Triumphrat

Luckyeddy

I bought my Legend (1999) last spring from a local dealer with 9200 miles on it. It now has 10,000. THe only service records that I got was a reciept for installing the tank pads with about 100 miles on the bike.
The dealer had changed the oil and done adjustments prior to delivery, I rode all summer w/o issues.

As I read the owners manual the other day a couple of critical maintainence issues came to my attention:

Valve Adjustment: Is this something that can only be done by the dealer?
(I burned an exhaust valve in an old 8valve Saab that I had because I didn't realize they had to be adjusted very often)
Coolant: How critical is it to change this every 2 years, can it be done at home?

Shop manual: What is the best shop manual for the triples? Clymer etc?

If I end up keeping this bike (very likely as my advertisements for it have generated NO responses) I don't want to wear it out by neglect, so any thoughts on what I should do this spring to ensure a long life for the bike would be appreciated.

zimtok

Get the Haynes manual for a reference. You can order one online.

Checking valve clearance can be done at home if you are a moderate mechanic. This should be done at 12K miles. and then again at 25K miles. There is a tool you will need to change the shims. You can make one or buy one. There is a diagram on this web site on how to make one.

When you get ready to do the shims search this forum for some great information.

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Thunderbum

Nearly all the bike maintenance can be done in the home garage with basic tools or ones you can make yourself. You should be fairly mechanically inclined, but it's really suprising how much you learn when you do your own maintenance. If you get the haynes manual (I got a hardback edition! Priceless!) and ask here for any tips a few days before you commence a job, you can avoid all the mistakes that a new motorcycle mechanic will do. I always felt that doing your own maintenance is the best way to really get to know your machine and makes the experience of owning one of these bikes so great. But on the other hand, I always enjoyed taking things apart for fun. And to answer your coolant question, changing the coolant is simple and easy. Get the manual and it will step you through it. Just be sure to get distilled water for the flush and fill. Wal-mart sells it for about $.64 a gallon. Use the mobil antifreeze recommended, too. I'm told that the silica-based anti-corrosion agents used in some antifreeze can cause pre-mature failure of the various seals in the cooling system.