Regular Maintenance - An Important Thing!

The star was due for an oil change and, according to the owner’s manual, new plugs so I dropped by the Performance Shed to set up the appointment for Friday. Of course Friday came and the red sunrise screamed “rain delay,” but I finally convinced myself the blue sky to the west was good news and geared up for the first ride since returning home. It felt a bit weird riding a bike that was over a hundred pounds lighter (not loaded down with gear) and I found myself having to adjust to the difference in weight and balance, not to mention seat position now that I didn’t have a tent/sleeping bag backrest behind me. The ride was short, but long enough to notice that something was a bit off with the star.

I arrived two hours late fully expecting to leave the star and pick her up Saturday but they were waiting, having juggled the work schedule. I’m not sure, but I think they may have been taking bets on what time I’d get there. Bruce, my mechanic, appeared and muttered something to which I replied, “What did you expect, I’m a diva. I don’t ride in the rain (anymore)” and he whisked her off to the shop behind the showroom.  The great folks at Performance Shed (Andrew, Bruce, Yogi) graciously agreed to being photographed for the blog so I dropped my gear on the couch and headed out back, camera in hand.

So the great thing about Bruce is that he's as much a teacher as a mechanic.  An hour in the shop and I felt like I’d enrolled in the Yamaha school of ’you could do it yourself princess’ mechanics. He really wanted me to understand the finer points of maintenance; oil types, oil levels, how the oil works with the engine, spark plugs, ethanol /gas ratios. Then I mentioned, “She’s running a bit rough, seems to be vibrating a bit.” At first he wasn’t concerned but like a doctor examining a patient, he ran his hands and eyes over the bike and quickly noticed something awry. The pipes were not parallel … there was way too much play in the top pipe and it was now actually resting, in part, on the bottom pipe. Turns out somewhere along the ride an exhaust bracket bolt had been lost. Of course it wasn’t one they had in stock but Andrew found one (on the original exhaust from his own bike that he’d replaced with aftermarket pipes.) Oil changed, new spark plugs and bracket re bolted while I waited. I’ve talked about the great service at Yamaha dealerships on the road; today I’m glad to have a chance to talk about the great service from the hometown boys (and girls) at The Performance Shed.

 Bike "doctor" Bruce checks the plug

   A little scarring from the mishap, luckily it really isn't noticeable now that she's back together

One final twist to tighten the last bolt and I'm ready to go 

I generally do a quick pre ride check. I make sure the lights and signals are working, the brake and clutch levers feel normal and the brakes hold. I glance at my trip meter (my gas gauge). I check the tire pressure and if I’ve got help I check the oil. I thought I was on top of things, but apparently I’ve got one more thing to add to my list. I obviously can’t look at every nut and bolt, but I might just gently wiggle the pipes, and possibly a few other things to make sure they are secure.

As far as doing it myself, thanks Bruce, but it just isn’t gonna happen (besides, who would take the pictures?) Regular maintenance; it’s an important thing and I leave it to the pros.

 For the skoot fans, a little 'roadrunner' - I hear her owner really travels on this one

Just like kids in a candy shop, they all check out the new Raptor fresh from the box