the maintenace thread

[ridinredjav]

how often do you change your oil/filter/tranny fluid? how often do you clean your air filter? what filter do you use? how do you clean your quad? change coolant/clutch/brakes... ect?

 

for me i change the oil about every 10hrs or less or every other ride. oil filter and trans fluid every other oil change. i inspect the air filter before every ride and clean/oil it if its any bit dirty. i run UNI. i wash my quad after every ride if i get any mud at the car wash but i take it easy around the pivot bolt and carrier. coolant i check every now and then but only change it every few years. clutch every few years depending on how hard i ride and as for the brake pads i just replaced them for the 1st time on my 04 in december 2011 haha guess i dont use the brakes much.

every 2 or 3 years i take my pivot bolt and carrier out and re lube. never had a stuck pivot bolt

[TheViking]

Air filter after every trip...Oil/Filter and Tranny every 2-3 trips.

[bvet4dog]

If i ride hard during weekends. i'll change the oil every 2nd ride. Reason why i change it every other ride.... the oil would already have atleast 10-15 hours of use. I try to squeeze more hours out of the oil, i know we can. For a peace of mind, i change it early anyways. In case you all are wondering, i use cheap oil. It's called rotella! After the ride, first thing i do is do the oil change while it's hot. Once that's done, it's time to clean the machine. I dont use presure washer.... just a garden hose and a bucket of brushes to give it a wash. OH yeah before i forget, the oil filter.... i used a cheap one off rockey mountain atv. I bought like 10 sets of them and they are cheap and works great. Have not found any metal shavings or seen any downfall about rotella/cheap oil filter.

 

I also use UNI air filter. I have not changed it since i first put it on. It's been 2 seasons now and it's still clean. It's because i clean it and re oil it before each seasons. Still got like 2 other new sets sitting on the shelf lol.

 

I have not changed the coolant fluid since i first got the bike. It's probably due. What coolants do you all use? I want to find something that will run "cooler" and i'm not booksmart in this area.

 

Brakes. I hardly use the brakes and the only time when i use it is on a hard braking on corners or to stop hard for w/e reasons. It's an 07 model and it still has original brake pads on it! I know for sure the rear brakes is due for replacement. I might do this at the same time i do hrc kit+exhaust installation.

 

Maintence on these bikes are considered to be normal.

[Guest Deven]

Bvet, you clean your air filter once a season? Holy moly.... i clean mine once a ride. change my oil every couple short rides and every long weekend. Every time the oil comes out it gets a new K&N oil filter. I used to use hiflo but had an end come off one one time and that was enough for me.

 

Every quad I get gets flushed with distilled water and engine ice goes in it.

 

I spray my quads down with simple green then power wash the CRAP out of everything I own when its dirty, after every ride. When done ill run it up and down the street to get the water off, spray the motor and metal down with WD-40 and throw the rear on the stand and lube the chain. Then I pull the filter and clean and reoil it. Then she is ready to ride the next time.

 

I usually go through two sets of front pads for every one rear.

[ridingred]

I change engine oil every 10 or so hours. I change tranny and oil filter (hi flo) every other oil change. My air filters take a beating since i run with the lid off. The uni gets cleaned after almost every ride. When i run my K&N it can go a little longer with the outerwears pre filter, but the UNI gets cleaned almost every ride.

 

I am needing to do a coolant flush as well. I will most likely just use regular coolant or the honda stuff.

 

You must be heavy on the front brakes boss. I use my rears much faster. My 450r does still have all stock pads on it though, the rear is about half worn and i've done 90% of the wear to it. I have been hard on the brakes lately, i smash my rears on the flat track and I tend to feather it while riding wheelies as well.

[bvet4dog]

Bvet, you clean your air filter once a season? Holy moly.... i clean mine once a ride. change my oil every couple short rides and every long weekend. Every time the oil comes out it gets a new K&N oil filter. I used to use hiflo but had an end come off one one time and that was enough for me.

 

Every quad I get gets flushed with distilled water and engine ice goes in it.

 

I spray my quads down with simple green then power wash the CRAP out of everything I own when its dirty, after every ride. When done ill run it up and down the street to get the water off, spray the motor and metal down with WD-40 and throw the rear on the stand and lube the chain. Then I pull the filter and clean and reoil it. Then she is ready to ride the next time.

 

I usually go through two sets of front pads for every one rear.

 

Haha i know what you're thinking. Hold that thought. I'm a lone rider :/. I didnt get to ride much first season as i planned to. So it was still clean haha. But it wont be after i get hrc kit installed along with a few other bells and whistles lol.

[quadnut]

Bvet, you clean your air filter once a season? Holy moly.... i clean mine once a ride. change my oil every couple short rides and every long weekend. Every time the oil comes out it gets a new K&N oil filter. I used to use hiflo but had an end come off one one time and that was enough for me.

 

Every quad I get gets flushed with distilled water and engine ice goes in it.

 

I spray my quads down with simple green then power wash the CRAP out of everything I own when its dirty, after every ride. When done ill run it up and down the street to get the water off, spray the motor and metal down with WD-40 and throw the rear on the stand and lube the chain. Then I pull the filter and clean and reoil it. Then she is ready to ride the next time.

 

I usually go through two sets of front pads for every one rear.

 

Holy crap ! 2 sets of paddles ! I service my 05 after every ride !!

[mhsrb23]

i feel oil, filters are a cheap alternative then the consequences

 

oil every race or 10 hrs

tranny every 2 races or 10hrs

K&N gets cleaned every ride

coolant every year

brakes get pulled apart after every muddy/sandy ride and cleaned

dont forget that spark plug every once in awhile!

valves and rekluse checked every 10 hours also

also shocks are easy to take apart and clean up, well worth the time!

i hate seeing people get rebuilds or buy new shocks and come to the races with them filthy from the last race, especially with sand in them

 

Sometimes i think my quadas apart more than it is together

 

cleaning wise If its real muddy i give it a initial wash, then pull plastics, tires, skids, and wash it again

[ghott]

When doing dirt drags:

 

- Change the engine and trans oil after every other race.

