Hi, I am looking to buy a new bike, and the supplier said they can post it but it comes with the front wheel & handlebars dissconnected. Does anyone know if this is easy to put together. I am fairly handy at this kind of stuff but have never done it on a vehicle that I am going to ride on the streets of london!! Does anyone know if I took it to a garage 'roughly' how much it would cost.
Thanks
Dannie
2007-03-06 23:51:32 · 9 answers · asked by Danny K 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Motorcycles
If you have the instructions (or not) it shouldn't take more than 30mins including a tea and ciggy break providing you have the right tools. A pro would probably charge you £100+VAT but should include a post delivery check on the rest of the bike.
2007-03-06 23:58:10 · answer #1 · answered by Del Piero 10 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Go to the Motorcycle News web site (www.motorcyclenews.com). They are doing an article on just such a machine. I think it is in this weeks edition as well but as I haven't bought it yet I am not sure?
Sorry I just looked at the web site and it looks like it was from the 3rd of Feb. On the web site if you go into the news tab and on the left of the screen there is a blue box headed 'most Popular' and below that 'Veiwed, emailed and Top Rated' hit the top rated one and scroll down until you see the subject "the crate escape" click on that one
2007-03-07 19:31:11 · answer #2 · answered by Mark M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't recommend that someone of limited experience attempt assembly.
There are a lot of little tid-bits you should know.
Which way the handle bar clamps are installed.
Cable routing.
F axle direction.
Speedometer drive position.
Fender spacers.
The fact that some models need to have the brake calipers removed to fit the wheel in place.
A simple thing like the correct procedure to remove the bike from the crate.
2007-03-07 01:30:47 · answer #3 · answered by guardrailjim 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
okay...heres the low down on this...
it sounds like youve got a chinese/taiwanese bike...right? you wont get instructions, and my manual was in chinese. not much help considering i cant read chinese....
the hardest thing to do is remove it from the crate...the first thing i did when i got my bike is drop it...which was really crap.
whats disconnected is the front wheel, handle bars, indicators, mirrors, front brake , battery, and switches on handle bars.
to attach the front wheel, get the bike on its center stand, and get someone to push down on the back (or put weights on it) to lift the front forks off the ground.
you need to use the axle to keep the front wheel on the forks, which is just a case of slipping it through the holes. when you put the front wheel in plce, make sure your disc brake aligns with the brake pads, and spins freely. if not, your brakes wont work.
before you tighten it, you need to connect the speedo!
on my bike, there was a ring of metal with two cutouts, that slotted into the gap on the front wheel. it can only go in one way, so if you do it wrong, you wont be able to put the speedo cover on.so do it right!
finish the front wheel- by putting the other bolt on the speedo side of the wheel (the other half ogf the axle) and do it up good and tight. do a proper job because this is whats keeping you on the road and alive. TEST YOUR BRAKES NOW. if they dont work, you need to reevaluate what you just did and what you did wrong....
now for th handle bars- mine were the clip on type, so you just need to position it in the holders, and tighten up really tight. with th allen key that is not provided of course.
the controls are pretty easy to put on- put them were you can reach them, with the indcator switches on the left, starter on the right.
screw your mirrors on!
battery....this was a *****....
you have to fill it up first...BUT BE CAREFUL, battery acid is very...well...acidic...so dont spill/inhale/drink it
the battery connectors on min were labelled wrong, so use youre common sense here- red is posistive, black is negative. always connect the positive cable second. and make sure you have a spare fuse just in case.
indicators are easy...screw them in, plug them into the wires provided. (you only have to do the front indicators) check they work
your bike is complete!
before you even think about starting it...
check;
brakes (again)
tire pressure
engine oil
lights/horn ect.
some advice, because its new, youve gotta break it in- so be gentle for the first 1000mls or so.
check the valves regulary during the break in period- they change shape apparently, and can change the valve gap. if they tighen then it could break your engine- so its a good idea to keep tabs on it.
also check for leaks- my bike was scarpped recently because there was an oil leak, and basicly the engine melted.... so keep your oil in check
always check brake fluid and brakes before you go.
if your bike doesn't start, check the kill switch, petcock, and sidestand switch before anything else.
the rear brake wears quickly- so you need to keep adjusting it.
the same with the drive chain...WD40 is a life saver for these bikes
some other stuff, the chinese importing companies are going broke very quick- somake sure you have a number of suppliers who can get you parts.
if you are unsure about ANY of the assembly stuff above, DONT DO IT. its better to be safe then sorry. get a mechanic to do it- it shouldn't cost much, altough i couldn't give you a price (less then £100 though). your life is worth £100.
2007-03-07 11:46:23 · answer #4 · answered by ribena_wrath 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From your question, it looks as if you are buying a Chinese, Taiwanese (or similar) bike.
Please be aware that the build quality on these machines is very poor. Also the brakes and tyres have to be treated with utmost respect, as they do not perform very well, especially in the wet.
Finally, if you have purchased the bike directly from an importer, these companies often go bust, leaving customers with no after sales support...
2007-03-07 01:18:11 · answer #5 · answered by Nightworks 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
If your not sure ... buy the relevant workshop manual for the bike... you'll need it anyway for basic maintanance and servicing.... It should be fairly straight forward... but remember .. if the bike is straight from the crate ...then there will be no oil in the engine ... so dont start it without doing all your checks 1st....
2007-03-07 00:27:54 · answer #6 · answered by goldfish 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
most bikes are shipped in a crate with the front disassembled. why take the chance of messing up?? let a quailified mechanice do it just for your peace of mind. remember you'll have to hook up all the cables and brake too.....
2007-03-07 00:00:36 · answer #7 · answered by thelovebuzzard 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unless you know exactly what you are doing, stay away from assembly yourself. if you are asking the question, you should step away from the bike and put down the tools.
2007-03-10 23:32:02 · answer #8 · answered by Liann B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
by a book called "Zen and the art of motor bike maintenance"
2007-03-06 23:56:19 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