Looking for mechanic in Burlington area for older bike

G

GadgetGuy

Member
Forum Sponsor
Hi,

I just picked up a 1983 Kawasaki 440 LTD as my first bike..... waiting to take the M2 course but in the meantime need to get the bike safetied and checked out so it is running as it should be.

I don't think it needs anything major, just a good once over, fluids, adjustments etc by someone that knows older bikes and can get it ready for a safety.

I don't want to travel too far from the area as I don't have many means to transport it around...

Any ideas?

D.
 
I havent been to this guy but I have heard really good things from people who have.

http://www.kilbridemotorcycle.com/index.php

Or good ol' Burlington Kawasaki down by the courthouse

Honestly though if all your lights work, tires are in good shape, no creaky bearings and you have no leaks coming from the forks, brakes or engine chances are your bike will pass.
 
Thanks for the reply,

I want more than just to make sure it passes safety though.... A proper maintenance (chain, fluids, brakes, cables, etc) to get the bike at a good starting point for me to continue with.

This is my first bike and until I am comfortable doing the regular maintenance myself, i'd like to know someone with experience has got it how it is supposed to be.

FWIW... I called the Burlington Cycle place and they won't touch a bike older than 1990. (Which I can completely respect)

D.
 
GadgetGuy said:
Thanks for the reply,

I want more than just to make sure it passes safety though.... A proper maintenance (chain, fluids, brakes, cables, etc) to get the bike at a good starting point for me to continue with.

This is my first bike and until I am comfortable doing the regular maintenance myself, i'd like to know someone with experience has got it how it is supposed to be.

FWIW... I called the Burlington Cycle place and they won't touch a bike older than 1990. (Which I can completely respect)

D.
Click to expand...

If Barton & Nash Rd in Hamilton isn't out of the question, go here (see Bryan - he loves old bikes):

http://www.ultimatecyclehamilton.com/index.html
 
If you do not have insurance yet, make sure you can get coverage before you spend anymore money on your bike. A lot of insurance companies are also not touching bikes over 30 years old.

good luck!
 
Gary might just have the best suggestion here. Quick and easy to get to just run the beach strip to Woodward and you are just down the street.

Good Luck, the worst thing you may find is that the service might take a week or more, bike shops are unfortunately horribly busy at this time of year :(
 
yyz said:
If you do not have insurance yet, make sure you can get coverage before you spend anymore money on your bike. A lot of insurance companies are also not touching bikes over 30 years old.

good luck!
Click to expand...

This was a challenge, but I did find a couple companies that would cover my old bike. The biggest thing is having an M2. So, I won't be plating or insuring the bike till I take my M1 Exit course next month. (no issues in waiting to be a safe rider)

jay-d said:
Derek from TSC?!


Woo!
Click to expand...

Yup! That's me!

suzuki2000 said:
Gary might just have the best suggestion here. Quick and easy to get to just run the beach strip to Woodward and you are just down the street.

Good Luck, the worst thing you may find is that the service might take a week or more, bike shops are unfortunately horribly busy at this time of year :(
Click to expand...

The challenge is transporting the bike.... so I may just go to Kilbride since they are local and I have heard good things about them.

I plan to do some myself prior (Brakes, Oil, Air Filter, etc) then have it gone over by Kilbride and safetied.

Time is not an issue.... I still have my M1 and can't get insurance (reasonably priced) till I have my M2 so I am going to wait till after my course as I said above.

I'd rather wait and not rush things... i've waited 40+ years to finally get a bike..... no point in rushing it now. ;)


D.
 
If your not mechanically adept then I understand your need to go and have a shop do a once over, but that is what your going to get is a once over and have to pay for it....

I am sure you can check for leaks, be it around the engine or the fork seals, see if all the lights work, headlight, blinkers, tail light, does the brighter light come on when you apply the brakes front and rear, do the brakes work, roll forward apply brakes, bike stops, your good to go, tires are they 30 years old, get new ones, anything newer and not worn out will pass, change your own oil and oil filter, put in a new air filter if you have one,and your once over is done.....only thing you might have a concern about is the chain, and sprockets, but that you can visually see if they are OK or not, too much slop in the chain tighten it, if it's at max, replace chain, and sprockets, again not much is needed to do that....start bike pull in clutch, put into first if bike don't move clutch is fine, slowly release clutch lever if bike wants to move forward another good sign, twist throttle does she rev up good, does she come back to idle, even better, she is running well enough for a once over.

if some of the stuff above don't work as it should you will be paying them to fix it, but why pay before hand, if all of the above pass as you try, you will get a cert.....

