SKcats fleet. Full weeb spec on the GS300.

[goosey]

I have a 97 Cherokee, let me know if you need any info from the radio

[Dyslexic Viking]

4 hours ago, Skcat said:

I believe Scandinavian countries tend to grit the roads not salt them.

Unfortunately, they salt the roads a lot here now. but some places where it is too cold for salt escape it. That is why I have a modern Hyundai for winter use as this kills cars.

[Skcat]

17 hours ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

Unfortunately, they salt the roads a lot here now. but some places where it is too cold for salt escape it. That is why I have a modern Hyundai for winter use as this kills cars.

I guess it depends on the area! Still a shame. 

The diagram I made yesterday seems to be correct. So spliced a aux cable into the multichanger but without the data that goes through PCI bus the head unit will never allow you to select the cd changer. 

I'm trying too buy a pre made one from America now. At the very least this jeep radio is a good upgrade and looks as modern as I can get away with in the dodge. Tuning is far better on this unit, and it has RDS which I appreciate! 

It looks much better in person, the orginal radio will be kept in dry storage. 

[Skcat]

Not much been going on, been too busy too mess around with cars these last few weeks. 

Did a CBT which was a bit of fun so the first bike I've had a go on is a little honda grom, a little small for me however. 

Borrowing the montego from its new owner at the moments as I had to swap some cars around for mots! New brake fluid and a replacement front shock made it ride and stop a lot nicer. A car I will miss but I will get to drive now and then I'm sure.

[Skcat]

I've done a extra few hours with the instructor after passing my CBT to get some more confidence and be a bit better at riding and it helped a lot, the instructor advised I get a 125 too ride around on to get used too riding. Then work towards a unrestricted licence. 

The issue I have is my dodge has been up on axle stands and the volvo is blocked in by the dodge. I've managed too rack up 0 miles on the two cars I have in the last two weeks or so. I'm unsure if I should just work towards a full licence or mess around on a 125 for a period. I did the thoery test in in the mean time as it was cheap and easy so I have two years too work towards a full licence. 

I have all new brakes (calipers, all four flexis, disks, pads, drum shoes and rear cylinders) for the dodge but 0 time to fit them at the moment! 

[Justwatching]

42 minutes ago, Skcat said:

I've done a extra few hours with the instructor after passing my CBT to get some more confidence and be a bit better at riding and it helped a lot, the instructor advised I get a 125 too ride around on to get used too riding. Then work towards a unrestricted licence. 

The issue I have is my dodge has been up on axle stands and the volvo is blocked in by the dodge. I've managed too rack up 0 miles on the two cars I have in the last two weeks or so. I'm unsure if I should just work towards a full licence or mess around on a 125 for a period. I did the thoery test in in the mean time as it was cheap and easy so I have two years too work towards a full licence. 

Recently did my CBT, too. Think I'm going to bumble around on a 125 for a bit. I never got to a point where the bike was holding me back - 50 mph felt fast AF.

[Skcat]

4 hours ago, Justwatching said:

Recently did my CBT, too. Think I'm going to bumble around on a 125 for a bit. I never got to a point where the bike was holding me back - 50 mph felt fast AF.

First time I went out 50mph was fast, second time it felt much easier to do. I suspect you get used to it very quickly! 

[straightSix]

4 hours ago, Skcat said:

First time I went out 50mph was fast, second time it felt much easier to do. I suspect you get used to it very quickly! 

Recently did mine too. First few minutes on the road I reckon I would have take pulled the seat off had I gotten off I was so clenched but soon got used to it and going full throttle where possible 😂

[Skcat]

Tempted by the honda XL125V, sons nice ones about! Just need to find a nice one, failing that keep training with my instructor. 

[83C]

Honda Very-dear-o/XL125V - great bike. Had one as my CBT machine before I got my full licence, goes ok and well made. Pricey compared to other 125s but you’ll not lose much, if anything when it comes to selling.

[montytom]

I had the varadero aswell and they are great, will do 70mph and also has a big bike feel. They are easy to ride with big handlebars. If you go for an early one they are carbbed with no fuel gauge but the injected ones have a fuel gauage.

Really miss that bike

 

[Liggle]

My CBR125R is surprisingly upright for a sports style bike, easy to ride. I'm 6 foot 2 so need a bigger bike but didn't fancy a Varadero

Dunno what your budget is, but finding a tidy 125 is tricky unless you go fairly new

I took the 'ride a 125 for a bit' approach over summer

[mk2_craig]

Had a CBF125 for a year or so before trading up to a CBF600. Would recommend getting used to operating the smaller bike for a decent period before going bigger  (incidentally the first owner of my 125 only put 11 miles on the clock before selling it)

[Skcat]

On Friday I went out in the dodge to get some food, Apon retuning to the car it would start fire up for a second then die. I thought maybe the fuel gauge had broke so got more fuel in a can and it made no difference. Had to call the RAC out but was able to confirm I had fuel at the rail and the pressure seemed alright. I was not getting any fault codes either. 

The rac guy checked if it was flooded... Which it was not, and I was getting spark even when it was dieing. But after a hour we were out of ideas and I called for recovery. 

I went home with a buddy. On Saturday morning recovering still had not made it so I went over with my work van to take a look in the daylight and it started immediately! 

Drove it home, got a taxi to collect my van and canceled the recovery. shopping centre was nice enough to waive the parking fee as I called them. 

