The worst collection thread ever….and other musings

[Bmwdumptruck]

So Sunday I went and looked at this Bandit about 10miles from home.  I was lucky to be the first to ask to look and set an early morning viewing.  Couldn’t fault it. 3 owners, piles of paperwork. Really clean honest bike.  Arranged to collect it tonight.  Think the chap realised he’d listed it well under value, he had loads of people ask to see it.  Although a few offered stupid derisory offers.  I assured him I was buying it to keep and use, so he seemed happy.  He also had some really nice oldies. A BSA 650 Continental that was stunning, a Suzuki GT750Kettle, an old Enfield and a Matchless that was absolutely mint.  He admitted the BSA and Matchless were too good to be used.  

[Bmwdumptruck]

So I got home about 4.30, raided the piggy bank for a few more sheckles to pay the remaining cost.  Unlocked the trailer from its resting place, hunted out the box of straps, badgered the wife to join me and off we set. 
Loaded it up and as there was an accident reported on our return route the wife decided we’d go get a Mcds at the neardy A1 services.

[Bmwdumptruck]

Accident cleared from the main road we headed home, unloaded, shuffled the workshop to make room for it.  My multibike policy renews in about 12 days so ideal time to add it to the other three on the policy.  Then it’s a matter of can I hold out till the first to tax it, or pay the £10ish for the last few days of this month so I can go test it out.  

[stuboy]

very nice bike...

[Bmwdumptruck]

I had a Black one of these for some years from about 2016-2020, but I could never get it to run right.  Multiple attempts to clean the carbs, plugs, coils and plug leads, carb diaphrams, fuel tap service kit all to no avail.  It would tickover really nice, run fine for a few miles and then refuse to rev past about 2000 revs. It ended up buried until I met a landscape chap at a customers house. We got talking and and got onto bikes and well…. He bought it off me as a non runner……..for £200 more than I just paid for this one.  He got a mechanic mate to look at it, a second hand set of carbs were fitted and it was fine🤬🤬🤬.  The money went towards a very expensive set of byfold doors for our extension, cos that’s what the wife wanted.  So she couldn’t really deny me this one, even though she had banned me from buying any more bikes the last few years, or at least until I’ve sold my FJR.  So now that really needs to go.  

[stuboy]

16 minutes ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

nice looking, wish i had ability to ride, licence to ride and moneys

[LightBulbFun]

10 minutes ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

or pay the £10ish for the last few days of this mnth so I can go test it out.  

1st of April means the cost of VED will be going up, so depending on how much it goes up for this motorcycle, I wonder if it might be worth taxing now? (ie if it goes up by more then £10)

[Bmwdumptruck]

Thanks, i’ll maybe just tax it for six months, it’s not one I’d ride through winter, the old GS is for that.

[Bren]

These are a cracking bike. My brother had the 600 cc version.

In fact the only criticism is the quality of the finish - they go down hill very quickly unless pampered.

[Bmwdumptruck]

10 hours ago, Bren said:

These are a cracking bike. My brother had the 600 cc version.

In fact the only criticism is the quality of the finish - they go down hill very quickly unless pampered.

Yeh Suzuki have never been very good at finishing their bikes.  This one is better than my last one, that had quite a lot of corrosion on the engine.  But she’ll only be a summer fun bike. My local IAM club do Wed evening rides through the summer months, only about 50-60 mile loops, so that’s when I plan to use her most.  

[Stinkwheel]

11 hours ago, Bren said:

These are a cracking bike. My brother had the 600 cc version.

In fact the only criticism is the quality of the finish - they go down hill very quickly unless pampered.

