Oil Change & Plugs... for RVF400?

[robeel]

hey guys,

just bought a rvf400 a few weeks ago & would like to sort out a few things. the seller said it had a oil change about 1000km ago but i think he's full of shit as the oil is starting to look black.

anyway this is my first bike so i don't know much about them but would like to have a go at changing the oil & maybe plugs if needed.

how much oil will i need? i'm in Sydney OZ, where do i buy the oil filter, will a bike shop have it or do i need to get it from a importer like RB racing or the net? what is the part #?
what plugs do i need? are they difficult to change?
& what tools will i need to do the oil & plugs?

also when i start my bike with choke, sometimes it turns off by itself & seems to be cutting out?
do the carbs need to be cleaned/balanced? when its warmed up it idles fine & runs ok in my unexperienced opinion.

& is it normal to blow some white smoke when cold?

thanks,
rob

[Cammo]

hey guys,

just bought a rvf400 a few weeks ago & would like to sort out a few things. the seller said it had a oil change about 1000km ago but i think he's full of shit as the oil is starting to look black.

anyway this is my first bike so i don't know much about them but would like to have a go at changing the oil & maybe plugs if needed.

Good move, the best way to learn about the bike is to get stuck in and maintain it yourself.

how much oil will i need? i'm in Sydney OZ, where do i buy the oil filter, will a bike shop have it or do i need to get it from a importer like RB racing or the net? what is the part #?

The quantity of oil you need is written on a sticker near the dipstick (2.5L if you use a new oil filter, 2.4L if you reuse the oil filter). Some peeps have reported clutch trouble when using a full synthetic oil, go for a mineral based oil or semi synthetic in 10W-40 weight. For reference, they use the same oil filter as a honda cbr600f (and many other honda bikes).

what plugs do i need? are they difficult to change? & what tools will i need to do the oil & plugs?

They use NGK ER9EH plugs, costly at about $25 each. Changing them can be a bit fiddly and time consuming the first time you do it (put aside a couple of hours perhaps so you don't rush it), pretty simple otherwise. You'll need a long/deep 13mm socket to get them out (not a standard part in most socket sets). RB racing will have the plugs in stock (and oil filters).

also when i start my bike with choke, sometimes it turns off by itself & seems to be cutting out?
do the carbs need to be cleaned/balanced? when its warmed up it idles fine & runs ok in my unexperienced opinion.

I'm not familiar with the rvf choke setup, but this same issue will happen on vfr's sometimes and requires a screw to be tightened near the choke knob to increase the friction/hold on the cable. Maybe someone else can shed light on the rvf choke setup? It's not surprising that the bike cuts out when the choke retracts, they don't like to run much without choke when the engine is cold. Investigate why the choke cable is slipping back and it will stop cutting out.

If the bike is running fine otherwise then I don't think you should bother the carbs

& is it normal to blow some white smoke when cold?

Yes, normally just water/condensate in the muffler/pipe.

thanks,
rob

A haynes manual is awesome for learning about all this maintainance work for the first time. You can get them on Oz ebay.

[robeel]

thanks Cammo, a great help as always.

can you tell me what tools & size i will need to change the oil & filter?

& does it matter what brand/quality the oil is?

i just got the haynes manual in the post the other day so should help a lot, if i didn't have it i don't think i would attempt doing these things.

also do you know if RB racing post parts? i'm about an hour away so would be great if i didn't have to go all the way there for plugs & filter.

cheers

[CRM]

why is he full of shit ? because the oil looks black ? dude, change it and it will look black again within 20 miles of running. however always good to ensure its got fresh oil and filter as a matter of course and own peace of mind

[superlite]

thanks Cammo, a great help as always.

can you tell me what tools & size i will need to change the oil & filter?

All you need is a 17 mm socket to remove the sump plug (if standard) and a filter wrench (from Supercheap, etc.) for the filter. If you have the standard fan behind your lower radiator, you'll have to undo the lower radiator mount with an 8 mm (or maybe 10 mm?) socket on an extension to get the filter wrench in there. I think - been a while since I had a fan.

