The Bikeshite Thread

[Rustybullethole]

On 10/10/2023 at 3:30 PM, tom13 said:

Watch that rear rack. I think they are 3kg max load.

No way? I thought id be able to stand on that. Must weigh in at 2kg on it's own. 4x m8's she'll be sweet. I put the weight on the front mostly, handles better that way. Tent/sleeping bag and light shit up top, tools and as it turns out not enough inner tubes up front.

First blow out Blackwall approach. Back to mine to get the levers. 

 

 

 

[Rustybullethole]

On 10/10/2023 at 15:30, tom13 said:

Watch that rear rack. I think they are 3kg max load.

Well as it turns out...

Thats a bit shit. 

[Cavcraft]

Attempt no. 2 at getting to Bala/Dolgellau/Barmouth today. Started off quite bright near home, then it absolutely pissed down for about 20-25 minutes, to the point where it was freezing cold due to being soaked. Gave up about  1/3rd of the way, ended up at the Ponderosa Cafe (Horseshoe Pass) then Corwen, Wrexham and home.  It'll be a bastard of a trek on the C200, today was on the Scomadi (so at least the leg shields batted some of the rain off) which is great to ride and has enough poke, too. Those 20MPH roads across the border are fucking baffling, though. Some are actually very understandable (small villages/town centres/by schools etc) but the rest are absolute bollocks and some of the signs are misleading.

 

Was going to re-fuel when back to see what MPG it's doing (though truthfully I don't really care) but totally CBA because cold.

[tom13]

1 hour ago, Cavcraft said:

Attempt no. 2 at getting to Bala/Dolgellau/Barmouth today. Started off quite bright near home, then it absolutely pissed down for about 20-25 minutes, to the point where it was freezing cold due to being soaked. Gave up about  1/3rd of the way, ended up at the Ponderosa Cafe (Horseshoe Pass) then Corwen, Wrexham and home.  It'll be a bastard of a trek on the C200, today was on the Scomadi (so at least the leg shields batted some of the rain off) which is great to ride and has enough poke, too. Those 20MPH roads across the border are fucking baffling, though. Some are actually very understandable (small villages/town centres/by schools etc) but the rest are absolute bollocks and some of the signs are misleading.

 

Was going to re-fuel when back to see what MPG it's doing (though truthfully I don't really care) but totally CBA because cold.

Did you got to watch the beach race?

[Cavcraft]

13 hours ago, tom13 said:

Did you got to watch the beach race?

We didn't get near a beach, unfortunately.

[Cavcraft]

Ordered a new replica FS1E tank from India (via eBay) and it arrived today. Quality lacking in some departments, but will see what it's like when I've fitted it and tried it. It came painted (which I'm hoping saves another big expense) but not tried the colour match yet.

 

[Rustybullethole]

On 09/10/2023 at 21:03, Cavcraft said:

Whoops...

 

GPZ305, belt drive. Been off the road since (I think) 2010, but low mileage and not quite as bad as it could be. It turns over well, though chucking a splash of E5 into the tank hasn't made any difference yet. New battery tomorrow and will check fuel is getting through (and what state it's in now it's gone through the tank) plus make sure it's sparking etc. The tank was empty which is probably a good thing. It's cleaning up pretty well and they're a nice looking little thing, imho.

Like these though know nothing about them. Is it a twin? I think I like them as they remind me of my first legit* road stead a mighty AR50. 80 of course, thats the non legit bit. Blew it up of course too. Wanted a gpz 9, still do. 

[Cavcraft]

16 minutes ago, Rustybullethole said:

Like these though know nothing about them. Is it a twin? I think I like them as they remind me of my first legit* road stead a mighty AR50. 80 of course, thats the non legit bit. Blew it up of course too. Wanted a gpz 9, still do. 

Twins indeed,  I think they're a bored out Z250 engine.

[Rustybullethole]

3 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

Twins indeed,  I think they're a bored out Z250 engine.

Ah nice. Twins make a great road bike i feel. 

[Rustybullethole]

Just joined facebook as i want to access marketplace. Mate sent me this pic of me riding the old Ural. Did a three up round the coast uk trip on it this was somewhere in Norfolk shortly after the last time i cut my hair.

Wish I still had that bike.

[Iamgroot]

8 minutes ago, Rustybullethole said:

Just joined facebook as i want to access marketplace. Mate sent me this pic of me riding the old Ural. Did a three up round the coast uk trip on it this was somewhere in Norfolk shortly after the last time i cut my hair.

Wish I still had that bike.

That sounds utterly brilliant, well done that man

[hairnet]

Retail therapy woop (only took 4 years)

[hairnet]

Woop

[hairnet]

bugger missed out on a HA spec arai helmet

500 quids worth for 165 - cos i forgot it ended

 

[andy18s]

[Iamgroot]

1993 ZZR600, any thoughts on these from anyone with experience/anecdotes? Thanks in advance..

[5speedracer]

On 09/10/2023 at 20:59, fordperv said:

Would my little SV650 class as shite? I didn't know what to buy, I was drawn in by the low insurance cost for a new rider, the V twin sound and I love how it looks, it rides nice as well.

