The Bikeshite Thread

[Heidel_Kakao]

Has anyone heard about the oil consumption issues with the current Honda Hornet? I am still intending on getting a CB1000F which will be using a detuned version of the engine but not sure whether to be concerned about it.

I haven't ordered one yet as it got delayed and I thought I might as well wait to see how it reviews before I commit to one.

[Jazoli]

19 minutes ago, Heidel_Kakao said:

Has anyone heard about the oil consumption issues with the current Honda Hornet? I am still intending on getting a CB1000F which will be using a detuned version of the engine but not sure whether to be concerned about it.

I haven't ordered one yet as it got delayed and I thought I might as well wait to see how it reviews before I commit to one.

Yes it’s commonly known Honda have announced a recall, I’d not be concerned whilst the bike is under warranty, depends how long you are keeping it, I generally hand them back at the end of the pcp so I don’t care!

[Barry Cade]

10 hours ago, Suburban Guerrilla said:

Can anyone advise me, as I suspect I WILL get an honest answer on the following:

my son has passed his A2 licence recently 

I have a bike that can be restricted

the restriction kits are cheap and I can  fit one myself 

a. Anyone’s experience of insuring in such a case - do you need to show that a professional fitted it?

b. I believe if you are stopped by the police, it’s the authorities job to prove the bike is over 47hp. 

I ask on this forum (I have read replies elsewhere but interested in replies from here)

 

This all seems mad. We spent all our time getting rid of restrictions on 50s and 125s.  😆 passing the cops on a full power TZR125 at 95 was a goal.. L plate flapping in the wind.

[Barry Cade]

The gummikau passed its MOT 🙂 250 quid rust assembly of siezed bolts and corrosion is now looking fine and road legal. Daft servo brakes are in the bin. Some fresh rubber needed .. tyres are 12 years old 

 

[martc]

My Zero passed it's first MoT yesterday, which of course it should. But it was given an advisory due to play in the swinging arm. 

Now, it has a very long arm which pivots behind the electric motor (a clever idea which means you don't need to take the arm off to change the drive belt). But this also means you have a lot of leverage when you pull and push the back wheel.

The MoT bod did say that he tested it on it's side stand and felt a slight movement. When we rolled it outside, onto the cobbled yard (because Yorkshire) I put it on the centre stand and we tried wobbling it again. There may have been a slight movement but the chap said that it was much better than when he tested it. I took it home and put it on it's centre stand in my garage (smooth concrete floor) and I can't detect any movement at all. I think the tester was seeing, or may be feeling, movement due to it wobbling on it's side stand and the movement we may have seen outside on the cobbles was for the a similar reason - unsteady support.

I suppose I could appeal it and have the advisory removed (or can I?) as it is an unnecessary blot on it's record. But I don't think I will.

[Cavcraft]

Got far too many non-working bikes now, so it's been long overdue trying to decide which to insure this year and even some of them needed pissing about with.  The seat kept coming off the C200, the throttle cable snapped and the replacement didn't fit. It went in to a garage who sorted both of those (turns out the throttle cable did fit, I hadn't put it on properly) but I gave them the shit seat off the other one, not the broken-underneath-but-mendable one that was originally on this that had a better cover. Anyhow, it's now mysteriously got a flat back tyre (hopefully just because it's stood for so long) so inflated it and will see what happens. The fuel had gone a bit shit and it started on choke then died after coming off it, plus backfired a bit. Topped up the fuel, got it going again and just revved the arse off the thing which cleared it out a fair bit. Added some more 'signwriting' but a repaint is on the cards this year. Also really must take it green-laning at some point.

On top of that, I'm going to do a basic service on the GSX, got another new airbox pipe (they're shit quality) and plug for the Lambretta, a replacement forward control for the broken one on the Harley, the pretend Fizzy is away for some work and (amongst other things) I'm pondering an engine rebuild on the Derbi GPR. 

