The Bikeshite Thread

9,437 · May 31, 2018

Anyone want a cheap FZ1?

£2k buys it as that is the px value I've been offered

pm me if your interested

19,299 · May 31, 2018

oh ffs...............

19,299 · May 31, 2018

FUCKS SAKE!!!

HAD ITS LITTLE BROTHER

May 31, 2018

oh ffs...............

Does that translate as 'PM sent'?

9,437 · May 31, 2018

FUCKS SAKE!!!

HAD ITS LITTLE BROTHER

Haha there's no comparison between the two, the big brother has 150bhp

6,836 · June 1, 2018

if ya talking about cb500

its had fresh mot tyres and chain in last month

lacquer is falling off tank panels and side panels but i have new replacements

coupla grand 13 plate done 46800 miles

it needs fork seals but theyll be done soon - need to find time when its not going anywhere

Versys?

6,836 · June 1, 2018

Spent two hours looking at townmates wiring, felt like driving to Leeds and punching the seller in the forehead. Who uses sellotape on wiring?

Anyway heatshrink soldered joints and weirdly all the lights started working again(contact cleaner on switches too).

Just need a tyre for the MoT and hopefully it’ll pass.

8,659 · June 1, 2018

.

Good morning Britain, and for those who hadn't noticed it is June, summer sunshine weather, and already half the way through the year !

Further to my post of < last Friday > regarding pulling my 1996 BMW K75 out from the garage after some seven years of hibernation, here's an update. .

The new batteries ordered, arrived on Tuesday (good service from Tayna Batteries, seeing as it was ordered on the Saturday and it was a bank holiday on Monday) and Thursday for the fob's batteries (specifically bought because their sell by date was 2022 rather than others which were 2018). .

^ after a quick search on customer feedback and found it to be positive - I chose to go for Tayna Batteries own brand of AGM (absorbed glass mat) < Enduroline > which is a 20ah high power. This was half the price of some other brands and yet comes with a 2-year guarantee. I also liked the weird idea of being able to pick up the phone and talk to a fella should there be any problem.

Despite its hefty price tag - the previous Odessy battery never impressed me, neither with its starting power nor its ability to hold a charge when the bike was infrequently used. I'll not be buying Odessy again.

The new fob batteries were duly fitted and then with the bikes indicators flashing like crazy - I realised both the fobs needed re-coding to the bike. It took me half an hour to get my head around how to achieve that and get the things working reliably.. Bloody thing ..if I knew how to rip the alarm / immobiliser off the bike - I would have done it, but it's professionally installed and buried to prevent tampering.

Next up was to pull the x3 spark plugs and clean them. I'd noted in the workshop manual - I had replaced them just 7-thousand miles ago, but that was back in 2010. Anyway with the BMW tool kit (long sparkplug spanner, etc) it's not a big deal to do this and check their gaps.

Test Ride Last weekend I'd checked the tyre pressures and oil levels - but without having a battery to restart the bike, should it cut out for whatever reason, I didn't want to test ride the bike and have to push it home again. Now with a decent battery installed - I gave it a shot. I live down a dirt track on a farm, and even getting out of the drive.. is down a curved incline through the iron gate by the cow shed - there's no tarmac around here. To me the BMW with its 'still pretty' full fairing is a big and weighty bike to be riding dirt, so my start was a little tentative. There was no worries though. Unlike a sports bike with low bars and a lot of weight on the wrists this BMW is a sit up n' beg riding position and very controllable.

I only went up the lane (1/2 mile dirt then 1/2 mile lumpy single track country lane) and back ..just to see if there were anything obvious I needed to do (..aside from looking into the flashing ABS warning lights). There wasn't., but the back brake squeaked a little and seemed pretty weak.

So I moved my attention over to the brakes. I pulled the brake pads out front (twin disk) and rear (a single disk) each with Brembo calipers, cleaned them, checked the amount of friction material I had left (not a whole lot but still safe) and noted what their part numbers were. .

I also cleaned up the pins and clips and gave them a light smear of grease before reassembly. Note to self : Next Time.. after replacing the rear brake pads - remember to pump the pistons back out ..before the test-ride down the curved incline towards iron gate ! Thanks to rapid foot-work on the pedal - No harm done this time ..but it was a dumb thing to forget to do.

Front brakes better, but back brake had far too much travel and was generally weak. Further examination and possibly bleeding of the hydraulics needed..

