So, with my first year and about 9k miles under my belt I am asking if y'all have tips for preventative maintenance. I paid to have my oil changed the first two times and I finally did it myself this time hitting the 18k mile mark (love savin the $$ and feel better about quality parts and fluids).
I have been searching a lot here and really appreciate all of the helpful tips posted to keep us on the road. I want to start making good mechanical improvements since it's all been is cosmetic.

My questions are:
What other PM is most important?
Is it important to flush the brake fluid now or can I wait until I upgrage to the Galfer steel lines?
How often should I flush the cooling system? Any better/best fluids?
I see to use iridium plugs... time frame for changing?
How do I determine the proper tightening of my suspension? It dives when I let off the throttle and braking and I had a guy tell me it looked like the back end was... "squishy" I think he said
What is the benefit of the Power Commander?
What am I missing that may be important?

I am not interested in being a track rider at this point. I ride daily to work and love to take long rides whenever I get the chance. I am learning to corner on any twisties I can stumble upon. If that helps with any tips you may have. Sorry if I'm rambling...

 

If the brakes don't feel spongy/soft, waiting should be fine. When swapping lines though,
be sure to get new crush-rings for the banjo-bolts. Also, be sure the kit for the front-end
includes a double-banjo for the master-cylinder. While you've got it tore down re-pack
the boots for the hanger-bolts, on the calipers.

The basic list of things to inspect/review on a regular basis...

oil/filter @ 5k-ish intervals, avoid teflon-type "slippery" automobile-transmission
additives, bikes share oil with the clutch, can cause slipping issues.

Inspect the wiring harness for frayed/damaged/loose wiring and use contact cleaner on
all of the connectors. Then pack the connectors with di-electric grease. It will prevent
corrosion and keep the current flowing.

Inspect the fork-seals for leaks, check the steering-head bearings for play.

Clean and lubricate the control cables.

Run an injector cleaner through the gas on a regular basis to remove varnish/gunk,
before it can become an issue. This is one of the rare instances, where an additive is
actually a good thing.

Regular cleaning/lubing of the chain, insures the longevity of the rear-drive.

Inspect wheel bearings for play.

Check/replace any bulbs/fuses. Here's anonther area where a dab of di-electric grease
is good. Same with switch-contacts.

Fuel and petcock filters should be checked regularly. Air filter, as well.

Plugs checked and/or replaced. Yet another good place for the grease...the plug-caps
and threads of the plugs.

ArmorAlling all of the rubber on a regular basis is a good thing. Don't forget hoses
and cable-bodies.

Regular tire-pressure checks, this is a safety, as well as, a maintenance issue.
Keep them at the pressure recommended by Honda, posted on the frame.

A power commander, coupled with a dynometer, allows one to dial-in the ignition/fuel
injection for maximum power/efficiency. If the exhaust has been changed,
you can also aquire pre-calculated "maps" to compensate for changes in the air-flow
through the engine.

Suspension tuning is out-side my zone, so I'll leave that for others to respond to.

Hope this helps, Ern

 

I appreciate the info... now I have a whole other list of things to think about! I found a BMC air filter when I did the oil so I got a recharge kit and will get that done soon. I went straight to youtube and will jump on the cables today, that is a great tip I really hadn't thought about but it's kinda like, duh. Same for the wiring- good tip.
I clean and lubricate my chain about every 500 miles. Does that seem reasonable?
I do have a Yoshimura slip on exhaust so I will have to see what the "mapping" is all about.
My next big job will probably be replacing the chain and sprockets. Didn't realize that they need to be checked so often and it's way loose so I am out to tighten it now and see how much room is left.
Thanks a lot for your thorough response!!

 

Great tips and advice Ern. You really took a lot of time and put together some great tips, even things I forget to myself that I will be doing next week. The only thing I don't do as you suggest is add fuel cleaner on regular basis. Its been my experience that they do more harm that good. They really aren't needed on a fuel injected bike as long as good fuel is always ran through and never let to tarnish. Carbed bikes tend to need more attention since the fuel is sitting in the carb bowls. Once any of the parts like jets, become tarnished, they should be replaced. The surface is no longer smooth and build up occurs quickly. Adding fuel system cleaners is usually just a band aid for a deeper problem. Plus, they can cause premature wear especially on fuel injectors since they are moving parts. After all, your using chemicals to remove particles that gas won't remove, so you can imagine just how bad these cleaners can be if used too often. But again, its just been my experience with things, doesn't mean using cleaners regularly won't work for some cases.

yes, that is reasonable. However, depending on the conditions you ride in, you may be able to just lube it every 500 or so and clean less often. It all depends on how dirty it gets. I clean mine every 1000-1500, but the roads I ride are always clean and my chain is always clean. If I get caught in the rain though, I usually clean it that day.

Be very careful here. You should have some slack for suspensions movement. Make sure you adjust it correctly. If its too tight, it will put too much stress on the output bearing of the drive sprocket and you will have bearing failure. Check your specifications and adjust accordingly.

A power commander is not needed for a slip on. But it can help. Most downloadable maps are just a general base line. No 2 bikes are the same or are driven in the same conditions.. IE. rider weight, style, elevation, gearing, rpm..ect. What works great for one person and thier bike may not work so well for yours. So to truly get the most from a powercommander, you will need to have it dynotuned which can be quite expensive. About the best your going to see is better throttle response and smoother running. You probably won't get much in the way of hp gains, so if its running good now and your happy with it, I wouldn't spend the money.

As for suspenion, go to sportrider.com. Go to the how to section and there is a wealth of information on suspension set ups. They even have previous test models what their suspension settings were. But, keep in mind, the front end will dive some and transfer weight to the front wheel. It shouldn't be a lot, but it will move weight over the front to give the front tire good grip.

 

Good points there also.
This thing is crazy fast and since I'm a speed freak (glad I didn't start with a 1000cc) I am probably fine without trying to squeeze anything extra from it.
I adjusted my chain and of course first time so I maybe just paranoid about the alignment from left to right but it looks good to me. Overdid it- too tight- on the first adjustment, only measured 3/4" so I backed it up. It really only takes small turns to make a difference. I love to tinker so this is so much fun to learn and try. Thanks for the feedback! I will keep researching!

 

Appreciate the heads-up, Squid. I'm still pretty much mired in the old-school bikes.
I've never owned/wrenched a FI-ed bike. I try to never be so "smart", I can't learn
new things here, as well.

I should have as well, clarified what I mean by "regularly". On my 98F3, I usually run
4oz in a tank every 5-600 miles.

Ern

 

So much information to find on here. I searched suspension tuning on the forum. Here are the two articles I found most helpful in figuring out how to adjust the suspension. A suggested starting point for your specific bike and understanding the terms and adjustments. Since I am nearing the end of my tires I will probably wait to do any adjusting until I get new tires on and get my Galfer brake lines installed- I ran this first year the way it is so a few more months should be alright. It is interesting how the more you get comfortable and in tune with your bike how you notice so much about the feel of the ride. Maybe this will help someone else interested in the same info...

Honda Sport Bike Motorcycle Suspension Settings - Honda Sport Bike Review - Sport Rider Magazine

Sport Rider Suspension Tuning Guide-Dialing It In