My first post, but I have lurked for a little while. Great stuff in this forum!! Thank you! I do have a question, but first a little about me. I am mid in my mid 30's and rode dirt bikes/quads about 10 years ago, and have now decided on hitting the open road! I have taken Team Oregon riders training, and passed. I purchased a used 1998 V-Star 650 (14k miles), and love it. My questions are this:
1. I read a post on here about checking things on the bike, but do not have a dipstick to check oil, or tranny fluid, (atleast none that I can find). Is there one, or a way to "install" one?
2. I was checking the tires, and they are pretty new, except I did notice something (and it may be my paranoya being new and all), but on the tread itself (not sidewall), there are tiny cracks on the raised portions of the tread. These tires are spitfires. The tires do not appear to be damaged in anyway, and the mechanic guy did not appear to be to concerned with it, but I am still paranoid.
Should I be alarmed?3. How can I check the breaks to make sure that they are good? The manuel probably has this in there, but for some reason this particular manual only seems to show how to replace them instead of showing how to inspect them.
4. Any other things to inspect, and how to go about inspecting them?
5. When it comes to riding, I have anxieties about the open road. I have been riding around the neighborhood, but the cool thing is, that withing a few hundred feet is a hwy that is 55, and I really want to ride it, but paranoya takes over again. LOL. Any advice?
Thank you all for any help you can provide!