^ Well that was a surprise. The brake reservoir (about the size of a small fish-paste jar) is hidden behind the right-hand side panel.. and was empty ! There's no sign of a leak anywhere, and there must have still been brake fluid in the pipe, otherwise the brakes wouldn't have worked at all.. but yes Dr.Watson - we might conclude that arch-enemy shameful neglect is the villain here. With the front-brake reservoir being so obvious and the rest of the bike being so darned oil tight and reliable.. it's easy to forget this tiny little rear-brake-reservoir tucked away out of sight.

So then. .

^ ..a little relieved that I was bleeding the brakes rather than myself ! ABS needed bleeding first, and then . .

What can I say - I was (am) a firkin' twerp. Hopefully this shameful exposé might prompt some of you to check your own super-reliable mounts for silly little neglects. !

For those with a keen sense of observation look again at the above photo, and see if you can spot another issue. .

.

no ?

. .

not of the brake system

. . .

have a look at that tyre (beyond the brake bleed pipe)

. . . .

It's done less than 1500 miles, and I'm an easy-on-the-bike rider, so it's a barely used Avon ..and its side wall is cracked.

These Avon tyres were replaced (as a pair) during the summer of 2011, and then during the bike's MOT that same August, the inspector spotted the rear tyre was cracked ..almost all the way around, inside the tread. I took the tyre back and changed it for a new one (it cost me !) ..and thereafter barely used the bike before it was laid up. So this Avon tyre was fitted new in August 2011 and then put away in the back of a garage, with the rear wheel lifted clear of the ground.

That's two (£90 at that time) Avon tyres to have cracked with less than 1500 miles on either. In contrast I've seen tyres on the old Sunbeam's (..which I used to professionally restore) which were at least 30 years old - with less serious damage.

That's a cost (and another shopping task) I hadn't expected I'll not be buying Avon Tyres for any of my bikes or cars again. They should have stuck to making cosmetics !

Hey ho, moving on the bike's rear brake was better for the next test ride. I hoped air-in-the-system might have been the cause of the ABS warning light flashing, but alas not. I brushed and inspected the ABS impulse gears and checked the clearance between those and the sensors but to no avail. The back brake I can lock up (..so the ABS is not working) and lights just keep flashing. I guess I'll need to take the bike to a dealer.

Good news is that ABS / warning lights (I don't know why BMW need 2 big red flashing lights to tell me that an optional item is not working).. are not part of a bike's MOT test., so the bike is booked in for an MOT., next Wednesday. Thereafter I can ride it a dealer to plug-in a diagnostic machine, and to hopefully identify the fault ..or to clear the error code - if indeed it was triggered by the lack of brake fluid.

- - -

Nothing more I can do on the ABS, so I turn my attention to the electric adjustment of the windscreen ..not working. Pictures tell the story so far . .

^ ..never been in here before. No idea what I'm doing really, I'm just looking and hoping I don't break it !

^ I removed the Webasto labelled electric motor from the bowden cables, and tested it with a 12v battery. It hummed a little but did no more. So I undid the only two screws in the motor, hoping just to separate it from the gearbox. Oops !

^ The gearbox was very tight, almost locked up. I suspected the grease within had hardened.

I needed to open it up so I removed the drive gear and then had to prise open the gearbox. You'll might just see the metal die-cast of the gearbox case is peened over in four or five places. Clearly never intended to be re-opened. I had to be careful.

^ yep nothing wrong but dry bearings and hardened grease in the gear tooth

^ Ok, how do I get those electric motor brushes apart, over the commutator ?

^ Also not intended to be dismantled. I had to bend those tabs straight, refit the armature, and then to re-bend / lock those tabs again. Would they snap off ?

Throughout this whole task I was mindful that I'd pull it apart and a bit would break so then I couldn't get it back together again. But - Lo n' behold it worked !

However the reassembled motor and gearbox still wouldn't drive the bowden cables to the windscreen tilt mechanism.

^ it took flipping ages (I worked until 10 pm on this last night) ..to get the cables out from being seized inside their tubes. Funny looking thing. I thought at first it was covered with tiny magnetic particles but after cleaning (spraying / a thorough dousing with carb cleaner and wiping them) they are little fibre / hairs

.

^ washed and left to thoroughly dry overnight - I'm wondering what lubricant should be used in these. I guess I'll go with silicon grease.

Today I need to reassemble this mechanism, test it, and hopefully be able to refit it working.

I'll catch up with you later..

Bfg

8,659 · June 1, 2018

.

continuing on . .

