Hey everyone, I bought my first bike last spring, a used '07 CBR600RR w/ about 10,000 miles. I put on another 2,000 miles last summer and then put it away for the winter since up here in Chicago, it's no fun riding in 10 F weather.

Now, since this is my first bike and my first time putting it away for winter, I wanted to know what kind of things I should inspect or replace at A) this kind of mileage and B) after storing it for the winter.

The only thing I really did apart from putting it into the garage was taking out the battery and putting it on a dresser in my bedroom. Now since spring is showing signs of showing up, I want to get a head start and prep the bike before we start seeing some nice 70 F days.

So far, since I bought it used and it has sat over the winter, I am at least planning on buying new tires, valve stems and valve caps, new chain, changing the oil, and possibly change the sprockets to make a bit more aggressive. Since I am sure there is something I have missed, I would appreciate your advice and recommendations on post-winter replacements & inspections as well as things that should be replaced when purchasing a used bike since I kind of skipped that last spring

Thanks in advance!

 

I don't know what part of Chicago you live in but in my part spring is showing no signs of showing up.

Hopefully you filled the gas take up and put some Sta-Bil in it. That will keep the gas fresh.

As far as what the bike needs it is hard to say. If they are the original tires then yes you will probably need new ones. I had to replace mine last year. Now chances are you don't need new valve stems. As far as the chain goes, don't replace it unless it needs it. Mine is still in good shape. Keep it clean and lubed and tighten as needed. Inspect the sprocket. If they show wear then replace if not don't unless you want to swap them for different sizes. If you don't know what a worn sprocket looks like then look in the manual or just Google it. Might be a good idea to do a coolant flush. I did mine this winter, it was pretty easy. The coolant looked good but wanted to get 5 year old coolant outta there. And yes change the oil. Start the year out fresh. If the brake fluid is dark then flush that, if not then don't worry about it.

Hopefully the weather changes soon so we can ride.

 

Well, just the fact that we are seeing more 40 degree days tells me that if I want to be ready for the warm weather, I've got another month and a half or two to get my bike in tip top shop. I just want to give myself enough time to research and order all parts that I will need, get them shipped to me, and spend a couple weekends slowly tinkering away in the garage and getting everything done. I like to take my time, so in case we get a few nice days, I don't want to be stuck without a bike that's ready to go.

Negative on the Sta-Bil & fillup. Should I drain and toss the gas in this case and just re-fill with new gas? As far as the sprockets go, I wanted to change them out with different sizes to get a little bit better acceleration, so that is why I was thinking about replacing both them and the chain. Not sure what kind or what sizes to go with for both the chain and the sprockets, this would be the first time I've done this on a bike. I'm not very mechanically challenged and I'm sure I could figure it out, but I just don't have much experience with the different kinds of parts and manufacturers of components as others on here are.

Also, as far as the coolant flush & oil change, that definitely sounds like a good idea. Any particular kind of coolant and oil you would recommend?

 

Negative on the Sta-Bil and gas. Sounds like I should drain the gas that is in there and fill it up with some new gas before riding? Also, as far as the oil change and coolant flush, any particular kind of oil and coolant that you would recommend?

As far as the valve stems and tires, I would rather be on the safe side since I bought the bike used. I have no idea how old the tires, valve caps, and valve stems that are on there right now are and I don't think it would be too much fun to get a flat while going 80 down the freeway.

I was thinking about changing the sizes of the sprockets that are currently on there to get a bit more acceleration, since I have heard that changing out the sprockets to a different size can affect your acceleration and top speeds, etc. If I do that, then putting a new chain on while I'm at it would make sense. I'm not mechanically challenged, but since I am new to the bike world, I do not know too much about recommended parts, which manufacturers are good, types of sprockets/chains, etc. That's why I'm hoping I can get some input from the experienced folks on here.

I have also heard that checking and/or replacing the wheel bearings might be a good idea, but not sure if that is true or not and how hard that would even be.

Thanks for your time and thanks in advance!

 

If it were me I wouldn't worry about draining the gas but if you want to be on the very safe side you can. As far as oil goes, you can run just about anything. Only brand I really don't recommend is Royal Purple. I used it and didn't like it. I'm running Amsoil now but you can run Rotella-T, Mobile 1, Repsol, Honda HP4 or whatever as long as it is bike specific. For coolant I would only use the Honda HP4 coolant. It is premixed and works well.

If you want to change up the sprockets I would do the whole kit. Good brands of sprockets are Vortex, RK, JT. The best chains are DID and EK. When you look at chains you'll see 520 and 525. 525 is what comes on the bike from the factory and is going to be a bit stronger. 520 is going to be lighter but to be honest the weight savings is minimal. If it was me I would stay with a 525. I would rather have the strength over the weight as these bikes are fast enough. The most popular conversion is -1up front and +2 for the rear. Yes it will lower your top speed but you will get more acceleration. But how often are you going top speed.....Not sure who said to change the wheel bearings but no need unless they are bad and I would imagine they are not or you would feel it.

 

I appreciate all the info, that pretty much answers my questions. I think I'm going to stick with the Amsoil as far as the oil goes after reading through some of the different threads on here. My brother also uses it in his truck and swears by it, so meh... good enough for me.

Also, as far as the chain goes, I agree on the 525 over the 520. I really would rather keep the strength and you are right as far as the sprockets go, it's not like I hit top speed very often lol.

 

Yeah, Chicago still showing no signs of Spring, at least not my part anyway. I pretty much rode the F4i all winter long though, salt and all (yeah, I know..), so I'll be doing all the above plus a good spray down and lubing.

On the note of which oil, I recall a thread where Jared(screen name thirdgen..?)used Mobil1 full synth/Pulrolator Pure1 filter exclusivly on his F4i with well over 250k on it, so I'll be going that route. The price is comparable to Repsol, so just my .02.

 

as far as changing the sprockets its not really necessary. how long have you been riding? is this your first bike ever? if so swapping sprockets to make it easier to pull the front wheel off the ground isnt going to help make you a better rider

 

Yeah, this is my first street bike. Been riding since last spring, but the sprocket idea was because I've heard that you get quicker acceleration. I'm not really interested in being able to pop wheelies, this bike is dangerous enough as it is. Maybe later, but I prefer to keep both on the ground haha.