Maybe that’s true of ones that have a few years and miles on, but I had a brand new 600N in teal  sometime late ‘95 and used it all year round for 2 years before really washing it properly or cleaning the exhaust, but for a 3999 brand new bike back then it was really well built and finished. Finish some manufacturers today  could only dream of for equivalent kind of money, I’d say. 
Mk 1 600’s & 1200 are probably some of the best looking naked bikes of the last 40 years IMO

Having said all the that the finish on my later RF900 was shite - but it was fast, so I cared less about corrosion and lifting paint 🤣

[Bmwdumptruck]

So over the last week or so I’ve been picking up bits for the Bandit.  
First thing I always add is a Baglux tank cover.  A quick search on Ebay the night I’d looked at it found a dark blue cover for sale.  Kind of told me I was meant to buy the bike as it’s quite a rare colour for these.  I always use a small clip on tank bag with my comms kit and various bits n bobs, so the same bag clips onto any of my bikes with the same covers on. 
Checking the history showed it’s done very little miles in the last 10years.  So looking at the bike showed the tyres are dated 2014!!!  So I’ve a nice pair of old spec (but 2024 date) Pirelli Angels from Demon Tweeks for £180 delivered.  Should be ideal for the mostly evening style rideouts I’ll be doing on it.  
Ordered an oil filter and a gallon of semi oil, will check the air filter when I set to with the service and tyre fit. 
And I’ve also bought another sat nav mount bracket and cable, along with the necessary Ram ball bits to mount it, although the wifes got me the clamps and double ball from temu for less than £10 for all three bits. Time will tell if they’re any good!!  Also have an Autocom power supply as I always use one for music to my helmet and to talk to the wife when she pillions with me.  So I also bought an Oxford switching power supply box.  Never used one before, pretty cheap at £12,so again only time will tell if it’s reliable.  
My new insurance policy started today, so I can now tax her if I want to try her with old tyres and oil etc.  Will check prices tomorrow morning to see if six months from now is cheaper than paying for 5 months at next months new rate. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

On 11/03/2025 at 20:23, LightBulbFun said:

1st of April means the cost of VED will be going up, so depending on how much it goes up for this motorcycle, I wonder if it might be worth taxing now? (ie if it goes up by more then £10)

Tax is going up by about 50p per month for monthly payment.  So no point taxing it this week.  Will get all the bits fitted to it this week/weekend, tax it next Tuesday and get out for a spin on it. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Took the Fabia 1.4 16v estate for a new mot this morning.  Bought the end of last year with a few minor issues, clicking cv joint the worst, which I finally fixed last week after so many rained off frozen winter days!!  Got a pass bar slightly binding and rusty rear disks.  No surprise after sitting for nearly 4months.  So I’ve ordered a full set of rear discs and pads and calipers. Also ordered cambelt kit, usually just go with a full Gates kit, but keep hearing about recent issues decided to look elsewhere. Never heard of INA, but they come up amongst the cheapest. Considered a Continental kit, and nearly hit buy when I saw a QH kit with a 20% discount, so I just couldn’t resist it at £88 for the full kit, two belts, 3 pulleys and WP.  Just hope its all ok. Also ordered fan belt as the existing one is well cracked.  Already got a spare oil and air filter left over from my lads old one we scrapped last year, so just ordered a gallon of oil for it.  So she’ll be getting a pretty big service once its all arrived, and we can start using it as she certainly doesn’t like sitting idle. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Been away for Easter since Monday before last in the Moho with the wife, but we head home tomorrow.  Couldn’t be away for Easter weekend itself as the wifes back to work on the Tuesday and never wants to be travelling the day before returning. Teaching in a college comes with lots of lesson prep etc,  Saturday we’re also at the O2 to see War of the Worlds. 
And last weekend was a weekend away for me on the bike to Moffat with 11 mates from my MK IAM bike group.  
So we decided to head for York last Monday, have a few days together before I head off to meet the guys just north of the Humber Bridge on Friday, to then ride with them to Moffat. Saturday I led the guys to Galloway Lighthouse, Sunday another guy led us around Glasgow to Loch Lomond and back, then Monday home via the Penines and over to Leeming Bar onto York where I dropped out to rejoin the wife.  Couple more days with the wife, head home tomorrow via a MIL visit in Askern Doncaster.  
We’ve had a day at Yorks Air Museum, a day in the city, a day up to Scarborough but actually only had lunch at Olivers Mount cafe.  And today we’ve been to the Eden Camp Museum, cracking place.  