 

 

[tooSavvy]

Any helmeteers, Northeast Chapter, sad to see this go...!😵

I've been passing it, on the way to Tesco, for as long as whenever.... 30y plus 🤔

Now converted into a convenience shopper (was just a corner shop/garage)

🚙💨

[Barry Cade]

3 minutes ago, tooSavvy said:

Any helmeteers, Northeast Chapter, sad to see this go...!😵

Seems like bike dealers and repair shops are shutting down all over the place

[scdan4]

Prodding round the non starting goldwing this afternoon, waggling connectors and looking for the bank angle sensor because the internet says a dodgy one of those could cause the symptoms and fault codes I'm currently experiencing...

That 3 wire green connector, which goes to said angle sensor wasn't fully pushed home, it was barely hanging together. Push it firmly home...

And it starts. Happy with that. 

Treating it to a oil and coolant service while I'm there.

 

[Somerset Suffolk]

Day out at the Bristol Classic Bike show (which is 20 miles from Bristol at Shepton Mallet )  Lots of lovely stuff ! sorry a fair bit of Triumph but other brands are available - I'm 62 and felt quite young there, so like a lot of things, not sure who the next custodians for these bikes will come from ?

[Somerset Suffolk]

Bristol Classic Bike show also had a "Power Pak" bicycle which is interesting in that I've got one - though mine needs a bit of work before I attempt the land speed record (for Somerset) 

 

[Cavcraft]

BM wouldn't start (very flat battery) today, but it did me a favour as it meant taking the Honda out again. Had an absolutely epic laugh green laning/off roading with my mate on his monkey bike. Managed about 15-20 miles, and aside from the sodding seat falling off again it was pretty much incident free. Except for twatting my bad knee on a large tree trunk.

Any how, the Honda was ace because the low seat height, knobbly tyres and no clutch meant some fairly boggy sections were quite easy to deal with. Leaving it in 1st or 2nd was the order of the day and it pootled round quite happily. 100% going to put it in the van and get it up round Wales somewhere.

(There's a short video I can't work how to upload yet)

 

[Dave_Q]

@Cavcraft you can't upload video to here directly, have to put it on YouTube (other video services are available) and link it.

[scaryoldcortina]

First sunny day of the year! Went for a ride to celebrate.

[loserone]

5 minutes ago, scaryoldcortina said:

First sunny day of the year! Went for a ride to celebrate.

What's the range like?

[scaryoldcortina]

Did about 5 miles and the battery indicator dropped 2 bars. I'm going to gradually get braver with distance until I discover how far it does go.

[Paul-l]

4 hours ago, Somerset Suffolk said:

Bristol Classic Bike show also had a "Power Pak" bicycle which is interesting in that I've got one - though mine needs a bit of work before I attempt the land speed record (for Somerset)

I’d forgotten about the bike show.
There was a bloke who rode something similar on a lands end - john o grotes. No doubt it’s on the internet somewhere 

[Paul-l]

48 minutes ago, Paul-l said:

I’d forgotten about the bike show.
There was a bloke who rode something similar on a lands end - john o grotes. No doubt it’s on the internet somewhere 

https://raleighrudginit.wordpress.com/2018/05/06/lejog-day-20/

[93fxdl]

16 hours ago, Somerset Suffolk said:

Day out at the Bristol Classic Bike show (which is 20 miles from Bristol at Shepton Mallet )  Lots of lovely stuff ! sorry a fair bit of Triumph but other brands are available - I'm 62 and felt quite young there, 

Went to a big auto jumble a couple of weeks back, also feeling a bit young at 65, my son in his 20s was one of the youngest there. 

Motorcycles in general seem to have become an old man hobby 

The x75 is my all time favourite triumph 

Ttfn Glenn 



 

 

[hairnet]

ouch

bike needs a chain and a pair of tyres

[Suburban Guerrilla]

On 23/02/2026 at 02:57, 93fxdl said:

 

I agree, but there are still people getting their tests. Certainly the demand for old Brit bikes is not there.

The price of old British bikes has dropped. 
I can’t understand why people pay £6000 for a RD350LC, as well. 1980-2000 two strokes are a bubble about to burst 

[loserone]

On 22/02/2026 at 10:21, Somerset Suffolk said:

not sure who the next custodians for these bikes will come from ?

This is one of the reasons I'm having a mid life crisis at 41 and doing my test.  

