ApolloMozart

The old CBR500r I had indeed was checked at 600 miles for valve clearance. For the new bikes (CBR650f, CB650f) they dropped this check from service schedule so the first valve check is at 16k. The sad thing about all this is that I am not enjoying the bike that much anymore... Feel like I've been sold a broken bike.

Went down to the parking and played a little with the tensioner - took the little covering bolt and used a screwdriver to pull/release the tensioner. I'll see if this makes a difference in the evening.

The bike is new, only done 650 miles. The valve clearance check is only scheduled at [strikeout]8000[/strikeout] 16000 (edit) miles. It started from day one, after about 10 miles of riding. It was barely audible then, so I thought it may be something normal during running in time. But it got louder and louder. If the tensioner does not make a difference, I need to find a way to make the dealer to look into it properly. They seem to be "unable" to hear the noise. The chap took it for a ride and said all is normal, can't hear anything wrong.

This morning the rattle was noticeable louder. I have the feeling it comes from somewhere under the tank/top of the engine. The demo bike I tried at the dealer did not have this rattle. Maybe is harmless, but it spoils the enjoyment from riding the bike... I'll go along with tensioner replacement, but if it does't help I'll take the tank out myself and investigate.

Gents, may I pick your brains (and ears)? Lately my new CBR developed a rattle from around the engine area. I took it to the dealer and they had a ride but (maybe the age of their test pilot is at fault) said they can't hear the rattle. I tried to describe it as much as possible and they said they'll order a new chain tensioner, as this is probably what's causing the rattle. While waiting for the new tensioner, I decided to record the sound of the rattle and share it with all of you, in the hope that someone may either confirm the tensioner theory or come with some other plausible explanation. I'm more inclined to think that it's something loose somewhere. The rattly is more prominent when the engine is hot. The easies way to "find" it is to go at around 30 mph, steady gas, in third gear. Under power all is nice and silent. As soon I roll off the throttle a bit - here comes the rattle. I uploaded the sound to - please have a listen to it and let me know what do you think. Thank you! ">

sometimes redex stuff eats too much of the carbon deposits and creates gaps between piston/cylinder and valves/seats. try swapping the injectors around first and see if the misfire moves...

I agree with Stu - keep it simple!

I have a Hawk X-50 in the box, will go on the new bike (can't wait for it but the dealer is not telling me when the bike arrives ) On the existing bike I have a cheap alarm that connects to the battery only and it works just fine. It has many wires, but I decided I don't need them all connected, so battery only. Regarding the Hawk alarm, it also has many wires, but I plan to connect it to the battery, indicators, the tilt sensor and ignition. So not that many wires in total. I'm pretty good with electrics and I wouldn't pay someone else to do it for me. But I would not hesitate to pay someone if I wouldn't be confident I can do it properly. If you plan to wire up the remote [strikeout]stealing[/strikeout] starting "feature" - I'd say let a pro do it. With this "feature" connected, stealing a bike becomes easier if not wired correctly. Personally I don't like remote starting and don't plan to do it. Plus Hondas have HISS system and won't start without the key anyway.

http://www.tutorochainoiler.com It makes sense if you do a lot of miles. I do 200 miles a week so this oiler saves an hour each Saturday, when I was cleaning and lubing the chain manually. Now I can ride for fun that hour!

http://www.tutorochainoiler.com

Maintaining the chain is one of the most important things a motorcycle owner has to do to keep the bike on the road. When you commute, and miles add up very quickly, cleaning and oiling the chain has to be done every week or so. After a few cleaning and lubing operations I decided I need a chain oiler. From what I could find online, the Scottoiler was the one to go, but being a vacuum operated device it needed vacuum! The only vacuum point on the CBR500R is the pipe that balances the throttle bodies. Being hidden under the tank, it was not easily accessible and I wasn’t happy to dismount the fairings and remove the tank just to connect to the vacuum pipe. I could have got the Scottoiler electronic oiler, but it was about £170 when I looked at… So an order was placed for the Tutoro auto chain oiler and for the Scottoiler's dual injector nozzle, which looks more robust that Tutoro’s own dual nozzle. Tutoro auto oiler is cheaper than the Scottoiler oiler and it requires no connections to vacuum or electrical feeds. It works when the bike moves, so no oil dripping when you run the engine in stationary traffic. It has a nice mounting bracket and can be mounted nearly anywhere on the bike, as long it’s not on on the swing arm and is slightly higher than the nozzle. I mounted mine behind the passenger foot peg mount, where the chances of being knocked over by my son when he rides with me are lower and also it is accessible to fill up and adjust. In about 30 minutes the Tutoro chain oiler was installed, filled up and working! Went for a ride to check if the oil is being fed when the bike is moving and indeed it was! Over the next few days I checked and adjusted the oil flow and observed how the chain was lubed. The chain is always wet now and there is a lot less dust and dirt on it. The constant supply of oil keeps the chain a lot cleaner than I was able to do manually. There is a little bit of oil fling, which I clean from the rear wheel rim when I wash the bike, but it’s not getting onto the rubber to make cornering dangerous. A fill up of the oiler lasts about 500 miles, a little less when it’s wet though, as I turn up the flow in the rain. I think this oiler is a very good investment for bikes that do a lot of miles in all weather. The chain is constantly lubed and cleaned so it should last longer. Same can be said about the sprockets - there’s a constant supply of oil and any dirt gets washed away. When I get my new bike (hopefully this Sat) first thing I’ll do is to move the Tutoro chain oiler. It is a clever, cheap and practical way of keeping the chain and sprockets in top condition. Recommended!

