I'm currently without a roadworthy bike

[stinkwheel]

It is very odd, I'm totally unsettled and don't know what the hell to do with myself even though I wouldn't be riding one until next Friday anyway.

It all started as a general overhaul of the back end of the VFR750 which has turned into an unecessarily long and complex affair.

Needed a new rear disc and chain + sprockets. This necessitated removing the stub axle from the swingarm. I noticed one of the bearings in there was looking a bit tired so I removed the eccentric wheel bearing carrier (with some effort). Needed doing anyway as it was getting tight to adjust.

Well, having gone that far (reasoned I), I might as well remove the swingarm and do the bearings in that too. So swingarm off and away with the bearing carrier and sprocket carrier to local engineers to press the bearings out.

Oh yeah, may as well fettle the clutch while I'm at it, rattling like a Ducati and slipping when cold. Oh, and check the starter clutch which doesn't always engage. Could be any of the three bearings in there rattling so replace them too.

You can see how this is going?

Right. I now have a list of 14 bearings and 10 dust seals. Bearing factor gets me most of them pretty much overnight. Two of the bearings and all of the seals however are Honda only parts. One of the bearings is £55 by itself!

Ever wish you never started something? Bike is now lying in bits waiting for Honda to supply me with parts which it doesn't seem will arrive before the weekend.

Spent an effing fortune too. Check this out:

Clutch kit- £49
Chain and sprox - £115
Rear disc - £45
Rear pads - £15
Assorted Bearings and seals - £200 odd
Labour to remove and refit bearings - £50
Swingarm rubber - £40
Oil and filter - £30
Assorted nuts and fittings - £30

So I'm out for £570! And that's with me doing almost all of the work myself.

Ungrateful bastard of a bike has also decided to shit its fork seal with the MOT due soon. I've found a set of firestorm forks for it for £60 so I just need some callipers and a master cylinder.

I'll have forked out the fat end of £800 by the time I'm done.

On the plus side. Combined with the engine fettling I did over Christmas, it ought to be like riding a new bike with better than standard suspension and brakes.

Maybe time to get the rattle cans out and make it look like a pile of poo so it doesn't get nicked?
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Swim41]

With one post you have managed to put me off my own planned overhaul of the swingarm of my XJ. It needs a new chain and sprockets so I was thinking of doing the job myself and cleaning and greasing up the swingarm at the same time. But, going on past experience, no doubt I will break something or find something else that needs attention

I had planned to do it this weekend but if I know that if I start it then I'll be going to the BMF on the C90 - again
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Yamaha XJ600N

[1016]

I don't mean this to be at your expense SW, but you have cheered me up no end, cos you have described exactly what I seem to have done with the last four bikes I have worked on. You get to that, time-to-cash-the-tax-in moment, where you realise you have got carried away again...

[Mr.Everready]

Stinky, just to let you know, it's spelt Connolly.
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the undemocratically unelected mod of the Scottish section

[MarJay]

Oh yeah? I bet I can top trump that!

Well it all started with my winter project, my RD350 YPVS. I finished rebuilding it back in March and I figured it was ready for an MOT. So I fired it up to ride to the test centre. Got half way down the motorway (1 junction) and realised I was covered in water. I grannied the bike to the next junction and had to get G to come and pick me up in the van. It had pumped nearly all of its coolant over me

When I got back I bumped into Bendy who asked me if I wanted to go to Boxhill. No problem I thought, I'll just get the Trumpet out, as it is my working bike. I had ridden it a couple of times over the winter so I figured it would start first time. How wrong I was. It seems over the winter it has developed a mystery electrical problem that means the fuel pump won't turn. I spent ages faffing about trying to sort it but to no avail. The workshop manual tells me that I need to plug in a Triumph computer to work out what the fault is.

<Passage of time: 1 week>

So I thought I'd try to fix the YPVS. I decided to borrow G's van to take it to the MOT. I got it there, and it failed on various items.

<passage of time 1 week>

I fixed the issues and took the YPVS for an MOT. It passed. I decided to take it out and then the coolant started leaking out again. And the front brake seized on. I fixed the brake but I've not fixed the coolant issue

<passage of time 1 week>

I thought I'd cut my losses on the YPVS for a bit, so I thought I'd get the LC ready for an MOT. I'd had a spare set of wheels prepared, powder coated and lacquered so the bike would look a little more original, and so I could replace the rear wheel which had a cracked brake drum.

I got the bike in a vaguely good state, so I started it up, and I found a leak from the right hand carb. I stripped the carb and found that the float needle was ridged.