 

There's a local rally here every year and each year there's at least one regular who's popped his clogs and the bikes don't go anymore. They're always 200s or 140s or something so I can't just do a CBT and start collecting old 50s and 60s shite.

[Cavcraft]

2 hours ago, Suburban Guerrilla said:

I agree, but there are still people getting their tests. Certainly the demand for old Brit bikes is not there.

The price of old British bikes has dropped. 
I can’t understand why people pay £6000 for a RD350LC, as well. 1980-2000 two strokes are a bubble about to burst 

People have said that about Fizzies for the last 5 or 6 years at least. They're a decade older than the LCs and still going strong. It'll be a while before those Yams and the likes of RGs etc will be dropping in price, imho, unless there's a recession.

[Bmwdumptruck]

I believe it’s all to do with what was about when we were teenagers.  So as a 60 yr old my choice would be Fizzies and Rd250s whereas someone 70+ would be more likely to favour older Brit bikes.  Anything older than that and most of the guys that desire them have long gone so there’s a lot less interest and hence prices are falling on anything pre 60s, and as my generation age the same will happen with the 60s and 70s stuff.  As so few under 50s are getting into bikes the entire industry in the uk is pretty much doomed.  I’ve been predicting for some time that in the next ten years there will be showrooms(or garages) full of unwanted GSs.  

[Somerset Suffolk]

1 hour ago, loserone said:

This is one of the reasons I'm having a mid life crisis at 41 and doing my test.  

 

There's a local rally here every year and each year there's at least one regular who's popped his clogs and the bikes don't go anymore. They're always 200s or 140s or something so I can't just do a CBT and start collecting old 50s and 60s shite.

Good for you @loserone and fill yer boots with 50's, 60's British bikes (and if your pockets are deep enough, 70's Jap 2 strokes )

 

Love my 71 Bonneville, but being a 5ft 8 inch short arse, and with its high seat, to kick start it, I have to put it on the main stand, start it, get off, (because its too hard to push it off the main stand sat on it) side stand and get back on - then deal with drum brakes and right hand gear change - its too much a faff for some bikers and at 62 years old I can see a time when I'll want a electric start bike with disc brakes, or just potter around on my 63 Tiger Cub 

My very first bike, a 1976 Fizzy, is still around, it possible been restored to its original Baja brown ( I rattle canned it Kenny Roberts yellow (using BL Inca yellow) )  I'd pay a fair chunk of change to own it again 

[hairnet]

rubber fetish sorted

[Cavcraft]

27 minutes ago, hairnet said:

rubber fetish sorted

Any joy with the tyres yet tho?

[martc]

Further up the page I complained that my Zeros first MoT was sullied by 'play' in the swinging arm. I doubted this thinking it was the whole thing moving when it was being 'wiggled' on uneven ground. Well.....

Can you spot something missing? I was looking at the drive belt, checking it's tension and alignment now that the weather is picking up. The belt tension was 20kg lower than it should be and the belt was running slightly diagonally across the pulley.  How's that happened I asked myself? Dunno, but it needs adjusting... It was then that I found the aluminium (should that be aluminum? No it shouldn't) belt adjustment block was missing, presumed lost. Now that may explain the looseness felt by the MoT inspector, it certainly does explain the lack of tension and misalignment of the belt.

I've got the block and nut on order, £12, not too bad. Oh + £12 express p&p grrrr.

[straightSix]

Has anyone every done any of the off road training courses that they'd recommend? Or know of any good off road course type things near the Midlands? A few chaps at work are looking to get back into bikes and fancy a bit of off road riding 

[Psycho Charlie Knobcheese]

On 25/02/2026 at 19:05, Cavcraft said:

People have said that about Fizzies for the last 5 or 6 years at least. They're a decade older than the LCs and still going strong. It'll be a while before those Yams and the likes of RGs etc will be dropping in price, imho, unless there's a recession.

I've really noticed the prices of British stuff going down. My dad had a 1927 BSA side valve flat tank in the early 90's which he had to sell to free up some cash. 

He always says how much he wished he had kept it and what it would be worth now.

I had a look on eBay a week or two back and there was a similar bike for about £4K which isn't much more than my Dad sold his for in 1993