Motorcycle maintanance
In this we will cover servicing and maintenance on motorcycles. There are individual differences but fortunately no one manufacturer has re-invented the wheel yet, so these basics apply:

- Servicing initial preparation and that involves acquiring what you will need in parts. - Organisation of tools and something to drain oil into. You will need rags of different sizes to cover the tank.
- There are things you need like oil and lubricants but there are others you need to inspect before replacing. To determine this you have to remove a few parts. We generally decide what we need as we go through it. We can put the bike on a firm work surface. Use a slab or something under the centre stand, if it is on dirt it will dig in whilst you work on the bike and may fall over.
- Whilst draining the oil you need a ring spanner to undo the sump plug, steel has a tendency to lock into aluminium so sump plugs can be very tight. Do not use a socket or open end spanner. If you must use a socket support it well or you will cause damage.
- Always place the sump plug next to the filler plug, that way you won't undo the filler and fill it without replacing the sump plug also. You must tighten up the sump plug when refitting or you may forget and leave it hand tight. Replace the washer if fitted and it looks like it has been worn.
- As the oil drains observe what comes out, it will look ok to start and towards the end it may go grey or have particles floating inside. Therefore you may have an internal wear problem from a timing chain slipper or perhaps the gearbox / clutch. Keep a watch on it and if it is contaminated then check it out before something goes wrong.
If the need arises you may need to remove the clutch cover or sump and have a look for any strange particles.
Next, remove the oil filter if so fitted and is related to 4 strokes. There are many kinds, some screw in with a large hollow bolt into the underside or lower front of the engine. On bikes with race pipes you may have to remove the headers to get access but don't get complacent.
On some singles you may find a small side cover with screws and a small vertical bolt in the top of the cover. That is the bleed hole and is removed partially when starting the engine. It bleeds out the air to prime the filter. When oil is extracted you simply tighten the bolt and wipe it away. It usually has a brass or soft washer on it to seal, don't loose the washer.
Remove the centre filter element and replace it if it is a paper type. If it's a screen type wash it out really well. Replace the filter element and refit the cover. Both screw in types and the later have o-rings on there cover. Be careful you don't pinch the o-ring when refitting the cover or tightening it. Replace it if it is possible.
When the new filter is in and the cover is screwed up tightly refit the sump plug and add engine oil into the oil filler.
The answer to what oil to stick in is in what it has to do inside the bike. In a four-stroke engine the crankshaft is pressure fed oil and therefore has a wet crank area. In Japanese motor bikes the engine is a single gearbox and crankcase casting and in others you'll find a separate engine casing and primary casing or gearbox (Harley, Triumph, BSA, etc). In the single unit on Japanese engines you will need to use oil that is not only beneficial for the engine but can handle the gearbox and wet clutch also.
This is a big ask of oil. In a car or separate gearbox / engine you can use the oil specifically designed for engine OR gearbox. So in most Japanese bikes you must use good oil and stick to the manufacturers minimum specified oil grading. You don't need to use the brand name just the grade specified in your manual.
If you want to vary this and use higher-grade products that's fine but make sure you understand the grade you are using. The rule is never use friction-modified oil; your clutch will not like it. There are other reasons but those are merely my own personal opinions. Be very careful using car products they have stuff in them that your bike / engine / clutch won't take kindly to at all.
In a two-stroke engine you have a separate gearbox and crankshaft area in the casings so you can use specific gearbox oil remember that the same applies as with the wet clutch no friction modifiers or snake oil. Select a grade with good pressure characteristics and anti frothing agents and that is about it.
Stick with known well known brands.