Bought a pair of (supposedly waterproof) boots from them, about six weeks ago. One of them is not exactly waterproof so sent them back. We'll see how good their refund/replacement policy is...

Only the rear shock is adjustable for preload... Anyway went to home yesterday and checked the tyre pressures - slightly on the low side. Pumped some more air to get them to recommended values. Checked the compression of the rear suspension without and with me sitting on the bike and reduced shock absorber preload. Also gave some more play to the chain, with me on the bike it had about 10mm play, now it's about 25mm. All the above made some good impact on how the bike rides now, but still the front week feels bouncy, especially over small bumps at low speed. Maybe the forks need a thicker oil...

It had 2k miles on the clock, was an ex demo bike. For me it's a first bike, so it is quite hard to compare it with something else. I didn't notice the bumpiness of the ride till I got onto the CB500F. At that point I thought wow, this is a smooth ride! I'll do all the checks and also plan to take it to the dealer on Saturday, let them have a go too and compare it with their cb500f.

Just to report on this - the seal and the "shiny" bit have been replaced under warranty, which is very nice from Honda. Also they replaced the front brake pads as there was a tiny bit of oil on them. On the bad points - I was on foot for a week and then on a loan bike for two weeks. The dealer messed up the part number for the fork and had to wait another week for the correct part. Apart from that I'm very happy I have the bike back. I did, however, notice how smooth the loan bike was compared to mine, so if you have any ideas about this, please post them in the newly created thread. Thanks a lot for all the advice!

Hi all! While my cbr500 was being at the dealer to have the front fork replaced, I was riding a loan cb500f (which is the naked twin brother of the cbr500, as they share same engine, chassis and nearly everything else apart from handlebar and plastics). What I have noticed was the smooth ride of the cb500f compared to rough and bumpy ride of the cbr. The roads were smoother on the cb500 and it felt more comfortable. This happens more over small road bumps, where the surface has been repaired or small potholes. As soon I got my cbr back I noticed the difference, so now I'm thinking whether is something wrong with the bike or some settings needs adjusting (tyre pressure, preload on the rear shock etc). Or can this be a "feature" to set the models apart - cbr500 more "sporty" and cb500 less "sporty"? What do you think gents?

I think I'll go the route of "protectint" pinlock insert. This way I can have the shade and avoid the steaming as well. I ride early in the morning and in the evenings and steaming up is an issue at times. especially when it rains.

Steak and chips, fish and chips, beef burger with bacon and chips. Beer.

I quite like my AGV and have spare visors and pinlock inserts for it...

I saw some clip-on glasses on Amazon. Thinking about getting a pair and fitting them on the helmet... Not sure if that will work. Dark visor still sounds like a good idea but I'd like a polarised one - I have polarised glasses and they are fantastic. Not sure if anyone makes a polarised visor. All options are on the table now...

So the sun's out and I'm thinking about eye protection. Two days I rode with my sunglasses under the helmet but it's not ideal. I'm thinking about getting a dark tinted visor. Has anyone any experience with these? Do these visors work properly or they introduce glare, haze and other optical aberrations? Thanks!

I tested it first on a part of the visor that is not in the view, and there were no issues. However, I have noticed that the pins for the pin lock visor change their colour slightly when you go with rain-x over them, so I try to avoid them.

I'm using it for last four months on my AGV visor without any problems so far...

Looked online and there are none (specialists) close enough to where I leave... Unless they are well hidden somewhere. Called HGB again and the chap said that they can replace the shiny tube on its own, but was unable to give me a price today. Hopefully they can get a reply from Honda tomorrow about the warranty claim. The problem I have with mechanics is time. I'm at work every weekday from 8 to 6, leaving me no time to go around and show the bike to mechanics. If I leave the bike to be looked at, I have to take the train, which costs per day as much as a week worth of fuel. Taking time off work also has financial implications... So it is a question of time/money balance... I may spend some of my thinking time to think about fork protectors now...

the dent is quite small, an oval about 3x2 mm where metal is slightly pushed in but it has slightly rough edges. And it goes right by the seal when I sit on the bike. When the suspension compresses and rebounds, the dent moves past the seal every time. looks like a costly repair... will wait for Honda guys to get back to me.