Mouth + Money =

[Shaft]

So, every time I notice a thread on here asking about the right bike to buy that will do commuting, touring, a bit of B road funtimes and last a good while, without costing a fortune to run or buy, I come on and do my scratched record bit about my favourite all rounder.

Having played with a few other bikes lately and found them lacking, I've reached the conclusion that I need to take a dose of my own medicine and put my money where my mouth is, so I've just committed to owning something very similar to this...........

https://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff426/zedheadchap/xj1a.gif

All things being equal, I'll be picking up the actual machine next weekend and christening it with an 85 mile ride home, so watch this space, if you're even remotely interested.

Also look out for the bikes I'm getting rid of to make room
____________________
Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[doggone]

They were a good bike, a lot went round the clock and then some as couriers.
I did two long European trips on one and about 30,000 miles over 4 years - during which all that went wrong was it needed a coil.
That was an H reg (91?)and it's still on the road somewhere according to the checking site.

[Robby]

Don't you already have one of those under a cover?

[Shaft]

I do, which is what sealed the deal really; having realised I'm never going to get around to restoring it, it made sense to get some use out of it by recycling it as spare parts for a going concern.
____________________
Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[stevo as b4]

Shhh, that sounds almost like KMX no.3 logic that there!

My old 200 could be a fantastic big block engine donor for a sunny sunday first model year KMX.

Of course I'm sure I will have it all re-built as a hard core shabby mud plugger soon instead though!

[Shaft]

Oh well, the best laid plans and all that.

All things were not equal, at least in the braking department; the seller had already told me he was going to freshen up the brakes, but first he couldn't shift one of the pistons, then he couldn't get a decent lever, so he entrusted to a local shop and it wasn't done for the weekend.

Never mind, it's sorted now and I'm taking the afternoon off and picking it up tomorrow, even better, he's meeting me more than half way, so at least he's confident that it will make it up the motorway, so that's good.

All I have to do now is pray for the rain to hold off.
____________________
Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[Robby]

Did you make it home alive?

[Shaft]

Didn't even get there, seller says he can't find the V5, so now it's wait for a duplicate to turn up from Swansea, unless he finds the original.

Not the best start to the ownership experience, I'm starting to wonder if there's a message in there somewhere.
____________________
Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[P.]

There is. Lower price by 50, apply for v5 at a cost of 25.

[Shaft]

Well, regardless of who applies for it, it's not going to get here any quicker, with train fares and petrol, it's going to cost me the best part of 50 quid to get it and he's offered to deliver it to my door, because of the messing around.

So if I leave it to him to sort it, I'm about £75 in front, which is almost the cost of a year's tax.
____________________
Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[P.]

That sounds like a bonus with the delivery

[Pol Anorl]

save £75 and no fuck arsing around in shit weather or twatty cagers

downside is if its phucked its a long way to take it back to throw through his window
____________________
GOOD GAME BODYGUARD: https://i.imgur.com/8WePGgf.jpg
20:30:37 Pyro.: I don't sort of like men, I take every advantage to choke on dick.
Jewlio Iglesias: You live in Liverpool - Chances are, the front door has already been kicked off the hinges

[Shaft]

I'll be extremely wary if it turns up on a trailer, but I have followed the golden rule of not gambling more than you can afford to lose, plus as I've mentioned, I do have another complete spares bike, including a good motor, all I'd have to do is swap a few ancillaries and throw it in.

Having said that, yesterday's plan was to meet at a station, so he could jump on the train home, so he must be confident it would take a motorway thrash, without sounding like a bag of spanners at the end of it.

I'm just fed up that it's going to take another couple of weeks, it's going to blow me out of Monday's Southend bash and I'm going to lose that much tax if I want to use it immediately.
____________________
Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[Shaft]

And, finally, she's home!

Got a text on Monday, telling me the owner had found the V5 and as agreed, he would deliver it to my door, today.

https://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff426/zedheadchap/20150408_172044.jpg

https://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff426/zedheadchap/20150408_172059.jpg

https://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff426/zedheadchap/20150408_172114.jpg


Quite honestly, I'm like a dog with two cocks, it's been like meeting an old friend, completely comfortable straight away and feels as though I rode one yesterday, instead of 20 years ago.

Upsides are, under 30K on the clock, new Hagon shocks, Goodridge lines, fork seals and head bearings in the last 18 months, new rear tyre and and brake rebuild in the last week.

Downs, the paint on the tank is appalling, I'm not convinced the (highly inaccurate) fuel guage works, and it needs a good going over as most of the fasteners are corroded, which is pretty normal on these, the quality of the alloy finishing was never the best.

Also, the PO put on some non stock mirrors with LED indys, which are quite a good idea, but they foul the fairing on full lock and, as a method of seeing behind you, are about as much use as a chocolate fireguard.

I won't be rushing into doing stuff to it, as I'd rather be riding it, but a paint job is on the cards (I'm toying with a black, white and red Akai scheme) and I'll probably do a bit of a service, just to get to know it better.

Anyway, let's see how we go, I'm forever telling other people they should buy one of these, so we'll find out if I should keep my gob shut

Oh, and it's time to thin out the fleet; the XL stays as I like it a lot and it's a totally different type of bike, but the VFR and Katana have reached the end of my road.

Ads will be going up soon, but if anyone is interested in a slightly tatty early VFR750, or a much nicer GS650GX Katana, drop me a note and we'll talk.
____________________
Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[Shaft]

Didn't take long for the first problem to crop up

Was a bit slow starting Wednesday morning, got it going, went to fill up in preparation for a trip away after work and, when I came back from paying, the battery was flatter than flat thing.

A work colleague rescued me with booster pack, got it to work and left it for a couple of hours, while I got on with doing what I'm paid for.

Mysteriously, it then decided to start, but testing with a voltmeter revealed less than 12V with ignition off, rising to 13.5V at 4000rpm, something not right.

Battery was as dry as a bone and the wizzo tester decided it was cattle trucked, so a new Yuasa was charged and fitted and the voltmeter came out again - 14.5V at speed now, so I can only assume the old unit wasn't taking a charge and the regulator was doing it's thing and reducing the charge voltage, as it had nowhere to go.

No sign of any battery problems since, so I hope that's solved.

Next I want to do the valve clearances and carb balance, but I seem to have misplaced my YICS tool, so I'm on the hunt for the instructions I found a while ago for making one.
____________________
Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[J.M.]

[Shaft]