The reassemble of 'washed and left to thoroughly dry' parts didn't quite happen as quickly as anticipated. As usual thing took four times as long as hoped, on this occasion because the Bowden cable inner was being stopped going all the way in by internal pipe crud &/or corrosion. .

^ the pipe for the Bowden cable from the right hand side of the mechanism, seen as the bottom one in this photo, turns inside the left hand cable's pipe. This sharp bend was internally corroded and otherwise blocked with crud. The question then is - how does one thoroughly clean out the inside ?

A smoker's pipe cleaner (if I happened to have such a thing) would be far too short and also too soft to clean rust out.

And I couldn't work in from the other end because that end is pinched closed and with a fastening hole through it..

definitely a dilemma

. .

.

The solution used was to use a scrap cable inner (from one of the old Sunbeams) with its frayed end ..as a wire brush

^ I knew I keep junk for a good reason. With this old cable inner held in the vice - I repeatedly pushed the pipe on and off, turning it as I went ..and feeling for any resistance. Doing that a thousand times takes quite a bit of time ..but it did a grande job in cleaning out the insides of this small pipe.

During reassembly I packed the hairy cables and their pipes with lots of 'silicon grease with teflon' . .

Finally reassembled, but not yet tested as a complete unit.

^ the toothed gear on the electric motor's gearbox sits inbetween the two cables. As it turns - either side of that gear pushes against the spiral winding of both cables ..together in synchronisation to tilt the windscreen upwards. When reversed the cables come back into their pipes and the screen drops. It's a pain in the arse when it's not designed to be maintained nor come apart ..but still pretty neat.

^ Yee hah.. it works !

Yeah Ok it looks like a pretty dumb gimmick ..but I can assure you, when cruising along at autobahn speeds ..for hours on end - and then you tilt the screen up and get sucked along in still air behind this screen - it is a revelation.! It also diverts the air-blast when wanting to converse with a pillion rider. And of course as a barn door - it's pretty efficient at protecting even a tall rider from inclement weather. For a person as tall as myself - I normally tilt it up just a little, but enough to flow the air over to the top of my helmet visor. In hot weather I adjust it to its lowest setting and enjoy the blast (flies in teeth).

Job done - works great again.

- - -

The only other task I did on the bike today was to clean the seat and give the grain textured inside of the fairing a brush up.

^ I found some foam fabric / vinyl cleaner in the garage. No idea where it came from but it did the job after three or four applications and lots of scrubbing.

^ I then tried the household cleaner I picked up when last in Slovenia ..and found it to be very much more effective. One application and it achieved the same as four applications of the purpose made foam cleaner.

All back together and a bit cleaner . .

That's me signing out for this week.. I bid you a good weekend.

Bfg

4,199 · June 1, 2018

I had to turn the TT coverage off halfway through, it's bloody awful (SPONSORED BY MONSTER CHAV FUEL). Why does every interview have to be over music? Why are the presenters so wooden? Ruined.

8,659 · June 2, 2018

.

Tyres ??

I'm shopping for a new rear tyre to replace the hardly worn but cracked Avon Roadrider on my BMW K75 tourer. I'll be keeping the front Roadrider on so want something that not going to upset the handling. I'll not be buying another Avon, and the prices I've had for Metzeler Roadtec 01 and Continental Go are £130 & £125 respectively, plus fitting.

What else might you guys recommend ?

size is 130/90-17

Thanks, Bfg

June 2, 2018

I dunno if you can get them in those sizes but I run my GSX on Michelin Pilot Roads, I started on the 2s & up to the 4s now, great tyres in my view.

As for the leccy window, I tried a ST1300 with the same thing, it is rather bizarre to 'shut the window' on the noise at speed isn't it?

8,659 · June 2, 2018

I dunno if you can get them in those sizes but I run my GSX on Michelin Pilot Roads, I started on the 2s & up to the 4s now, great tyres in my view.

As for the leccy window, I tried a ST1300 with the same thing, it is rather bizarre to 'shut the window' on the noise at speed isn't it?

Thanks for the recommendation I'll check out prices.

Yes - sort of uncanny. I'd not thought of it like .. 'shut the window' on the noise at speed' ..but it's an apt description

Edit : Michelin Pilot Roads - don't seem to be in the size I need

8,659 · June 2, 2018

.

Washbrooke Services here in Ipswich, who I take my bikes to for their MOT, were going to call me back on Monday with prices, but mistakenly thought I wanted a tyre ordered & fitted before the MOT on Wednesday, their thinking was that the crack I had was the same one as they discovered during the MOT back in 2011.

