9k Mile Bike Oil Change 03.10.09

The past few days here have been wonderful outside — mid 70s and mostly sunny.  I usually like it hot outside, but I must say that the mid 70s range is the most comfortable.  Having these nice warm days, especially over the weekend, allowed me to get my bike out for the first real enjoyable ride of the year.  I parked it nearing an oil change, so it took just a few days of riding to hit that milestone.

I’ve had it for right around 2 years now, and have clocked 8k miles on it.  That seems like quite a bit for a bike, but I also ride it pointlessly around for the fun of it, and when weather permits, it’s my main transportation to work when it’s warm out.  I bought it used with a little over 900 miles on it.  My maintenance schedule is a little off from what the manual calls for, because I was told that it had the break in service already done before I got it, but I didn’t really want to take their word on it.

An oil change on the 06 model requires removal of the side and lower fairing to access the oil filter, which really is no big deal.  Earlier models I think were even easier, because the header pipes were spread apart a slight bit more, so the oil filter could simply drop straight out of the bottom, along w/ the drain plug.  All in all, I think it’s really just about a 20-30 minute job to complete.

Here’s a shot of the bike a little naked: