Maintenance

[pais]

   Good morning everybody,
    Sun is actually shining here in NE Ohio. Not able to ride today. Son has a doubleheader, beginning at noon.
    Anyway, I am heading to garage to take care of a few things. Have a few questions.
    1) What is the recommended way to change rear end oil? Ride the Valk and warm up oil in rear end or just drain and fill cold?
    2) I assume leave cold to change coolant, for obvious reasons. I just want to make sure I get all/as much as I can of old lubricant and coolant as possible.
    3) Seat latch is due in the mail today. Any tips on how to install? From what I see, not going to be much fun.
      I'm rather embarrassed. When I looked at bike PO took seat off for me and installed it. When I got it home I removed seat with key to put reg. and ins. card under seat. Key had resistance and seat came off. when I put it back on would not latch. Removed seat and got flash light. Nothing their but cable being operated by key, no latch. I forgot all about it over the winter. I was installing new bushings on shocks(last Sunday) when I remembered it. So I ordered immediately. Blown up parts diagram makes me think it will be a PIA to get hooked up. Any ideas will be appreciated!
     Enjoy the day, it is already beautiful outside. Be safe!

[Chrisj CMA]

The recommended way (what I recommend) is to change the rear end oil when you have the drive off during a spline re grease/tire change adventure, so much easier than pouring oil all over the rear of your motorcycle.

you pour in 150cc none overflows, no mess to clean, cap it and good to go

[pancho]

My advice is, take your time, enjoy the morning, get a ride in and do your maintenance. The seat latch is a bit tricky because of tight quarters, but you should be able to do it without removing the center cover (if you have the bolts) the cable is a bit tricky, but even if you need to remove the center cover, it can be done pretty quickly once you have made your mind up to do it.  Get a ride in,, noon will be here before long.

[da prez]

 I use a set of short jack stands under the crash bars to stand the bike up straight. Remove the final drive drain plug ( go to the baseball game) do all the other work , put the drain plug where you will not forget it. ( put with the ignition key) All the goop will come out when you drain the final drive. Some times I squirt WD40 in for a flush. Fill  (4.1 oz (from memory)and ride.

                                da prez

[Chrisj CMA]

I use a set of short jack stands under the crash bars to stand the bike up straight. Remove the final drive drain plug ( go to the baseball game) do all the other work , put the drain plug where you will not forget it. ( put with the ignition key) All the goop will come out when you drain the final drive. Some times I squirt WD40 in for a flush. Fill  (4.1 oz (from memory)and ride.

                                da prez

4.1 oz is not 150cc.  Its 30cc too little (that's not close enough)  And I would not recommend WD-40 or any other contaminant to be put inside the final drive.  If it was really nasty just drain it well, fill it with clean oil and then repeat after a few miles.  The good clean oil is all the flush you need.  

If you use synthetic lube and change it at every tire change it will never get that gunky
 

[pais]

   Good morning again,
    I took tips from just about everybody's reply's. Other than I did not ride before the games. Wife drove the family truckster to the game. I rode my bicycle.
    Any way's, went to the garage did a little cleaning, polishing and some touch up paint on wear marks on the frame. When I actually get her out for the season. Other than a quick bath, she only gets ridden and maintained. Pulled cap on rear diff and the plug let her drain. Went for a bicycle ride (long way). It was a beautiful day for baseball! I coached my son's teams over the years from coach pitch, 6-7yr olds, to F league,13-14yr olds. Can't believe he's playing high school ball. Sorry guys, getting off topic. Got back after dinner, had to celebrate a sweep and the fact we paid off the family truckster! Put plug in diff and filled her. Not bad, I used tubing no mess. Latch and bolt were in the mail box. Garage was quiet, cracked open a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, turned on Pandora and commenced to installing latch. I had already unbolted center plate but did not want to remove. Also I did some archive searching and 1 post said to remove battery. Didn't want to do that either. I did remove cover and neg. cable. With those things out of the way, room was adequate. Also in same archive, take apart latch was suggested. Did that and with in 15 mins. had cable barrel hooked to latch and secured. Re-assembled latch, this was somewhat tricky. Just have to keep an eye on that spring and NOT be in a hurry! I cannot believe how well latch install went. I was dreading the whole process. As usual guys, thank you for all the help! Gonna do the radiator this morning before meeting in-laws for breakfast. If it is not raining when I get back, I will take her for a ride.

[pancho]

Sounds like you're having a pretty good weekend pias.

[sandy]

Radiator flush. If you use distilled water to refill, run, and redrain, you'll get all the old coolant out.

[pais]

   Hey Sandy, thanks for that tip. I was kinda wondering about that very subject. Didn't get to it yet. Got back from breakfast and sun was shining, son and I got out and finished off the ornamental grass that seemed to be taking over the yard.
   Poncho, things were cruising along until thunder and lightning storm hit about 10am. I was letting the dog in when theeee loudest and brightest white bolt of lightning struck just to the NW of our house. Zapped out the ATT&T equipment in the house. Fortunately that was all that it got in the house. On the north end of the house at the fence gate. The lightning blew a hole in the brick, yes brick. To glance at it, it looks like a gun shot hit the house. Took out 1/2 of entire brick and splintered 2 more. Amazing mother nature!

[Rio Wil]

If the lube system is working properly for the pinion cup splines, it should pull a bit of final drive oil up into the pinion cup. As that mixes with the moly grease in the cup it will carry a bit of moly back to the final drive, thereby discoloring the final drive oil.  That is not in any way 'crud' or a 'contaminant'.....that's the way its supposed to work. However, I change the oil each 15K maintenance period just cause I don't like the color of the final drive lube........

[pancho]

   Hey Sandy, thanks for that tip. I was kinda wondering about that very subject. Didn't get to it yet. Got back from breakfast and sun was shining, son and I got out and finished off the ornamental grass that seemed to be taking over the yard.
   Poncho, things were cruising along until thunder and lightning storm hit about 10am. I was letting the dog in when theeee loudest and brightest white bolt of lightning struck just to the NW of our house. Zapped out the ATT&T equipment in the house. Fortunately that was all that it got in the house. On the north end of the house at the fence gate. The lightning blew a hole in the brick, yes brick. To glance at it, it looks like a gun shot hit the house. Took out 1/2 of entire brick and splintered 2 more. Amazing mother nature!

That is absolutely crazy pais, that was close.  Don't rule out some electronics failing over the next couple of weeks as that strike created a large EMF field that induced voltage into everything in the area. I have seen insurance claims reopened after settlement for lingering failures of electronics after a lightning strike, many times digital circuitry can be damaged, but not enough to cause immediate failure.     

You lucky brother,,, I guess you can call it an eventful weekend.