There is nothing really to say about the service except it is easier if you take the fairing panels off. The underside panel comes off real easy which is not something that can be said of the front side panels. Behind the near side panel you find a big electrical connector block which has a mounting on the panel. This means the panel does not want to come off until the block is released but you cannot get at it as it is under the fairing pocket. The off side panel does not have quite has enough space to remove the suspressor cap on the rear most cylinder.
The spark plugs are deeply recessed so a little care in starting the tread is needed. I used NGK spark plugs. Despite being brand new I always check the gap with a feeler gauge. Often the plug needs a slight gap reset the gap. The air filer is a faff because it is under the petrol tank. Luckily the top tank was empty so was light. The tank has a prop which stowed in the tail unit. Unfortunately I did not find this out until I had completed the job. To make the job a bit more interesting several of the screws would not come out. I did coax them out with penetrating oil and a little time. It is nice in this restoration/upgrade that I am not pressed for time. I can oil seized screws over a period of time and work them loose. The change of air filter took 90 seconds but get the air box lid off took a week. Refiting the air box lids took no time at all.
The oil filter was an easy job. Running the engine up to working tempreature obviously took a few minutes. I cannot run the engine whilst the bike is in the garage so the warm up took place outside the garage. The oil is not going to cool down fast so there was ample time to reposition the bike on the lift in the garage before dropping out the old oil. The oil filter is under the engine near the centre stand. Access is a bit restrictive but not as bad as other vehicles I have worked on. Fitting the new oil filter is a work of seconds.
I figured whilst I was about it I might as well replace the oil in the rear drive bevel. That might have been the simplest job of all. Remove the drain plugs and let it drain. The oil is a heavy EP90 so it does not flow quickly. Once the oil was out. Replace the drain plus and squeeze in the appropriate amount of oil in the filler plug. When it overflows you have filled it.
Service fuilds
Engine with filter change 3.9 litre SAE 10/40
Final drive 0.15 litre SAE 80
Spark plugs NGK gap = 0.8mm
This blog is an aide memoir for my old age. I will record what I have upgraded, fettled, replaced and repaired. There might be a story of bike bourne adventures, might not. It will be a nice record for the future.
