bike consumables

[harriebird]

ok since a recent investment :grin2 i'm reviewing my current budgeting and i'm just wondering what the typical life expectancy of the following is (we're not talking GSXR1000s here, more CBR400s!!)

i'm racking up the miles now so need to be allowing for the odd bit here and there :grin2 in my monthly spends....

here we go:

brake pads (front)
brake discs
tyres
chain
air filter

what do you think? i dont need a load of science but would just like a quick straw poll of what people think is typical.

thank you muchly :cuddle xxx

[Tark]

Pads: A few Years. 24,000 Miles on my Dad bandit and he likes to break hard!

Disks: Years and years and years! My 98 CBR Race bike still had its standard disks on!!

Tyres: Looking at about 3 to 5000 miles on a 400? Depends on what compound. You could get 3000 on the GSXR if youare gentle i guess

Chain: Depends how well you loook after it. Keep it well adjusted and lubed up and it can last thousands of miles. Dont and you will find it only lasts a few hundred.

Air filter: Depends on your service guide. I would say once a year would be more than enough. If you get a K&N or something you can wash it.

You also need to consider Oil and Oil filters as there are something that could need doing once or even twice a year depending on your mileage.

Just my guessing. Maybe a little out to some other as race bikes get a little extra care. Dont ride that much on the road to give a full mile or time scale.

[Tark]

Thinking about it I guess a lot depends on Maintainence. If you clean things and keep them in top condition then they will last longer. Get leaking fork oil on your pads and they wont last long. Grit on your brakes and your disks will score and wear. Do Burn outs and your tyres wont last. Ride it in the sand and your gonna need new air filters. And sprockets are a thing to thnk about as well as the chain. Usually change at the same time. Worn sprockets will wear out a new chain much faster.

[DoodleBug]

Harrie, you are now doing similar mileage to me.

Unless your discs are warped or already wafer thin, forget about them.

Maybe 1.5 to 2 sets of pads a year. (filtering in London takes its toll)

2-3 sets of tyres

1.5 chain/sprocket set (might get scottoiler fitted to VFR)

air filter at big service unless you start to get problems.

Thats about what I get through taking the last 4 years and four bikes into consideration. the biggest trick is keeping it as clean as possible over the winter, downpipes rot like buggery!

[harriebird]

yeah i know what you mean, checked out my downpipes at the weekend (when the bike had a bloody good clean and i found all the cracks in the belly pan!) and it's not very pretty in there!

i'd already factored in an oil change every few thousand miles. and a few bottles of auto glym :grin2

cheers for your help folks xx

[MickyGixer]

Harri Im sure you already know but your first service on the 1000 you will only be charged labour....(its a freebie) should be around £35 - £40, its the standard oil filter / oil change blahhh

Second service (4000) cost Neil about £140 they change the air filter, tweak ya nuts, oil and filter and if its with a Suzuki dealer normally check the injection and fuelling and remap if necessary (the check and rectifications are done free is there is a problem under warranty in any case).

Third Service (8000) is a biggie and depending on if it is within your warranty period and there are any issues Suzuki dealers charge from £140 to £220.

A point that you may find interesting or not, the bolts on the rear sets for the 1000 are soft as ****e.....and easily go to rat poo if you try and adjust them, if you can afford it swap them with a set of nuts from Probolt especially if your going to be adjusting and taking them off for cleaning etc..:grin2 And the small black section side panels just between the tank and fairing are held on with a tricky clip and strong velcro...they are a ****er to get off first time....you may have already managed it but if you decide to have a nosy, unbolt the seat unit take hold off the corner edge of the plastic moulding and gently lift it and slide it back, it should slide off the clip and pull away from the velcro, its real flimsy..pull it away from the bike and it will crack or snap...:grin2

The same goes if you decide to put on a double bubble screen, the wing mirror indicator leads run through the back of the clocks and into a loom. (You may be ok should you decide to change it as you have small hands like me..lolol). My advice would be to locate the indicator wiring first (get Phils to help as two pairs of hands are handy for this one). When you unbolt the wingmirror(s) the lead runs through the centre hole, the trickey part if getting your fingers onto the connector behind the clocks, Neil and I found putting the bars on full lock to the right did the trick for both sides but it was a bugger of a job and took a good 25 minutes....anyway hope this helps if you decide to mod up the Gixxer...catch ya soon...x

[Jetski]

A point that you may find interesting or not, the bolts on the rear sets for the 1000 are soft as ****e.....and easily go to rat poo if you try and adjust them, if you can afford it swap them with a set of nuts from Probolt especially if your going to be adjusting and taking them off for cleaning etc..:grin2

PRO BOLT - NOOOOOOOOOO! :D There are some bad experiences been had with pro bolts by both H and myself! One of them sheared off like cheese and Mick spent 48 hours more or less trying to tap and die it out! My pro bolt fairing kit seems ok, but the thread goes quite quick if you're not gentle. I sold the nuts I had'nt used (ooer) in the end out of pure fear! :D I guess they'd be fine for rearsets though as I don't suppose they'd need to be torque'd up.

[harriebird]

no i too had a terrible experience with pro bolt!! a slight mismatch between bolts required and bolts supplied :rolleyes:

i was just budgeting for all the bits my 400 will need to keep him happy and contented :grin2 rather than for the GSXR. but i shall certainly bear in mind the rearsets, i was going to have a think about some.

first service is next weekend !!!!!! but i'm loving the bike!

i wont be modding it very much, the only thing i've done so far is a new exhaust hanger so i coudl get the pillion pegs off, and i'm putting a new tail tidy on later coz the standard arrangement is ugly as sin!