Help on maintenence please!

[svi40]

Well, maybe you remember from previous threads that I'm up and riding and putting a ridiculous amount of miles on my bike. This weekend I hope to get a few things hammered out on her.

First off,...the bike is an 01 Bandit 600 with just under 5K miles on it. I know a bit about automobile maintenence but this bike is a bit of a different beast. (what do they call that, alliteration?) I plan on doing some of the work myself while leaving some to the pros. Basically, I want to do all standard maintenence and some preventative stuff since I don't know how the bike was ridden by the previous owner.

Obviously change the oil, oil filter, air filter, and spark plugs. The rubber looks good. The bike is a little rough below 5K like its not really in synch with itself. Maybe a carb cleaning/balance?

What all would you advise doing to the bike? What do you think I (who has a fair amount of mechanical ability) could accomplish and what should I leave for the shop to do?

Thanks for the help guys, it is very much appreciated. I'm learning a bunch from everyone and I'm looking forward to being able to contribute someday as well.

[Bachstrad37]

I'd suggest looking up your owner's manual and find the service maintenance schedule.

Next, get yourself a service manual for your make/model. I got my manual off ebay and it was cheap ($12 U.S).

Get a gander at the steps outlined in the service manual for each maintenance task and determine what you're capable of doing.

If you're somewhat competent at auto repairs and maintenance, you can basically use the same tools on a motorcycle. You do have to get a couple of specialty tools for the bike. I purchased a motorcycle lift which lifts the bike off the ground while it balances the bike perfectly parallel with the ground. This is nice during oil changes.

In all honesty, I found motorcycle maintenance to be much easier than an automobile. If you're like me, you'll see why once you get a look at a service manual.

[sharpmagna]

Yeah I second the idea of getting a service manual for your bike. First choice would be the Factory Service manual, second choice is the Clymer and 3rd is the Haynes. That's the order of best to ok version...

If you can do a minor tune-up on a car, you can do the same on a bike. Everything on a bike is easier to get to than on a car. The worst thing is taking off the fairings for sport bikes. No fairings means easier job. Most mechanically inclined people can change the oil, oil filter, air filter, spark plugs and coolant. Cleaning and oiling the chain is very simple too. I don't know if your bike needs its valves adjusted or self adjusting, but this usually involves taking off the valve heads. It's a simple process, but a bit intimidating for a bike newb. I let the dealership do mine this time as I just got the bike, but next time I'm doing it since it cost me about $190.

Your hesitation problem may be solved by running some seafoam through your gas system. Messing with the carbs seems pretty intimidating, but I've never done it so it may actually be easy.

Good luck learning to wrench on your own bike. You really learn a lot about your bike and save tons of money doing stuff yourself.