Punts

You used to be able to spend a day in Westgate Rd. The internet has ended days out shopping, even if it was only window shopping. Custom lids and J & S are in the Team Valley and Honda/Triumph are in Scotswood Road.

I think there are still some Airbnb places available in Ballycastle

Got the ferry and digs booked for the NW200.

I use Peeks Paste to polish alloy and stainless. It's similar to Autosol but you can buy it in larger tins, so makes it better value.

Scotch Brite Pads, whether with WD40 or Solvol Autosol will leave a matt finish and isn't as aggressive as wire wool. Different colour pads indicate different grit levels. Test with the wife's washing up scourer, the green bit on the top of the sponge scotch brite. I use wire wool to get the brushed aluminium effect, but you need to always remember to "brush" in the same direction.

I've used aerosol tyre sealant in tubed tyres and never had any problems. Sealant in tubed tyres was thought to be a bad idea because there's a chance of the tube moving inside the tyre. That said, there are now companies making preventive sealant to put into tubed tyres. The worst that can happen is it doesn't work and the tyre deflates, which it would do anyway if you didn't have the sealant in.

This is how it's supposed to work. Pay at Pump | Policy and Guidance | UK Finance

That's how it works. The system checks you have £99 in your account and allows you to take up to £99's worth of fuel. If you only take £18's worth, that's all you are charged with. The next time you need fuel, the system checks again that you have £99 in your account. Your account will only be £18 lower, not £99. I know these are all "pending" transactions, but will always show up as the amount you have taken, not £99, £99. The "bond" only lasts until you put the nozzle back into the pump, not until it clears your account.

I have one of these but find the hose that fits on the valve very short. What you see in the photo is about all you get. I carry a can of aerosol "tyre weld" and use the compressor to top up the pressure.

To remove seized brake pistons, make up an adaptor for the fluid input with a grease nipple. Pump the pistons out with a grease gun, up to 6000lb controlled pressure and no damage to the pistons.

It looks like someone got too close to the fins with a pressure washer. Even the £1 car washers can have enough pressure to damage the fins.

I don't have a shifter on any of my bikes, but I've found that after I'm in 3rd gear, when changing up, the clutch lever only gets a token pull, maybe about a third of the travel, so really I'm short shifting. Changing down, the clutch lever gets fully pulled in, throttle off and a probably bit of braking as well. The Blackbird dosen't have a slipper clutch.

I'm the same, my fastest acceleration is passing traffic, also I'm a retired mechanic and now I'm more sympathetic to the engine and gearbox. My mate had an MT09 with a shifter, he liked using it. I have a ZZR1400, so read about the circlip/shaft issue on the forums, and have a mate with a ZX9 that did the same thing, circlip retainers broken. No shifter but he does a lot of clutchless changes, usually with one wheel in the air.

In simple terms, a quick-shifter is a switch connected to the gearlever/linkage. When you move the lever to change gear, it cuts the ignition spark to the plugs,( momentarily switching off the engine ), cutting the drive load on the gearbox and allows you to select the next gear. When the gear lever returns to the middle position, it re-instates the spark. It saves the time it takes to pull in the clutch, shut the throttle, open the throttle and release the clutch again. In clutchless changes, you take the load off the gearbox by closing the throttle. I don't know about the ZZR1200, but ZZR1400's do not like a quickshifter fitted. The circlip retaining teeth on the secondary gearbox shaft break off, allowing the gears to have excess end float, causing difficulty in getting gears. I, like you, have done clutchless changes for years just by closing the throttle, only on up changes, my bikes have always been fine.

No sure if this will help. No5, Reserve fuel hose No6, Fuel "On" hose No7, Breather

Bridgestone have launched a new sport touring tyre, the T33. A newer version of the T32 will be available in January 2025. No prices yet, but the claim of a 47% increase in mileage is a big leap, time will tell. I run T32's at the moment and get between 5 and 6k from them on a Blackbird and ZZR1400. I've been running Bridgestone tyres for the last twenty years, it's a mind thing, as long as you haven't had a slide or fallen off, you have confidence in what's fitted. Price and wear have an effect on what I buy as well. My ZZR1400 came with new Bridgestone S22's fitted, the recommended tyre, I "managed" to get 1500 miles out of the rear. Link to MCN, Bridgestone launch Battlax Sport Touring T33 tyre

Hi everybody, I'm new to the forum, not to bikes though. My name is Dave, 67, been biking since my late teens. I'm a retired Agri engineer/welder. I have 2 Blackbirds and a ZZR1400 in the garage, the car sits outside.