Hopefully you will attempt this, if I was closer I would give it a once over and let you know.....for the price of a coffee.....

just my thoughts....
 
Last edited:
GateKeeper said:
If your not mechanically adept then I understand your need to go and have a shop do a once over, but that is what your going to get is a once over and have to pay for it....

I am sure you can check for leaks, be it around the engine or the fork seals, see if all the lights work, headlight, blinkers, tail light, does the brighter light come on when you apply the brakes front and rear, do the brakes work, roll forward apply brakes, bike stops, your good to go, tires are they 30 years old, get new ones, anything newer and not worn out will pass, change your own oil and oil filter, put in a new air filter if you have one,and your once over is done.....only thing you might have a concern about is the chain, and sprockets, but that you can visually see if they are OK or not, too much slop in the chain tighten it, if it's at max, replace chain, and sprockets, again not much is needed to do that....

Hopefully you will attempt this, if I was closer I would give it a once over and let you know.....for the price of a coffee.....

just my thoughts....
Click to expand...

Thanks.... great advice...

I am actually quite mechanically capable having worked on cars for many years.

I think I was intimidated by not having worked on a bike before and didn't want to screw things up.

The more I read the repair manual and see how basic stuff is, I think I am more than capable as you say. I was over thinking it too much and thought I may be out of my league.... but... now seeing what's really involved... I should be fine.

The only challenge I face is going to be valve clearances and carb balancing, having never done these things before. If I leave that to someone else and do the rest I think that will make me happy.

I just want to make sure the wheel bearings are good, and that the steering is good, etc..... I want to just make sure it is safe and "how it should be", which I don't have a basis for, not knowing how a bike like this should be when new....

I also don't want to start throwing parts at it that it doesn't need....

Part of getting a bike like this was for me to get something simple so I could do my own work and enjoy the passion that goes along with that.

I am lucky that the previous owner took very good care of the bike and has low KMs so I have a good starting point to work with. It's not like it is a a non-running, POS that will need a lot of work.


D.
 
The bearings you mention, easy as well, prop up the bike, center stand or bike stands, spin the wheel by hand, listen for noise, if none, bearings are good to go, you can't see them so you can't tell by looking it's by feel and sound. Steering same thing turn while front is in the air and listen for noise and feel for anything other than being smooth, grab the forks can you feel play in the neck, sometimes if yes it's as simple as tightening the two big collar nuts a bit.

carb balancing is easy if you have the carbtune tool, www.carbtune.com and if you don't I have a buddy in Hamilton we can meet there one day and do a carb sync, but if the bike is running nice, not rich or lean your probably good to go for right now

the bike should be as any mechanical item, in good working condition, you worked on cars, same thing for a bike, if the brakes make noise and it's pads that are shot replace pads same on bike, it's like a car but on 2 wheels....

for an old bike you need guys that have old bikes, come on over to this place http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/index.php poke around and join, you will find help even if your bike is not a Suzuki, and hit this place as well http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/ lots of stuff for the Suzuki guys, but changing a fork seal is the same more or less on all bikes, as is a lot of other stuff...

Cheers
 
forgot to mention....valve clearance, easy a well, you either have a screw and nut and set, or you have to get the shims and change them.....your manual will tell you how and what you have......

intimidating, but easily done

you have the background, so you should be good to go....

.
 
I looked at those in person, I was not impressed with the build quality at all.....

not the best here http://www.kapscomoto.com/ but better than the PA ones

even Canadian Tire has bike stands that are better than the PA ones, there was some guy selling some in Kijiji as well....

you need both if you ever change tires, do brakes, and so, also good for winter storage to elevate the bike off the ground to prevent tires from getting a flat spot, sitting over winter on concrete floors
 
That lift would sure be handy. I get dizzy after bending over for longer than 5 seconds.
 
The center stand is all you really need. If you want to raise the front wheel, you put the bike on the center stand, use a car jack with a wood block under the front of the bike to jack the front up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
like this....

CAM00060.jpg


and this

P1120862.jpg


the CT lift is and was good for holding my engine while I got around to painting it

P1120569.jpg


P1120610.jpg


.
Forum Sponsor
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom