Welcome, Tara! After getting the Factory Service Manual (FSM) from this site's home page, I would recommend a used copy of the Clymer manual for your bike -- it will be somewhat redundant, but Clymer explains a lot more than the FSM does, and it is quite often easier to follow. They can be purchased from Amazon.com, for usually less than $15, delivered.
After that, I would suggest replacing all of the fluids, if they have not been replaced yet: engine oil (see below, first); brake fluid; Fork Oil (see below); and treat the fuel system, entirely.
I"m an old sawhorse for
SeaFoam, and I type this stuff a lot, but it is so easy, and the results can be dramatic, depending upon your bike's condition...
Get a couple of cans of
SeaFoam (~$9/can, at Wal-Mart), add the correct amount to a full tank of gas, let it sit overnight, then ride it until the tank is nearly empty, if possible (~120 miles, when you hit reserve?). This will absorb any water within the fuel system/gas tank; it will dissolve mild varnish deposits throughout the fuel system; and it may even smooth out the carburetors, improving performance, and mileage -- after the first tank is emptied, as the
SeaFoam will decrease mileage while it is on board.
Add the correct amount of
SeaFoam to the crankcase, as per the directions on the can. Put your bike on its centerstand, and run it. Let it idle for five minutes, shifting it through all five gears, with the rear wheel spinning freely -- this will circulate the
SeaFoam throughout the engine, and the transmission, dissolving varnish, carbon, and other gunk deposits within the whole of the engine and the transmission.
SeaFoam will not affect the clutch! After that, change your oil
and filter, as the filter will capture most of the crud deposits. If you check the color of your oil before you add the
SeaFoam, then check it when you drain it, it will likely turn coal black, which indicates a lot of crud has been removed from the engine/transmission. This only needs to be done once every 20,000 to 40,000 miles,
if you use a modern (SN-rated) detergent oil, like Shell Rotella T/T6 oil (15W-40/5W-40; ~$21/gallon for the T6 Synthetic, at Wal-Mart; safe for wet clutches, high detergent diesel oil, rated SN for cars, JASO approved for motorcycle usage).
Next up, is the fork fluid. Honda used Dexron III ATF Fluid (Automatic Transmission Fluid; ~$5/quart; 8W viscosity), in place of fork oil (~$15/quart; 5W to 20W viscosity). Any version of Dexron will work: III to VI, as all are backwards compatible. Add some
SeaFoam to each fork tube, before draining the old; pump the tubes up/down 5-6 times, to circulate it, allowing it to dissolve any crud inside the tubes. Then drain the old, and fill with fresh, as per the manuals. I form a barrier using aluminum foil, guiding the old fluid into a drain pan, protecting it from contacting the brake rotor -- just use a sheet, pushing it behind the fork tube bottom, shaping it to form a 'funnel' guiding the fluid away from the Rotor.
For the Brake Fluid, on the front tire, probably the easiest method, overall, is to install a
SpeedBleeder, one-way valve at the wheel. Web site:
https://www.speedbleeder.com. E-mail the company for the correct size (no longer listed on the web catalog):
speedbleeder@earthlink.net. Once installed, simply suck the old fliuid out of the reservoir, on the handlebar, using a baster dedicated to this sole purpose; re-fill with fresh DOT3 fluid, then open the SpeedBleeder valve, 1/4-turn; attach a hose leading to a catch jar, and pump the brake handle until the reservoir is nearly empty. Re-fill the reservoir with fresh fluid, and repeat the process until fresh, clear Brake Fluid comes out the nipple at the wheel; then top off the reservoir, and tighten the SpeedBleeder valve. Done for 1-2 years down the road.
Check the battery: if it is a flooded cell type, check the level of the water, top off, as needed (only add distilled water, nothing else!), then hook it up to a smart trickle charger. If it is a sealed battery, nothing to do, but get a smart trickle charger, and hook it up whenever you are not riding. By keeping the battery topped off, connecting it to a smart trickle charger, it will spin over very fast, every time you start it, and the battery will last twice as long, if not longer. I use a
Battery Tender Jr., around $25-$30; it has a permanent battery connector, which has a capped plug which can be routed to a side cover on the bike. Just plug the connector to the charger after you get off from your ride.
Those are the simple, easy, basic maintenance jobs. They can make a dramatic difference in performance of the bike, overall. For other issues, post them here, and the members will be happy to assist you. Cheers!
1979 CB750K (sold, 2012, but not forgotten)
1983 Kawasaki 440 LTD Belt Drive (sold, 2011)
1993 Kawasaki Voyager XII
Locked