Anyways up., they ordered a Bridgestone BT45 for me and it's to arrive on Tuesday. Unlike some, Washbrooke are prepared to fit the Bridgestone onto the bike with the Avon on the front. Their price is £120 fitted to the bike and £109 to a loose wheel. As this is £20+ better than any other price I've been able to find here in Ipswich - I've gone with that. The reviews I've read on the BT45 are good for both wet and dry conditions.

Bfg

June 2, 2018

I never got on with Bridgestones, but that's based on BT-021s. Only other tyre of theirs I tried was the previous BT-020. Better than the 021 as far as I could tell.

19,299 · June 2, 2018

Balls...... Just got it running sweetly too
Sent from my F3211 using Tapatalk

Finally

Hoor ya

Not as worn as I remember but I dgaf

My trip to land of potatoes has turned into a trip to France so not sure if I'm gonna go Ireland

But yeah if ya want ya can (hostage for a cake tho )

19,299 · June 2, 2018

Haha there's no comparison between the two, the big brother has 150bhp

yeah but havent got a small cock

6 did 151 mph genuine in germany

looking at this to answer they all do that has made me look at ron ayers for abs sensor prices

fecker

edit: no ya mong ya wont find yamaha prices in the honda section

verdict - wanker (goes to look at right page)

9,437 · June 2, 2018

yeah but havent got a small cock

6 did 151 mph genuine in germany

looking at this to answer they all do that has made me look at ron ayers for abs sensor prices

fecker

edit: no ya mong ya wont find yamaha prices in the honda section

verdict - wanker (goes to look at right page)

I'm 99% certain it is a sensor as the abs does work when it wants to, brakes work perfectly anyway and its not an mot issue so I've not bothered, never had a bike with it anyway

I'm open to offers on the price, but don't take the piss It also has to be taken before next weekend

4,006 · June 2, 2018

Finally

Hoor ya

Not as worn as I remember but I dgaf

My trip to land of potatoes has turned into a trip to France so not sure if I'm gonna go Ireland

But yeah if ya want ya can (hostage for a cake tho )

Dude that's perfect you have PM

Sent from my F3211 using Tapatalk

8,659 · June 2, 2018

I never got on with Bridgestones, but that's based on BT-021s. Only other tyre of theirs I tried was the previous BT-020. Better than the 021 as far as I could tell.

I've never had Bridgestones ..aside from when buying my Honda's as a lad ..way back when. And those tyres had such a bad reputation for being 'plastic' in the wet that they were soon discarded in favour of Dunlops. However I'm guessing Bridgestone tyres have changed over the past 30+years, otherwise I can't see the company surviving this long.

Another local bike dealer (Kingdom Motorcycles, here in Ipswich - who have been around since the '60s) ..well their proprietor uses the BT45's on his own GPZ, which he says is used through all seasons. His price was competitive for the Bridgestone, but the Metzeler or Continental tyres were only £4 more from him. So I guess it's a fair endorsement of the Bridgestone BT45 ..that a guy in the trade (paying trade prices, and then off-setting that against tax) should prefer them.

When I used to frequently long distance, back in the 1980's and had a BMW900/6 - I tested Continental tyres for them. Tbh the tyres were not that good and wore out fast ..but then of course the ones I happened to be testing might have been types which were rejected / not put into production. I don't know. Never-the-less even though I could get free tyres from them.. I stopped doing their testing and bought Metzelers - which that bike felt notably safer on.

Bfg

Bridgestone Battlax BT45 High Performance Tires

The Bridgestone Battlax BT45 tires are designed for older sport bikes and mid-size sport touring bikes. These tires feature all-round street performance, with the emphasis on riding comfort, long mileage and wet performance.

Features:

High performance bias-ply
Silica compound for improved wet and dry grip
Rear tire is equipped with dual tread compound for longer life and better traction when cornering
Tubeless

< 29 customers feedback and rating from Mytyres >

19,299 · June 2, 2018

It also has to be taken before next weekend

oh.

fuck.

i go to usa on friday

enjoy the new bike

8,910 · June 2, 2018

My bro has just sent me a pic of this woeful contraption...

June 2, 2018

I've never had Bridgestones ..aside from when buying my Honda's as a lad ..way back when. And those tyres had such a bad reputation for being 'plastic' in the wet that they were soon discarded in favour of Dunlops. However I'm guessing Bridgestone tyres have changed over the past 30+years, otherwise I can't see the company surviving this long.

