KDXRIDER.NET

I was just out cleaning and oiling my cables and chain and i thought id share lol.
-I wash my bike after every ride, regardless of distance or time ridden.
- I inspect and clean(if needed) my air filter after every ride.
-I clean and oil my chain after every ride, and i carry a tiny wire brush and small can of oil on every ride and also clean and oil it every time i stop for a smoke break. If its muddy i only clean it after the ride is over.
- I clean, oil, and grease the ends of my cables every friday. i inspect them after every ride.
- I put a wrench to axles, swingarm, linkage, filter, fork bolts, brake bolts, etc after every ride.
- I lube linkage and swingarm every other week. (i just ordered complete bearing kits so ill start doing it weekly soon).
- I inspect and pressure check tires before, during, and after every ride.
- I check oil and coolant before, during and after rides.
I usually spend an hour of "zen time" after every ride performing the daily steps, and my bike is ALWAYS ready to ride every morning at 8am after i drop the kids off at school. I posted this for anyone new to bikes who may stumble onto this post so that i can convince them to take a little time to ensure that their bikes last a long time. My 02 kdx is like a new one since i got it from the po who apparently couldnt do basic maintenance nor wash it after riding it. Anyone have anything to add to the list, or any steps ive missed?

i do the same ... except insert: "never" at the beginning of each sentence

Wow your bike must be like riding a new bike.
Ya I was feeling embarrassed while reading this due to the neglect my bike gets compared to yours. I keep the oil changed and airfilter clean and wash when it gets brown. This is my klx250 im talking about. The kdx hybrid im building will prob get more attention to keep clean. My klx has 9000 miles and needs a tear down cleaning this winter and will need bearings and chain and sprockets. Busted as well. I wish I had the time for all that shop Time.


Sent from the back woods of vt via patchy Internet
Live free and ride hard

scheckaet wrote:i do the same ... except insert: "never" at the beginning of each sentence

lol...I thought I was the only abusive owner so wasn't going to say anything

I do wash my bike at the end of the riding weekend (ok, if it rains really hard on the drive home I count that.. )

Chain gets oiled, and adjusted, if I see it looks like it needs it before I load it up

I DO mix fresh fuel every time though lol...mostly because I ride till its all gone.

I definitely change my filter before each excursion (ok, ok, that is solely due to the fact that I use No Toil filters, they are already lubed, I throw the old one away, and they are cheaper than the oil/cleaner/gloves/time to do it myself....come to think of it why hasn't No Toil put out Mechanic in a bag, just rip it open and he preps your bike for you???)

Here's mine. my bike looks really good and performs awesome. I've yet to have to replace something due to neglect using this routine.
after ride-
-HANDWASH bike after every ride(no pressure washers) and dry pipe, plastics, and forks with a towel
-clean chain during bike washing and oil it the next day after it has dried
-check or clean air filter after every ride especially if its been dusty
before ride-
-check coolant level and trans. oil level
-check air pressures and adjust based on where I'm going/conditions
-check WER steering damper attachment bolts for tightness
-check wheel bearings for play and steering head bearings for play
-check hand guard bolts
-make sure it starts and runs before I load it in the truck
-fill the gas tank
periodic maintenance-
-lube clutch cable(approx. every 3 months)
-change transmission oil (approx. after 3, long day rides)
-lube steering stem bearings, swing arm, and linkage bearings(once a year, usually beginning of fall)
-adjust chain (whenever I see it needs it)
-check spokes
-flush brake system(once a year)

trust me fellers, if it took longer than an hour i eouldnt do it either! Ive just seen too many people with nice bike who let then rust out from under them without any maintenance done to the bike. Although my list seemed long, its literally only about 30-45 minutes of work to make sure the bike is ready. I bought a 2001 yz 250 last year to rebuild, and it hadnt been washed in the 12 years it lived, from the looks of it; that kind of neglect is pure sorryness on the owners part. My old bike looks rough, and has had a hard prior life, but it aint going to rust away from lack of care on my part at least.

I forgot about checking brake fluid! Thanks for the reminders! I do check it, but forgot to list it.

De250r wrote:Wow your bike must be like riding a new bike.
Ya I was feeling embarrassed while reading this due to the neglect my bike gets compared to yours. I keep the oil changed and airfilter clean and wash when it gets brown. This is my klx250 im talking about. The kdx hybrid im building will prob get more attention to keep clean. My klx has 9000 miles and needs a tear down cleaning this winter and will need bearings and chain and sprockets. Busted as well. I wish I had the time for all that shop Time.


Sent from the back woods of vt via patchy Internet
Live free and ride hard

Honestly, just add checking tire pressure and lubing cables and yours is a good enough list for daily practice. All the extra stuff i do is "wind down" time to myself before i go into the house to my *ahem* adoring wife and kids lol. I gotta have "me" time!

I have never lubed a cable. Prob would help a lot. Do u just spray down the end with wd. I do also check my pressure b4 I ride its the old knee on the tire trick. Does that count?


Sent from the back woods of vt via patchy Internet
Live free and ride hard

i remove the cable from the lever or throttle assembly depending on which im working on. I then take the corner of a stiff plastic ziplock bag and make a small hole in it to feed the cable end through. then i tape the bottom of the part i placed over the cable end to the cable sheath. I use a plastic clamp to make my cable stand upright, then i fill the little funnel ive made with the ziplock bag with a mix of pb blaster and 3 in 1 oil, or pure ptfe teflon oil if i have Any. Itll flow through the cable in about 15 minutes, then you can work the cable in and out of its sheath the spread the oil. wipe and grease the cable ends, lever pivot points, and clean up sny excess and youre finished. Total time to do throttle and clutch cable is about 30 minutes. I can tell a difference if i go longer than a few days without lubing the clutch cable especially.

scheckaet wrote:i do the same ... except insert: "never" at the beginning of each sentence

Thats Low!!!!

My sentiments exactly!

generally my maintenance is fill her up with gas, add oil and go go GO

(

Forgot about checking the spokes after a hard ride or after riding rocky terrain. Mine always seem loose after encountering choppy pebbles amd rocks. Dont forget the motor mounts as well- tighten them when needed.

lol, those spike have been tight since 1996
im not worried

diymirage wrote:lol, those spike have been tight since 1996
im not worried

I seem to have 3 or 4 per wheel that need a 1/4 turn every once in a while- near the bead locks.othereise, youre right, those things stay tight usually. Ive never found a loose motor mount either, but on friends bikes ive seen them creep loose over time occasionally.

i'd say something about torqueing them down right the first time but that would just end in batesy fantasizing about me in a skirt and MX boots so im just gonna keep quiet ;)


(on a side note, I did fry the top end once due to a radiator hose clamp coming loose)

Hose clamps! Add those to the checklist ! lol.