An engine side cover

How much should I fill? On bikes there are many different methods for filling oil. Most bikes have a filler plug. Some of the fillers have a dipstick. On other bikes you may have a small sight window on the edge of the side cover. Check this gauge with the bike on the centre stand and ensure oil is to the fill level before starting the bike. When it has been run for a period let it settle and recheck it.
Some bikes don't have a sight glass or dip stick they have another plug apart from the filler. It is found lower down on the cover and is used to set the oil level. You merely fill with oil in the top filler until the oil runs out the check hole with the screw removed, let it level off and refit the screw and the filler plug or cap.
On a gearbox you will have a level plug as above in most cases or a dipstick. Some manufacturers supply a dipstick for this in there tool kit and it is also use for the oil level in a shaft drive bike where there is only a lone filler plug on both the front and rear shaft drive casings.
Bike engines are equipped with a dry sump. There is lots of oil in the crankshaft area but there is no sump as such for a reservoir. The reservoir is in a separate tank and the oil is filled there and also the level is checked there. It is a very common sight on engines.
Two-Strokes have a separate oil tank but this is not a recirculating system. The oil is ejected out the exhaust pipe but not before doing its job and that is to lubricate the piston/s and the crankshaft main and big end bearing/s.
The oil tank on a two-stroke must contain two-stroke oil. No other oil is suitable.
The oil runs out as the engine uses it so you need to check it all the time and top it up. The oil is fed to an oil pump and the oil pump controls the amount that is fed to the carburettor intake and on some the crankcase to the crankshaft as well. A cable operates the oil pump and that cable is attached in various forms to the throttle cables. It is necessary to synchronise the oil pump with the carburettors.
On some you will have an inspection window or screw to remove on the carburettor body where the slide operates. It will have an mark on the slide and a mark on the oil pump cable lever at the pump to reference or adjust to. On most simply adjust the oil pump cable tensioner until the pump marks align.
Other pumps have index marks to align for idle and full throttle and are set with throttle open full. The pump ratio can be increased or decreased depending on the oil used but the markings are for a standard type of two-stroke oil.
Now we are finished with the oils and oil filter we can move on. Starting with air filters and plugs. Remove them and if the plugs are worn replace them. Check their colour and ensure they are fairly even and have no build-ups from oil or one whitish one in two or four good ones. You can use the plug colour chart provided for comparison. It may require carburettor balancing and tuning.
Inlet manifolds split and suck air it can happen from them ageing and going hard too they just won't seal. This can cause a poor idle. Check them out in detail if they look bad get new ones. Don’t bother with silicone sealant it peels off or delaminates and leak's. Check that all the clamps are in good condition and not displaced.
You should remove the air filter element. There a various ways to get at air filters. Many are under the tank. Some are accessible through the top of the air box under the seat or behind the side covers with a removable cover. It will normally have a spring clip shoved in alongside to keep it against the intake.
The air filter may be a paper type, if so replace it. Do not use compressed air on it. The bits of dirt and dust you can see are not the problem it is the small particles that are impregnated in to the filter. Using air will only force it in further and it will seem cleaner but be just a choked. If it is a reusable type then wash it out well in solvent then hot soapy water and rinse it off.
Water is necessary to clean it properly. Reusable filters are not reusable forever so if it has had a few runs fit a new one. Bikes especially do not like dirty air, it is bad for the pistons and it stains valve seats and causes burning due to loss of heat transmission through the seat and consequently leaking. Once it is clean allow it to dry and using some filter oil or clean motor oil, work it into the filter and allow excess to run off Wipe out the air-box then refit the filter to the bike.
Next you can check the battery. Some bikes require you to remove it to see all the cells. Make sure they are all up to level and check for discolouration in particular white clouding. It indicates sulphate condition on the plates and the battery is due to fail and drive you nuts for a while until it dies completely.
Next you need to check the suspension. You need to check:
- steering head tension
- swing arm bushes,
- all shocks and mounts,
- foot pegs,
- gear and brake levers
- pivot points (check for slack)
Remove the pedal or shifter pivot points and use a little moly grease on them.
Work the suspension through its travel and feel for tight spots or slack in mountings or suspension links. Shake the back wheel side to side to check swing arm bushes and you need to check alignment also. A close look at tyres is suggested including fork oil replacement.
Many bikes have water engine cooling as opposed to air or oil engine cooling. The water-cooling has a serviceable system. It does the same thing as most water in contact with metals, it goes off and rusty even with coolant it gets a bit of muck in it.
Fortunately bike-cooling systems are low maintenance and many go a lifetime. You do need to check all hoses and check for any leaks and loss of coolant. It is the kind of thing that can get neglected and its too late with low coolant it may cook it up. Keep a regular eye on the overfill-bottle and have a look under the main pressure cap occasionally.
Check all fuel hoses and connections at the tap and carburettor's for seepage or split hose ends (this indicates hoses are getting too old).
While you are there you may like to drain the fuel bowls into a container and see if there is any contaminants or moisture in the bowls, if so remove them and clean it up. Some fuel taps have a sump under the tap that requires a periodical blow out or clean. Be careful removing this or fuel will spill.
If your bike has an in-line fuel filter, replace it or clean it if it's only a screen type. It will have an in-line one if the bike is equipped with an electric fuel pump generally particularly on fuel injected bikes. It may be a bit hidden away under the battery area or airbox.
Next you can check all hand controls or cables there may be a rear brake cable down below too.
In cables use a spray lube . Never use oil. The best is a de-watering fluid you spray on wet ignition. There are a few methods of lubricating cables and it must be done from new. First check all the ends for fraying or breakages. Use a torch to check the carbie ends. The cables can dry and bind up fairly quickly especially the clutch and good lubricated cables give the controls a genuine feel rather than wrestling with a tight clutch or sticky throttle.
It is a small clamping block with a rubber tube inside and a hole at cross sections. The cable outer is clamped by the tube and spray lube sprayed into the cross-hole forcing it down the body and out the other end.

Commercial cable oiler

You squirt it in a clutch cable after disconnecting the cable at the lever and wait for it to dribble out the clutch arm end down below. If there is a rubber boot on that end lift it back so the lube can get through the cable outer. The same applies to the throttle. Do it at the twist grip end and give the twist grip cable guides a squirt too.

If you have not used a good cable lube and you do, you will be extremely pleased by the "as new" feel to all the controls afterwards. Cables are always under rated in importance and every time I fix a sticky one the individual says "it feels like new". How would you know if it runs smooth if your throttle cable is sticking and feels like "all or nothing" acceleration behaviour? It also cleans the cable out; you will see all the dirt run out the other end.
Next we will have a look over the bike at anything else looking a bit worn, check speedo cable outers and tacho if fitted. Check all lights for operation and check lenses for discolouration or cracking. Make sure rear lamps are in very good condition and not stained by exhaust and such.
Note any oil, fuel or water leaks or marks where there may have been a leak. If you write it down you will know what to keep an eye on and how serious something is next inspection.
The Chain.
Unfortunately shaft drives exude a particularly unsettling feeling to most and derives more power. In competition it is a not a popular final drive; the chain is preferred.
There are numerous chain oils and there are different chains. A common sight these days is the O-ring chain. This chain has o-rings between the rollers on the chain to seal in lubricant and keep out moisture and dirt. At least that is what the inventor intended. In competition you would not use an O-ring chain. Chain lubrication is up to you because of the differing methods but do it on a regular basis and don’t put too much on and clean it up after with a rag on the chain turning the wheel by hand. If the lube is bad it will pick up dirt and if it's thin it will fly off. A chain bath is good but once again only suitable for non O-ring chains.
If you use a bath you will need an old chain to roll on the bike to bath yours then refit it and roll off the old one.