What do you to new bikes?

kawi448
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kawi448
Edited Date/Time 4/10/2015 2:16pm
I know one thing you should do is take off axles and linkages to grease them because they normally don't have much grease from the dealer.

How about: Stock air filter?
Oil
Anything else you do as soon as you get a new bike home before riding it?
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imoto34
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imoto34 4/9/2015 9:03pm
4/9/2015 9:03pm
Set my bars up, check fluids and ride the shit out of it.
hillbilly
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hillbilly 4/9/2015 9:12pm
4/9/2015 9:12pm
Strip it to the frame . Pop out ever bearing and grease. Loctite what needs.

With 4 str I check head bolt torque after run in and valve train ,cam gear bolts if it has them.

Something I've done for years is wrap my rad guards with vinyl screen leaving it open at the bottom just in case something gets behind it drops out.

The screen keeps all mud out of the rad and acts like a saker screen on a dirt track car.

Take off tires and replace rubber band with tape to seal off spokes after i coat eack nipple one at a time with anti seize.

It take a few weeks for me to get a bike set for its first race. But the prep pays off big.

I do a lot of testing on my track while doing all this too. Gearing, shifter height,shape the rear brake pedal.

Good times
Awesome Johnson 4/9/2015 9:24pm
4/9/2015 9:24pm
hillbilly wrote:
Strip it to the frame . Pop out ever bearing and grease. Loctite what needs. With 4 str I check head bolt torque after run in...
Strip it to the frame . Pop out ever bearing and grease. Loctite what needs.

With 4 str I check head bolt torque after run in and valve train ,cam gear bolts if it has them.

Something I've done for years is wrap my rad guards with vinyl screen leaving it open at the bottom just in case something gets behind it drops out.

The screen keeps all mud out of the rad and acts like a saker screen on a dirt track car.

Take off tires and replace rubber band with tape to seal off spokes after i coat eack nipple one at a time with anti seize.

It take a few weeks for me to get a bike set for its first race. But the prep pays off big.

I do a lot of testing on my track while doing all this too. Gearing, shifter height,shape the rear brake pedal.

Good times
Shaping rear brake pedal? Sounds interesting. Care to share more on that.
race250r
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race250r 4/9/2015 9:36pm
4/9/2015 9:36pm
Awesome Johnson wrote:
Shaping rear brake pedal? Sounds interesting. Care to share more on that.
On my KTM, I shave the inner teeth down on the brake pedal so that it doesn't puncture the clutch cover in case of a hard hit. Off-road precaution.

The Shop

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mx256va
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mx256va 4/10/2015 5:40am
4/10/2015 5:40am
its not 1974 anymore, bikes come with grease already in the bearings.
752dad
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752dad 4/10/2015 5:50am
4/10/2015 5:50am
mx256va wrote:
its not 1974 anymore, bikes come with grease already in the bearings.
2014 Honda steering stem bearing

IWreckALot
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IWreckALot 4/10/2015 6:20am
4/10/2015 6:20am
mx256va wrote:
its not 1974 anymore, bikes come with grease already in the bearings.
752dad wrote:
2014 Honda steering stem bearing [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2015/04/10/86820/s1200_image.jpg[/img]
2014 Honda steering stem bearing

Did you put that grease on there or is that how it came off the bike? That is your $500 bike prep money hard at work right there.
Markopolo400
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Markopolo400 4/10/2015 6:29am
4/10/2015 6:29am
Dealers only put the front wheel and bars on.

I grease all pivots. The proof is in the pudding. I have greased my 06 KX250 once a year since I bought it basically new in 2011. All the bearings in the entire chassis are still good 120hrs of riding later. Nothing is seized, and the bike was power washed after every ride.

My new KTM just got greased over the winter, more grease than the Kawi had, but still not much.
newmann
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newmann 4/10/2015 6:34am
4/10/2015 6:34am
Was very impressed with how well prepped and greased everything was on the new KTM upon disassembly. Very nicely done from the factory. I remember having to beat the steering stem out of my one month old 1990 YZ250 when the steering started to seize up. Bone dry and rusted bearings falling out of the cages. Never trusted a new bike since.

http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/2013-KTM-150SX-didnt-last…