& does it matter what brand/quality the oil is?

Stick with a well known brand and you won't go wrong. I also prefer mineral or semi-synth - not full synth. Each to their own though. Around the $50 mark plus or minus $10 is about the norm for decent oil

i just got the haynes manual in the post the other day so should help a lot, if i didn't have it i don't think i would attempt doing these things.

also do you know if RB racing post parts? i'm about an hour away so would be great if i didn't have to go all the way there for plugs & filter.

They do post. I'm 5 hours away and they usually arrive the next day via express post if paid by credit card over the phone.

cheers

[ludacris]

you can also buy parts for the RVF from slipstream performance. not exactly sure where they are located in Oz but they will post to you also...you've reminded me that I need to do this too

[amaechizzle]

Mate, if you live anywhere on/near the northern beaches.
APW motorcycles in brookvale, they've always ordered my parts in for me.
They have the filters and oil in stock, and they got the plugs in for me overnight.

[robeel]

thanks a lot guys for all the help.

i was at MCAS auburn this week looking for rain gear & thought i may as well grab what i need for the oil change, got a EMGO microglass oil filter.

anyone heard/used this filter? any good or should i return it & buy from RB?

they didn't have motul 5100 10w40, only had the 10w50 but said he can order it. i rang another local shop for the 10w40 but had no stock either, the guy said i can just use the 10w50 he had as its the same just a bit better.

can i use the 10w50 or is the 10w40 better for the rvf? & what's the diff?

do many full or half exhaust systems come up for sale in OZ? would like to put one on in the next few months, or can i have one custom made? guessing this will be exxy though.

also my bike has a build date of 98 & haynes manual has them up to 98 but most people say they were built from 94-96, what's the go with this? btw my bike also has a compliance date of 09.
bloody insurance rorted me a extra $235 after i let them know that it was a 98, as i was told by the seller it was a 96.
is there a way i can find out for sure besides the comp plate?
cheers,
rob

[Cammo]

thanks a lot guys for all the help.

i was at MCAS auburn this week looking for rain gear & thought i may as well grab what i need for the oil change, got a EMGO microglass oil filter.

anyone heard/used this filter? any good or should i return it & buy from RB?

Never heard of them, a filter is a filter, just change it regularly along with the oil.

they didn't have motul 5100 10w40, only had the 10w50 but said he can order it. i rang another local shop for the 10w40 but had no stock either, the guy said i can just use the 10w50 he had as its the same just a bit better.

can i use the 10w50 or is the 10w40 better for the rvf? & what's the diff?

10w50 will be fine, it's a thinner viscosity at higher temps.

do many full or half exhaust systems come up for sale in OZ? would like to put one on in the next few months, or can i have one custom made? guessing this will be exxy though.

They've dried up over the last 5 years with the reduction in private sellers on ebay. In saying that though I snagged one off ebay just last week (was listed as a standard system, needless to say it wasn't listed for long! ). FWIW I think the tyga systems are the way to go if you want a good value top quality system, check out their website. You could alwys try RB's to see if they can source any used systems. The best and most affordable used systems (to Oz members) are on the yahoo Japan auction site. Stay away from custom systems, just not worth it IMO.

also my bike has a build date of 98 & haynes manual has them up to 98 but most people say they were built from 94-96, what's the go with this? btw my bike also has a compliance date of 09.
bloody insurance rorted me a extra $235 after i let them know that it was a 98, as i was told by the seller it was a 96.
is there a way i can find out for sure besides the comp plate?

I wouldn't trust anything the compliance plate says, they're often wrong or dodgy. There's not much you can do to prove it wasn't a '98, honda will likely be uncooperative because it's a grey import.

cheers,
rob

[robeel]

thanks Cammo, i'll see if RB racing have anything.

i'm looking to put a tyga tail on soon & would love a split twin system like the SP1 style.

can single or twin stack be modded easily into the sp1 style? & do the twin/double cans get a lot more power & nicer sound?

any other reccomendations on mods to do for more power & nicer ride?

about how much is it to have the suspension done?

btw what system did you pick up on ebay? was it in Vic?

cheers