The Bikeshite Thread

[panhard65]

There is a bloke in Taunton who does bits for old French mopeds. He supplied me with pistons for the last batch of Motobecane's I brought over. His prices are about right and he can get pretty much anything as long as you aren't in a rush.

[Dave_Q]

Class, I'd be interested to know how you get on with the 150 kit, which one did you go for?

 

Mines a 125 with the same pipe and it seems happiest with a 102 which is big according to internet wisdom, but they really do vary from bike to bike. In theory you should be in the 102-104 range, so defo start with the 104 or maybe even a 106 if you were feeling cautious. Take it super easy obvs and plug chop lots! Oh, and maybe check the ports are nicely chamfered on the kit. Apparently that kills lots of them.

What kit is an excellent question, I got it for £30 second hand on eBay (but looks unused).

 

Think it is a generic/LML "5 port".

 

 

 

[Dave_Q]

Fixage abandoned for the night, the cylinder kit has no piston rings, and the head sheared off the big exhaust bolt.

 

Will be engine out to get the old exhaust off, therefore it's shifted right down my to-do list as I've a rusty Alfa to finish welding up and a Bandit to assemble before this can go in the garage for a stripdown.

[strangeangel]

Fixage abandoned for the night, the cylinder kit has no piston rings, and the head sheared off the big exhaust bolt.

 

Will be engine out to get the old exhaust off, therefore it's shifted right down my to-do list as I've a rusty Alfa to finish welding up and a Bandit to assemble before this can go in the garage for a stripdown.

 

Let's not forget that brace of TGB peds either

[Dave_Q]

Let's not forget that brace of TGB peds either

 

Quiet you! 

 

I can just about remember where your house is and I'm happy to make that problem your problem.

[strangeangel]

In other nooz - ALDI bike stuff next week

https://www.aldi.co.uk/c/specialbuys/dates/2017-03-30?q=%3Apopular&page=0

 

Fuck me, the Kevlar jeans have gone up - the last two pairs I bought were £30!

 

The socks look suspiciously like the Aldi ski socks I bought a while back for about the same money; whatever, they are nice & warm and defo recommended at three quid a pair. The cheapo Crane base layers are good too.

 

The £9 bike covers are little better than a bin bag. Ask me how I know.

[strangeangel]

RE Vespa tunage, my SIP road has turned up and I also have a 150 barrel kit to go on. I've not drilled the filter yet but will do when lobbing it all together.

 

What size main jet am I likely to need? I think the set I have is 96-104, should I start at 104 and work down via plug chops?

 

Cheerz.

 

Forgot to say, the good people here may be able to assist you with your quest for POWAH - they've always been a big help with my Old Vespa Problems.

[LostnotFound]

Fuck me, the Kevlar jeans have gone up - the last two pairs I bought were £30!

 

The socks look suspiciously like the Aldi ski socks I bought a while back for about the same money; whatever, they are nice & warm and defo recommended at three quid a pair. The cheapo Crane base layers are good too.

 

The £9 bike covers are little better than a bin bag. Ask me how I know.

 

I have to admit I've been keeping an eye on Aldi awaiting this to look at getting 'proper' gear. But the prices have gone up this year to the extent that it's not much more for brands if you shop around on sale so will probably join the scum and see what they look like in person rather than ordering online.

[blackboilersuit]

 

My first proper bike run since breaking my leg last year was taking my 1995 GPz1100 for its MOT today. Followed by a spot of hooning around on the back roads in the sunshine   . 

 

Possibly the only bike on the fleet that will get put through an MOT this year as there are new purchases incoming over the next month or so and a million ongoing jobs on most (all) of them. I've decided just to have one or two on the road for now and try to work through the fleet and deal with all the outstanding refurb/repair work one bike at a time. 

[hairnet]

i did similar today

 

 

 

 

[Jazoli]

Me too, done 500 miles on the R1 over the last 3 days, it'll be due another rear tyre soon

[hairnet]

They released prices if the royal Enfield Himalayan yesterday

 

4.5 bags

 

I was gonna be all over it if the quality would be better ( gearbox and frame break issues)

 

So much for adv off road when the frame could fold like a cornflake box

[strangeangel]

At various times over the last few years I've thought about buying a conventional motorcycle (as opposed to weird old maxi scooters and mopeds etc.) but never got that far with the plot cos hardly anything modern appeals. Anyway, the latest manifestation of this idea is a Kawasaki Zephyr, primarily because it looks like what I think a bike should look like:

 

 

 

...and prices haven't got completely mad yet. Is anyone here familiar with the breed? There'd be no point in me getting an 1100, so I'd be looking at the 550 and 750. Is there much to choose between them, and would I be massively disadvantaged in going for a 550, which would instinctively be my choice? Cheers.

[Bren]

550 is the bargain - the 1100 is starting to go silly price wise.

 

Sadly like most circa 500 cc bikes you will soon wish ypu had more power - I was fed up with my gsx 550 after a week - I could'nt get past a montego turbo whose owner decided to go for it.

[Dave_Q]

A mate once had the Z750 which is the predecessor but basically identical.

