What have you done to your bike today?

[to v or not to v]

[blurredman]

[Easy-X]

I actually went out for a proper ride on the Vitpilen. Still don't like the bar-end mirror positions so I've moved them again

I've discovered the engine's a bit Jekyll & Hyde. The tacho is laid out in an easy to understand semicircle: 9 o'clock = 0 rpm, 3 o'clock = 13,000 rpm and 12 o'clock just under the shift light is 6,500 rpm. 9 ~ 12 the bike goes and sounds like an asthmatic kitten whereas 12 ~ 3 is what I shall going forward refer to as The Lairy Zone

I'm still quite surprised about the vibration (or lack thereof) for a thumper. There's a bit lower down that one would likely move past quickly during normal riding but somewhere around the 10,000s it goes completely nuts! Probably should be shifting at that point anyway
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Easy-X]

The R125 saga is almost at a close. Readers may recall the gaskets supplied with the piston/cylinder kit (made from finest Chinesium) were pretty much tissue paper

Armed with an OEM gasket kit we tried again to rebuild the top end. Spent an age being absolutely certain we had TDC marks aligned for the top and bottom ends and turned over the engine by hand anyway to check for valve interference. The engine rebuild itself went fairly well.

Wrestled the engine back in the frame and then the fun began: connecting a gazillion pipes and wires! Added oil and and coolant, turned it over a few times sans fuel and spark plug, get everything circulating. Tank back on and... it started up pretty quickly! Sounds awful (exhaust has a split along a bracket weld) but... oh noes, a water leak. Turned out a touch more torque was required on the water pump bolts

Probably there are a few more fixings not torqued correctly, a few more pipes and wires could do with a cable tie but the aim is for the thing to get at least 50 miles away from us under its own power and never see the wretched thing again!
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[hellkat]

Took the Suzuki out for a pootle from one end of the North Circ (ma hoose) to the other (Brentford) and back again.

Makes a change from the Ace Caff (where I stopped off for a wee on the way home).

Got rained on from the Ace to home: first time all year! Jeans soaked through but luckily the rest of me stayed dry because proper gear: jacket, boots, lid kept me dry and happy.

Still haven't tried on those ridiculously expensive bike trousers the erstwhile Snr Consort bought at Xmas: too fat for 'em right now, fuck it. Love Hurts diet etc.

Peeled me wet jeans off with that thrilling sense of "survived another ride out" kind of pleasure, once I got back home (just in time for the rugby) and got into my dressing-gown, back to mad cat lady mode.

Bike went like a train Smooth-as.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[kawakid]

Thanks to thae late warm weather I've actually been on 2 motorcycle rides this weekend.

Not bad as boiler was broken this time last year and it was cold.

Went out with my 20 year old he's recently passed his A2 and has a cb500f. It was his first ride where he really got to see what biking is about. He was understanbly slow and cautious.

We took the road from Hebden Bridge to Colne, then to Gisburn, then Skipton and back.

Today same route, but then on to Ingleton, Hawes, Leyburn, Ripon then Harrogate.

Usually when we have nice weather it's one day on motorcycle next day on mountain bike. But as I have a sore throat and feeling a bit bath, it was 2 days on the Z.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[Easy-X]

I rode up to Lincoln's Inn Fields yesterday and enjoyed the sunshine. Had to share a park bench when eating my lunch:

https://i.imgur.com/2u7BJ19.jpg
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[DJP]

Nice pic. Did you share some lunch?
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Suzuki Bandit 1250
https://deejayp999.atwebpages.com/index.html
That's http not https

[Easy-X]

No, there were lots of signs saying "do not feed the birds"
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[blurredman]

Changed the cush drive rubber on the Trophy. An annoying and extremely messy job!
____________________
CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (295cc) - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 50k.

[struan80]

Put on the cheapest exhaust end can I could find anywhere. It looks like a bit of guttering with a baffle shoved up it but it sounds very good.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/yy224/struan80/387330406_191722877290059_3129910534887299104_n.jpg

[Bhud]

Open throttle, sputter sputter, stall, clonk out... Nice. Working only at low revs and on idle.

At home, got busy. Fuel flowing freely? Yes. Air filter blocked? No. Checked ignition timing - fine. Checked coil - fine. Checked plugs - fine. Strong spark. Uh oh, what if my cam chain skipped a tooth? Removed the cam cover and checked. No - it's perfect. Carb off, dismantled. Found a BIG chunk of dirt in the emulsion tube. Don't know how it got there but I think it must have moved there from somewhere on the carb body. Put back together, tested and it's fine. Phew!

[struan80]

[Bhud]

[kawakid]

MOT'd the Z750S, Really annoyed with the weather, The Z is my summer toy and it hasn't seen rain in decades.

I just couldn't be bothered putting it away for winter and my first task of the spring, getting it MOT'd.

Anyway it passed as I knew it would and then I spent about 30 minutes washing it.

I've now removed the battery, laid carpet down in the garage so the tyres don't get too cold and i've SORNed the bike.

The batteries come inside .

I've then had the joy of fixing the mess my 20 year old has, who has attempted to fit heated grips himself. When I say attempted that is the correct word.

I've tried to just leave him to it, but today, he phoned to say, the bolt just snapped and I didn't really tighten it too hard. This is the bolt that holds the Oxford panel and secures in to the left hand leaver, so yeah, his mirror and everything was all fubar.

