Can you guys recommend some tools/equipment for routine maintenance?
I have a couple of cheap stands unfortunately. Got one off amazon and one from cycle gear. They've performed OK so far for the minor stuff I've done. I've felt the pitbull stands at the store and the quality definitely appears to be much higher. They're really thick. Eventually I'd like to replace mine with those.
The bike is an '03 gsxr 600.
Did you just get it? How many miles are on it?
If you just got it and don't know the service history I'd go through everything, tires, fluids, carbs, chain and sprockets, tank, battery, check to make sure all electrics work, everything.
Brake fluid you probably want to change out once a year, brake fluid attracts moisture and moisture in your brake lines mean spongy brakes. Not good on a motorcycle. Same with clutch fluid if you have a hydraulic clutch (uses the same fluid as your brakes).
If your tires are cracked or old or both, replace them. It is the single most important safety device on your bike. I've never understood why some guys ride a tire until it is showing belt. Just stupid.
Bikes aren't difficult to work on, just take your time and make sure you torque everything down to the specified setting and use loctite where required. I can't recall the last fastener on my bike that didn't have loctite on it in fact. My front fender had red loctite on the 4 fasterners that hold it on.
I picked it up last summer. It was low mileage around 5k. I probably only put on 1k or maybe 1.5k. I actually took it to a local independent shop after I bought it and got it tuned up. It was lowered so I got them to adjust the dog bones back to stock height. I would just take it to the same shop again but I wanted to try doing my own work.
Probably won't need much other than adjusting the chain and oil changes. Get a rear stand, a torque wrench, and a vacuum pump to help you change the brake fluid. Get a front stand that lifts the bike under the neck so you can remove the front wheel when it comes time for a tire change. Being an '03 I hope it wasn't rolling on the original stock when you bought it or if it was that you replaced it. 5k is about all you could expect out of sport rubber anyway.
A friend of mine did a valve adjustment on a GSXR600 and said it is kind of a PITA so I'd probably leave that to the professionals.
A friend of mine did a valve adjustment on a GSXR600 and said it is kind of a PITA so I'd probably leave that to the professionals.
The GSXR engines I've worked on were solid lifters that were adjusted with shims in the lifters. I think it required pulling the cams and timing chain. It was a big PITA. Definitely do a professional adjustment unless you want to do motor surgery.
Yeah I kind of factored in a pro valve adjustment when I bought the motorcycle. Thanks for the suggestions.
Just gonna leave this here.
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=248402
Personally....I'd do it myself but I do not have a gsxr.
I ordered some things and I've been doing some reading. Got a question about the brake lines. I believe the bike still has the oem rubber lines. Supposedly you're supposed to change them out every 48 months but they appear and work OK. Should I replace them with stainless steel lines or would I be ok just changing out the fluid and bleeding the lines? Bike is for street use although I did buy a cheap suit last year just in case I decide to track it.
I ordered some things and I've been doing some reading. Got a question about the brake lines. I believe the bike still has the oem rubber lines. Supposedly you're supposed to change them out every 48 months but they appear and work OK. Should I replace them with stainless steel lines or would I be ok just changing out the fluid and bleeding the lines? Bike is for street use although I did buy a cheap suit last year just in case I decide to track it.
JCH do you do bikes too?? I know you invited me up to wrench my impreza, but I wouldn't mind some help on my gsxr....
When I was in college and did FSAE I worked almost exclusively with GSXR-600 engines, including tearing one out of a bike.
I'm not especially experienced with anything other than the engine, transmission, and chain drive though. I guess that's a lot of the bike though :sneaky:
lol pretty much. I got mine used a while ago...The guy had it for a long time and hadn't ridden it in like 3 years. He said he got maintanence done on it...But didn't give me receipts and what not. Local guy here wants $350 to change my plugs, do an oil change, and give it an over all lookin' over. Seeing as I can do my own oil and probably do my plugs with a friend's help...That leaves me thinking he can kiss my ass. I'm slightly worried that my sprockets might get messed up because I think the chain is new, but they are not.
I basically have no clue if anything needs to be replaced or tinkered with. It's currently running clunkier than shit, but I think it's because there's old gas in the tank, plus I didn't run it from about mid november until last week.
You'll probably have to clean the tank out and the fuel lines. Not sure if your bike has carbs or FI. If it has carbs you'll probably need to clean them and rejet them. Replace the plugs and air filter too. Should be good to go once you do that.
Sprockets are cheap and it's pretty easy to tell if they are worn.