Does anyone do their own servicing?

[ab81776]

I have a (2000, I think.)Honda Foreman 450 and was gonna start servicing it myself. The Honda place said all they did was change the oil and filter and change the gear oil. I was gonna clean and replace the air filter too. Didn't know if I was missing anything.

[Header]

I've a Yamaha, at 100 miles they wanted it back for regular break in service which included a check and adjust the lifters. I believe that is a regular thing just to be safe. Adjust the throttle play and other little things, but oil and filters are the big concerns. I change the oil before October and May, twice a year.

[Hetfieldinn]

Most OEM filters are not cleanable. You can blow some dirt off the surface, but you're not doing much. Get a K&N or Twin Air filter for your bike. It will pay for itself in two years, or less. An OEM filter runs anywhere from $12-$25. A K&N is about $40, and will outlast your quad. Check it frequently, and keep it clean. It will let your quad get more air, which, in turn, means better performance.

I change the motor oil, differential (front and rear) oil, check out the brake pads, and lube the cables on my Vinson, and it takes less than an hour. Most shop rates are about $60 an hour. That would pay for three fluid changes.

[whitebass]

The second time out with my new quad I ripped the cv boot and called the "STEALERSHIP" and they told me to replace the cv boot would be around $240. OUCH !!!!! I did a little research and found a company called gorilla axle they sold me heavy duty cv boot kit for around $75. It was way thicker than stock. The dealer said the part was not expensive but the labor was where the time comes in. They said it would take about 3 hours. I did it my self in 2 hours and that included the 45 minute wait the cv shop by my house took to tighten the clamps back up for me. I would suggest thatyou order the clamp tightening tool. My buddy said he could do it sooo..... I took it tto the shop and they charged me $12. If you have a honda need to check out this site www. ridethered.net.
B

[JLeo]

I bought a new cv boot from Dennis Kirk for about $20 and bought hose clamps for a few bucks from home depot instead of using the clamps that came with it.

[FISHIN 2]

If you own the machine, you should do the maintenance. Get the owners manual out and read when ,to do what ,to where.Or simply purchase a clymers manual or something similar that shows you where the grease fittings are and what should be done on a regular basis. Besides, if you get to know your machine, breakdowns will become a thing of the past ! Polaris Sportsman has 17 grease zirks !!! Mike

[boondocks]

This is no brain work as long as you have time to do it! Spend your money on a service manual if your unsure and you will save HUGE dollars. If your time is restricted go to a shop but be ready to pay ..

[DodgeThis4wd]

i do all my own services on my 06 ZUKI Z-400 except valve adjustment. this type of valve set up is a shim under bucket design with dual overhead cams. to make a long story short, its worth my time to take it to the dealer and pay them $100 for a full service minus the oil change (i do this myself) i take it in twice a year for the valves and a complete inspection just so it looks good for my 4 year extended warranty. but for the full service with oil change they try to rob ya for around $200. so this is telling me they charge 60-100 for just an oil change. im sweet on that. i can buy a gallon of oil and two filters for $20 and be set for two oil changes!

remember, when you spend high dollar for these new machines, keep up with the maintence, and when you buy any kind of warranty, make sure its serviced in the shop atleast once a year, even if you can do it yourself. nothing sucks more then spending $680 on a warranty that doesnt cover anything because they cant prove its been serviced. keep all recpeits for any oil, filters, chain lube, air filter oil..everything!

[pgp2002]

A good website for you Honda riders (and others) is www.ridethered.net. There is lots of information on how to work on your quads and they some very smart people on there that can answer darn near any question you might have. The site was started by some ohio guys, so you know they've got to be smart;)

[Bass assasin]

if it has things that need grease make sure you grease them regularly

[big_fish]

pgp2000 is right on the valves but even the shim under a bucket isnt bad you just need the shims but most of your cost at a dealership on a service is adjusting the valves.On my quads it is easier to remove the fenders,racks and gas tank to get to the valves. If you own a bike you should have the service manual for it it is the 2nd best thing you will buy after the quad. I make a living as a mechanic so i'm not scared to tear into it but your regular oil change and grease (prevenitive maintainance) is very easy I do all mine 3 or 4 times a year it depends on how much you ride what kind of riding you do and how hard you woke the bike oil it the life blood of your bike so $12 is cheaper than a rebuild hope it helps :)