just got a used GZ, what should i look over maintenance wise

[dannylightning]

this is my first bike it is a blue 03 gz250 with 2900 some miles on it. since its my first bike i don't know every thing to look for, i have rode bikes before just never had my own so i could use some help here

so far i have adjusted the clutch cable, throttle cable, cleaned the air filter but probably should replace it, changed the oil, tightened the rubber hose on both sides of the carb, (the clamps were so loose i could move them by hand and it was leaking a little bit of gas), put air in the tires.

i know the chain needs tensioned, it has a pretty good amount of play and according to the manual it should only have about half a inch of play if i understand that correctly, it does not explain well on adjusting the chain but i assume it means that half a inch or so is all the further the chain should be able to move up and down when you giggle it??? i already know to look for tight spots and all of that

it ran good when i got it and it runs a lot smoother now,

what else should i look for that may need adjustment that a newbie can do their self, i am some what mechanically inclined but no mechanic
thanks

-Danny
http://www.postimage.org/aV1QDOtS.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

[alanmcorcoran]

Tires on an '03 might be old. I'd have someone that knows tires take a look at them. Check for loose spokes on the wheels.

You might want to consider a new battery... does it start right up? 2900 miles sounds like it wasn't ridden much. Maybe the battery was out of the bike on a tender or something...

It's also easy to check/replace the plug, although, 2900 miles is not much. Might even be rusty!

The bikes are pretty solid, most problems will reveal themselves without too much detective work. You want to be careful about the tires for the obvious reasons.

[patrick_777]

You've done quite a bit of the usual stuff already, but I'd really go over those tires closely. Model year 2003 puts them coming up on 6 years old, and only 29xx miles means they haven't had a lot of use in their lifetime. Small cracks in the sidewall (especially near the rim) means they're hardening up and will need replacing soon. How soon depends on the condition, really.

[patrick_777]

Damn, too slow.

[dannylightning]

Damn, too slow.

lol too slow but a good answer. thanks the tires actually look brand new, if i remember correctly he said he had replaced the tires cus they started to dry rot a bit, i looked at this bike and a few rebels but im pretty sure this is the one that had the tires replaced. the gz felt way better than the rebel, fell in love with it as soon as i took it for a spin.

the bike usually fires right up, there was one day it was a little hard to start after it cranked a few times i let it set for a min so it did not flood than tried again after a couple of cranks i rolled on the throttle and it fired right up, i have had it for about 3 weeks now and i assume the battery is still good.

i will definitely check the plug, kind of looks like you got to take the tank off to get to it. haven't looked that up in the manual yet

[alanmcorcoran]

No sir. No need to take anything off. It comes with a cheapo wrench in the tool kit, but assuming you didn't get one, get a flexible one from an auto parts store. (I'm not a mechanic either, but I got mine off and back on with no sweat at all.)

Don't let anything fall in the hole. cover it up with something if you aren't gonna put the plug right back. Before you take it off get a gapper (or whatever they are called.) I used an emory board to clean a little schmutz off mine. If the bike is running good you might not want to bother with this for now.

[patrick_777]

There's a thread with pics in the How-To section that deals specifically with changing the plug. I even put pics on it.

The tires are the primary thing I would worry about if the bike is running good and everything seems in order. If the PO replaced them, then great. You can check the date of manufacture on the side of the tire using the date code stamped into the sidewall (look here (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11) for a good guide). It's handy to have that information no matter.

Have you downloaded the Owner's Guide and Service Manual yet? There's a link at the top of the Maintenance forums and the main page (also on the homepage).

[dannylightning]

Have you downloaded the Owner's Guide and Service Manual yet? There's a link at the top of the Maintenance forums and the main page (also on the homepage).[/quote]

i surd did, got all 3 of the manuals, the bike did not come one one. i found this site last night and im glad i did

the tires were the first thing i looked at, the rubber is still soft and in great shape and they are a nice dark color just like a brand new tire, ill check for the date.


hey one thing i should ask, what do you guys use to clean and lube your chain. mine is kind of dirty. the manual says to use kerosene, that seems a bit strange to me but if that is what they recommend and you guys don't know of any thing better i guess that's what ill do . i bought a can of spray chain lube. some kind of thick white greese sprayed out of it, that was not what i was expecting. i just saw chain lube and thought great. when i found and read the manual and it said not to use the stuff in the can thought crap!!!!!

[patrick_777]

Chain lube is a little controversy around here. Search around and you'll find some hot topics on it. The concensus, I believe is to use kerosene and a lot of towels to wipe it off and clean it good. Then get a can of dupont spray silicone that is tacky and slick enough to get on to the chain fine.

Th book shows very well how to measure it.

[Easy Rider]

The concensus, I believe is to use kerosene and a lot of towels to wipe it off and clean it good. Then get a can of dupont spray silicone that is tacky and slick enough to get on to the chain fine.


Consensus.....HERE ??? Surely you jest !! :biggrin:

Mineral spirits is a good sub. for kero. It doesn't smell as bad.
I think the Dupont stuff you are trying to remember is Teflon and not Silicone.

Chain: The "working" part of the chain (the actual joints) are lubbed and sealed at the factory with tiny O rings. This means that cleaning and lube are not NEAR as important as it would be with a "plain" chain......still important though.

I personally use the recommended 90W gear oil for both cleaning and lube. I put extra on, rotate it a few times, let it sit for a while and wipe off (most of) the excess. This approach is definitely not for everyone, however, as it tends to be a little messy. I do that only when it looks like it is getting crud caked on, which is VERY infrequently. Other times just drop a few drops on the bottom of the chain and let the sprockets spread it around. You really don't need much.

I only have one thing to add to the routine maintenance list: Carb. cleaner in the gas at least once a year.

Welcome to the site.

[patrick_777]

I think the Dupont stuff you are trying to remember is Teflon and not Silicone.
Yes, you're right. The spray silicone is basically WD40.

Sorry, I was tired.

[alantf]

Mineral spirits is a good sub. for kero.

o.k. please help out a "foreigner" who doesn't know some of the American terms. What is mineral spirits?
"white spirits" is a paint thinner, "methylated spirits" is a french polish thinner, but I've never heard of mineral spirits. just like we call kerosene "paraffin" I'll bet it's just something I know by another name.

[dannylightning]

Mineral spirits is a good sub. for kero.

o.k. please help out a "foreigner" who doesn't know some of the American terms. What is mineral spirits?
"white spirits" is a paint thinner, "methylated spirits" is a french polish thinner, but I've never heard of mineral spirits. just like we call kerosene "paraffin" I'll bet it's just something I know by another name.


mineral spirits is a paint thinner you can get in just about any hardware section.

[patrick_777]

Yes, White Spirits is the very same thing.