeks. I bought my bike a 2011 used with 1800 miles. I'd like to make sure that I am taking care of the minimum maintenance requirements to operate a safe vehicle while I am learning. I look forward to attempting some DIYs like the shimming and snorkel removal. But for now could someone please list a few things that I need to make sure I check often in the next 500 miles (preferably in the language of an idiot - so I can understand!)? Is the pre-ride check enough? How often should I clean and lube the chain? etc. Thanks in advance

[MikeBudd]

Pre-ride check is always important.

The owners manual says lube the chain every 200 miles I believe, but most people do it a little less as far as I can tell. I do it every 1000km and have never had a single problem.

You really shouldn't have to do that much maintenence in the next 500 miles, but always be on the lookout for sticky clutch, sticky throttle, and things that just don't seem right. Normally if that's the case, they aren't.

Goodluck. PS: I may have missed something.. I got up at 4:30 today.
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[cbdallas]

Always do a visual check of your tires & lights before heading out. I check my tire pressure once a week, both for safety and longevity.

When I buy a pre-owned bike, one of the many things I do is put the bike up on stands and clean the chain. There are several schools of thought on the right way to do this. Some recommend WD-40, some recommend a kerosene bath. I've never had any trouble with WD-40, so that's what I use. After getting all the previous-owner's gunk off the chain & allowing it to dry, I apply DuPont Chain Saver (Formerly DuPont Dry Wax Lubricant) http://www2.dupont.com/Lubricants_Ca...Corrugator.pdf. I find that it doesn't build up and gather gunk nearly as badly as oil & other lubes, so cleaning the chain is something I can do fairly infrequently. I just re-apply the lube every 500 miles or so, and the chain stays clean & well lubed. I use a few old rags to get off the remaining residue once the majority of crud is washed off. DO NOT try to take a shortcut and power the rear wheel with the engine to clean the chain. I take an old towel and squeeze the bottom of the chain with my left hand, bracing it against the frame, while spinning the wheel backward with my right hand. This way, if the rag gets snagged on the chain, your hand doesn't get pulled into the sprocket.

If you haven't done so yet, check the slack in your chain. I believe the specification is between 35 & 45 mm of slack. http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/How_do_...chain_slack%3F. I've never heard of anyone letting their chain get so loose that it comes off, but that's what can happen with too much slack. By the way...a great site for all things Ninjette in regard to maintenance: http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/2008_(and_up)_EX250J_Info.

Lights, tires & brakes are the biggies when it comes to safety. But that's definitely not all there is to maintenance.

[MikeBudd]

^good advice

Something I forgot was you might want to change your oil soon if the service was awhile ago. After cleaning and lubing your chain I think changing oil would be the next step to getting into maintenence.

Oh, buy stands and spools if you haven't yet. A lot of people go with redbull stands simply because they are the quality grade every other stand is measured against. I bought mine off ebay and have never had a problem.
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[Alex]

There's a great sticky thread here in the tech section:

2008+ Maintenance Schedule

Includes a spreadsheet to lay out what needs to happen when, at least as advised by Kawasaki.

[csmith12]

Great question!

Here are the things I check to feel cozy about my ride.

1. Leaks – Look under the bike. Any spots on the ground?
2. Oil – via sight glass, before every ride (add as needed)
3. Tire Pressure – via gauge, before every ride (add/remove as needed)
4. Tire – via visual inspection, before every ride
5. Brake Feel/Lever – via visual inspection of disc/caliper and feel of lever, before every ride
6. Clutch Feel/Lever – via feel of lever and bike reaction, before every ride
7. Lights/Signals – visual inspection, before every ride
8. Chain – visual inspection, Lube? Too much slack? To tight?, before every ride
9. Kickstand – Up, down, before every ride

Most of this is covered during the MSF and referred to as TCLOCK.

I feel these also define the minimal maintenance tasks that should be able to completed without mechanical expertise. Granted one might not be able to fix some of the problems with these but it’s something you should be able to do as a rider.

Now, for between service intervals, one should be able to keep the bike clean, lube the chain and keep fluids topped off without taking the bike to a mechanic/dealer. If one can follow TCLOCK, even if they are not interested in wrenching, they hopefully know if it’s safe to ride or when it’s time for a service.