Hairsy

I'd suggest 2 things: 1) Get the dealer to fix the 'quirk'. You're a good customer - you've bought the bike AND the training. They should be looking after you. 2) Use their training bike for the CBT. Yes, they'll be slightly different to yours but that really won't make much difference. More importantly, they should have lots of crash protection on them and won't be particularly damaged with a low speed drop. You don't want your own bike to be taking that. Keep going with it - it may be taking a little time but that will just make the victory sweeter.

I cleaned pilot jets on a CBR600. I blew carb cleaner and air through them, prodding all the holes with a nylon bristle from a washing up brush. Lots of soaking and repeating. One needed a careful prod with a brass thread from a grinding wheel. You can check them visually as you go to see whether they're truly unblocked. It takes time and patience but I'd definitely do it again rather than buy new. Just be careful not to get too aggressive and enlarge the holes.

Sadly not - it's a commonly held belief but it's not actually the case. This belief is based on EU legislation and doesn't apply to 2 wheeled vehicles. HOWEVER, just because the law doesn't force manufacturers, that doesn't mean they won't be sensible. There's more info here : https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/advice/bike-maintenance/motorcycle-main-dealer-servicing-warranty Personally, I always do my own servicing. I create a detailed record of work completed in the format of a detailed 'invoice' and I keep it with all the receipts. I also take pictures while the work is being undertaken that I can show to a potential buyer. Without fail, buyers have told me that these records give them more comfort than a stamped service book but I've never had a new enough bike to test it in terms of a warranty.

Low oil and / or low tickover?

I have Richa Infinity textile jacket and trousers which are relatively low priced. Both parts have removable liners that add a reasonable amount of warmth (and they're already fitted for this autumn). Depending on temperature, I layer appropriately below that - thermal top & bottom when proper cold, t-shirt, fleece. Good thick socks, decent winter gloves (but not majorly expensive) and heated grips. My weak point is still my hands. Some sort of wind protection for my hands would be a good idea but I haven't done enough cold riding to motivate me to do something about it. But the above gear means I can enjoy the crisp dry days in winter. The Richa gear is allegedly waterproof (with a Goretex guarantee) but I still take my Oxford waterproofs if I expect rain.

Doing it in one day from your starting point would have been amazing but it was a huge ask. By the sounds of things, you've now got some really valuable first experiences and your willingness to learn from these experiences will do you many favours. I hope Saturday goes really well for you.

Hi Simon. It's a regular thing organised by Greenham Kawasaki (https://www.greenhamkawasaki.co.uk)- I believe it's every couple of months from April to October. They organise it but the spanners are actually wielded by a specialist - MH Suspension (https://www.mhracing.com). And it's not just for Kawasaki - the bike before me was a Suzuki. I assume Greenham organise it because it gets them visitors - they've got a lovely big showroom. I heard about it through a Facebook owners group for my bike but you book by just calling Greenham in advance - they take your payment over the phone and book you a time slot. But apparently you can turn up on the day and they never turn anyone away - you just might have to wait.

Just returned home after attending a suspension setup day at Greenham Kawasaki. Absolute bargain at £30. I'd previously done my own setup using guidance from YouTube and was fairly comfortable that I'd done what was needed. I didn't have any particular concerns with how the bike handled. However, after a few minutes work from someone who truly knows what they're doing, the bike feels much lighter and more nimble. Low and high speed corners are all so much nicer. I really didn't expect to notice this much difference. The bike is now set up properly for road - I suspect that a lot of the YouTube advice is for high speed riding on smooth tracks. And that very much isn't my need! Highly recommended.

I've corrected that for you

Yes, this is the sort of thing I'm after. Thank you Simon.

