[anatak]

can someone explain to me why the maintenance intervals are different between the pre 94, 94 and from 95 900 SS models ?

and more important would be how to check what your engine is ?

I live in Japan and I think that model 94 is sometimes sold here as 95 so I would like to know how I can make sure.

thank you
anatak

 

[Stopwatch]

I don't think there are any maintenance differences between these years. A rough rule of thumb would be: oil/filter/clean screen every 3k, valve check every 6k, and belts every 12k.

The factory may have published something different, but from a practical standpoint the maintenance requirements should be the same.

 

[anatak]

haynes service and repair manual

The haynes service and repair manual states a some differences between model years
example
minor service
change engine oil and spin on filter
check valve clearance
check cam belts
check spark plugs
replace fuel filter
check carb sync
pre 94 every 5000 Km
94 model every 7500 Km
95 and up model every 10 000 Km

between a 93 and a 95 bike this is double the distance
the problem is that they don't explain why there is a difference.
I am thinking about buying a second 900 SS but I am really looking for a 95 or later model just because of the maintenance schedule.

kind regards
anatak

 

[bruce19]

If you want a pre-FI SS that has the "kinks" worked out from the factory then a '97 or '98 are your best bets. Prior to '97 there were frame cracks, valve guide issues and some other things I've forgotten but had to fix on my '96. My '97 was bullet proof over 30K miles.

 

[bradblack]

i imagine they changed the intervals to reduce the maintainance work / costs pretty much. the bikes themselves are physically indentical. the 7,500km thing for 94 models was wacky - they're meant to get belts, etc done at 15,000km. just use the later year schedule.

they originally recommended the 851 get valve clearances done every 3,000km, which is just lunacy.