[Bmwdumptruck]

Few more pics

[Bmwdumptruck]

Me n a mate often have an early morning walk when we’re away on a biking trip.  So as usual we had an hour round the block from the Moffat hotel. Spied this yard along the riverside.  Pics are crap as my phone focused on the fence, but there was three lotus shells in various states in there. 
Decided to give the new mum a wide birth too, she didn’t look to pleased with us getting close to her babies…..

[Bmwdumptruck]

Got some jobs to do to the Moho when we get home. Still need to finish the jobs on the Fabia, but then the moho gets some attention.  
The last two summers, on our way home from our summer highland holidays, heading back south into pretty high temps, we’ve really missed not having AC in the van.  So I’ve been on the lookout for an AC kit for a T4.  So when one came up on a facebook group last year I snapped it up, not really realising how big the job is.  
We’ve also had a wee leak from a rusty spot above the screen, so we need to pop the screen, remove a trim piece that hides the join between the metal screen surround and the fibreglass dome of the body.   Once we can see how bad it is we can work out how best to fix it, just not sure how we can weld so close to fibreglass😱. 
We also have a dash fault to fix. No rev counter and oil light permanently lit.  Been like it 3years, done a good few thousand miles like it, so def a dash fault and not an engine fault!!  
And finally we have a cruise control stalk to fit and programme and hoping to get an ecu flash to about 130hp to make towing the bike a bit easier. 
So first is whip the dash out to swap the heater box, sort the dash and fit the stalk.  Then into the engine bay to plumb things up.  Then take the plunge to uncover the rust.  

[bezzabsa]

my own bandit was a 2004 600 my ONLY brand new bike bought after a heart scare, Loved it, swapped seat out for a corbin - soo much comfier, managed to get a hugger colour matched and a Zorstec full exhaust in the same colour too.. regret selling it  as the twat I sold it to managed to kill it in 18months - allegedly sold for scrap for £450 😮

[Bmwdumptruck]

Right then, need some help/advice, probably from any home counties area members.  
So I need to pop the starter motor off my T4 moho.  The last couple,of seasons it’s barely turning the motor over fast enough to catch.  Not sure if it’s battery or electrics connections issues, but our recent trip to York n back showed that it really is struggling.  The big motor battery we’ve got, kept on a trickle charger even while away, plus our Noco boost battery only just gets it turning over, and starting up in York to head home on Thursday it cranked very slowly for quite a bit before eventually speeding up enough to catch and start.  By which time it smealt rather iffy.  Needless to say we headed home non stop, keeping it running while the wife collected us a Mcds breaky in York and a coffee and pee stop half way back on the M1. We even had to unload out front with it running so I could then turn it round on our frontage, nose out instead of up tight to the fence, so I can get to the front to remove the starter.  
So my ask is, where to take it for a refurb/overhaul as I’m pretty sure it’s the original Vw motor?  Even though it’s 26 years old, it’s only done 56K so had pretty low use.  I’d rather refurb than replace with some cheapy pattern part at this stage. 
I seem to recall reading someone say they used a place somewhere like Enfield, but after reading so many posts I can’t recall where it was or who suggested it.  But Ideally I need someone around the Luton, Bedford and Milton Keynes triangle, although I will travel a bit further for a proper old school engineer. 

[ruffgeezer]

Have you tried earthing the engine block with a jump lead? Sounds like a poor earth or starter feed to me.

I use John Skuse of Partney, lincs for my starter motor refurbishments.

[Bmwdumptruck]

Finally got round to sorting the Fabia Sunday. Fitted the Cambelt kit and serviced the front brakes while the front was up on stands.  Turns out the belts have been done before, so I didn’t need to worry, but still no idea when so happy to now know they’re done and when they’ll need doing next.  Auxiliary belt was pretty bad, but I didn’t bother doing the waterpump, the one in there looks virtually new and no signs of any leaks.  And doing it myself is pretty easy, so I’ll have the new pump from the kit on the shelf should it go.  Brakes were bone dry, no sign of any grease on any of the moving parts.  Rear brakes next, possibly later today if I get todays jobs done early enough.  
 

Edit;  found a tick in the service book from 2019 for the cam belt, so it was nearly 6 years old, but only done about 5000 mile.  Also explains how new the WP looked.  Still happy I’ve done it though. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

On 19/04/2025 at 22:20, ruffgeezer said:

Have you tried earthing the engine block with a jump lead? Sounds like a poor earth or starter feed to me.