Schipwreck
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Schipwreck 4/10/2015 7:20am
4/10/2015 7:20am
Simplified version of above.. Check fluids,Oil the filter and re-grease every bearing.
BobPA
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BobPA 4/10/2015 7:20am
4/10/2015 7:20am
Grease everything
Loc-tite subframe bolts
Do a basic sag setting, even though it changes after the suspension breaks in
Set the bar and lever position to my liking
Set tire pressure
Brake clean rotors
Set chain tension
Check spokes
Forty
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Forty 4/10/2015 7:38am
4/10/2015 7:38am
Many good ideas here, many of them old habits from the 70s, I drop all the fluids as well and install my preferred brand. Not sure what they install at factory but IMO the quality is poor.
overthebars39 4/10/2015 7:58am
4/10/2015 7:58am Edited Date/Time 4/10/2015 8:00am
Forty wrote:
Many good ideas here, many of them old habits from the 70s, I drop all the fluids as well and install my preferred brand. Not sure...
Many good ideas here, many of them old habits from the 70s, I drop all the fluids as well and install my preferred brand. Not sure what they install at factory but IMO the quality is poor.
Never bought a new mx bike. But on road bikes and marine engines there is no fluid in the bike when they are crated. After the testrun they suck the oil back out. The dealer useually puts the fluids in.

On topic: On new and used i pull the thing apart. Bare frame, clean and lube all bearings. On assembly properly torque all bolts (add loctite to MFG's spec), check wheels/spokes, replace all fluids, add safety wire, set the bars. Controls and susp up to my liking.
752dad
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752dad 4/10/2015 7:59am
4/10/2015 7:59am
mx256va wrote:
its not 1974 anymore, bikes come with grease already in the bearings.
752dad wrote:
2014 Honda steering stem bearing [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2015/04/10/86820/s1200_image.jpg[/img]
2014 Honda steering stem bearing

IWreckALot wrote:
Did you put that grease on there or is that how it came off the bike? That is your $500 bike prep money hard at work...
Did you put that grease on there or is that how it came off the bike? That is your $500 bike prep money hard at work right there.
That's just how it came.
My buddy just got a new KTM 125 in the crate last week, steering assembled from the factory with minimal grease.
In my experience, you have to re grease the everything.
MotoX85
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MotoX85 4/10/2015 8:08am
4/10/2015 8:08am
I frame every bike I buy before it ever touches the ground. The amount of grease these manufacturers put on the bearing is a joke (although they are getting better). Grease everything and then put it back together. Put it my own air filter, nothing wrong with most stock ones I just do not like the spray on filter oil that most dealers use and silicone the airbox junctions. I ride the bike with the OEM oil once and then change it out with what I like to run.
MotoX85
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MotoX85 4/10/2015 8:08am
4/10/2015 8:08am
mx256va wrote:
its not 1974 anymore, bikes come with grease already in the bearings.
You've never taken a bike apart when you bought it. Nothing could be farther from the truth then what you just typed
MotoX85
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MotoX85 4/10/2015 8:10am
4/10/2015 8:10am
$500 bike prep is for the dealer to put the front wheel and the bars on along with the controls, that's it. Everything else comes from the factory, even fluids (oil and antifreeze).

Bought many of bikes in the crate.

Pit Row

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Uncle Tony
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Uncle Tony 4/10/2015 8:20am
4/10/2015 8:20am
mx256va wrote:
its not 1974 anymore, bikes come with grease already in the bearings.
Sadly it's the opposite nowadays 1974 bikes were much better prepped at the factories, shit Hondas came with grease fittings well into the 80's
hillbilly
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hillbilly 4/10/2015 8:30am
4/10/2015 8:30am
Awesome Johnson wrote:
Shaping rear brake pedal? Sounds interesting. Care to share more on that.
race250r wrote:
On my KTM, I shave the inner teeth down on the brake pedal so that it doesn't puncture the clutch cover in case of a hard...
On my KTM, I shave the inner teeth down on the brake pedal so that it doesn't puncture the clutch cover in case of a hard hit. Off-road precaution.
Pedals from the 70s were just like a stick and that is what i got use to. If it is 1.5 inches wide I cut out the middle inch then reweld the that outer edge back on.

I've found that when things are going wrong and you are trying to save a swapping bike or such a wide pedal is easy to smash with a boot looking for a peg and makes things go wronger.

And,

After smashing my left ankle shifting got tuff so I weld spots on the underside of the shifter and file them into teeth like a upsidedown peg. This grabs the boot top and I just yank up the foot ,my ankle is nearly locked down with scar tissue.
PDiddy241
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PDiddy241 4/10/2015 8:59am
4/10/2015 8:59am
I bought a new YZ 250 two weeks ago and the forks weren't level in the clamps and there was a glob of grease on the front axle. From my experience there is always a glob of grease on the front axle on new bikes – at least it’s greased but I wish they’d wipe off the excess. When I rode the bike around the block I noticed the throttle was sticking a bit too because the throttle tube was pushed too tight up against the handlebar (there was no side-to-side play).

