SoCal Maintenance Day plan?

Is anybody willing to bring tools, gear, and what not to a maintenance day in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...more in the Los Angeles area?

I could maybe host if there aren't a TON of people, but my garage is entirely full of the landlord's stuff and working on the driveway is definately do-able.

People can wash and wax their bikes, do all maintenance with the help of those who know what they're doing, and meet people from our area!

We can make it a big event with a mesquite barbecue, beers, sodas, music...family fun!

*byo beer, meat, drinks...or whatever we decide.

**hehe: my personal gain: I specifically want help tuning my suspension to my weight and what not, but more to have someone explain how/why they are doing it in person so I can share the knowledge with others. (I think mine does the opposite of bottoming out...extends too far)

Thanks!

I'm interested and I can host in Huntington Beach as well but no BBQ at my place...but I do live 1 mile from the beatches :cheer::rockon:

Regarding suspension, I recommend you put on a few pounds :Flip: are you talking about the front or rear? the front isn't worth it if you ask me...too much work for a bike that wasn't designed for tight suspension/turns. r6 forks swap might be better, or just dropping the forks a little. The rear, you can change the spring but that's about it. i dont know if there's much else you can do.

My bike needs a good wash - I was thinking of doing it Sunday morning.

When are you planning this? Because I should be cruising through LA on my way back to Monterey from CO about the middle of September. This is something I would definately love to check out. Especially since during the week/2 weeks that I'll be home I'll get the initial break in and 600 mile tune-up completed, and will probably need another one after riding 1200+ miles from CO to here. Any info would be of great use. I want to only go to a bike shop to pick up parts or tires. Everything else I want to do myself unless there is no other choice. I'm hoping my dirt biking experience will certainly help with that. So any tips/tricks that can be shown will be like gold to me.

pchbreeze said:

I'm interested and I can host in Huntington Beach as well but no BBQ at my place...but I do live 1 mile from the beatches :cheer::rockon:
My bike needs a good wash - I was thinking of doing it Sunday morning.

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Do you have all the tools we'd need? I don't. hehe, just washed and waxed mine in the sunset last night...the deep red was epic in the waning light lookin' so shiny and bright...

I'd love it if someone has the red aerosol can of yamaha fz6 red...I wanna paint my rear tire cover thingy correctly with base, paint, and clear coat correctly!

Just to give you a heads up, you might not want to paint your bike as you're talking about doing...the more red it is, the slower it gets.

I got everything for a basic maintenance...what were you planning to do?

NoxCruor said:

When are you planning this? Because I should be cruising through LA on my way back to Monterey from CO about the middle of September. This is something I would definately love to check out. Especially since during the week/2 weeks that I'll be home I'll get the initial break in and 600 mile tune-up completed, and will probably need another one after riding 1200+ miles from CO to here. Any info would be of great use. I want to only go to a bike shop to pick up parts or tires. Everything else I want to do myself unless there is no other choice. I'm hoping my dirt biking experience will certainly help with that. So any tips/tricks that can be shown will be like gold to me.

Click to expand...

I've been that way myself with all teh cars and now motorcycles. I just dont WANT anyone touching something thats almost a financial investment to me. From what i've seen, as long as you download the repair manual to your bike, you'll be fine. bikes seem easier than cars...just a matter of googling up answers and reading manuals.

My main thing is to adjust my suspension presets (all stock) for my weight that'll handle great commuting everyday, but be able to handle my canyon twisties and touring rides every two weeks or so...

so basically if someone could show me the basics, show me how to setup my new stock setting for commuting and then if it's explained easily enough, I can see hwo to do it for a canyon ride and do it that morning myself...that's the plan for me...

and depending if I have close to my 8,000 miles or not I might just attempt the 8,000 miles service.

You just have one adjustable spring under your seat, for the rear...with set points 1-7. I dont know what is what but one is softer, one is stiffer. You might as well set it up for the stiffest it has. Compared to a supersport, it'll still be pretty soft for canyons. You don't need to do a thing for commuting. If you want to adjust the front, you want to basically de-FZ your 6. Easiest fix there is to get very thick weight fork oil to stiffen it up. Other than that, you're looking at R6 fork swap.

I'LL be in imperial beach about thursday night/friday morning. As for the front suspension, i want to get Racetech springs and 15wt fork oil. Your rear shock, is 1 is softes, 7 stiffest. For canyon riding you prolly want to set it to 7. Mine is at 5 now and after the move, it will be at 7 for riding in the twistys

IMO setting the rear straight to 7 is maybe a bit much, depending on the rider's weight. Might try it gradually and work your way up.

I need to up mine a bit. I'm thinking about the Racetech springs and fork oil. I read about how it's possible to pop the fork caps off w/o dropping the forks out (and all that entails), and using a pump to pump out the old oil. You drop in the spacers, springs and oil and you're good to go.

If anyone wants to help on a project like this I'd be down to learn!

EDIT - unfortunately I can't host in my crappy apartment.

So it seems from this site and my UCLA group, there are a bunch of people who are interested in doing a maintenance day.

If someone wants to host sooner, then go ahead, but I'm going to wait another 1500 miles for my 8K mile service to roll through and then I'll post a maintenance day. Or if someone from my other club wants to do it.

Anyways, stay safe and I'll keep you posted. :thumbup: