So what's people's thoughts on d.I.y servicing,or is it best to keep up with the stamps in the book..I know it's down to personal mechanical ability and so on,I'd definitely do oil and filter brake pads ect..but valve clearance ect think I would leave to the pro's..suppose when you way up what you'd save doing it yourself against the depreciation of not having a full service history..it comes down to money..
I'm very new to Fireblades so not much call for maintenance yet though I've got a new set of tyres to fit as soon as I can be bothered. I've always done my own work on bikes mainly because I like to know it's been done and done correctly. My life may depend on it. My main bike for the last 3 years has been an FJR1300 which is seriously reliable but like all bikes does require periodic maintaining. One of the critical items is the rear suspension linkage which Yama recommend are stripped, cleaned and regreased every 12,000 miles. If this is observed the linkages give long trouble free service. If not, they will eventually seize up and in extreme cases the linkage can snap. There are many cases of dealer serviced bikes that have never had this critical service item performed. I would be very wary of placing blind faith in dealers to do what they are supposed to. I'm unlikely to do anything like the mileage I do on the FJR but I will service the Fireblade as and when required. As for things like valve clearances, the biggest problem with modern bikes is all the crap you've got to remove and replace when undertaking service work. The FJR clearances are every 24k but it's still a major PITA actually getting to them. I remember speaking to a dealer (not Yamaha) before I did it the first time and was told that he wouldn't bother as" they never need doing". I ignored his advice and found 3 just out of spec. I am reasonably competent mechanically and my bike isn't required as day to day transport so if a major service is spread over a couple of weekends then it's no big deal. Personally I usually keep my bikes for a long time and the value of having a full dealer history is very little. I keep my own personal history for my bikes detailing what was done and when.
Totally agree with old git, do it yourself and you know its been done. Some tasks may seem a bit daunting but slow and steady wins the race, valve clearances are quite time consuming but very rewarding when its all back together. Decent quality tools are recommended but not mega expensive. Keep all receipts and log each job.
