Maintenance tips for new bike

[DieHardBigRaw]

Hello everyone, I recently purchased a 2000 GZ250 with about 10,000 miles on it. I am new the bike world, so I am just wondering what I need to do for maintenance first. I know that usually with a car, you would do an oil change and tune up, but not sure on bikes. I am heading to Germany in a few months (I am military) and would like to do whatever maintenance I need to before I go. Thanks everyone!

[Rookie Rider]

Hey there, i have a 2000 gz also. Got mine with just under 10,000 on the clock. I first did an oil and oil filter change along with the spark plug and air filter. Then cleaned and lubed up the chain along with checking the tension on it. Check my tires for cracks and proper tire pressure and the tread depth. Tighten visible nuts and bolts, lube up your cables, put fresh gas in the tank with a 1/4 can of seafoam and go for a ride. This should take you an hour to an hour and a half to do. Have fun.

[OldNTired]

Hey there, i have a 2000 gz also. Got mine with just under 10,000 on the clock. I first did an oil and oil filter change along with the spark plug and air filter. Then cleaned and lubed up the chain along with checking the tension on it. Check my tires for cracks and proper tire pressure and the tread depth. Tighten visible nuts and bolts, lube up your cables, put fresh gas in the tank with a 1/4 can of seafoam and go for a ride. This should take you an hour to an hour and a half to do. Have fun.

It would help to make sure any rust is taken care of, as well as cleaning the chrome. Wash the bike, and put some wax on the paint too. Take out the battery and
put it on a trickle charger.
Have fun in Germany; I spent most of my time on active duty in a hot, wet, place in the late 60's.

[alantf]

Take out the battery and
put it on a trickle charger.


Nope :) Most bike chargers come with a short lead that has battery connectors on one end, & a plug/socket on the other end. Permanently connect it to the battery, then lead the other end under the seat. That way, you just need to remove the seat, & plug the charger in, with no need to remove the battery every time. :2tup:

[OldNTired]

Take out the battery and
put it on a trickle charger.


Nope :) Most bike chargers come with a short lead that has battery connectors on one end, & a plug/socket on the other end. Permanently connect it to the battery, then lead the other end under the seat. That way, you just need to remove the seat, & plug the charger in, with no need to remove the battery every time. :2tup:

For short term, that could be fine. I don't know what the climate is where you live,
but where I live if you leave the battery in the bike like that for as long as he will be
leaving his the connections will corrode. If you take the battery out, no problem with
corrosion.
Also, not every battery tender has that type of connection; mine doesn't.

[alantf]

Mmmmm......Seems like you're the only person on this site with that problem. Everybody else suggests exactly what I suggested. One way round your problem is an old remedy. Coat the battery terminals with vaseline. That used to do the trick in the cold, wet, English climate. :)

[mrlmd1]

The first thing is to check the date code on the sidewall of the tires - it's in a little rectangular box imprinted into the rubber and it signifies the week and year of manufacture. If your bike is 12 years old, the tires may be very old and it's not recommended to use tires on a bike that are more than 6-7 years old no matter what they look like, no matter how much tread is on them, The rubber hardens with age and gets brittle and the tires lose their grip on the road, especially if it's a little wet. Your safety depends on the tire's grip, so check yours out.

[OldNTired]

Mmmmm......Seems like you're the only person on this site with that problem. Everybody else suggests exactly what I suggested. One way round your problem is an old remedy. Coat the battery terminals with vaseline. That used to do the trick in the cold, wet, English climate. :)

All that does for you here is leave you with greasy terminals!
I live in 'the rust belt'. Tomorrow it will be over 90 degrees F,
with over 70% humidity! Most of the week will be like that.
In the winter it is not too unusual to have wind chills of -40 to
-60 degrees F, snow up to over 40 inches.
It keeps it all interesting... :)

[alantf]

Just checked. It's 9.30 in the morning, & our hygrometer/thermometer's in the coolest, most shaded spot on the patio. It's showing 80% humidity & 84º temperature. I know the temperature rarely drops below 50º, but the humidity can reach 90%,(we live in the mountains, just below the clouds) & I've never had any problems with battery corrosion. :)

BTW, where, exactly, are you? I assumed that Westofhell was a real place (known stranger names :) ) but google earth drew a blank.

[OldNTired]

Just checked. It's 9.30 in the morning, & our hygrometer/thermometer's in the coolest, most shaded spot on the patio. It's showing 80% humidity & 84º temperature. I know the temperature rarely drops below 50º, but the humidity can reach 90%,(we live in the mountains, just below the clouds) & I've never had any problems with battery corrosion. :)

BTW, where, exactly, are you? I assumed that Westofhell was a real place (known stranger names :) ) but google earth drew a blank.

We have had temperature rises (and drops) of 50 degrees within a 12 hour period here. What causes the big problems, for vehicles and roads, is the rapid
and extreme temp changes coupled with the high humidity.
Oh, that thing about "20 miles west of hell"?
Well, I am just about halfway between Pittsburgh, Pa. and Weirton, W. Va.,
roughly 20 miles to either one, in a village named Imperial (yes, a village!).
Pittsburgh is to the west of me .
And since you brought up 'stranger names', Intercourse, Pa., is about 263 miles East.

[alantf]

I am in a village named Imperial (yes, a village!).


Hey, I too live in a village. La Perdoma, in Tenerife. :)

[OldNTired]

I am in a village named Imperial (yes, a village!).


Hey, I too live in a village. La Perdoma, in Tenerife. :)

Is that common in Spain? I can't speak for orther states, but here in Pa.,
it is not. We have no grocery, no gas station, no doctor,
but we do have a couple of churches and a handful of bars.
And we have deer, turkey, and coyotes running through our yards!
And a lot of peace and quiet, and compared to larger places
we have no crime - unless someone stays at one of the bars too long. :)

[alantf]

Yes, lots of little villages. We have all the amenities though. As for animals, it's mainly the herds of goats being driven between feeding grounds that holds up the traffic. Talking about animals, people think that these islands (The Canaries) were due to the canaries (birds) that abound here. Actually it was a corruption of the Latin word, canine, due to the early explorers coming across many packs of wild dogs. (lecture over :) )

[OldNTired]

Yes, lots of little villages. We have all the amenities though. As for animals, it's mainly the herds of goats being driven between feeding grounds that holds up the traffic. Talking about animals, people think that these islands (The Canaries) were due to the canaries (birds) that abound here. Actually it was a corruption of the Latin word, canine, due to the early explorers coming across many packs of wild dogs. (lecture over :) )

No goats around here, unless you count my ex-wife and her mother! But sometimes the farmers down the road take cows across the road to a different pasture. I watched a family of deer behind my property this morning while having my coffee; great way to start the day.