Another local bike dealer (Kingdom Motorcycles, here in Ipswich - who have been around since the '60s) ..well their proprietor uses the BT45's on his own GPZ, which he says is used through all seasons. His price was competitive for the Bridgestone, but the Metzeler or Continental tyres were only £4 more from him. So I guess it's a fair endorsement of the Bridgestone BT45 ..that a guy in the trade (paying trade prices, and then off-setting that against tax) should prefer them.

When I used to frequently long distance, back in the 1980's and had a BMW900/6 - I tested Continental tyres for them. Tbh the tyres were not that good and wore out fast ..but then of course the ones I happened to be testing might have been types which were rejected / not put into production. I don't know. Never-the-less even though I could get free tyres from them.. I stopped doing their testing and bought Metzelers - which that bike felt notably safer on.

Bfg

Bridgestone Battlax BT45 High Performance Tires
The Bridgestone Battlax BT45 tires are designed for older sport bikes and mid-size sport touring bikes. These tires feature all-round street performance, with the emphasis on riding comfort, long mileage and wet performance.
Features:
High performance bias-ply
Silica compound for improved wet and dry grip
Rear tire is equipped with dual tread compound for longer life and better traction when cornering
Tubeless
< 29 customers feedback and rating from Mytyres >

Agreed that people must like them for them to stay in business. I can only offer personal opinion on two of their tyres which got knocked in a lot of reviews around the same time as I was using them.

2,215 · June 2, 2018

Agreed that people must like them for them to stay in business. I can only offer personal opinion on two of their tyres which got knocked in a lot of reviews around the same time as I was using them.

Tyres are a subjective issue. What suits one bike and rider might not suit another. Case in point. My work FJR. Michelin Road Pilot 3 was a fabulous tyre. Then they changed to the 4. Didn’t suit the bike or me however some of the other riders at work (fleet of ten) preferred the 4s. I’m now on the new Road Pilot 5 and they’re a revelation. Better than both the previous models. Really suit the bike and the way I ride. One guy at work hates them and is using Bridgestones. Horses for courses I guess.

One’s too many, ten’s not enough!

June 3, 2018

I never liked the PR3, I found it twitchy even though it never lost grip. I much prefer the 4s, not tried the 5s yet.

Like you say it's very subjective.

9,437 · June 4, 2018

Final call for the FZ1, 1700 quid if collected before the weekend, it's now got the original can back on but a deal can be had

7,503 · June 5, 2018

Tip Dealers will take your bike as P/X against another bike to make life easy for you and them.

27,545 · June 5, 2018

To be honest by the mid 90s all the "big 4" Jap manufacturers had pretty much cracked the inline 4 cylinder sportsbike thing and the recipe is pretty similar, just in varying colours.

I would recommend also considering the less fashionable ZZR600, or maybe the Yamaha Thundercat. These are both more or less 100 horsepower, 3ish seconds to 60, but seen as touring bikes by the fickle sportsbike market so are cheaper both to buy and insure.

If you do go for a ZX6R then shop around, all those links seem a bit pricey to me. I reckon you could get a tidy one for under a grand as everyone wants the latest and greatest when it comes to sportsbikes.

On that note, if your budget is 2.5k you could also look at more modern bike like an R6 or CBR600RR?

Do check insurance quotes before buying anything as well, it's a funny old game and I actually got a lower quote for a 175mph ZZR1100 than for a GSXR600 SRAD, presumably the Suzuki gets stolen or crashed more.

Enjoy, and congrats on the test pass by the way.

27,545 · June 5, 2018

In your shoes I would probably get an early R6.

I was 17 when these came out in '99 and a red and white one is still imprinted on my brain as being "The Don" or whatever words 17 year old me used to describe something good.

They're probably even a reasonable investment, prices can't get much lower and I think early R1s are going up in price already.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F173351450892

9,437 · June 6, 2018

In your shoes I would probably get an early R6.

I was 17 when these came out in '99 and a red and white one is still imprinted on my brain as being "The Don" or whatever words 17 year old me used to describe something good.

They're probably even a reasonable investment, prices can't get much lower and I think early R1s are going up in price already.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F173351450892

I wouldn't recommend an early R6 now, they are quite fragile and have chocolate gearboxes, I know of a few lads who have had issues with them, also Thundercat's and ZZR600's are very old hat now, in isolation they are ok to ride but they are getting on for 20 years old, £2.5k will get you onto a nice 2003 onwards ZX6R which will have running gear not dissimilar to modern tackle and they are great looking bikes, don't discount bigger stuff like the K5 on GSXR750, I doubt insurance will be hugely different.

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