Oil, Chain & Air Filter.

[bullet5]

Hello everyone

The bandit is just about ready for her shiney new chain to be fitted, and for the engine oil change.

However i've got a few Q's.

Would it be best to lube the chain before fitting it? Is there a special method for the 1st time you lube/oil you chain & sprockets? i.e would it be preferable to lube the sprockets aswell?

For the engine oil, from what i've gathered the best method is to start the bike up for a bit, so the oil warms, then put her on side stand, and drain through the sump. After that, remove the oil filter and fit the replacement, and as soon as possible pour in the new oil (after the sump plug is put back in, with new bango)...

And last but not least, when installing the new air filter should it be covered in engine oil, or such like?

Sorry for the lecture, but i'd like to get it right first time.

Many thanks.

Bullet5

[RicKsTa]

Never had to change my chain or sprockets yet due to low mileage of bike, but i would suggest fitting chain first and then lubing it, especially if you have such a device as Dan has pointed out before.. a Kettenmax or similar. Its easier to lube it once its on and turning on the sprockets.

Rest of what you said sounds about right. make sure the bike has been running a little while to thin the oil out so it drains easier. Sump plug out, then pop off the filter. Put sump plug back in, smear some new oil around new filter seal and torque it up. Pop in your new oil, and bobs your uncle.

Regards to your filter, i would suggest getting a K&N or somethin similar that you just wash and re-oil each year or so many thousand miles. But if its a OEM filter, no you wouldnt need to oil it as far as im aware.

Good luck

[Guest]

Chain should already be lubed Tom, if not, lube it on bike

[bullet5]

Alright thankyou guys I'll check it again in the morning, but from what i remember it was already oiled slightly (i think)

For now the bandit won't be using a Scottoiler or such like, it will be done manualy. I've already bought the filter and it's one that is ment to directly replace the original, without it adding BHP or needing engine / carb adjustments.

Should I add a little extra lube to the sprokets as they're new?

Thanks again.

Bullet5.

[Guest]

Use your judgement Tom, they should already be oiled, but if they appear to need more, it won't hurt.

[bullet5]

Thankyou I shall be on with it in the morning. I'll also give your tooth brush cleaner a go too (well at building one)

Thanks greatly.

[eastanglianbiker]

you might find with the position of the sump plug it is better to drain it on centre stand check where sump bolt is before running bike

[bullet5]

The sump bolt is to the left of the engine. And draining the oil with her on the centre stand is impossible, as that's currently suspended 5 feet up in the air drying after 3 coats of paint.

I'll ask the father to hold the bike as if it was on the centre stand/rock it about a bit, after the majority of the oil has come out

Thankyou.

[Guest]

Some bikes need to be upright, some need to be on sidestand... if you have manual of some description, it should say. You mention it on the left? sounds like it should be drained on the sidestand... Steve was mentioning it for this reason, different bikes drain differently.

[bullet5]

Thanks for clearing that up dan.

I'll have a go at it in about 20 minutes.

[bullet5]

ran into a problem. how do i rivet the chain? ive pushed the link in and the plate ontop using part of the kit pictured below, but which pieces do i use to rivet it? :/ the included instructions are rubbish.

many thanks.

[iluvbikes]

ran into a problem. how do i rivet the chain? ive pushed the link in and the plate ontop using part of the kit pictured below, but which pieces do i use to rivet it? :/ the included instructions are rubbish.

many thanks.

 

nice bit of kit bullet..

[bullet5]

It looked like a nice bit of kit, but it doesn't do the job. I've had a look around the tinterweb, and it seems that the riveter rod, is ment to have a pointy end, so the rivet is splayed outwards. This one just has a flat end. Anyone else got a tool for Riveting chains? and does it hahve a point at the end

Currently, the link pin is through, (the plate with the two bars) and the ends are ever so slightly bent. (it wont be comming back off for a long time). But it's not 'squashed' enough (imo and fathers) to be ready for ~80bhp -- (up & down back lane until washers come).

Most appreciated.

[Guest]

I know what you mean Tom, tis a bugger of a job to do and be happy with.

That looks like a professional kit, i would suggest you may have to start with the smallest pin? then move onto the next size up... to splay the pin over?

Failing that, get on ya hands and knees, backstop behind the chain, and get ya Dad to hold it, then let rip with a hammer and a punch to splay them pins over!

One job I hated doing, when handing customers keys back with their bike! Never had any problems, but helluva important job!

[bullet5]

I know what you mean Tom, tis a bugger of a job to do and be happy with.

That looks like a professional kit, i would suggest you may have to start with the smallest pin? then move onto the next size up... to splay the pin over?

Failing that, get on ya hands and knees, backstop behind the chain, and get ya Dad to hold it, then let rip with a hammer and a punch to splay them pins over!

One job I hated doing, when handing customers keys back with their bike! Never had any problems, but helluva important job!

 

Aye, my 1st attempt ended badly after 5 minutes of struggling with the lubed chain, with bare hands. I then restarted, and took the hugger off too. Making it a bit easier, but the rear axel is currently in it's most forwardly position. Is this normal? I know the chain stretches, but the chain could increase in total length by 2" and the rear axel still wouldn't hit the rear end of it's slots. (If you know what i'm on about).

