smallfrowne

I think I'll put all the savings made straight into champagne right away

Well I thought I would be very adult about renewing my insurance for the KTM and declaring everything as you should. I have never had any no claims to use for this policy, previously only having old shit bikes where I don't accrue them on a classic policy so when I bought the thing last year it was £410 ish. Renewal was £290 so that was a bit nicer. Anyway, lets see if I can get that cheaper and do the usual renewal dance, only now it's not deliciously standard but pointlessly modified. Now they no longer want to deal with me but comparison ahoy at least gets me some quotes. Seems exhaust changes are basically no bother, but upgrade the suspenders and all of a sudden I'm a hooligan - back up to £450. So that's a shame. In the end I called up my classic insurance job and they will do you a policy including modern conveyances as long as you have some old shit stuff too. And it turns out they assume you aren't necessarily a hooligan considering you have a garage full of crap. It's cheaper for the lot with them, declared mods to a classic and this KTM, with unlimited miles, legal, salvage retention, and European breakdown. It's still not cheap at £500 but that now includes 3 bikes on a classic for 2000 miles which was £200. I don't know where I'm going with this but I'm happy I suppose, and fully legal! Wahooo! Look at me, mam!

"Hello, extraction required. From Doncaster." "Ok. On my way (after preparing the mighty Merc)." Clutch cable snapped in some godforsaken intercity street and the trailer is in a thousand pieces having some deserving r&r. Luckily I have a collection of 5+ clutch cables. Turns out none are good enough though. Slinky glide emergency cable kit to the rescue. Fair bit of cutting, faffing, filing and we're away with an Amazon prime order on for another cable. Shame they don't do rescue service, I'm down a few hours but up a beer.

I haven't read anything in this thread. Buy a z900 or something similar.

This week I have mostly been spending money. I've had the KTM's ECU flashed back to standard so the fella at Junction 33 can remap it. Dealer charged half hour labour, £45. I declined them bleeding my brakes, they wanted £120. I only wanted them to cycle the ABS pump, I've already changed the fluid. They declined to cycle it and I declined their offer, so now I'll have to find another way to do it. On the subject of exhausts, I've changed it. I never intended to change it. But I have. I quite like the original Duke exhaust, it's a rare sight as an OEM piece of equipment in that it isn't ugly as hell. Actually looks quite nice and suits the bike very well. The sound is ok, well, low revs it is, high not so much. Anyway, my dad changed his on the speed twin so I'm to keep up. Imported a nice Arrow Italian job, off a bloke with Ferrari's all over his insta, so I feel my money will be in safe hands anyway. I've also fitted a decat just because. I haven't gone completely mad with it though, too many horror stories of regret after fitting cheap decats which in effect shorten the exhaust as well as removing the primary sound deadener. The Arrow decat retains some length and is quite U-bendy like the original cat. Plus It has a bit of a resonator half way, so not just straight pipe. It seems quite un-mental. Waiting for the ECU to come back to me now, then we'll see if it was - only slightly, not that bad really, or at least I didn't mind it - snatchy due to the eurosausage regulations. But, I'm actually more excited to fit some Jiffy-tite fuel hose fittings and pricy Mocal fuel line to the SV. + Mog, she's cute.

The Duke is back in business, nearly. It's off the stand anyway. Just need to check the oil level and run it a bit to let the coolant sort itself out. By the book you should crack the bleed valve on the rad, but it's got a thick coat of factory paint all over it so I don't think anyone has ever touched it and I'm not going to either. Booked in at the dealer(!) next week because apparently it has the "akra map" despite having the standard can on it. I'm trying to get the ECU flashed (by non dealer) but the guy can only work off a standard map. It's a bit via the back door because they aren't meant to be reprogrammable, so it's a bit of a hack. He noticed some of the values were off and it normally means it's had the dealer option akrapovich can and map. Anyway. I've got to get the dealer to flash it to standard then send it back to the guy. So far I haven't paid him anything and he has insisted I don't pay him for it being sent back to me, and that was a few weeks ago. He must be used to faffing about.

Haha oh right. Well, I have emailed you, so check your spam folder!

There are some issues. I'll email you. What happened to the bike and why is work paying for it though? What did I miss? Run over by a fork lift?

I have a trailer. In maltby.

Shit, I've found 3 litres of Motul 10W fork oil on the shelf and I don't really know why I've got so much of it. All unopened. I'm nearly done with the KTM. Shims have all been adjusted and clearances rechecked, all good. Then all the guts that had to be taken off or moved, unclipped etc. is all back in place, which took some thinking, pictures would have been a help but still it's all a bit of mess in there above the engine. Also changed the thermostat cover from the original to its updated part, which is known to cause a bit of leakage apparently due to its ovalness, but maybe also due to ham fisted tightening of the hose clamp. Thought I'd do it whilst I was in the area to save time later, though you shouldn't go changing things that aren't broken so that will probably come back to get me. Fresh bit of coolant. Fresh bit of oil. Just need the tank on now and a few more plastic bits. And maybe a wash, the old dead flies have started to grow.

Back to the KTM though. I've put the new shims in and rechecked the clearances. I don't know what I've done but they don't seem to have changed, despite the definitely thinner shims that have gone in. Mind I haven't checked them all yet, not the really bad ones. Not sure if I'll get a chance now, the midwife says she can feel a head. Still, no need to panic it's only a quick job.

That's true. He was moving house and couldn't be bothered putting them on Facebook. Little collection of tools like mitres and band saws, grinders, etc. I ended up with a few quid for the duplicates and swapped out for upgrades and gave my mate the bandsaw so I know where it is if I need it. He was a good neighbour but I did alright from his move. Workbench too, folding tables, plus a nice big lump of wood for making a work top when I get round to the next shed building adventure. My scavenging eyes were on stalks. Now I wished I'd pinched the little log burner he had in his shed. The new neighbours haven't touched it, I haven't caught a whiff of it anyway. He'd often be found asleep in there with a few tinnies dotted about, what a lad.

Cheers. I was a bit worried to start with but I've been itching to use that drill for a while, ever since I pinched it out of my neighbour's skip. Bit icy for playing with a new bike - you'll have to cosset it into the drawing room.

You might be right with the synergy, we were ice cold in Alex

Well, I fancied checking the valve clearances at 6k miles, which is a bit soon by the book. Turns out 3 inlet valves were too tight, and the last inlet and two exhaust valves on the lower limit. So, I had to get the cams out to change the shims and in doing so revealed a bit of wear on a part which should see no wear at all. This is the head with the "camshaft bridge" still in place, note the bit where the spark plugs go are separate pieces which come out as well. Spark plug tube. This is what one looked like. Here from the manual you can see that the balancer shaft is easily removed by screwing a long bolt in to it and pulling, gently. There is nothing holding it in place and is a sliding fit. The only thing holding it in place in normal operation is the two spark plug tubes, and one of them was doing a bang up job of it. It looks like the shaft does like to rattle about in there. Anyway that didn't seem right to me, and at only 6000 mile don't forget. It turns out there is an updated part, which I bought on a whim along with my new shims. There was no indication on the fiche to show how the new part was any different but I was intrigued - when it arrived alles war klar. They must've had a change of heart and decided they needed to bolt this thing in place after all, on the 890 at least - this is an early 790. It looks like somebody knew about it because the casting has a nice flat bit which perfectly aligns with this new shaft's bolt 'ole. All I had to do then was drill a 5mm hole in this bit of ally, which is only available as part of a cylinder head set for about £650, and Bob's yer uncle. My new lickle M5x12 low profile cap head bolt has arrived now so that bit is all back together; I can carry on with the other stuff, like sorting the valves out at 6000miles.

I have just drilled the cam cap casting of my KTM with barely 6k miles on it. You wouldn't catch me doing this to a Honda

I'd have to disagree, Pie sport is available in the UK, in rovrum no less.

The weather was actually, too f**king hot

Poor old Jack and me were abandoned and left to our own devices at the tunnel. Geronimo and Bonio got bumped to an earlier train, probably for having posher bikes. Anything could have happened to us. And my fuel range read 0. You were there one second and gone the next. Not an auf wiedersehen, ciao, tschuss, tschussy... I had to get petrol immediately after the train and Jack slinked off to burger king. Then I got stuck on the M20 due to somebody wanting to high dive off a bridge. They did get him before he went for it however, but I skipped the stop at Ashford burger king and headed home. Hit more traffic on the M20 then pretty clear all the way into darkness up the A1. Then I realised the flashing wasn't headlights, it was thunder and lightening, very very frightening. Technically I did get rained on, which is very normal for the return leg but I think the warm leathers singed it off. Don't even feel that broken today. KTM good 4.5/5

The trundle took its toll My poor KTM. I hope it still starts tomorrow, I might need a hire bike.

Not a layby! 5 seconds later a bus turned up, but turned off to the left before this stop, so the fact I ran away in fear was unwarranted.

Chunnel shot. Made it to the Northampton. What a lovely familiar sight. And the castle opposite. Some things have changed however. The Carrefour is not a Carrefour anymore. But the TRX still needs its oil Safe and sound back where they belong

Ohh, didn't see you'd replied bony. So, it's visit the dealer day is it.

Oops. That was very nearly an issue.

He's working through my backlog at the minute, sorry. Bath grout next. And you've booked on to the wrong package if you wanted to relax.