 

Not a bad steed, very old tech, air cooled engine etc. 

 

Can't remember much else except it was a heavy old thing, over 200kg, so I'd expect the 550 is pretty slow, by "big bike" standards at least. 

 

Might you be interested in my rank bandit? When reassembled obvs. Not sure if I'm going to keep it.

[strangeangel]

Sadly like most circa 500 cc bikes you will soon wish ypu had more power

 

Well... I passed my bike test and got a 400cc Burgman, and after a year went down to a 250cc Honda Helix. Had a spell on a 400cc Piaggio... and went back to the Honda again! So being a bit slow - not that it would be compared to what I'm used to - doesn't really bother me.

[strangeangel]

Might you be interested in my rank bandit? When reassembled obvs. Not sure if I'm going to keep it.

 

They're a good steed for sure, but they don't really appeal. Even your one, in all its curvaceous Hammerited glory, has failed to turn my head for some reason

[UltraWomble]

TBH Im quite happy with small capacity bikes and find the 500 plenty fast enough when giving it some right hand. I'd be happy with a 125cc for 90% of the time.

 

Each to their own of course.

[Barry Cade]

IMG_0495.JPG

 

My first proper bike run since breaking my leg last year was taking my 1995 GPz1100 for its MOT today. Followed by a spot of hooning around on the back roads in the sunshine   . 

 

Possibly the only bike on the fleet that will get put through an MOT this year as there are new purchases incoming over the next month or so and a million ongoing jobs on most (all) of them. I've decided just to have one or two on the road for now and try to work through the fleet and deal with all the outstanding refurb/repair work one bike at a time. 

Brilliant bikes- loved mine.

[garbaldy]

Question,

1973 honda CB 500 four that requires rebuilt as has been part stripped and needs paint,

1. Are they good bikes

2. What sort of value are they

[DodgeRover]

Question,

1973 honda CB 500 four that requires rebuilt as has been part stripped and needs paint,

1. Are they good bikes

2. What sort of value are they

I had the slightly later 550, they're ok for what they are, reasonably smooth, powerfulish, handle and stop ok for a bike of that age.

Mine did 2 gearboxes within the space of one MOT

Probably worth more than you would expect as they seem to have become collect able by people who really want a sohc 750 but can't afford one.

[Guest Hooli]

Brilliant bikes- loved mine.

WP_20150706_18_59_59_Pro.jpg

 

Those look like the original Pilot Road tyres, before they went all multi-compound.

 

/saddo

[hairnet]

500cc twin commuter will be pointed west tomorrow

[UltraWomble]

Question,

1973 honda CB 500 four that requires rebuilt as has been part stripped and needs paint,

1. Are they good bikes

2. What sort of value are they

 

They seem to go for decent coin in GOOD condition and basket case money if shite - AFAIK everything is available - I had a CB400 Shitehawk and EVERYTHING was available for them except the frame. Mine was the shitty geared USA version that wouldnt go past 80 though so hardly stressed.

 

500cc twin commuter will be pointed west tomorrow

Will you be sat on it? Or just pointing it west in some weird Mancunian ritual?

[UltraWomble]

According to DHL this is now on its way from the Cloggies

[Barry Cade]

Those look like the original Pilot Road tyres, before they went all multi-compound.

 

/saddo

You are correct sir.

 

 

saddo.

 

LOL

[garbaldy]

They seem to go for decent coin in GOOD condition and basket case money if shite - AFAIK everything is available - I had a CB400 Shitehawk and EVERYTHING was available for them except the frame. Mine was the shitty geared USA version that wouldnt go past 80 though so hardly stressed.

 

 

It apparently was ridden into his garage where he started to strip it down to restore it, he soon realised he hasn't enough wallet or talent to keep going a decided to message me asking if i want it for much cheapness,

He had no idea of its value and just said it will be cheap.

So what is basket case money.

[DodgeRover]

You really need to know the state it's in, if it's got original exhausts decent chrome bits, the mudguards, tank and seat base haven't rotted away it's worth money

[UltraWomble]

It apparently was ridden into his garage where he started to strip it down to restore it, he soon realised he hasn't enough wallet or talent to keep going a decided to message me asking if i want it for much cheapness,

He had no idea of its value and just said it will be cheap.

So what is basket case money.

I paid £250 for the CB400 - if its all there then anything betwixt free and £500 would be OK dependant on condition I suppose.

They may command more - here is a 1972 version

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1972-Honda-CB-500-Four-/112348730485?hash=item1a28819475:g:4eMAAOSwTM5Y2FOY

At £6K

1977 one for £3.5K

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-CB-500-1976-R-/311711348821?hash=item489371b855:g:ggwAAOSwOyJX8pAD

 

They seem to be popular with people turning them into cafe racers

[Dave_Q]

Rank Bandit is starting to look pretty close to a whole bike.

 

 

 

Just need to get some fuel hose and T pieces then I can fire it up.

 

Still reckon I'm going to sell it and stick with scooters, if anyone is keen at about 500 quid let me know.