The air filter isn't evenly coated with oil either. Some of it looks oiled and some isn't and is dry to the touch. I haven’t started taking it apart yet but I’ll grease all the bearings. I’ll but a new, properly oiled air filter in before I ride the bike on dirt too.

One thing I have to do on new bikes: Remove the warning stickers on the fenders, swingarm and shock.

A little bit of pre-ride prep will help keep a new bike new-feeling longer.
MotoX85
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MotoX85 4/10/2015 9:08am
4/10/2015 9:08am
PDiddy241 wrote:
I bought a new YZ 250 two weeks ago and the forks weren't level in the clamps and there was a glob of grease on the...
I bought a new YZ 250 two weeks ago and the forks weren't level in the clamps and there was a glob of grease on the front axle. From my experience there is always a glob of grease on the front axle on new bikes – at least it’s greased but I wish they’d wipe off the excess. When I rode the bike around the block I noticed the throttle was sticking a bit too because the throttle tube was pushed too tight up against the handlebar (there was no side-to-side play).

The air filter isn't evenly coated with oil either. Some of it looks oiled and some isn't and is dry to the touch. I haven’t started taking it apart yet but I’ll grease all the bearings. I’ll but a new, properly oiled air filter in before I ride the bike on dirt too.

One thing I have to do on new bikes: Remove the warning stickers on the fenders, swingarm and shock.

A little bit of pre-ride prep will help keep a new bike new-feeling longer.
Yea removing squid stickers is a must. Cant leave home with them on.
Micahdogg
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Micahdogg 4/10/2015 9:09am
4/10/2015 9:09am
I don't do much to a new bike. Check a few major bolts to make sure the bike was put together right, look for anything obvious that is wrong. Install my bars and seat, jet the carb, purchase a spare air filter that is ready to go and then ride it. I don't care too much about the amount of grease on bearings because (1) they are brand new and (2) I'll be looking at that stuff yearly anyway. If there is something obviously wrong, I'll investigate it, but you won't have a seized steering stem bearing with rusty rollers and NOT feel it in the action. You really can't let a bike get gone without ignoring it, and quite frankly, bearings are tough. I can generally spray em out, scrape the rust away, repack and go if they aren't too far gone.

JaredPartridge 4/10/2015 9:19am
4/10/2015 9:19am
For us, it was taking off the suspension and sending it out first thing. While we waited for that, motors got sent out on race bikes and everything was gone through during the wait time. Our Dad never felt comfortable with us on stock suspension. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had to ride a bike with stock suspension apart from when I couldn't wait to ride my new 06 250f with the twice pipes. If you're a dude who just throws it in the truck and goes riding, PLEASE check your bars. It's not fun to land a big double nice n smooth and end up with your bars in your lap.
mx836
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mx836 4/10/2015 9:26am
4/10/2015 9:26am
mx256va wrote:
its not 1974 anymore, bikes come with grease already in the bearings.
Uncle Tony wrote:
Sadly it's the opposite nowadays 1974 bikes were much better prepped at the factories, shit Hondas came with grease fittings well into the 80's
My dad's 99 Husky CR250 had zerk fittings on the linkage. Always wondered why this isn't done more often. Makes maintenance a breeze.
752dad
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752dad 4/10/2015 12:06pm
4/10/2015 12:06pm
2015 KTM 125


Sheriff245 4/10/2015 12:16pm
4/10/2015 12:16pm
Grease everything, suspension and bar setup, replace chain with quality one (saves the stock sprockets, which are fine).
MyersAvionics 4/10/2015 12:42pm
4/10/2015 12:42pm
I've done the same as most that have posted. My last new bike (2013 WR 450) was decently greased from the factory. I greased all the bearings and most (except linkage) had a good amount there.

I recently just bought a 2014 Husaberg TE250 and it was completely greased throughout just as good as i would do. The linkage was by far the easiest to grease. Oddly enough, this is the first new bike i ever bought that had a bad spark plug in it.

As people have said it seems to be getting better compared to the bikes in the 90's. I can't comment before that as i was either too young or didn't exist yet. My 2004 KX250F had a very thin coating of what seemed more of an oily residue than actual grease.
Camp332
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Camp332 4/10/2015 12:55pm
4/10/2015 12:55pm
You need this Bro


Sir Roostsalot 4/10/2015 2:16pm
4/10/2015 2:16pm
Haven't bought a new bike in ten years, not sure if this has changed but I used to take the stock chain off and save it for when I sold the bike. Stock chains would wear out and stretch prematurely, ruining the new sprockets too.

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