Motorcycle maintainance is a passion which can be a very exciting hobby too.
Its easy to go to a service station and get small things done, but the real pleasure of owning a bike can only be derived once you get your hands dirty.
The few things that can be easily done are:
Lubrication oil change
Air filter cleaning
Drive chain adjustment & maintainance
Lubrication oil change:
As a thumb rule, the lubrication oil is changed after every 2000 kms. The procedure is simply. First start the engine, let it running for 5 mins, then put it off. Open the drain plug and step on the kick several times to drain off the entire oil.Then take out the filter net and clean in a special detergent(or fresh oil). Then mount the filter net and fill the fresh Lub oil. Now run the engine in idle and see whether the oil level is between max & min.
Air filter cleaning:
There is not set frequency for this, but you should do it from time to time. Mostly the air filter core is made of foam or paper and it is this that needs to be cleaned. If it is of foam, dip it in petrol and clean it. If made of paper, use a brush to clean it.
Drive chain Adjustment & Maintainance:
One should check from time to time the wear of the chain and the degree of tightness adjustment. For adjusting the tightness, loosed the rear axle nut and the locking nut of the drive chain adjuster.The aim is to have the left adjuster with the right adjuster. Then check the tightness.
If we regularly do these small things the pleasure of riding will be entirely your own. In fact for more fun read the book -’Zen and the Art of motorcycle Maintainance’ written by Robert Pirsig.