What does a "service" involve?

[t_bonee]

Hi all,

I've been reading through many ads looking for my first bike and I see many that say "just had yearly service" or "needs to be serviced".

What exactly does a service involve? Does it involve the shop going completely over the bike to see if anything is wrong? Or just and oil change and fluid top-off, a lube, oil, filter type thing?

Thanks for any info.

Tom

[TechTMW]

Depends on how many miles are on the bike.

Service schedules for each bike are published in the owners manual (and maybe online) Most of the time it's just a fluid change/check but at some mileage intervals you need valves checked, cables adjusted, brakes checked etc etc.

When buying used, don't ever take the sellers word that the bike was "just serviced." Make them produce a work order or reciept which shows what work was done. If you buy used and don't know the service history of the bike, it's going to need at least a fluid change.

[oldnslo]

"Service" varies widely, as Tech said. This winter, "service" for me meant partial disassembly of the steering head to lube the roller bearings, complete removal of the swingarm and everything attached to it to lube the rollers in the swingarm pivot and while I was at it lubing the driveshaft splines, and I'll need to replace the brushes in the generator in a couple thousand miles, and I still need to change the fork oil. I already did the oil and filter and differential , lube the side and centerstand pivots, the brake and clutch lever pivots, shiftlever and rear foot brake pivots, and lubed the throttle and clutch cable. I may have left out something, but I think you might get the idea. "Service" does vary, with the vintage of the bike, old needing it more and newer having fewer things to service.
Tech is right about maintenance records. I maintain a log of every oil change and everything else I do to or install on my bike. I can provide the exact day and mileage any maintenance was done on it. It's a good habit.