DIY home servicing

I just wanted to thank all the people on this site who made my weekend servicing so easy with their guides and information.

Having never done it before and with a very basic mechanical knowledge I managed this weekend to replace the chain and sprockets, oil and spark plugs, and check the air filter.

It all went without a hitch thanks to easy guides written on here.

I bought all the stuff online, M&P for the chain kit and David Silver Spares for the oil filter, plugs, air filter etc.

My only observations are:
i) Borrow a specialised chain tool to cut the old one off and join the new one. It can be done manually but for peace and mind and ease the specialist tool makes it so much easier, though at £60 for decent one probably not worth buying
ii) Soak everything in WD40 the night before
iii) The oil filter can be pain to get off, in the end I had to force a breaker bar through and twist the old one off (you cant get a socket set through the down pipes to use the tool they supply to remove and fit the new one)
iv) The front sprocket cover can be a bit of a pain to get back on, pay attention to how it goes back together when you first take it off
v) Removing the fuel tank is pretty easy, it looks daunting disconnecting the two fuel pipes, but it is pretty straight forward
vi) Get a tub of copper grease and grease anything that looks like it will move and try and clean stuff as you take it off. Mine is a '96 plate and despite only 13,000 miles you wouldn't believe how much crud collects, but these Honda are built well and a bit of a clean soon restores it. 

If you have got one of these and want to try your hand at home servicing, give it go you will be be surprised how easy it is and this site has some great, easy to understand advice and tips.

Cheers

Hello!

Glad to hear you had a successful service!

If you do a lot of miles or have a habit of buying knackered bikes a chain-tool will pay for itself quite quickly...

I didn't know much about servicing bikes until I 'had a go' armed with my Haynes manual and internet-connection.... I probably don't know much more now but I'm slightly better at it than I used to be :)

Glad to hear it went well.

Did you wash out the secondry air filter too? I  did mine, but I think it could do with a new one. 

As well as the pipes to the fuel tap, mine had two on the other side of the tank.  I didn't even realise they'd come off as I lifted the tank up.  I think one is a breather and the other an overflow (in case to put oo much fuel in).

Good on you mate, I hope you had a few cold ones waiting in the fridge after the heat at the weekend!