<Passage of time: 1 week>

So now we're here. Almost at this weekend and I'm no closer to having a working bike. I've ordered a pair of carb repair kits for the LC, and I'm planning to put a stock head gasket on my YPVS this weekend as I reckon the coolant leak is caused by a leaking head gasket and the compression from the cylinders is pressurising the cooling system.

So I've got 1 working bike. Which is my MZ Winter hack. which doesn't really idle very well. :S The LC doesn't have an MOT, and may take a fair bit of work to get it MOT'd. The YPVS has a blown head gasket, and the Trumpet is simply dead and I'll have to van it to a Triumph dealer to get it fixed. Not a happy bunny. And I've spent a LOT of money (probably close to £750) in the last few weeks on odds and sods for my bikes.

And the MZ which cost me £250 works perfectly well. :S
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Visitor Q]

Aye, this is what you get for dilligent maintenance.

Knowing my luck I'd do all that and it would still rattle, handle like shite and clutch slip.

Ohh wait, I did do that and it still does

Meh, I'm expecting it to explode or get rammed within a week of getting the valve clearances done (finally). That would learn me for doing something proper like.

Oh and Marjay, can you not just ring the AA for their home start help? Depends if you have a free day, but you know, save (some) hassle with vans possibly.
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China traffic/travel bike vid - When I make a sweeping statement, please add the word 'statistically' in to the sentence before you bitch...
From September 2014 to January/February 2015 I will not be using any English, nor reading any. As such, I won't be on here. PM at will, but I won't be checking/posting unless in emergencies. Certainly not for the first couple of months. Please berate me savagely if I break that rule...

[ms51ves3]

RX-S broke in November and I only just got back on a bike last Friday. You've got it easy.

[MarJay]

[Kickstart]

[ms51ves3]

[chris-red]

I just spent £70 on Nuts and bolts, £50 on brake pads and am about to drop £800 on spraying both my bikes.

Still in 2 weeks time I should have a Speed Four that looks brand new and a TDM with matching panels
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[stinkwheel]

What I want to know is, where do people find the time to WASH and POLISH their bikes? Hell, I consider myself lucky if I find time to oil the bloody chain between fixing one thing or another.

And that's me with what is widely regarded as one of the most reliable motorcycles ever made.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[TUG]

[chris-red]

[Mr Hammers]

[Blau Zedong]

[MarJay]

[nowhere.elysium]

[TheDonUK]

You have my heartfelt sympathies stinkwheel, for somewhat different reasons, today is the 3rd day of my 30 day disqualification and i am at a total loss as to what to do without a motorbike.

All my friends live sufficient distance that i cant be bothered on public transport.

I had to nip into uni yesterday to get some things sorted, what on the bike is 30 minutes each way door to door and costs about 2 pounds in petrol. On public transport it took me 2 hours!! each way and in total cost about 6 pound.

I woke up this morning, blue skies but what to do?

I dident realise how much riding bikes is an integral part of my life, without a bike i am a lost soul meandering through a vast expanse of pointless existance.

I was sitting on the bus as it went round the final bends approaching my stop and just closed my eyes visualising me overtaking the bus and scraping round the bend, the amount of revs, the pull you get from the acceleration, the stoppie at the end of the road just before the bike gets tucked away. I miss it!!!

My fault rather than mechanical but still i share your pain.

Im going to do the only things one can do without a bike, clean, take drugs and gamble...
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[Robby]

This is why I'm trying to get back to doing one thing at a time on the RD, and I'm also trying to avoid buying new fork stanchions.

This is because if I change the stanchions, I need to do the seals, and I'll doubtless find more problems when they're apart. Gaitors will do for now.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[MarJay]

[TheDonUK]

[Eddie Hitler]

Welcome to my world. Been bikeless for 3 months now, with it costing me £240 so far. It's currently in a local motorcycle tuning workshop to get the odds and ends sorted, but i'm still expecting a bill of around £300.

I'm so used to my pushbike.. going to be unreal being back on the road on a 650cc supermoto.

[BenBray]

A few people can back me up on here when I say my vfr400 is a complete shame.

Cant afford the fairings [side panels] after crashing it a while ago. Half the front fairing is gaffer taped on. When I do give it a good clean it ends up looking like crap in a week anyway.

Darent take the tank off cause I'll want to put in a new air filter and check the carbs. Then I'll be on a mission to change the rear shock as its the original, I believe.. then it would have had recent C&S, plugs, oil change, re-bled brakes, new coolant.

But... do I care about my bike looking a mess? not really.... soon as I'm on it I dont care what it looks like
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Current Bike: nc30