I managed to get the snapped bolt out using vice grips, i've then had to p..s about with his fancy bar end crxp, which was stopping the throttle returning.

He's also managed to round off 2 screws, that hold the panel in place, loose one and just leave another for me. (They don't go in dad, they just don't go in).

This child is far too confident.










.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[virus]

If my understanding of the technicalities are correct, Passed its last ever compulsory MOT.

Its a horrible old ratbike though so I still intend on getting it tested every year in the hopes that any copper who thinks its 'unroadworthy' might be swayed by the bit of paper. (yes i know an MOT doesnt mean its roadworthy)


Hapilly looking forward to not paying the tax though, Ive got a tax disc holder on the bike that im very tempted to put a trollface meme sticker in.
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[bacon]

Vfr800fi again...

I keep an eBay search open for vfr800fi rear shocks. Rare tat anything worthwhile appears. But after 3 years of waiting and watching, a lovely condition Nitron R1 appeared for less than the cost of a YSS. Score, had it bought within a couple hours of it being listed, it arrived yesterday and is very very clean, circa 3k miles done.
So last night I took the exhaust can, link pipe and rear wheel out and got started.

Shock linkage was a bit hanging, needle bearings did have grease in them but it was all a bit stiff, quite a bit of scoring on the linkage plates etc.
I didn't fully disassemble the needle bearings but cleaned them by soaking them in brake cleaner and running a clean cloth repeatedly down the middle and giving them a roll. Repacked with grease once clean and dry.
Removal of the shock was a bit of a pain, had to fully jack the swing arm up to the under tray to have the clearance, came out easily once the upper mount was loosened to allow the threaded portion to be extracted from the subframe.
In with the new one and it all went together lovely.

Though now I had the added problem that I have no hugger and a shiny shock to protect. Managed to find a piece of rubber that was just about the right size and attached it to the under tray.....bit crude but hopefully it should keep the stones and salt from it! We shall see. Worst case it doesn't work and I'll have to stop being tight and buy a hugger.

While the wheel was off I cleaned up the rear caliper and installed some ebc HH pads to match the front that I did a few weeks back.
It's all back together now ready for a test ride and a tweak.
Bike feels a bit taller (I'm a short arse with 29" inside leg), but that could be down to the stiffer spring in this shock compared to the stocker, despite me having minimal preload wound in ATM. Have set the damping knob to half way (11 clicks out of 22).

Next job is still the neutral light, after a post in workshop, Stinkwheel has given me a lead to follow, dash PCB..... Might save that one for Xmas....

Cheers

[blurredman]

Started poking the Honda, and couldn't stop until it wouldn't let me.

https://scontent-lhr6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/371536590_370226435360683_2767011513246335165_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p1080x2048&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8cd0a2&_nc_ohc=y8ryu0j2s7cAX80-vxy&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr6-1.xx&oh=03_AdRGy3SCTIcjf11ZySHW7TLYOwm3Dnn5c1JN2EU4IGQIWg&oe=656716BC


https://scontent-lhr8-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/375198048_832138191724381_2845140021910563035_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p1080x2048&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8cd0a2&_nc_ohc=99bwv6-gwSYAX8oseTN&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr8-2.xx&oh=03_AdTQRhtBvGfiTjmH9Wj0if7A4c8UZnXQg2BfQ4uUcOkgig&oe=656706F5
____________________
CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (295cc) - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 50k.

[Easy-X]

Might require two tubes of JB Weld
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[struan80]

Oh dear, that might not polish out.

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

A few weeks back I parked the ZX6R and it sat through a brief period of heavy rain while I was away. When I returned it started fine but didn’t like the first hint of throttle, threatening to stall. The road home was busy and slow so it was being a pain until I was able to open it up. I got home OK thinking it was just damp somewhere, but after a few days in a dry garage it was still doing it.

An air leak seemed like the next likely answer but a few squirts of carb cleaner around the airbox didn’t change the idle speed. Next the throttle position sensor (on a carb’ed bike) sprang to mind since my fuel-injected R1 needed one recently. Haynes manual and voltmeter suggested it should read 1 volt +/- 0.05 V but it was reading 4.0 and it hadn’t moved out of position so obviously faulty, right? £200 (!) on a throttle position sensor and it didn’t fix it!

I’ve experienced this dodgy electrical specification issue before where the manual gives one value but it seems later components run something different and still work.

Airbox gasket ordered (process of elimination now) and I’ll change the spark plugs too.

Two >20 year old sportsbikes. I’m wondering if I should get something more modern for better reliability. I do like them though. Maybe a third bike is the answer.

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Plugged spark plug drains, leaking fuel cap, water in fuel?
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'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[Mawsley]

Gathered the flotsam that is going to be collected with the Enfields to clear the space for the Africa Twin - which Bennetts seem to be struggling to provide an insurance changeover for. Two calls and two days and they still aren't able to give me a figure to change despite me getting a price on the web within minutes.

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

[Hong Kong Phooey]

It sounds like fuel starvation, or poor spark. They don't have drain holes on all heads, the water thing makes me think that could be weakening the spark initially, but if an engine runs long enough it'll evaporate any standing water, but still leave your plugs rusty.

On older bikes they have a lift pump that pulses fuel into the carbs, on the way out they can pump enough to run at idle or low horse power but top end will struggle.

So if it's on carbs you can try to bypass it and the filter with direct gravity feed to see if there's any difference. If it works, check filter, don't buy a knock off pump from Cheeeina, they're shit.
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'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8