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Poll:Yearly Maintenance What do you look for?

Mandatory Yearly Checks and Maintenance

  • Oil Change

    Votes: 27 93.1%
  • Remove Brake Caliper inspect Driveshaft and bearing

    Votes: 15 51.7%
  • Top Gear Bushing

    Votes: 12 41.4%
  • Chain Tensioner

    Votes: 20 69.0%
  • Wheel Bearings

    Votes: 20 69.0%
  • Slides

    Votes: 20 69.0%
  • Remove skid check for cracks and clean

    Votes: 17 58.6%
  • Shock Refresh or check

    Votes: 11 37.9%
  • Clutch Cleaning and Inspect

    Votes: 22 75.9%
  • Jackshaft Bearing Clean and regrease

    Votes: 15 51.7%

  • Total voters
    29

cannondale27

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Working on this Poll since some have said FAQ is just too much reading. You guys keep it simple and I will add any recommendations to the poll and then we will vote on them. Top 10 will go to the top of VIPER Forum with links to how too. They will be MANDATORY checks so if you dont do them and it happens cant say you werent warned. Ok sound good?
 

Hard to vote for just one as all of the above mentioned are things any seasoned viper owner should be doing in the off season to have peace of mind for the next riding season.
 
The only one on that list that I wasn't planning on doing, was the Jackshaft bearing.

Quick question. In your opinion, is it better to do yearly maintenance in the spring or fall?
 
Maybe Poll is bad idea. It only allows 10 choices. Has to be more you guys can think of.
Battery I remove and keep on charger
 
I do everyone that is listed in poll. Also check steering , A arm play and grease.
 
Wash it, sea foam, check sliders, wheels, skis, tighten chain. Nothing is mandatory btw. If it was mandatory to take apart your sled after every year I'd sell the thing.
 
I would think a lot depends on how many miles you rode. I surly wouldn’t pull the skid and check everything if I rode less than 1000 miles since last inspection.
 
I would think a lot depends on how many miles you rode. I surly wouldn’t pull the skid and check everything if I rode less than 1000 miles since last inspection.
I pulled the skid out of a friends sled with 1100km use 2 winters. had to replace the tri hub bearing and the brake side bearing was in bad need of cleaning and new grease. I don't think it the millage but more the water left in there. I put 7000km my sled last year and my bearing were in better shape than the sled with 1100km. I think the bearing needs to be done every year no matter the millage. Because if the water sit in there the rust will kill the bearings.
 
Wash it, sea foam, check sliders, wheels, skis, tighten chain. Nothing is mandatory btw. If it was mandatory to take apart your sled after every year I'd sell the thing.
I'm sure that most people do not do anything more than change the engine oil and clean there sled. Not doing anything may serve some people very well and most might never have any trouble. High or low millage could make a difference as to the level of care needed at the end of a season. I'm not sure I would agree with your BTW idea, "Nothing is mandatory". Probably would want to check in with Yamaha and ask about maintenance and warranty, they might use "required" over "mandatory" with respect to maintenance.
I don't really mind going over my sleds and giving them the required maintenance they need. My brother is the guy who has the oil changed and rides. He puts on less than 800 miles a year and is always on local trails. He will usually end his season when his sled needs a repair that might have been prevented with some routine maintenance service. I have, in the last two years made sure a few extra things were done to his sled and he made it thru this year with-out any major season ending issues. Coincidence, maybe. Routine maintenance can also in some cases be a safety issue.
Ripping apart your sled? No way. I would not want to keep a sled that needs to be taken apart every year. However, I don't think there is a machine built that some of us with our riding style could torture for a full season and jump back on the next season with-out some mandatory maintenance.
 
Yup it all depends. Purpose of this is just to make it easier to know some potential points of concern.

I agree its a great topic. I will be putting away my 4 stroke for the first time so I was curious as to what to do as well when it comes to storage. But the title says MANDATORY yearly checks. Then the comments underneath were to do EVERYTHING on the list, and then some. I get it, if you can build a sled yourself, then by all means take it apart, check it over. But the impression is that you HAVE to do all this stuff. Which some of it is pretty involved, whether your a mechanic or not. So is the advice from this forum that if you can't remove your driveshaft, take the skid out, clutch off, etc, then I should take it to the dealer and spend $1000 in labour so I can ride next year? If that's MANDATORY then we are all dumb for buying a Yamaha.
 


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