{"id":5198,"date":"2016-04-15T19:03:02","date_gmt":"2016-04-15T19:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hotbike.local\/basic_content\/speeds-spotlight-service-with-smile\/"},"modified":"2022-01-02T18:07:13","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T18:07:13","slug":"speeds-spotlight-service-with-smile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/speeds-spotlight-service-with-smile\/","title":{"rendered":"Speed\u2019s Spotlight | Service With A Smile!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Speed’s Spotlight<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Speed’s Spotlight<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Riders of a certain age will remember the days of full-service at the gas pump and even better service inside the work bays. An oil change every 3,000 miles that included full bumper-to-bumper service was routine. Well, that\u2019s gone now, replaced with mini-marts and 64-ounce big gulps with a hot dog. In the motorcycle world, though, service can still reign supreme, and at the start of any riding season that front-to-rear service session is more than routine\u2014for any chance at a trouble-free season it\u2019s mandatory.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we do this sort of thing all the time,\u201d says Jamie Hanson at Speed\u2019s Performance Plus. \u201cEspecially during first few stops on our schedule, early in the season.\u201d Jamie and the SPP team have that full-motorcycle checkup down pat too, so whether you generally take care of this yourself (and any competent DIYer armed with his bike\u2019s service manual shouldn\u2019t have a problem) or it\u2019s something you\u2019d rather turn over to the pros, here\u2019s how Speed\u2019s goes about it. For starters, and at a minimum, there\u2019s the oil-and-filter change, and a couple quarts bought at that mini-mart won\u2019t get the job done.<\/p>\n

\u201cMotorcycles demand motorcycle-specific oils,\u201d Jamie says. Inch for inch motorcycle engines make more power than automobiles, they work harder, rev higher, and they run hotter. The oil you put in there makes a difference.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if you haven\u2019t already switched to synthetics,\u201d Jamie goes on, \u201cyou should. There\u2019s a lot to be gained.\u201d There are plenty of good choices on the market, and the guys at SPP have tried them all, finally deciding on the Spectro Platinum 4 Full Synthetics\u2014with \u201cmotorcycle\u201d in big, bold letters on the bottle. Synthetics work great in the transmission and primary too\u2014more fluids to be changed with a major service. Clutch action will get smoother and more predictable and the shifting easier. You\u2019ll want a quality oil filter too, and there are some good ones available. But spending a few more bucks for a cleanable\/reusable metal-mesh oil filter is something to think about. Being washable and reusable just like that high-flow air filter (which should also be serviced now) means this will be the last oil filter you\u2019ll ever buy, but more importantly the filtering is first rate. The ones SPP offers even include rare-earth magnets in the base to trap metallic particles and debris. As an added bonus all this comes with a finned-aluminum canister that becomes, in effect, a mini oil cooler.<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s a pre-season service we\u2019re talking about here\u2019s hoping the bike was parked with a full tank of gas. \u201cAnd treated with a good stabilizer and ethanol guard,\u201d Jamie adds. And if it\u2019s a carbureted bike the carburetor and fuel lines should have been run dry. Either way, now\u2019s the time to grab some wrenches and \u201cnut and bolt\u201d the bike front to rear. Exhaust systems, Jamie says, are notorious for loosening up, but don\u2019t stop there. And while you\u2019re making sure everything is nice and tight, pay special attention to the tires and brakes. Look at the tread depth and thoroughly inspect the sidewalls for cracks or bulges. Check the inflation, and check it often during the season. And here you\u2019ll want to follow the tire manufacturer\u2019s recommendations because for best performance and life they\u2019ll quite often call for a bit more pressure than OE.<\/p>\n

Look over the brake pads and rotors and carefully inspect all the lines and fittings. Check the level and top-off the master cylinders, and spend some time with the drive belt assessing both condition and tension. You\u2019ll want a good tension gauge for that. Throwing in a fresh set of spark plugs is another good move and maybe even a set of new wires to go with them. SPP likes the NGK Iridiums, by the way.<\/p>\n

All this is pretty straightforward stuff, but here\u2019s a thought: Even if you regularly do your own service work, sometimes it\u2019s smart to let a trained tech take a look at your bike too. He might spot something you\u2019ve overlooked or just gotten used to over time. Is the clutch adjusted correctly? Are any of the cables and linkages stiffer or looser than they should be? An ounce of prevention, as they say, is worth a pound of cure. The next time the Speed\u2019s Performance crew is in the area maybe roll your bike onto one of their lifts for that full-service checkup. A little time and a few bucks\u2014way less than what a dealership charges, by the way\u2014is an even trade for a trouble-free season. Think of it as service with a smile.<\/p>\n

Source:<\/strong>
\nSpeed\u2019s Performance Plus
\nspeedsperformanceplus.com
\n(605) 695-1401 \u2013 MN
\n(605) 695-2272 \u2013 SD<\/p>\n

Find more Speed’s Spotlight features.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

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Speed’s Spotlight Speed’s Spotlight Riders of a certain age will remember the days of full-service at the gas pump and even better service inside the work bays. An oil change every 3,000 miles that included full bumper-to-bumper service was routine. Well, that’s gone now, replaced with mini-marts and 64-ounce big gulps with a hot dog. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":129,"featured_media":46869,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[5,3249,1671],"motorcycle_parts":[],"motorcycle_models":[],"motorcycle_builders":[],"motorcycle_gear":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5198"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/129"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5198"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5198\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5198"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_parts","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_parts?post=5198"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_models","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_models?post=5198"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_builders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_builders?post=5198"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_gear","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_gear?post=5198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}