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Keeping on top of it!


section swept
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Here are a few hints, tips and suggestions to help keep your machine in good order.....

 
                                                        AFTER EACH TRIAL :
Block exhaust rear pipe ( bung or clingfilm). Block air entry to air filter ( gaffer tape or clingfilm wrap). Wash machine with garden hose or pressure washer. DO NOT AIM JET DIRECTLY AT WHEEL BEARING SEALS OR BRAKE HUBS, STEERING HEAD OR GEARBOX OUTPUT SHAFT AREA. Clean these areas with a softish bristle brush and soapy water. Dry machine off with low pressure air or absorbent cloth.  
Before leaving bike in store area, check or maintain the following items:
Air filter housing water drain, remove bung located underside of air box usually. Allow any fluid/water to fully drain out. Remove air filter/cassette clean and re-apply Foam Filter Oil if used (important as insufficient may affect air fuel mix).
Check spark plug HT lead cap and lead for security.
Check around exhaust down-pipe to cylinder barrel for exhaust gas leakage ( usually due to seal settling). Check security of remainder of exhaust system.
Check all controls for ease of operation, visually inspect cable runs and inner cables for damage or fraying. Pay particular attention to the throttle operation which must be smooth and precise.
Check chain tensioner block and operation, confirm chain correctly tensioned with machine weighted (rider seated).
Look carefully at all potential oil leak areas such as clutch cover, gearbox output shaft seal. Contact with hard objects may cause a case e.g. clutch cover to distort or move creating a leak. 
Spin each wheel and look for signs of out of round or buckling of the wheel rims.
Check wheel spoke tension (tap with a small spanner, listen to each spokes ‘ring’ sound....dull means it is loose) Tighten loose spokes to achieve a similar ‘ring’.
It is always a good maintenance plan to remove each wheel and inspect, clean and thoroughly dry the brake housings and shoes, if the bike has been ‘wading’ streams, rivers etc. Excessive rainy weather can cause moisture to get into the smallest of places!
Check suspension operation front and back, operation should be smooth and progressive. Check visually for wheel alignment. Use Schrader valves to release captured air from front forks if fitted. Always a good idea to release any built up air pressure to prevent oil seal weepage
When dry it is a good idea to spray water repellant aerosol liquid at the spokes, wheel rims and hud centres, avoiding brake areas. The engine would benefit from similar attention. Suggested sprays are: Silicone or WD40 or AC10 etc
Now the machine is clean and dry remove the exhaust bung/ wrapping and unblock the air filter air entry.....reassemble the air filter if previously dismantled. 
TURN OFF THE FUEL TAP if not already performed. Start the engine and run until fuel in the carb float chamber is used up OR drain the carb float bowl. Drain the fuel tank. While the carb float bowl drain plug is out spray some silicon or similar into the float bowl and down through the carb fuel inlet to lube temporarily the needle valve and float. Allow for this when firing up the bike next time....i.e. a few more kicks might be needed but in my experience it causes little problem...unless you have been over exuberant with spraying into the carb, a quick shot is all thats needed.....and now for some... 
                                              WORDS OF WISDOM:
Todays modern petrol has been dosed with so many additives and chemicals to improve the environment that it now rapidly deteriorates and goes ‘stale’ very quickly.  Petrol left in the fuel tank for sometime can cause issues with the fuel attacking the resins and materials used to construct the fuel tank. Even plastic tanks are not free of this problem. Unfortunately this Ethanol rich fuel also causes problems in steel fuel tanks, lines and flexible hoses. Whilst not wishing to advertise I have used Aspen Fuel which is ethanol free and has less harmful chemicals in it unlike pump petroleum, it also remains stable for quite some time without going “stale”!
 
Ignore any maintenance regime and eventually faults will develop and stop you enjoying riding any machine. An hour or two carrying out the above should help to ensure reliability and a successful ride for the next ride.?
 
 
 
   
 

 

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On 11/6/2020 at 6:00 PM, reggie said:

Does the " Aspen fuel "   make any difference how the bike runs ?

Well the bike starts more easily after standing for a week or two with the fuel left in the tank. Throttle response seems to be crisper than when run on pump gas. There are many who will say there’s no difference, however the main thing is at least the Aspen fuel is not attacking all that it comes into contact with. It is more stable and takes ages to go off i.e. more than a year. Try it! 

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