FRYTBYTES Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 Hi, just new to biking in that i finally saved and pursaded the wife that it would be good for me to have a bike! I got a 2002 Honda hornet 600f s. And while i have learnt a few things on how to maintain my car through trail and mainly error..., i am looking forward to being able to work at my bike. I got a Haynes manual and I've got a rear paddock stand and now i'm ready to go! The first thing i was going to have a blast at was cleaning and re-lubricating the chain. Any hints and tips? Suggested tools, lubs, cleaning solutions etc.? I'd also love to hear about any stuff i should be checking before i go for a ride or stuff i should be changing, cleaning, checking etc. I know it says it all in the Haynes thing but I'd like to hear what you guys do and the best way for me to start being able to get into working on the bike. Thanks very much for reading and help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flange Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 Hi - nice bike, I had a hornet as a first bike and loved it. Things to check/do frequently Tyre pressures - check the manual, buy a decent gauge and check them frequently. You won't need a valve adapter for the front (on some bikes, the bigger disc brakes make it harder to get the air hose in there) so its a fairly easy operation. I got my electronic guage from Halfords for about £4. Fits under the seat, doesn't matter if you loose it (so much). Flat tyres will make it handle like a bag-o-shite, its much more important than in a car (I NEVER check my car tyres) Lube the chain as often as you can. Get it on the paddock stand, flick the stand up and boot it into gear. Spray lube on - I've got some KTM motorcross stuff which I like - doesn't get flung off as easily. Or go one better and get a scotoiler Engine oil - start the bike, run it till it gets warm then switch off and leave for five mins. Check the sight glass on the side and make sure its within the lines. Top up as necessary. If you're changing the oil, I suggest buying a measuring jug. It makes it SO much easier to work out how much you've put in it, and saves pissing it all over the floor and down the bike. Its a personal thing but I'd recommend some ear plugs. Bag of 50 is about a tenner. I enjoy riding much more with them in. If you're not riding on a regular basis then a trickle charger like an Optimate isn't a bad idea. Keep the charge in the battery and keep it in a decent condition. If you are riding through winter, wash it after a ride if you can and spray on something like ScotOiler FS£$!# (can't remember the number). I did and its kept my bike looking nice. Buy decent spanners - nothing worse than rounding something off due to rubbish tools. Halfords professional stuff is decent enough with a good warrenty. Although I've just got some new Facom stuff and its lovely. And a bit of topic - When you fill up with petrol, fill it up to the brim, then wait. The level will then drop and you can fill it some more - rinse and repeat. Hornets are a bastard for this - I couldn't work out why mine was only doing 80 miles to the reserve until my mate told me. There will be other more experienced people giving you much more indepth advice than this - this is just what I picked up over my first couple of years riding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widdy Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 Check your throttle play, and adjust out any slack. sort out your suspension, even if it's only slighlty adjustable, did this on my old bandit 12 and it made a huge differnce. Before setting out on a ride? Locked house (keys in pocket) Wallet Phone RAC / AA Petrol Optional-WAG's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwakbiker Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 Clean your chain off with wd40 and a rag once a month, id say just spin the wheel by hand on the paddock stand rather than in gear(just my preference), scottoil FS365(thats the number) is great stuff. Rinse the bike off as often as you can if riding in winter. Haynes manual is pretty good but can leave with half the info on important stuff, sure if you posted what you were going to do on here someone would give you hints and tips to help along or may even pop by for the nominal fee of brew and biccies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SexMachine Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 Paraffin is very good for cleaning the chain ... you can buy a 5lt container from B&Q or Homebase etc for a couple of quid.Just brush it on with an old toothbrush. It cleans all the shit off and will not damage the O'rings. Diesel also works well. Wipe all the excess off ... then spray on the chain lube. Bobs yer uncle ... Fannies yer aunt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 dunno about lubing the chain with the bike in gear... mate of mine did that and ended up with his little finger stuck inbetween the chain and the sprocket which locked up the rear wheel causing the bike to stall, he had to get some help to start the bike so he could rotate the wheel right round till he could get his finger out!!!! He dont lube his chain at all now!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDMitch Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 Get in the habit of washing your bike with a sponge every now and then. Not because bikes should be clean, but because it's a good way to make yourself look closely at the bike and get to know it. You'll notice loose bolts, missing fasteners, all sorts of stuff. There are a couple of Haynes Bike Maintenance books that might be good. Plus get decent tools as mentioned. You'll need spanners, sockets and screwdrivers as a basis. I like the sockets with the rouned, wave pattern grips that hold the flats of the nut/bolt head rather than the corners. Good for working on older bikes where stuff can be seized. If you can, get some grease, coppaslip and wd40 too, plus chain lube, appropriate oil. Loctite is worthwhile too. Have fun! Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorenzo Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 And while we're on the subject of chain lube, don't use that horrible 'no-fling' super thick goop, it'll just cause more chain wear: it gets dirt and grit stuck in it which 'sands' down the chain. If you go to any half decent bike shop they'll do 'dry film' chain lube, it's some wierd stuff that smells kind of fruity and is obviously solvent based. Spray it on and leave it 2 or 3 minutes for the solvents to evaporate and then your chain's clean and lubed. Not only will this mean your bike looks nice and neat, it'll mean that your chain is well lubed as you're not hassled by having to clean the old gunge off it every time you lube it up and hence won't put it off at any opportunity. On another subject of general maintainance, get to know your brakes, they work much better when they're kept on top of. Keep them clean, they'll thank you for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David W Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 Haynes do a general maintenance book for bikes that I'm told is quite good. Takes you through the basic stuff that is generic for all bikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scwirral Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 Worth mentioning where you are, fella. There is bound to be someone on here within riding distance, and it is so helpful to have a mate in the know nearby. Despite the fact that everyone has their own way of doing things, most peoples' methods work, so if you can go for a ride with someone local and buy them a bacon buttie, coffee & cake or something, you'll find you win access to loads of advice and occasional help / loan of tools etc. We are not like car loving gents who limit their efforts to help by letting you share their music as they drive past ;-) Also, if you live within riding distance ou Oulton Park, pop along on Sat 1st Nov and meet some of the forum peeps there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pauly Posted October 19, 2008 Report Share Posted October 19, 2008 try to get into the habit of regularly checking your tyres for stabby stuff, screws, nails etc. If you are dead lucky you will find them before they go in too deep and cause a puncture. If not, it might save you from a high speed blow out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRYTBYTES Posted October 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 All good stuff guys thanks very much. I'm in Northern Ireland near Belfast, got a few mates with bikes so going to start annoying them for help too, like to try things myself though, thats why i was asking for help here. Since i last posted i WD40'd the chain that was a pleasant job! Completely covered in crap after it! But the chain went from black and grungey to silver, very satisfying. There is a good bit of rust on the inside of the chain which i couldnt get off. Not sure if thats something i need to worry about or try something different to get off, or even replace the chain? I also got one of thoses tire pressure indicators, turns out a great help as my tires had lost quite a bit of pressure, which i hadnt noticed due to lack of experience riding i supose. Something i'll check now nefore every ride. Had my first near bike crash i think.... Was out on sunday moring around 9.00am coming over some country roads, as i was riding over a blind hill at about 50mph i noticed a herd of cows in the middle of the road on up, and as i got further over the hill i met a land rover and a car waiting for the cows to move! Nearly painted my pants.... as i grabbed the front brake and put both feet on the ground. A braking method i never learned in my test.... Ah well i guess its all part of learning to ride the roads on a bike??? Thanks for all your help, i'll be back with more questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heds954 Posted October 29, 2008 Report Share Posted October 29, 2008 After years of DIY maintenance I took the plunge and used latex gloves for working on my brakes the other day. What a revelation, yes they look poncy, but they keep yer hands warmer (good for this time of year) and clean, which is an absolute fuggin godsend when you need to answer the phone, smoke a tab or have a sudden urge to pick yer nose/scrat yer bum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 And keep hands and Fingers well clear of the chain. It is all too easy to remove a finger by being careless whilst lubing a chain.. It may sound daft, but lubing the chain is probably one of the most dangerous things to do on a bike, just because you have a spinning wheel with quite a bit of energy and you have a good saw blade (the sprocket) with a nice edge to trap your fingers in!! Your finger will usually come off before the wheel stops turning!! Try to keep your hands and fingers at least 6 inches away from the chain or sprockets when lubricating them!