Doing Maintainance Without a Garage
 

Hello everyone. I'm not actually overlanding (sadly) but I am trying to maintain a motorcycle without a garage - specifically, I live in an apartment in Madrid and leave it on the street outside. I was wondering if people here have any good suggestions for doing routine maintainance in less than ideal situations? And tips and tricks? Simple things like checking the chain are harder when you don't have a way to let the back wheel rotate freely, nor really room to wheel it. Its not like I have a drive way I can roll up and down on, its a busy public street! Like I say, no specific question, just wondering what gems of wisdom the people here will be able to throw my way!

1)You need to make friends with someone with a garage.

2)Find somewhere quiet with a flat space and cover that you can do easy routine maintenance. Maybe not easy in Madrid. Maybe a carpark. This is what you do when you are Overlanding. You find a place with a courtyard or garden.

3) Move house :)

Well....checking the chain is easily done wherever you are, under any circumstances. Install a center stand or learn to prop the back tire up using side stand and a stick. You certainly want to be able to do simple stuff like that without searching for a garage, courtyard, or garden. Same with changing out wear parts like chains, cables, or brake pads. Same with oil changes, chain lube, and tire patches. It might be preferable to have private spot out of the weather, but if you start taking longer trips in interesting places you'll sooner or later have to do all of the above in situations that are way less than ideal.

Ted, it sounds like you've gotten spoiled since you were posting here under a more provocative username.

Mark

I've been spoiled since I inherited a workshop when I was 11. bier

I'm in the same boat (but slightly better now because there's at least a private courtyard for the building I live in).

A center stand is a must.

When you want to do some more serious stuff... find a car park, ride up to the next-to-last floor where there aren't many cars but you still have a roof?

As Mark mentioned above: I take a prop stand with me when I'm traveling on a rented bike that has no centerstand. Like this one from endurostar....

http://www.endurostar.com/assets/imgs/1.jpg

Enduro Star / Trail Stand

That takes care of everything that requires a wheel off the ground. Chain lube/adjustment, tire changes, bearing checks,brake pads, etc. Be sure to tie the front brake lever or block the rear tire to avoid the bike moving.

Oil changes: go to your local independent moto shop, and ask them if they will loan you an oil pan, and recycle your waste oil if you buy the new oil from them. I've never been turned down on this. Find an out of the way spot in the alley or parking lot to work in. Be very careful not to make a mess- scrounge up a piece of cardboard to prevent spills. Another place you can usually change oil is outside an auto parts store, or a quick oil change place.

Tires can be changed in any relatively lonely parking lot, as long as you have all your tools with you. You could do it on the side of the road if you have a flat, no?
https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...370&fit=bounds

Depending on the bike you can do a complete service, including valves just about anywhere. I serviced my DR650 (on a nice day) in this campground.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...370&fit=bounds

.................shu

Doing maintenance without a garage.
 

I can't help noticing that many of the otherwise resourcefull members of this community are overlooking the bleeding obvious.

Put up a marriage proposal to the newly widowed wife of a well equiped bike rider, inspect the facilities before closing the deal, and it's problem solved.

I think I have been inside too long!

Peter, in Oslo

In lieu of an oil pan, you can use an empty container of windshield-washer fluid (or a plastic milk container, anything of that type), if you just cut a big hole in the flat side of it with your pocket knife. And have a second container to pour the oil into and seal it. The "mouth" of the first container makes it easy to transfer the oil.

As for used oil, in addition to moto shops, you can often find special recycling containers for it behind big petrol stations. Or, if doing it at home, ask your municipality - there is probably a dedicated garbage station that receives dangerous waste like that from individuals for free (and from companies for a fee).

Definitely put down some cardboard, though.