What Every Ridley Rider (or Technician) Should Do.....
Here's our recommended short list of what your Ridley motorcycle needs before you head out after the long winter's nap.
Take time now to thoroughly scrub your Ridley. Get in those hard to reach places. Did you know that the rear fender comes off with four bolts? Yes. It's that easy. But be careful. Paint is expensive. By removing fenders and gas tank (which comes off with one bolt) you will be revealing areas of your motorcycle that you couldn't normally reach. Keeping your motorcycle clean will help you identify potential problems early which can save you money in the long run.
We recommend visually inspecting everything from the condition of your tires, frame, transmission belt (check the width with your belt tool), light lenses (headlight, turn signals, tail light), wheel rims and spokes and everything else that's important. Look for loose nuts and bolts, loose electrical connections, any rust on the frame and broken accessories. Make notes so you don't forget to correct.
It's time to start the season off right, so thoroughly lubricate your transmission clutches. There are several YouTube videos that show you how and where to lubricate. Even if you ended the season with a freshly serviced transmission, do it again. It will save you money in the long run. Change the engine oil and filter. Clean and lubricate your air filter.
Check your battery voltage (which can be done on the speedometer if you have a late model Auto-Glide). Hopefully your battery is on a battery tender which will keep the voltage up. Either way, this is a good time to change your battery if it is more than a year old. We receive a lot of technical calls about low voltage batteries. Save yourself (and us) time by changing now. Check your lighting; headlight, tail running light, and front/rear turn signals. Make notes of lights with several LED's out or bad bulbs. Check that your motorcycle will start. Sometimes even with good battery voltage the battery doesn't have enough CCA to start the bike. This is a good indication you need to change the battery. And never ever "jump" your battery. This is a very expensive mistake too many owners make. We love selling you stuff, but we'd like to sell you something you want rather than two expensive relay boxes.
Check the air in your tires. Air them up as necessary. Running low air in your tire(s) will cause premature wear and even worse, a significant loss of speed. That's right. Low tire pressure is the culprit of many technical issues where owners complain the bike doesn't have the same top speed. That low tire is costing you the race!
This is the section where you take your notes from the inspection and tests you performed earlier and call us for parts you need. One thing I should point out is that several parts on your motorcycle are very common and are available near you. While we welcome you to search for a good deal, we hope you appreciate the service we provide as technical help and your resource for everything Ridley. Give us a chance to match a price or make a deal. We want your business. But remember, it's important that we stay in business to help you and the other Ridley owners. Also, the parts you buy from us have been tested for fit and will work your Ridley.
Make adjustments such as tighten the headlight and mirrors. We also strongly recommend going over all the fasteners on your motorcycle and ensuring they are tight. Axles and shocks are important fasteners that should be checked regularly. Take time to adjust the ride height. The rear suspension on the Auto-Glide models can be adjusted up or down to fit the rider. If you need help, visit our technical help website.
There's a lot of work that goes into owning a motorcycle. If you've done what we've suggested above, you're doing great.
Remember to thoroughly inspect your motorcycle prior to riding and make sure it is in safe riding condition.
Our Spring Time Tune Up Kit is a bargin at $75 and is a great resource for parts and lubricant you will need when replacing and lubricating your motorcycle for the riding season.
#11814 - spark plugs x 2
#13752 - Clutch lube x 1
#92178 - Fuel Stabilizer x 1
#13333 - Fuel Filter x 1
#11801 - Oil Filter x 1
#B100 - Trans Cover Bolts x 3
Service Manual (#93687 ) is something every Ridley Owner should have. It details nearly every inch of the Auto-Glide. The manual is over 200 pages of pictures, descriptions and troubleshooting help. Only $99.
There are a couple of other items, we recommend to Ridley owners:
We always encourage you to have an extra drive belt. Following are part numbers and pricing:
#12447 - Type II Auto-Glide drive belt = $98.00
#13676 - Type I Auto-Glide drive belt = $99.00
#12633 - Speedster "Super" Belt = $104.16
Also for Speedster owners, back in stock are the Speedster Saddlebags - for more information, contact Route 66 Ridley via phone 417.358.8441 or email: route66ridley@yahoo.com .
Periodically we get calls from those of you wishing to purchase a new start module or relay module or both. We strongly suggest you send your modules (both of them) to us to have them tested prior to ordering new. The reason to send both is that you may think the problem lie with only one module, but it could in fact, be both or neither. The process to send them to be tested is as follows: The shipping address is: 2WV-Ridley, 44 N.W. 44th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73118. Please include a note with your name, contact information and that you would like the modules to be tested. There is a cost for testing which is $50.00, but if it is determined you need a new module, your payment of $50.00 for testing will be applied towards the purchase of the new module. If you choose to purchase modules without having your original ones test, you understand you may not return the new purchased modules for any reason. If you have any questions regarding the test process, please let us know. You can contact Valerie via phone 405.525.5400 or email valerie.park@ridleyparts.com .
Lastly, if you haven't checked out our website, please do as there are some very informative videos, instructions and some wiring diagrams. The website address is: www.ridleymotorcycleparts.com .
Thank you very much for subscribing to our newsletter and being a Ridley Motorcycle owner and have a Happy Spring!!