The kit is ment to be a breaker and fitter for 'all types of chains.' Bought it from CJ's. In the box those 'pins' your talking about (if you mean the ones in the bottom left of the 1st pic). I thought that those pins would be to break the chain... So in actual fact you use the smallest one and work up? ...

I've attempted the hammer method before on a bicycle and I can tell you I won't be doing it again any time soon.

Thankyou for the advice. Now that I think about it, your more than likely right... Damn. That's 3 hours wasted, on my hands and knees.

--

Oh and one last question. We (father and myself) removed the original engine oil that the bike came with today, and it came out looking like gravy. Father wasn't impressed, and it looked nothing like the new oil we then poured in. Anyway, we took that out then refilled it, with some asda oil. Warmed it up, and let it run around, then took this out, swapped the oil filter (damn heavy compared to new one so would suggest a LOT of contamination(?) and now topped her up with some " Putoline Super DX4 10W/40 Semi Synthetic Oil" We used up the entire bottle, however when we started the bike up and let her cool (only a 2 min run) the oil had dissapeared from the little window on the side of the crank casing. When she cooled down, the level had reached about 1/6 above the 'min' mark. (gap between max and min = about 1.7 to 2cm.) Should I buy another bottle of oil to make the level a little higher, or leave it?

Sorry for the essay.

Most appreciated.

Bullet5.

[Guest]

Oil wants to be between the two marks, once you filled it, then ran it, all the empty space, like the oil filter, needs to be filled with oil, hence the drop. So yes, needs topping up.

[bullet5]

So would you suggest topping it up to just under the 'max' mark when the bike is cold and won't have been run for 24 (ish) hours? (going out to buy more oil tommorow). And would it be alright to put some of the asda oil in her? as she only needs a little more, and the other stuff is about £15-20 a bottle.

Thankyou Dan.

[Guest]

After all this effort you wanna spoil it by putting cheap oil in?

Give it the good stuff

And between the gaps is fine, obviously its nice to have it more towards the top.

[bullet5]

Alrighti then, I suppose this way i'll have spare oil, and maybe enough for a oil change in the future. (as the bottles are 4L and the bandit holds ~3300ml)

Thankyou for the tips dan, you may have another beer heading your way

[eastanglianbiker]

if your bike only hold 3300 then you should have enough left over to top it up with

[bullet5]

I used up some of the good oil on the 1st run through / clean up cycle. So i only had about 3L of the good stuff left. anyway, ive just bought some mor oil however had a bad day yesterday. The new exhaust clamp bolt snapped, so had to refit the old one, and when i attempted to rivet the chain, the device snapped. :/ going to cj's to complain in a few mins. pic below.

[sparkeh9]

when i attempted to rivet the chain, the device snapped. :/ going to cj's to complain in a few mins. pic below.

 

By the looks of it, you bought the same one as I did, the same happened, when breaking the chain it bent the breaking bit, when trying to fit it, it snapped the riveting bit......

I ended up using an angle grinder to cut it off and two hammers to rivet the chain together!

[bullet5]

Aye, so it looks like people should be staying away from these kits. However on the up side, Cj's have accepted to give us a full refund, on both the c clip and this tool kit. I've seen another on their site:

(double u, double u, double u, dot) cjaccessories.co.uk/product.php?productid=17017&cat=256&page=1

It looks a lot better made. And as it weighs in at 1kg you'd have thought it would be made of tougher stuff.

If this fails then it will be the 2 hammer method.

You've got more brains than me using a angle grinder to get old one off.

[Danny-B-]

After just doing my chain with my mates chain tool (resembled something like that one you had)

I can safely say that i'll be asking a shop (abbey motorcycles) to do it next time .... had a hasstle getting the bugger out in the first place, then more hasstle when we discovered that the chain was 2 links too many ... chain tool broke, trying to get the 2 links out ... then trying to rivet the chain on (different attachment)

The tool the shop had, looked more like http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Universal-Chain-B ... 230ed3f676

But he used a hammer to bash the center piece in to make the rivet hold ... took him 2 seconds with the tool.

[bullet5]

Thanks for that danny. I've had another go at it today with the new tool, and the damn pin bent over. So I removed this little attachment and just pushed the drive plate (that sits between the chain and the pin on the tool), gave it a few twists with a spanner and the job was done

I've since bent the pin back into place, but won't be using it (well the pin) again.

Once the chain was on it was a little tight, and as it went over the sprockets it wouldn't sit flush, especially with the front one, where you could hear it click. Ran the bike in 1st gear for a while (on centre stand) to try and free it, then used a mallet and a screwdriver to try and loosen the side plate a little. It now runs pretty smoothly, and should hopefully bed in more when the bikes run around a bit.

Last thing on my list today was to check oil, and oddly it'd risen upto about 2/3 between low and full. where as yesterday when we switched her off and let her cool (abotu 10 mins) it was at about 1/3 Anyway I put a little more in, so it's now sitting around the 3/4 mark cold.

Thankyou again everyone, you've all been a great help!

Most appreciated,

Bullet5.