Intro Motorcycle maintenance

Usually first thing I check to see if the wife is on pillion or if I'm going solo. All kidding aside, check your oil and tire pressure periodically until you're comfortable with what you're riding. And most of all, get on with the right attitude and enjoy the hell out of it.

^^^ smilie.
Tire pressure is a biggie. They will lose pressure gradually and the bike will handle poorly. It sneaks up on you. Also, experiment a bit with tire pressure and rear shock setting till you find what works for you.
Since you had the good judgement to buy a shaft drive bike, you don't have to worry about chain and spoken issues and the shaft system is almost maintenance free.
Last but not least check your mirrors. They can get moved accidently.
Great pic of Mt Hood.

Just google

dansmc.com_repaircourse

and that will tell you everything you will ever need to know..

It's almost as good as actually doing it yourself..

John.

It really depends on how often you ride. I ride whenever i can, which is most every day (less now that its getting cold waaaah) so i rarely check anything. When i sit i can tell if the tires are squishy or hard to steer. As for oil... well my Shadow never used a drop in 3 years between changes and honestly i never checked the water level cause the fan never came on after i jetted the carb.

So, as with ANYTHING in life, do what you want, when you want and feel comfortable with doing. Otherwise, threads like this descend into bickering because no one can ever agree on anything.

Thanks guys! I really appreciate all the advice! I've got a long road of learning ahead, that I'm aware never ends. Any tips, tricks, or general information you guys want to throw my way, feel free!

ColteRaptor said:

Thanks guys! I really appreciate all the advice! I've got a long road of learning ahead, that I'm aware never ends. Any tips, tricks, or general information you guys want to throw my way, feel free!

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avoid the dealer at all costs and make sure you're running a motorcycle safe oil.

2500hdon37s said:

avoid the dealer at all costs and make sure you're running a motorcycle safe oil.

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Here! Here!. I can't tell you how many times this one dealer in Sunnyvale [email protected]#$*! up my bike. I finally realized that I would do a much better job myself, even though I didn't know sh#@ about bike repair. Just get the OEM manual and you will become so proud of yourself. A lot of basic maintenance is not that hard at all. And some of the more involved repair can be done with patience + manual + this forum.

Getting back to this dealer in Sunnyvale, CA. They changed service managers. So now in addition to fu#$k!ng up peoples bikes, they over charge for labor. For instance, they said a fork oil change is a 3 hour job. Fuc(k) that sh!t. I also realized that the technicians guess at torque values. They've over tightened several nuts. OUCH! One was the rear axel bolt that made my rear brake squeal like a [email protected]#$ fu(c)(k)@#$ pig. I re-torqued it and it was back to normal.

ColteRaptor said:

Hey guys,

I'm new to motorcycles and would like to know what tips you guys have for me in terms of motorcycle maintenance. I have a 2013 Honda Shadow phantom and I have the service manual for it but what do you guys always check before each ride? Also what other basic maintenance tips do you have for me? Or recommendations for any intro motorcycle maintenance classes in the Oregon area?

Thanks in advance, Colter

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Follow the owner's and shop manuals maintenance schedule to keep your bike up to snuff. Take care of your battery and keep the water level up and charged. Invest in a quality set of metric tools, open end/box and socket sets. If you have the factory tool kit, cherish the spark plug socket and shock spanner wrench.

All you need to remember is TCLOCS search on the you tube, lots of info on TCLOCS checks on there.

Dingo.

what to check before each ride?
Fuel level...
I check mileage on the odometer to make sure I haven`t switched to Reserve...
I TCLOCS each month and before each long ride, so I don`t hafta check on things each ride...
Know your Bike & Welcome

Merry Christmas
Ann & Dennis

"Captain D" said:

what to check before each ride?
Fuel level...
I check mileage on the odometer to make sure I haven`t switched to Reserve...
I TCLOCS each month and before each long ride, so I don`t hafta check on things each ride...
Know your Bike & Welcome

Merry Christmas
Ann & Dennis

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+1...and i take a walk around my bike and just look at it to see if anything is loose or just looks funny...enjoy!!

I "feel" my bike each time I start it, rather than look...
Yeah, I do glance to be sure nothing has fallen off, or I have anything not supposed to be there...

Know Your Bike!

Merry Christmas
Ann & Dennis