Below is a post I wrote on the ST Owners website when I was prepping my 2005 ST1300 for the 2015 IBR. It lists all the things I did to prepare for the rally. This is not intended to be a complete list of every possible detail, but it should give someone an idea of the level of preparation I decided was necessary.
So in preparation for the "Big Dance", I thought it would be a good idea to give my ST1300 (70,000 miles) a thorough once over, and do whatever repairs and preventative maintenance I could think of. The idea was to get it all done and then ride from my home in Arizona to the IBA's "Pizza Party" in Jacksonville in a couple of weeks. This would give me a chance to thoroughly "shakedown" the bike, and find any last details that need done, well in advance of the Rally. I don't want to be the guy with his bike torn apart in the parking lot in ABQ. So, to that end, I'm looking for suggestions or reminders of things I may have overlooked, while I still have plenty of time. Here is what I've done over the last month:
Garry
#514
So in preparation for the "Big Dance", I thought it would be a good idea to give my ST1300 (70,000 miles) a thorough once over, and do whatever repairs and preventative maintenance I could think of. The idea was to get it all done and then ride from my home in Arizona to the IBA's "Pizza Party" in Jacksonville in a couple of weeks. This would give me a chance to thoroughly "shakedown" the bike, and find any last details that need done, well in advance of the Rally. I don't want to be the guy with his bike torn apart in the parking lot in ABQ. So, to that end, I'm looking for suggestions or reminders of things I may have overlooked, while I still have plenty of time. Here is what I've done over the last month:
- Removed all the bodywork, and gave the entire bike a close inspection and cleaning, noting worn parts and fluid conditions.
- New wheel bearings and seals, front and rear. The old ones seemed fine, but why take a chance?
- Greased and adjusted steering head.
- New rubber dampers in drive assembly. Again, the old ones looked fine, but they are cheap, so why not.
- Checked swingarm bearings, suspension pivots, shock preload, and damping. (I have a Progressive Suspension setup)
- Changed the fuel pump and strainer.
- New fuel filter.
- New upper to lower tank hose.
- New air filter.
- Checked valve clearances.
- Spark plugs replaced 15,000 miles ago.
- Complete inspection of the factory and my auxiliary wiring harnesses, secured routing, check for chafing or any issues.
- Replaced all incandescent bulbs.
- Flushed front and rear brakes, replaced fluid. (Edit: Clutch too)
- Cleaned caliper pistons.
- New brake pads front and rear.
- Rebuilt forks, new seals and fresh oil.
- Cooling system flush and new coolant. (Edit: New thermostat too)
- Swapped out keylock gas cap for screw-off type. (Speeds up fuel stops - no need to remove/replace Key from ignition)
- Replaced battery with new AGM type.
- Replaced all batteries in TPMS sensors and head.
- Checked all bolt torque specs.
- Lubricated windshield sliders.
- Full systems check of all added accessories, USB ports, Powerlet plugs, SPOT, GPS, NEXRAD weather radar, both sets of aux lights, fuel cell vent and filter, top box computer power, etc.
- Polished the windshield with Plexus.
- Shortly before the IBR I will fit two new tires, and do an oil change.
Garry
#514