Having used dash cam evidence to defend a ridiculous accusation of blame for a car accident that my wife had, I'm keen to get a camera for my bike. There are lots of camera systems available, including many cheap options from China, but I can't find one to match my needs. My must-haves are: - Automatically starts recording when I turn on ignition. I don't want to have to remember to hit record. I forget stuff. - Need front facing. Rear facing would be nice but I could live without it - when hit from the rear, blame is usually clear. - Needs to be waterproof - Needs to be hardwired to 12v - Must have loop recording - Must be mounted to the bike and not my helmet. And not mounted on the handlebars. No space and the fairing would be in the way. Nice-to-haves - No bulky control unit. I don't want to ever press any buttons so don't need a control unit. And definitely don't need a remote screen to see what's being recorded. I'm already looking in that direction! - Ability to pull video off wirelessly rather than removing an SD card. But I can live with using the SD card if necessary - Cheap. I have no intention of ever needing to use footage! Can anyone recommend a system that meets my needs? Thanks

My personal view is that mileage up to 60,000 is a non issue in itself. However, a bike with 60,000 miles has had twice as many opportunities for poor maintenance / mechanical errors / etc. than a bike with 30,000 miles. The higher the mileage, the more important it is to satisfy yourself that the bike has been loved. But if it HAS been loved, then a higher mileage bike should be better value.

I thought it might be helpful to flag up cheap products that people have genuine personal experience of that have proved to actually be value-for-money. My starter for ten ... 1) Convex mirrors These are simple convex stick-on mirrors for my Z1000SX. They widen the view and I'd hate to switch back to the originals. They're excellent. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006697441965.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.34.275f1802QroYyN 2) Phone / Sat Nav mount (Z1000SX) A screen mounted frame that a phone or sat nav mount can then be attached to. Obviously very bike-specific but it's a solid mount and works really well for me, putting my phone sat nav app almost in my eye line to reduce distraction. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002353187844.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.59.275f1802QroYyN 3) Tail bag Great product. Build quality is perfectly satisfactory and I've used it many times. Expands enough to take my Shoei Neotec 2 helmet and has straps so I can sling it over my shoulder or use it as a backpack. Connects to the bike via webbing straps running under the seat. I've attached the straps to the underneath of the seat with screws so that they remain in place and it makes it easy and quick to fit and remove. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005981265207.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.1.238e1a53Ft8vBP&algo_pvid=c6ee03af-de77-4864-8764-3e2d20a52ed5&algo_exp_id=c6ee03af-de77-4864-8764-3e2d20a52ed5-0&pdp_npi=4%40dis!GBP!75.32!20.43!!!687.85!186.53!%4021039cae17272600796754647ee211!12000035353734165!sea!UK!742576503!X&curPageLogUid=zpa81PuA5Z7S&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch|query_from%3A 4) Visor and Pinlock I bought these as a risky purchase and didn't have high hopes. They're actually great. The location of the pinlock pins was very slightly out on the visor - they were slightly too close together. However, with some persuasion, I was able to get the pinlock to fit. The view seems great and the pinlock functions perfectly. There is a risk that the behaviour of the visor upon crashing may not be the same as an OEM visor. I have possible mitigation for any shattering as I wear glasses but that's a risk - make your own mind up. The cost saving is huge. There are also photochromic visor available that I'm tempted to try. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004678857851.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.3.cb5e120aihJ6mM&algo_pvid=ce24af24-2ebc-46d4-b02a-a6ff15b440cd&algo_exp_id=ce24af24-2ebc-46d4-b02a-a6ff15b440cd-1&pdp_npi=4%40dis!GBP!6.09!6.09!!!7.93!7.93!%40211b654b17272603091627697efbd5!12000031838416367!sea!UK!742576503!X&curPageLogUid=TmQprb4VROny&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch|query_from%3A 5) Throttle Assist I have an ongoing wrist injury that becomes painful after half an hour or so on the bike. This doesn't get rid of it but gives me the ability to relax my grip a little which makes longer rides far more bearable. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33060999241.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.39.275f1802QroYyN I hope that's useful. I'd love to see what others have found to be good purchases.

Great - this forum needs some new project threads. Please start one in the Old Motorbikes (etc) sub forum!