I use John Skuse of Partney, lincs for my starter motor refurbishments.

Also need to try this on the Moho.  Could be a good call 👍

And last couple of jobs on the Bandit, she’s running great, already done nearly 400 miles on 3 rides, but I want to grease up the front brakes as although they look spotless they’re bone dry again!!  And an oil change as it’s been some years since it was changed according to it’s history.  Might give the Fabia fresh oil too, mainly so I know when to do it next etc. 

Then we can start pulling the moho apart and start fitting the AC kit😬

[Bmwdumptruck]

Sorted the rear brakes last night.  New discs and pads, Mintex branded kit, plus an offside caliper.  I’d got both calipers but hoped to just clean them up, nearside did so nicely, but not matter what i tried I couldn’t get the offside to wind back in.  Had to get the wife out to help blead it.  Will add a brake fluid flush to the to do list, as what came out was pretty dark.  Oil change next, but at least we can now drive her happy she’ll go and stop ok.  

[Bmwdumptruck]

Bugger bugger bugger…… like I needed more things to fix atm.  
The fabia has FTPd on me big time. Bloody thing starts on the Noco booster just fine, but doesn’t rev for some reason.  Hoping it’s just because of the flat battery. So I need to pull it off and get it charged up….fingers crossed.  (Or just buy a new battery for it)
On the positive side I sold the FJR1300…..hurrahhh.  And we’ve also sold the wifes wee Yamaha 250 Zeal. Our Daughter has been trying to persuade me to sell it to a lad at her works. When he heard about it and saw how rare they are he’s been keen to buy it.  It is a project as when we got in in 06, it had been stuffed into the back of a car.  Not that hard but enough to need a fair bit of work.  But a 250cc 4 cylinder screemer of an engine in a 3/4 sized Fazer esq bike would have suited my 4’ 10” mrs just nice.  Need to find something else for her now, but something running and useable.  
So yesterday started with me having a few hours out with a bike club mate to prep for a test I need to take to continue observing for the IAM.  Pulled my Tenere out and found this

Nice puddle on the floor.  Bugger….. this is the newest of all my bikes, the only new bike I’ve ever bought.  Seal ordered and I now need to research how I rebuild upside down forks. Done quite a few normal forks, but never upside downs!!  
 

Zeal pic not ours but what a nice one looks like.

 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Next thing to get moved on is my CBR600.  Loved doing a few track days on it back in the naughties, and always loved the Castrol Honda paint job. But it’s just taking up space in my garage so time to pull it out and get it up for sale. Could I get a grand for it??  We’ll see…..

[Bmwdumptruck]

Think I must be mad…….. or going mad….. 

So for the last few summers the wife has always complained how hot our moho gets when returning from our usual Scottish holiday in July.  As we head south temperatures rise, something she struggles to cope with.  Discussions have been had about adding AC to the moho.  So when I saw an add on a T4 facebook group for a guy selling a full AC kit from a Caravelle she gave me the green light to go get it.  That was late last year.   Only when I collected it from Oxford did I realise how big a job it was likely to be…. HUGE.  

So the BH weekend was chosen as the start of it.  But Saturday kinda disappeared in general house stuff and planting plants we’d bought a few weeks back while visiting the MIL.  Sunday I stuck to my guns and took her to the Enfield Pageant meeting my Niece and her other half.  My Niece mentioned how she was working monday installing new computers in a branch of the bank she works for that was flooded with sewage, so a comment was made that if he wasn’t doing anything, the Nephew (as I’ll call him from now)  would be more than welcome to come help pull the dash and heater out of the Moho.  Being a bit of a VW nut he agreed………the fool.

So we did

[Bmwdumptruck]

As always pulling it apart is the easy bit.  
Putting it all back is the headache bit.  I’m starting to get a little scared….

