Kilometers don't say everything. So the mileage suggestions with regard to changing or exchanging liquids and / or parts do not do that either.
And there we come to a thing about our classics
Because they stand more than they drive. And in this way an acquaintance came along somewhat grumpy. He had his classic for the first time this year - yes, he was late with it, but had been busy - and the thing wasn't going well.
A test drive seemed to indicate carburizing problems. The engine felt "smothered." We pulled the air filter out of his cage and immediately saw a nice cause of the misery: The paper air filter had a coat of some kind of black mold. And fungi are very small usurers. So the scum had settled on the air filter paper when the air filter was somehow damp. The journey was continued without an air filter. That goes for once.
Whatever these points of forget are, the brake and, if necessary, coolants, the brake or, if necessary, the radiator hoses. Those hoses are really wearing parts. And if there is ever a MOT for motorcycles, then replacement will certainly become mandatory every five years. We do brake fluid every other year. Pawing the oil in the front fork… Too little actually.
Tires they wear parts with a twist
The tread depth and the number of kilometers driven says little to nothing. The age, the flexibility 'of the tire says it all. And think 'out of the box': give your classic motorcycle truly modern tires. No matter how ugly you think the profile is. It is often unbelievable how much better the steering and braking quality is, the whole handling on such fresh rubbers. Even an 1968'er Bonneville goes there even better off steering. And after all, that's what it's about. Yet?
Regarding the oil change, it is not inconvenient to use the specified period. Then you always stay on the safe side. For our classics, an oil change (including filter) around the 2500-3000 km is a fairly common business. For most of us, this will mean changing oil once a year. Simply use the indicated mineral oil for this. Motorcycles that are not designed for half or fully synthetic oil are more likely to suffer from that kind of expensive juices.
Cheap can be expensive
Budget thinkers who rightly note that the current oil as offered by the Action and the Aldi and the like are much better than the top oils from the youth of their classics, they are right. Equal to a 'but'. Because the oil that is offered by the price fighters is generally not suitable for power sources whose clutch runs in the engine oil. They ensure that the clutch slips. The clutch plates can then be saved by dulling them with a piece of fine sandpaper on a glass plate, but still. The lucky owners of BMW's Moto Guzzis, Urals and Dneprs were lucky. Because of those machines, the coupling runs in its own workspace in the dry. "Until the crankshaft seal gives up," the Ural driver said happily.
But all in all, our classics also require their maintenance. They deserve it. Even if they only run a few miles.