Routine maintenance - that's what they tell you

[Hi-T]

So - this weekend I stripped down the gs for routine maintenance and to rejet/filter/exhaust the bike...  I have learned some lessons.

Don't "trust" your dealer.  Every part they ordered for me was wrong... even the oil filter.  They even pulled up the microfiche on the bike and couldn't get it right.  I now take the parts I need in a little baggy.  I'm glad that the yamaha dealer had a clue...

Autozone carries standard parts for motorcycles.  They had a complete listing of part numbers on their computer for the gs500 (things like filters, spark plugs, etc).

Nothing ever goes perfectly.  Every screw holding the carbs together was frozen.  I had to notch them out with a dremmel to stop them from stripping and to get enough torque on them to budge.

Plastic hates cold.  I'm in Utah- It's cold.  I was finishing with the carbs outside in the garage (didn't want to bother my wife with the gassy smell).  I had one last needle to reseat when one of the plastic arms in the valve/piston snapped off ( the 2001 carbs have a few differences...).  AAAHHHH.  "50 dollars!! yeah go ahead and order it."  I figure the cold made the plastic brittle- Something to consider.  

At least it's too cold to ride.

[scratch]

Oh man, I hear your pain...






All the way over here.

[Kerry]

I'm in Utah- It's cold.

richard and I will agree with you there.  The highs have been in the 20's for weeks now.  Blasted temperature inversion.... :x

At least it's too cold to ride.

Well, maybe in Salt Lake City "proper".  But Richard has been commuting the 40 miles from Orem to SLC on his GS500.

Granted, he's nuts.  It helps that 1) He's young, and 2) This is his first bike (he bought it from me in November) so he doesn't know any better.     He won't know what to do with all that winter riding gear when summer finally hits again.

I've been riding to work in Orem as well, but it's only 5-6 miles each way.

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As far as dealers go, Escape Motorsports (formerly Frandsen's) has always treated me right.  They put my bike back together after I hit that cow back in 2000.  But anymore I only go there for the occasional part, or to have mail order tires mounted and balanced.

Maybe when Spring rolls around we can get together for a canyon ride.  Park City?  Huntsville?  Woodruff?  Bear Lake?  You name it!

[Hi-T]

A group ride would be sweet.

As far as riding in this weather... It's doable just not really enjoyable.  My street still has snow on it and the second the sun goes down and that inversion hits, the roads ice over.

I rode once in a suprize blizzard on my way home- I don't want to repeat that... it was scarey to begin with and then having to deal with an angry (but extremely caring) wife- No way would I repeat that!

Sometimes it's better to leave the bike parked...  and make motorcycle noises while you drive your truck to work.

[Blueknyt]

Sometimes it's better to leave the bike parked... and make motorcycle noises while you drive your truck to work.

Nevah, I shall Ride till my death, or horribly freakish tramaticly disabling accident.

[yamahonkawazuki]

i'll be damned, i make motorcycle noises on the phone while at work :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen: