I rode it home yesterday after trading an old beater I had, altho I put a good amount of money into parts and such. Guy needed a car. I wanted a bike. Hhe gave me a magnetic tank bag, 2 used helmets (one full face without the shield, and one that fits inside the tank bag, and $200. All in all, I'd say it was a pretty fair trade. He was supposed to give me a "$250 riding jacket", but he
forgot to bring it since he came nearly 100 miles to bring me the bike.
Anyway... he helped me find first gear as I forgot to shift down and kept stalling out my first 2 attempts at pulling off. Then I made a couple circles in the parking lot. I forgot to hit the clutch lever when shifting into higher gears, because it felt so similar to a 4-wheeler... and there were no clunks or anything. But I eventually started using the clutch lever half way home. I'm assuming the clutch lever is there for a reason.
The tires have great tread left, he said they were new. But the brakes squeal a bit. Will need to check them tomorrow. And he also said that he recently changed the oil, but I'll need to find out how to see if the oil is really clean or not...
Also wondering if I need to turn the fuel supply valve to the off position when I'm done riding it.
Any other basics that I need to know??
There is very minor rust that I'll more than likely be able to remove with steel wool. Only 2 dents in the gas tank and one scrape on the front fender. The left mirror is missing, and the right one is the only thing with enough rust that wouldn't be affected by steel wool. He said that he had ordered a set and would send them to me, but I'm not holding my breath. So after I clean it up and replace the mirrors, this thing is going to look pretty sweet to me. Also, the two buttons on the front seat are missing, but that probably means better comfort for my rear.
Chain and sprockets look to be in good condition, which is something I was worried about with chain-driven bikes. I originally wanted a belt-driven bike, but this will certainly do for a few months.
Anyway, what are some "need to know" things when it comes to operating and maintaining this beautiful and comfortable machine??