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregtrx Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 And keep hands and Fingers well clear of the chain. It is all too easy to remove a finger by being careless whilst lubing a chain.. It may sound daft, but lubing the chain is probably one of the most dangerous things to do on a bike, just because you have a spinning wheel with quite a bit of energy and you have a good saw blade (the sprocket) with a nice edge to trap your fingers in!! Your finger will usually come off before the wheel stops turning!! Try to keep your hands and fingers at least 6 inches away from the chain or sprockets when lubricating them!! Or, don't do it with the engine on. You have not been charged for this advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 Damn, I was hoping to get at least a drink out of the advice!! Even if the engine is not running and you just spin the wheel by hand, still keep fingers away from moving parts!! I will charge for this advice.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRYTBYTES Posted November 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2008 Having a bit of bother with the rear brake i think. When the bike is on the rear paddock stand and i rotate the rear wheel there is a sound like the brake pads are connecting with the disc. It might not be that but thats what i think it is. So when i'm riding and not even going fast, i'm coming up to a junction and coming down the gears, then give a wee touch of rear brake it feels like there is nothing there or else the back wheel skids. Need to check the pads and see if there is much on them i know but the bike was serviced before i got it in September and thought the pads would have been changed in that? There is a brand new rear tire aswell. Any other ideas to why this would happen? Do i need to clean brakes pads every so often? I'll check the fluid too. Maybe i'm answering my own question here? Check pads, fluid and caliper? Im new to biking by the way..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted November 21, 2008 Report Share Posted November 21, 2008 It is not unusual for brakes to 'feather' when not 'applied' - this often happened to me on a couple of bikes. If you don't feel them affecting the bike when you coast in neutral then I wouldn't worry about it. It should be simple (5-10 mins) to remove the brake caliper (probably just a couple of bolts) when on the stand to check the noise source. Just make sure the brakes are not squeezed when they're off 'cause it's a pain to push the pads back into position to them back onto the disc. As for your description of the rear brake being very on/off or 'wooden' - I had this on a Trumpet Sprint RS which was otherwise excellent. I basically didn't use them because of this unless I *wanted* to lock the rear wheel. I decided braided hoses would be a cheapish upgrade and they *transformed* the brakes (front and rear) into something very progressive and usable. There may have been a more fundamental problem with the rear brake but I now swear by braided brake hoses as one of the best upgrades you can do. When the caliper is off (as per 2nd para above) have a look at the pads if you can - they could maybe do with cleaning if there's build up of crap which is affecting performance. This was not the case on my RS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtr-1000 Posted November 29, 2008 Report Share Posted November 29, 2008 All good stuff guys thanks very much. I'm in Northern Ireland near Belfast, got a few mates with bikes so going to start annoying them for help too, like to try things myself though, thats why i was asking for help here. Since i last posted i WD40'd the chain that was a pleasant job! Completely covered in crap after it! But the chain went from black and grungey to silver, very satisfying. There is a good bit of rust on the inside of the chain which i couldnt get off. Not sure if thats something i need to worry about or try something different to get off, or even replace the chain? I also got one of thoses tire pressure indicators, turns out a great help as my tires had lost quite a bit of pressure, which i hadnt noticed due to lack of experience riding i supose. Something i'll check now nefore every ride. Had my first near bike crash i think.... Was out on sunday moring around 9.00am coming over some country roads, as i was riding over a blind hill at about 50or the cows to move! Nearly paintmph i noticed a herd of cows in the middle of the road on up, and as i got further over the hill i met a land rover and a car waiting fed my pants.... as i grabbed the front brake and put both feet on the ground. A braking method i never learned in my test.... Ah well i guess its all part of learning to ride the roads on a bike??? Thanks for all your help, i'll be back with more questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtr-1000 Posted November 29, 2008 Report Share Posted November 29, 2008 with regard to your nearly first crash-DON'T RIDE WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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