Looks good, is it heavy on the wrists with the flat bars?

[Barry Cade]

3 hours ago, Iamgroot said:

1993 ZZR600, any thoughts on these from anyone with experience/anecdotes? Thanks in advance..

I've had a few, and think they are brilliant bikes. Fast, comfy and seem pretty bulletproof. My first big bike was a zzr400, which suddenly gained 200 cc 😳.  Brakes are a bit crap, calipers sieze at the first sign of damp. Put firestorm calipers on and that sorts that, most will have aftermarket exhausts on by now, but the original system seems to work best. 1993 is on the change. I like the early colours but later models are a better bike, 1993 on had a fuel gauge.. 

The 90s shell suit in the pic was my last one before I got an 1100.. paid 400 quid for it and went through it all. One of my favorite bikes.

[Iamgroot]

1 hour ago, Barry Cade said:

I've had a few, and think they are brilliant bikes. Fast, comfy and seem pretty bulletproof. My first big bike was a zzr400, which suddenly gained 200 cc 😳.  Brakes are a bit crap, calipers sieze at the first sign of damp. Put firestorm calipers on and that sorts that, most will have aftermarket exhausts on by now, but the original system seems to work best. 1993 is on the change. I like the early colours but  models are a better bike, 1993 on had a fuel gauge.. 

 

Thanks very much, been offered a swap for my CBF600S so just doing a bit of research

[hairnet]

moto gp at philip island

so they moved it to the saturday cos the weather promised sunday was supposed to be garbage

just watch the moto 3 and moto2 - cue all falling off and moto2 got red flagged with 18 laps left

theyre interviewing a scottish fella and even he said it was f windy glad they stopped it and hes prolly been knockhill and crail aye  - how fucked might sunday have been if they ran it in that and it was 1987 all over again

and just watching gp and the suns out ffs

[Jazoli]

7 hours ago, Iamgroot said:

1993 ZZR600, any thoughts on these from anyone with experience/anecdotes? Thanks in advance..

Assume everything will be absolutely knackered, my 94 one was ropy 20 years ago, they don't age well, good bikes though, mine was black and pink.

I wouldn't be swapping a CBF600 for one though.

[Cavcraft]

15 hours ago, Iamgroot said:

1993 ZZR600, any thoughts on these from anyone with experience/anecdotes? Thanks in advance..

I think they're known for gearbox faults, was it 2nd or 3rd they used to like to jettison? Aside from that, the couple of people I knew who owned one said they're immense bikes. 

[Jazoli]

Just remember its 30 years old, its likely that every single rubber component is going to need replacing, the emulsion tubes in the carbs are probably worn oval, wiring looms are going to be crusty, the plastics are incredibly brittle, exhausts are likely to be paper thin, radiators failing, inside the petrol tank is likely to be corroded etc etc, if its a bike you want to use every day be very careful, if its something to polish and use occasionally then maybe, but you could get a decent late 2000's VFR800, CBF1000 or Fazer 1000 for a couple of grand which are better in every single way.

Obviously if its a mint low owner garaged bike then it should be considered, but it's 30 years old still.

[Iamgroot]

Thanks for the input fellas, already decided to leave it, the CBF is too good a bike to swap for something potentially hiding work, the guy was waay too keen which unnerved me too.

Besides I have a queue of things to fettle and it's nice having one in the fleet I can always trust to just nip out on if I want to.

[twosmoke300]

No way id swap a cbr for a zzr . 

As mentioned before , they just dont age well.

 

[Iamgroot]

15 minutes ago, twosmoke300 said:

No way id swap a cbr for a zzr . 

As mentioned before , they just dont age well.

 

Neither would I!, in this case it was a CBF though, which I'm not anyway.

The bulletproofness and easy going nature of the CBF is strangely enough a double edged sword though, it makes me want something sillier, but at the same time it's too good to lose, maybe I'll always keep it and when I've finished something to sell I'll invest in something sillier to add to the stable.

[twosmoke300]

Thundercats are a much overlooked bargain

 

[Jazoli]

46 minutes ago, twosmoke300 said:

Thundercats are a much overlooked bargain

 

They are also 25 years old, I rebuilt my mates last year as the chain snapped and ruined the crank cases, they are ok and cheap enough but they are a bit meh to me.

[Stinkwheel]

9 minutes ago, Jazoli said:

They are also 25 years old, I rebuilt my mates last year as the chain snapped and ruined the crank cases, they are ok and cheap enough but they are a bit meh to me.

I put a rod through the cases of an old 1000 EXUP once - surprisingly, it rode (carefully) home like it

[Iamgroot]

1 hour ago, Stinkwheel said:

I put a rod through the cases of an old 1000 EXUP once - surprisingly, it rode (carefully) home like it

At that point you may as well try and ride it home!