General Monster Maintenance for a new bike owner

[mrpetebojangles]

Hey all,

Finally back on the bike after 4 months of mending a broken leg, and am wondering what kinds of things I should be monitoring to keep my bike in good condition. At the moment, I've been doing the pre-ride check ups recommended by MSF, and am wondering what other things I should be doing for my 09 Monster 696. She's still relatively new and has about 1200 miles on her. I did the 700 mile check up. It's amazing how much better the bike seems to be running after getting some miles, and after the 14T Front sprocket. I am new to motorcycles and don't really have any moto buds yet (except you guys) so I'm really quite naive in terms of the things I should be doing. Any tips would be much appreciated!

[stopintime]

The list can be as long as you'd like,
but for starters I'd say:
with the bike upright, check the oil level.
wash it carefully by hand - you'll then see any leaks or loose bolts, getting to know your bike.
... and lube your chain.

[Slide Panda]

For the chain I recommend DuPont Multipurpose Teflong spray - easy to find. Low cost. Works great
http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/dupont-teflon-chain-lube.htm

Read your manual 

As noted check for loose bits, sings of leaks check brakes and clutch fluids every so often. Check air pressure ALL THE TIME - very important.
The basics are just to keep an eye on things and on regular maintenance items like clean/lube the chain and oil changes.  Once you start geting more miles/age on the bike there will be service points. The manual will have a basic schedule. Take note of what's milage based, and what's age based.

[Curmudgeon]

For the chain I recommend DuPont Multipurpose Teflong spray - easy to find. Low cost. Works great
http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/dupont-teflon-chain-lube.htm

Read your manual 

As noted check for loose bits, sings of leaks check brakes and clutch fluids every so often. Check air pressure ALL THE TIME - very important.
The basics are just to keep an eye on things and on regular maintenance items like clean/lube the chain and oil changes.  Once you start geting more miles/age on the bike there will be service points. The manual will have a basic schedule. Take note of what's milage based, and what's age based.

[Thermite]

Keep a record.  Get a notebook or binder and at a minimum keep a service record with date, mileage and a description of what was done.  Over Tim this becomes not only a service record but also something you can look at to evaluate your habits.

I have a three-ring binder for each bike with alphabet dividers.  When I buy something for the bike I punch the paperwork and drop it in binder.