I've been going out too it every day trying to make fault again but it's running just fine. I can only suspect its something called the ASR (anti start relay) which I think cuts power to the injectors when it detects some kind of fault with the ecu sensors or loom.

Not really sure what my next step is now, probably hose the engine bay down to see If the fault is moisture related. I'm going to order a new crank and cam sensor to chuck in the trunk incase it might be those. Apprently they can be weak on these cars. 

 

Other then that I've spend a few hours extra training on the little 125 honda grom so my instructor put me on a 500cc honda (possibly a CB500). Maybe it's because I have had all that time on the 125 in a car park and had quality training on the road beyond the basic CBT But the 500cc was no problem, even with my lack of skill it was much eaiser to ride. I really can't see a good reason to jump on a 125 again! Will keep at it! 

[Dave_Q]

It's no harder to ride a big bike slowly than it is a small bike, you just twist the wrist less. That's what they told me on my DA anyway.

If you can get a full licence you open up all sorts of interesting bikes and there could even be an argument that taking into account the price of buying a "good" 125 and insurance etc that its cheaper overall to go straight to a bigger bike.

The 125 market is mad and I have bought lots of good "big" bikes for <£1500, the sort of price that gets you either a totally fucked branded 125 or a lottery ticket of a Chinese one.

[83C]

I’d say a bigger bike is easier than a 125 in as much as you can be more relaxed riding it. Riding 125s takes a degree of planning due to the lack of power/reduced ability to get out of the way.

[Skcat]

1 hour ago, 83C said:

I’d say a bigger bike is easier than a 125 in as much as you can be more relaxed riding it. Riding 125s takes a degree of planning due to the lack of power/reduced ability to get out of the way.

I found I had to put some work to get to 50 and really had to be working it to stay at those speeds.

Then as soon as I was on the bigger bike it was no trouble. 

 

1 hour ago, Dave_Q said:

The 125 market is mad and I have bought lots of good "big" bikes for <£1500, the sort of price that gets you either a totally fucked branded 125 or a lottery ticket of a Chinese one.

I was mistaken when I thought I could just throw £500 at someone and get a 125. When I reliased the cheapest 125 I could buy would probably be £1000 or so and be a bit naff I just thought I should go for my full licence. 

For now I'm still enjoying the lessons. 

[Scrubworks]

Definitely sounds like electrical infidelity. If there is an "anti-start relay" I'd be bypassing that for sure.

[Skcat]

On 10/25/2022 at 4:38 PM, Scrubworks said:

Definitely sounds like electrical infidelity. If there is an "anti-start relay" I'd be bypassing that for sure.

Its gotten intermittent enough now that it's a pain to diagnose. Speedo has also died on me now. Maybe it Hates the wet. 

Just ordered this from ebay, it may or may not help but ought to good to skim over! 

[Justwatching]

Any progress with the Dodge?

[Skcat]

On 12/9/2022 at 8:20 PM, Justwatching said:

Any progress with the Dodge?

Nope nothing has been happening, been keeping myself busy and not even had a chance to do more bike lessons. It's gotten too icey to safely learn to ride.

I've just came back from a new york trip however the oddball cars out there are starting to dry up. Still a few crown vics as taxis but not many! Some of my spots

And some absolute Chad that lives in mid-town manhatten drives a Citroën Bx! 

I like to imagine I would get on with it's owner. Driving an American chyrsler beater import in the UK seems similar! 

[mk2_craig]

The motor trade capability, parts availability, and LHM supply must be absolutely nonexistent in that part of the world. What a hero!! 

[Schaefft]

Not really too different to driving any obscure us import in the UK. Ask me how I know😂

[Justwatching]

A new picture is enough to get my fix. I'm easily pleased. 

Good find with that diagnostic manual by the way. Hopefully that will see you right. 

[Skcat]

One thing of note did happen, was driving along the A43 right next to Silverstone and heard a huge bang from the passenger front of the car. It sounded like the radiator had blown or I hit something. 

I pulled over when I could confused by the fact the car still seemed to drive just fine and saw the white wall trim had torn in half and flown off. But it had belted the side of the car before it detached and flew off.

I will probably just bite the bullet and get a set of four tyres with whitewalls on them when the time comes. These tyres are actually getting pretty old now.

[Zelandeth]

If they're the clip on trims rather than actual white walls bin them.  They tend to run against and cut into the sidewall of the tyre over time.  Really not a great idea.

[Justwatching]

Separate white-wall trims?! Didn't know that was a thing. 

Just as well to get new tyres. The white band looks way too broad, like something from the 50's. By the 80's, white-walls were basically a pinstripe. 

[Skcat]

The Dynasty has played up a few more times but I seem to have gotten it down to the ASR (anti start relay) or the fusebox around it. Will have a go taking it apart at some point but I can always get it running now. Need to start sorting more issues on it but now I have another distraction. 

It was the right price and local, Hopefully it will behave. I've got a bunch of work to do on it in prep for when I pass. Hopefully won't be long, I've really been stringing it out! 

[Skcat]

Had a go at taking the radio from the Dynasty apart. That was not made to be repaired. Lots of tabs bend over pcb's the fixed down with a blob of solder. 

Eventually I got down too the bands but they were not broken. I put it together again and the tape deck is now more broken then before. I feel a bit defeated over it but at least the radio still works. 

[hairnet]

Been there

Long time ago tho