First job is make the necessary hole in the bulkhead for the AC connections to poke through.  
The cutout panel supplied needed seperating carefully so we could use the old bulkhead cut piece as a template for the hole.  The shaped panel could then be fixed in place. And the new heater box wiggled into it’s new home.  We spent an hour checking out the heater matrix which looked fine, but we did find the inner flaps were losing there foam coverings. A known fault which leaves them virtually useless as they’re full of holes under the foam.  So we taped them up with foil tape, hopefully that’ll stay put over time. With the heater in place we could drill and fix the new panel. We also mounted a bracket that holds a cannister too.  Need to take a pic of that.

We started looking at the electrics and I’m even more scared than before.   My nephew isn’t available now till next sunday, so I’ll be on my own fiddling with some of the other jobs like removing the front end to get the rad and pump in.  

[Bmwdumptruck]

So my Nephew and I had another few hours at this this morning.  We’re no further ahead, but we have researched quite a lot and we think we basically have the wrong kit.  We think the basic heater box is ok, but the wiring is wrong. The kit has date stamps of 97, mines a 99. From what we’ve found theres def early and late versions, but mine might even be a third middle version.  The loom of the 97 kit doesn’t have the correct plug for my immobiliser control box.  We’ve found a later 02 loom, but that also has a different immobiliser plug.  We’ve also noticed the 97 kit loom doesn’t have an OBD plug at all.   There’s also a 6 pin plug on the engine bay loom which only pokes through the bulkhead a few inches, but the only matching socket we can find is right over by the fuse box, so we’re wondering if we’re missing a lead that reaches across, although the socket has a wire less the other 5 wires do match colourwise.  
We think we also have an added compication with the heater controls being from a Caravelle with rear AC control extensions but also rear auxiliary heater controls too.  
I’ve arranged to re visit the seller of the kit and take another look at his own van to check routing of the looms etc and will talk through these issues with him while there.  Hopefully he has solutions. 
But I think the reality is more likely the kit just isn’t going to fit.  
My nephew just thinks we need to fit it all and get an auto electrician he knows to sort the wiring issues. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

So we’ve kind of failed miserably with this AC fit.  A visit to the seller to look at his own van didn’t help, his van was different again in quit a few ways, it had climate control to start with and looked to have a second ac unit for the rear with additional branched pipes heading to the rear. He didn’t know anything about the different looms either.  He did mention a guy near Bicester that had had a couple of AC kits off him and he thought would know.  So Thursday afternoon I decided to give the Fabia a run and went and found said chap.  Very friendly pair of guys, working solely on T4 and T5 Transporters.  He did confirm the different eras of vehicles and that swapping from wrong era was a total ballache and something he refused to do again.  He was however robbing a cyl head from an 01 Caravelle with a siezed block and said that it was then on it’s way to the same breaker chap and that the kit in that one could possibly be the right one!!  So I’ve messaged him and asked if we could check that kit out before he pulls it out and maybe I could assist with it’s removal too. No reply as yet, but that seems usual.  I’ll chase him in a week or two. 
But for now, with a holiday approaching we’re returning ours back to normal. Got most of the dash back in. I’ve fitted a cruise control stalk which was also on my wish list, and the starter motor is on it’s way to Boremwood for a service as it struggles to turn the engine over. Long idle spells really don’t help with this.  Must develop a more regular starting routine.  
Also need to get to the bottom of my constant oil light and no rev counter issue thats been with us since hitting a big pothole in Edinburgh some years back.  The specialist guy was adamant that it’s the backplate of the oil pump come loose. Said he’s been doing them almost from when they first came out in the early 90’s.  Aparently the bolts get loosened by a shock, but can only move out a tiny bit till they hit the engine block. This allows a small gap for oil pressure to leak out leaving the engine with sufficient oil most of the time but not enough to satisfy the pressure sensor etc.   He was adamant I need to remove the belts and sump and oil pick up to get the pump off to do the bolts back up tight.  Or fit a new pump, but they’re pretty pricey and mines only done 60k being a moho base all it’s life.  Sump off isn’t impossible, but I’m not convinced about this as I can’t find any mention of it anywhere else on T4 or Vw forums.  They all find broken or chaffed wires causing such issues. 
Hopefully my Nephew will return next week with the reconditioned starter and we’ll have a bit more of a search for a broken wire or something.  If we can’t find anything I’ll then consider taking the sump off.