No apology necessary and thank you for taking the time to say that. It was my first go at a proper project bike. There are a number of areas where I could have gone a stage further but I suspect (and hope) that it's about the level that most mere mortals would go to. If you don't mind, it would be great if you could start a thread for your CBR1000F - you'll got lots of tips and encouragement along the way and it's very satisfying to have a blow-by-blow record. I'm currently on the lookout for another project myself - just struggling to find one that isn't grossly overpriced.

I'm looking at Gumtree, eBay and FB Marketplace. And, yes, the prices are bonkers! I'll keep looking and maybe try some fair but low offers. I've tended to shy away from making very low offers as I don't like to insult people. But, as has been mentioned, I can explain the reason why and ask politely. When I eventually find something, I'll of course start a new thread in the project forum. Unless it's a beautiful pre-coveted RC30, in which case I'll keep quiet about it as Tinkicker will be too upset!

One suggestion. Can you do this but using a separate battery to run the starter motor, leaving the bike battery to run the ignition? There was an earlier suggestion that the starter motor could be sapping so much power from the bike battery that there’s not enough power left to run the ignition. This would test that theory - I think it was a good one.

I'm currently browsing classifieds for a project for the winter. I want to do a project because I really enjoy bringing something back to life and / or dealing with cosmetics to make it more attractive. I don't do it to make money but, equally, I don't want to lose money. I'm generally looking at bikes around 15-25 years old. What I'm seeing in classifieds is that people are (in my opinion) grossly over-pricing bikes that need work. For example, if a good condition model costs £1,500 then bikes with knackered fairings / no MoT / non runners or running badly / cracked tyres / masses of corrosion / etc are being advertised for, say, £1,300. It seems that sellers don't understand the cost of repairs and, particularly, the risk that a purchaser is taking re the unknown problems and / or the lack of availability of parts. If I was looking for a bike to just use then it wouldn't matter at all - I'd just buy the one for £1,500. But that's not what I want! And, as a result, I'm seeing a load of overpriced bikes that aren't selling. I'm not sure there's a solution - but it helps to rant a bit!

Best advice you’ll get. And if you want it to be a project then buy a bigger bike that’s been unloved.

I’m gutted. This would have been a great and passionate resto. Really hope you find The One.

You might surprise yourself. With limited experience, your most important purchase will be a torque wrench. By using that, you're unlikely to cause any serious damage. The key advice I received when I took on my first restoration project was from Tinkicker on here and it was to break the job up into really small pieces and set unambitious targets. For example, if you're going to take the carbs off and you're lacking confidence then your goal for each day might be: Day 1 : Remove seat and fairings Day 2 : Remove tank Day 3 : Remove airbox, cables and hoses Day 4 : Remove carbs With practice, this could easily become a 20 minute job all-in but ignore what the YouTube videos show you and take small steps. You'll often find that a job takes a small amount of time and you can do the next job. But if you set your ambitions low then your successes will be many. And take pictures at every stage and from every angle. These will be an enormous help. You don't know until which part you're going to forget the location of.

That looks amazing. But for reasons I can't explain, I'm not drawn to custom. I really can't explain it because I really admire the work people do to create something like that.

Agreed - if it's a 'brand new second hand carb' then a strip down and clean of the carb is the first thing to try, along with setting adjustment screws back to factory standard. I also wonder ... why did you fit a replacement carb? What was the problem you were trying to solve?

Thanks Tinkicker & Breff. That might have been of interest but I'm on the Dorset coast so a bit too much of a trek. BMW could be of interest but you've done the stuff that I'd be looking to do - and I'm rubbish at bodywork! I've set up some eBay, Facebook and GumTree searches but will be grateful for any suggestions in the meantime. No huge rush as I'm trying to actually get out and ride a bit at the moment. Went to Thruxton for the BSB yesterday. Ride back was scarey - riding into the sun, I seemed to be the only biker who cared about the lack of visibility. I was expecting to find an accident round every corner. Pleased to say I didn't see any but really wish my fellow 2-wheelers would be a bit more imaginative when thinking what might be round the next corner.

Mobile phones. x5