- Change the air filter during the race...halfway through the day it will get dusty, so I'll switch from a K&N style to a foamie. I wash both after every race.

 

When road riding:

 

- Change the engine and trans oil after every 3 or 4 rides.

- Change the air filter after every 3 or 4 rides unless there are some dusty conditions, then, more frequently.

[Junk94]

You can eat off my quad after its cleaned up after a race. I take 2-3hrs to clean it up after a race. It starts off looking like a quad and when I am dont its sitting on the jack with nothing on it.

 

Oil filter and oil after each ride

Trans fluild after each ride

Shim valves before each race

Rekluse goes two races before a check

Brakes and apart and cleaned after each race

Air Filter and lid cleaned and oil'd after each race

Shocks and suspension off and lubed after each race. I pull the link apart too

[ridinredjav]

 

also shocks are easy to take apart and clean up, well worth the time!

i hate seeing people get rebuilds or buy new shocks and come to the races with them filthy from the last race, especially with sand in them

 

Sometimes i think my quadas apart more than it is together

 

cleaning wise If its real muddy i give it a initial wash, then pull plastics, tires, skids, and wash it again

 

i agree. i always have my shock covers on for every ride

im also real picky about cleaning my quad too

[hoser]

You can eat off my quad after its cleaned up after a race. I take 2-3hrs to clean it up after a race. It starts off looking like a quad and when I am dont its sitting on the jack with nothing on it.

 

Oil filter and oil after each ride

Trans fluild after each ride

Shim valves before each race

Rekluse goes two races before a check

Brakes and apart and cleaned after each race

Air Filter and lid cleaned and oil'd after each race

Shocks and suspension off and lubed after each race. I pull the link apart too

 

That's impressive.

[bvet4dog]

Damn junk94 3 hours?

[Junk94]

Damn junk94 3 hours?

 

Yeah, I dont know who the idiot was that went and built a white framed, white plastic'd quad to race XC. I should find him and kick him in the nuts. Remember this thing has to haul me around for 2+hrs taking a beating. The last thing I want is to be left in the woods waiting for someone to come pull me back in.

 

And I have the pressure washer at home, I couldn't afford to head to the car wash and try and get it cleaned up.

[ridingred]

i'd be pissed if i had to re shim my valves before every race. My machine has gone 100 hours since it's last valve check and they are most likely still pretty close.

[Junk94]

i'd be pissed if i had to re shim my valves before every race. My machine has gone 100 hours since it's last valve check and they are most likely still pretty close.

 

Most times it does not need anything, other times it a .001 or .002. Call it as you see it, I see it as a maintenance item. Thread title is "themaintenance thread"

[ridingred]

oh yeah it's definitely a maintenance item.

[alanbmx]

I change oil, engine and trans, and clean and reoil airfilter after every weekend trip, chain gets lubed before every ride.

I spray down the swingarm and chain with auto-zone engine degreaser when I wash it when I get home, just a garden hose with a spray nozzle. Bought a pressure washer and hate it:(

then take the chain off to give it a good cleaning with an old tooth brush then lube it up

I need to clean the brakes and lube up the suspension, have not done that yet

Why don't these bikes have zerk fittings on the suspension, my 86 ATC250r had them on the pro-link

[Junk94]

I change oil, engine and trans, and clean and reoil airfilter after every weekend trip, chain gets lubed before every ride.

I spray down the swingarm and chain with auto-zone engine degreaser when I wash it when I get home, just a garden hose with a spray nozzle. Bought a pressure washer and hate it:(

then take the chain off to give it a good cleaning with an old tooth brush then lube it up

I need to clean the brakes and lube up the suspension, have not done that yet

Why don't these bikes have zerk fittings on the suspension, my 86 ATC250r had them on the pro-link

 

Most of the aftermarket stuff does. If not remove the parts you want, drill, tap and install a zerk.

[ridingred]

i've heard that our bushings (a arm, and other) don't take grease real well.

 

i think the reason is because they use cage heims with dust seals. you may end up doing more damage than good when attempting to lube honda bushings.

 

the swingarm bearings get lubed once a year, but i've never touched a honda front end a arm bushing and they all hold up just fine. Leave the zerk's for the yamaha guys.

[Junk94]

i've heard that our bushings (a arm, and other) don't take grease real well.

 

i think the reason is because they use cage heims with dust seals. you may end up doing more damage than good when attempting to lube honda bushings.

 

the swingarm bearings get lubed once a year, but i've never touched a honda front end a arm bushing and they all hold up just fine. Leave the zerk's for the yamaha guys.

 

This coming from a MAINTENANCE guy?

[ridingred]

don't be hating cuz i do maintenance

 

just coming from what i've read about honda's in particular. 400ex i the same way, the a arm bushings do not need lubed.

 

Just like i mentioned before. Honda uses sealed heims whereas yamaha uses metal bushings. The honda design requires no maintenance really, whereas the other guys will just be blowing their seals out trying to lube their a arms. (yamaha)

[El Mamito USMC]

i change my oil every 10-15hrs or 4-6 months. the air filter not that often since i have FCI filter with pantyhose and outerwear..

 

but i only use Amsoil

[airmobile101]

Clutch oil........ every three races(roughly 6 hours)

 

Engine oil........ sometimes every race or every other race. Just depends how hard I have to work the engine (roughly 1.5-4 hours)

 

engine filter..... Every other race

 

Air filter....... Usually every or every other race. Just depends on the conditions