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@ianjmacintosh
Last active February 23, 2020 19:50
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KLR 3K Maintenance Routine

Easy

Active Time: 1 hour if brakes are OK, 3 hours if brakes need to be replaced

  • Check brake fluid level (5 minutes)
  • Inspect brake light adjustment (30 minutes)
  • Inspect lights and switch operation (2 minutes)
  • Inspect/adjust clutch (2-10 minutes)
  • Inspect/replace brake pads (5 minutes to inspect, 45 minutes to replace)
  • Check throttle grip play (5 minutes)

Intermediate

Active Time: 4¼ hours Inactive Time: 8 hours for air filter to dry

  • Change oil & filter (1½ hours)
  • Clean air filter (1 hour of active time, 8 hours of waiting)
  • Inspect/replace spark plug (1 hour)
  • Inspect drive chain & sprockets (10 minutes)
  • Drain carb float chamber (20 minutes)
  • Adjust balancer chain tensioner (15 minutes)

Hard

Active Time: 3¾ hours

  • Inspect/adjust steering bearings (0 minutes)
  • Check engine idle speed (45 minutes)
  • Inspect/replace coolant hoses (30 minutes)
  • Inspect/tighten spokes (0 minutes)
  • Clean muffler (0 minutes)
  • Inspect air filter housing drain (45 minutes)
  • Perform general lubrication (45 minutes)
  • Tighten fasteners (1 hour)

Words of Wisdom

Set Your Expectations Accurately

This work will take 8 hour to finish if working at a focused but relaxed pace. Because it will take some time, you should set your expectations appropriately before you begin to plan your day more accurately. In other words, if you don't know how much work this all is, you'll probably underestimate the amount of time it'll take. Personally, I have a habit of saying, "Oh this will just take five or ten minutes" and then half an hour later I'll still be telling myself I'm almost done. Besides holding up the rest of your plans for the day, you may end up rushing and bungling something important, unnecessarily and unwittingly making riding your motorcycle a riskier proposition than it already is. Set aside eight hours, take your time, and enjoy the experience.

Start Early

If you're going to try to do this all in one day, make sure you start before noontime. If you cannot or will not start before then, I recommend choosing a few tasks and completing them on one day, then start early the next day to perform the rest.

Tasks

Inspect brake light adjustment

Active Time: 30 minutes

Inspect lights and switch operation

Active Time: 2 minutes

Steps

  1. Turn handlebar all the way left and right, confirm there's no binding or obstruction
  2. Activate left turn signal
  3. Confirm front and rear left turn signals are flashing, then cancel signal
  4. Activate right turn signal
  5. Confirm front and rear right turn signals are flashing, then cancel signal
  6. Confirm headlight is on
  7. Switch headlight to high beam and confirm the headlight changes
  8. Squeeze front brake lever and confirm rear brake light illuminates
  9. Press rear brake pedal and confirm rear brake light illuminate
  10. Confirm license plate light is illuminated
  11. Confirm rear running light is illuminated
  12. Honk horn!
  13. Start motor with starter button
  14. Stop motor with engine cutoff switch

Inspect/adjust clutch

Active Time: 2-10 minutes

Inspect/replace brake pads

Active Time: 5 minutes to inspect, 45 minutes to replace

Check throttle grip play

Active Time: 5 minutes

Change oil & filter

Active Time: 1½ hours

Clean air filter

Active Time: 1 hour of active time, 8 hours of waiting

Inspect/replace spark plug

Active Time: 1 hour

Inspect drive chain & sprockets

Active Time: 10 minutes

Drain carb float chamber

Active Time: 20 minutes

Adjust balancer chain tensioner

Active Time: 15 minutes

Inspect/adjust steering bearings

Active Time: 0 minutes

Check engine idle speed

Active Time: 45 minutes

Inspect/replace coolant hoses

Active Time: 30 minutes

Inspect/tighten spokes

Active Time: 0 minutes

Clean muffler

Active Time: 0 minutes

Inspect air filter housing drain

Active Time: 45 minutes

Perform general lubrication

Active Time: 45 minutes

Tighten fasteners

Active Time: 1 hour

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