Bike maintenance basics - Don't know my own strength

In my ongoing 'let's learn about the bike instead of getting a bloke
to do it' quest, today was tyres - I have Dunlop 207 things. I didn't
actually know what they were before...

All I was going to do was put 5 more psi in to bring it up to 36 on
the back.

I've just broken my pumping up tryes thing. It sort of jammed, so I
stamped harder and the slidy in and out bit ate through the metal of
the tube. In getting it off the tyre I managed to let the air down to
20psi. That will be me wobbling slowly up to the garage then.

Also you get all sweaty and grubby doing maintenance, no one mentioned
this...

 

Slowly I hope.

Offers to scrub WIPs back in the shower so she's nice and shiny and clean
;-)

 

That's the best bit....

 

'Ere, have this brass spark plug brush to get into the hard-to-reach
areas ;-)

 

Don't forget the gallon can of Gunk. Oh, and the wet & dry paper for the
final finish.

 

Get one of those portable battery-powered pump/jump lead things that you
can charge up. Brilliant, they are.

Wait until high summer.....

 

It'll make next to **** all difference except for when cornering.

I'd not worry unless it was 5 psi or so. With 20 I'd probably be quite
happy to do 100 miles or whatever.

I *never* check pressures unless the tyre looks flat, the bike is
difficult to push around or the bike handles funny. But that's just me.

 

Expect plenty more manifestations of 'stuckness' as you follow the
maintenance way.

Wait until you change a chain. I never used to bother gloves, but lately
I have taken to wearing disposable ones when doing particularly
oily/gritty tasks.

--

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

 

In

Not the same stuff nowadays though ... a pale pathtic fluid compared to its
former blackness .... the mere smell of it on a hot motor takes me back
to my childhood and my uncle cleaning his R69 with it.

<SNIP>

 

Wait until high summer.....[/QUOTE]

Heh. 'high' summer could be appropriate.

 

At this rate I'm going to reread Pirsig.

Chain adjustment and cleaning is next on the list.

<makes notes>

 

Scottoiler, you'll not have to do this chore (much).

 

Get a pair of leather gardening gloves from the local garden centre. Tough,
protective, warm, under a tenner.

--
platypus

"Merely corroborative detail, intended to
give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise
bald and unconvincing narrative."

 

'Tisn't. I end to forget about tyre pressures to., at least 'til the bike
feels odd when I wheel it out of the garage.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Well, I'm sure Champ's the same. So I guess it's an old fart thing that
I join in with for some reason.

Speaking of Champ where has the silver haired lothario gone? Quick hip
replacement before the summer?

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,
typed

I believe he's having his chest hair implants retouched before the beach
season starts again.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (Falling apart) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer

 

Odd he does that and still insists on the back, sack and crack, isn't
it?

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,
typed

I think it's just that someone once told him that the chest hair set off
his medallion nicely.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (Falling apart) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer

 

The 100m breast stroke one?

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,
typed

Could be, I've not really kept up with his collection.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (Falling apart) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer