Neglecting your motorcycle...a costly alternative to TLC
Dennis Santopietro in collaboration with Bob LaRosa - Feb 4, 2010

Fred Kreider, CEO/Co-Founder of Cycle Matters asked me to come up with a list of things bikers typically neglect on their motorcycles. I put on my executive producer hat and called the host of our Fix My Hog® DVD series, Bob LaRosa. Bob has been working on Harley-Davidsons for the last 20 years. He told me that neglect causes more problems than mileage and age combined.

Here are some examples:

Rear Drive Belt – proper adjustment is very important and different for one up or two up riding. Too loose or too tight causes many of the issues on the drive belt. Throw in ozone, weather, sun, and age, and this can be a major failure point. Drive belts tend to fail more after a long ride, when the belt heats and distorts, than failing after you do a burnout.

Brake Fluid – DOT 3 and DOT 4 fluids absorb water, which causes more corrosion. DOT 5 does not absorb water. Change brake fluid every 2 years, and make sure to use the right fluid for your year/model; they do not mix. Dealer labor costs to replace brake fluid: $170 – you could buy a nice Phoenix Injector Systems brake bleeder tool and fluid for less and have the tool forever.

Clutch & Throttle Cables – keep them clean and lubricated per your riding conditions and storage. Age is a factor, but cables fail faster if they are left to the elements and with no lube. Cables: $42.95 each, and dealer cost: $127.50 – Do it yourself and use the $127.50 to upgrade to braided cables.

Tires – tire pressure should be checked before every ride. Ninety-nine percent (99%) of riders do not check their tire pressure before they ride. Stored motorcycles, or motorcycles that sit for long periods of time, can develop flat spots and dry rot on the tire. DOT is now coming out with regulations for tire changes, based not on mileage, but encompassing age and condition.

Other sitting motorcycle issues are gaskets drying out, dry rot on rubber fuel, and oil lines. 

Harsh cleaners kill our rides – If it removes filth very fast, it’s not good for your ride. Some cleaners are just plain corrosive, and washing your motorcycle twice a week can also be an issue. Water can cause issues with the wiring harnesses and connections. When you change your light bulbs, make sure to use dielectric grease, and use it on all the connectors.

Batteries…they fail – Change them every 2 years; use the old one for your snow blower. Use a battery tender when the bike is sitting in the garage or storage. Terminal condition is also a failure point.   Make sure they are tight and use dielectric grease.

Neck Bearings – adjust and lube them. 

Fork fluid – heat and road debris breaks down the fluid. Make sure you service per the factory recommendations. 

Fuel delivery, petcock – Clean the screen - EFI clean the sock. 

Rear Shocks – we tend to run them till they are useless. Once they start to fail, the lack of absorption beats up the motorcycle. Make sure they are adjusted right and replaced before they fail.

Wheel Bearings – old Timken style need to be replaced when tires are replaced and make sure to check end play as well. On new sealed wheel bearings, make sure to use anti-seize on the axel to keep free movement.

Transmission fluid – some do it yourselfers forget. Oil and primary fluid get changed, but what about the tranny fluid? The tranny is a constant mesh system, and the fluid breaks down. Don’t skip the service when it’s due. 

Lack of general maintenance overall – keep things lubricated. Keep bolts torqued and air cleaner maintained. Remove air filter and clean it if it’s a lifetime air filter, replace if it’s a paper element. Remember, water kills electrical connections; use your dielectric grease.   Make sure your charging system is up to snuff.

Most riders do not ride everyday. They jump on their bike once a week and treat them like an automobile. Turn the key and go. A little love can extend the life of your motorcycle’s parts and decrease the cost of owning your beloved hog.

I saw a San Diego Dealers work order for a 10k service recently. Here’s what they charged:

• 3 o-rings                                              2.85
• Retaining ring                                    1.00
• Gasket, clutch cover squ                  1.50
  
• Spark plug, 6R12 Bulk Pac             7.90
  
• Screw, w/washers                             4.00
  
• 2 o-ring                                                1.80
  
• Oil filter chrome, spin                        9.95
  
• 4 Qts. Syn 3                                      45.96
  
• Fork Oil Type E                                11.20
  
• Oil disposal fee                                  1.50
  
• LABOR                                          $467.50
  
• Total                                               $556.61
  

Dealers are great. They show us all the new shinny models and sell us great motorcycles. Most service departments are amazing, friendly, clean, etc.

Spend the time to check the basics before every ride. Try to do a 10k service on your own. You would not only “save” the labor fee of $467.50, but you would save the added cost of dead batteries, flat spot/dry rot tires, ruined rubber hoses, blown belt drives, damaged cables, tranny damage, fork performance, bulbs, shorts in the electrical system and more.

1989 XLH 883 Hugger, 10,725 miles*

*Many parts on this bike are obsolete and hard to find due to its age. Replacing parts can have a compounding effect and can quickly exceed the value of the bike. Both the Tech and the Shop Foreman recommended a “don’t replace it if it isn’t broken” approach. This is because the act of removing parts of this age tends to reveal other parts that need to be replaced creating a snowball effect.

What I get out of this note is to stay on top of maintenance and repair. Neglect, mileage and age add up but neglect can be eliminated from the equation.

Click here to learn more about Know Thy Hog® and to purchase the Fix My Hog® DVD series to do all your maintenance and performance upgrades. Cycle Matters guests receive $5.95 off purchases totaling $39.00 or more from the Fix My Hog store.