I was in at my local Honda shop recently and asked about the major service at 16k miles and suffered a severe case of sticker shock.... Anybody know exactly what gets done during that service? Is this something that a reasonably mechanically inclined individual can perform? Or is there some secret Honda ritual they perform..... Any advice, ideas?

Up until now the bike (a '98) has been meticulously maintained by myself and the previous owner and is in spit shine condition...

Don’t know I’ve only done my 98 once and that was at 41K to get the carbs adjusted and cleaned I also had my valves adjusted at that time and just wasted my money because they were in spec. At your mileage there should be nothing to adjust or clean. If the fluids look dirty change it. Other than that just ride.

There's no reason to touch the carbs.

Their estimate includes a valve clearance check. Statistically, there's no need for that at your low mileage. Many XX's we know of have gone well in excess of 100,000 miles without a valve clearance adjustment, mine included. A very few have needed slight adjustment before 50,000 miles, but the majority of those reported seem to have been dealer encouraged/reported, and frankly, many dealer's service departments deserve the bad reputation they have.

You should be doing simple maintainance at this point. Check fluid levels and replace if dirty. Its probably near time for a chain and front sprocket replacement for you...the rear sprocket lasts a long time. Air cleaner and plug replacement, inspect the brake pads. Check the tool bag strap and you should be good to go.

If you're at all mechanical we always recommend you do your own maintainance and repair. That way you know its done to your satisfaction, and as you learn more about the bike, you'll be able to monitor its health more readily. Folks here are glad to help when they can.

Any work done should come with an itemized list of what work was performed and how much each item cost.

Frankly, the primary reason I ride a Honda is that I refuse to go to dealers. Learn to do the routine maintenance stuff (oil/filter changes every 3-10K miles, air filter changes every 10-20K, spark plug changes every 30K, brake/clutch bleeding if needed, etc.) and you'll be fine.

At 56.6K miles, the only non-routine thing my XX ever needed was a cam-chain tensioner - took 5 minutes to swap out and I didn't even have to pull the body work.

The Bird is about reliable as a forged steel hammer. Give it a lil' TLC when needed, and you should never, ever have to see a dealer.

"Major service intervals" are a joke for most modern Japanese bikes - honestly, it's basically how dealers make money from yuppies who don't know which end of a screwdriver to hold. Odds are that given some time, you'll know much more about your Bird than the average Honda "mechanic".. Hell, many Honda dealers don't even know what a "CBR1100XX" or "Blackbird" is!!

Nothing, gear up & ride her like she was made for , & dont let those ZX,Busa boy's push you around either, their just a bunch of pussies anyways J/K LOL, The bird is a keeper dont care who says otherwise .

OK, I'll ask.....What are you doing with a 98 with 16k miles?

+1 on what the guys said about DYI with a few caveats.....

Are you a mechanical retard? If so, maybe you should find a local mechanic with a good reputation to perform some of these tasks. But if you are mildly proficient with hand tools then by all means go for it. I am finding myself doing increasingly sophisticated stuff on my bird each year even though I am a clutz. The more I do, the more I think I can!

What sort of free time do you have? There are a couple of things that I want to do but I know once started may not get finished. On some projects for me, at least, it is just prudent to have someone else do.

A few things you'll need.....

A shop manual (there is one online here somewhere) this is really needed for torque specs and to find the names of all the dealybobs you will want to find names for. I got an old PC and put it in my shop so I can have the manual pulled up while I am working on the bird.

A pack of new fairing pins. These are needed because you WILL break some of them. It is easier and probably better just to replace them each time you get her nekkid. John sells 'em, and if he's out they are cheaper than shit @ JC Whitney.

A drill with a couple of hex sockets to r/r all the frankenbolts and fairing bolts makes life much much easier.

And some other stuff....

@ 16k she'll need (if it 's not been done yet):

Fork Oil change
Air Filter change
Plugs (again, if they haven't been done) because the 98's didn't have the Iridium plugs that go 32k miles
Coolant flush

And you may need:
Chain (and I usually do a front sprocket with a chain, but the rear sprockets are nigh indestructible)
Brake Pads

Good luck and very easy to do.
Cheers
Kinley

Hey thanks for the help gang, much obliged... I can perform almost all of this myself (maybe with a little help) as I am not a mechanical fucktard, it just takes me twice as long.... Either way it will save me from having to spend my economic stimulus check on useless shop fees, perhaps more bits for the 'bird....




Sometimes you just find a cherry....






Can one put the iridium plugs into the 98?



Who gives a shit about those boys when the Blackbird is pure sex on wheels.... Everyone and their grandmother has a Busa, no one wants to ride their grandmother...


thanks,
Rick

I have a '97' with 13500 on the clock. And yes it rocks!!!
Jet

A 11+ year old bike, you should also change the brake fluid and clutch fluid. The brake fluid is a bit of a pain on the XX.

You may as well change the pads - upgrade to EBC - while you are doing the fluid. SS lines are cool too, at least the front.

The cam chain tensioner should be changed if it was not changed recently.

How old is the battery? An old one may still start the bike but fry your rectifier.

You don't have much of a choice. NGK seems to be phasing out their platinum line and replacing all platinums with iridium. So, whatever you'd get for your 98, they'll make an iridium in that size.

So the stock rear sprocket can last through more than one chain? That's pretty incredible really given the amount of torque it is subjected to...