Ingah

They tend to scretch more when they're new and when they're knackered.

16mm links is the ideal, if you can take the weight. Doesn't have to be expensive and well made like some of the well known brands as at such a size they won't fit in the jaws of most bolt croppers, and provide maximum deterrant value. They start to get more challenging to fit in the jaws of the ordinary size (smaller) croppers at 13mm and upwards so i've heard, so would say that is the minimum to be useful.

Start by just checking it. It may not need adjusting. It's really easy to check with the Haynes helping, and the feeler gauges. Never adjusted it myself, mine has shims

Those are the ones i've been through a few of. They don't last very long, but usually conk out whilst its still new enough to contact the seller and get it replaced

+1, even if you ultimately get a garage to do the work. At least you will know what needs/you would like doing, and rather than asking for 'a service' you can tell the garage what you actually want them to do and perhaps not do, and then they can give you a price that is meaningful. It'll also give you the chance to do the easier jobs yourself, and not pay for someone else to do them. POWDER (Petrol, Oil, Water(s), Drive, Electrics, Rubbers) alone would cover the safety aspect for such a new bike. And you can (should) do that yourself. TL;DR: There's a hell of a lot that *could* be included, or excluded in 'a service'.

Which Xena?

Greggs. As i implied earlier, i would use the Poundland coolant if it was safe for use in aluminum engines (i.e. if it met the spec). I wouldn't mix it with tap water though - There's ways to save money, and then there's just false economies (Besides which, this appears to be a ready-mix, not a concentrate). Assuming it's even compatible with aluminum engines, i would avoid it on the basis of advertising a freezing point of -12c, which isn't enough of a safety margin if you consider the idea of tolerances...

Hopefully they're honest as adjusting the clutch cable takes just a few seconds.

yep, wheel it into your living room, keep warm in front of the fire an spend the evenings taking your bike to bits Mmm, yes please

+1.

Not sure, but i know sometmes the police give out section 59's based on 'concerned members of the public' reports, let alone on actual video evidence. Edit: Just remembered a conversation with my driving instructor - Yes, the police will prosecute based on footage and a report from a member of the public. Or even without footage, if there's another witness on top of the person reporting it and one of the witnesses is a 'professional'.

The solution is to 'hide' the camera in the fairing etc. Ideally wired into the ignition circuit, with the feature that once it fills the memory card, starts to overwrite the file again, from the beginning. Faff free - just need to remember to check once and a while that it's still working! (if anyone knows of a suitable camera for that, i'd be interested)

Amen to that. You have permission to pity me, i work in the rainiest city in the UK

A waterproof oversuit will fix it, but i find them a huge hassle. What's causing the damp, is it sweat, or is water actually getting through, because if it is actually getting through the material, i'd take them back and buy something else. I commute over double that distance and apart from water trying to run down i find textile trousers alone are enough to keep my crotch dry.

Tried giving it a thorough service? I'm deadly serious, much of the things on a comprehensive service will improve the speed a little.

I'd like to pre-order a repair job on arrival please. The exact nature of the job will remain a surprise, the bike tells me it has a it's got something special planned this year because it's so overdue a breakdown. As such, please bring a hammer. Or maybe a skip.

I have a CB500. 'Nuff said.

really? you should have learnt your lesson from the cheap EBC pads to not to buy cheap again buy ones that are proven that way you know they are going to be fine when you get them! ps make sure you get any servicing or repairs well out the way before the rally this year Well they weren't even that cheap - £17! Besides which, i'd read negative reviews. Kyoto's are just under a tenner, and for that money it's worth trying them out (i'm doing heavy mileage at the moment) - i'm using a rear Kyoto disc and pads at the moment and i haven't died yet!* And got a guy coming over the weekend before this time to ensure i actually get it all finished * = to be fair, if i could find Carbone Lorraine pads that would fit the CB... i'd buy them.

Doh You too? I nearly took 'em back, but i'm instead just trying to wear them out as fast as possible so i can justify replacing them Cheap oil, correct viscosity (and semi-synthetic too, because that's what the manual says). Car oil is fine if it's cheaper, things like Magnatec and any 'energy-saving' oils aside, as they are potentially not good. Iridium plugs from eBay (again, whatever it says in the manual). Brake fluid from the supermarket, long as it's what the manual states. Air filter from eBay. Oil filter from wherever. Personally i'm going to try Wemoto's cheap Kyoto pads next when i can replace these woeful EBC efforts.

Yep pretty much did this, only used PlusGas rather than WD40. And then hit it hard with a hammer and punch again, on the floor.

As long as the wheel is spinning freely you've nothing to worry about. I'm sure i vaguely remember asking a similar question when i was new to disc brakes Regarding MOTs... you may not believe it but most common failures are absolute basics like lights and indicators not working! I'd go through the MOT section step by step in my Haynes manual if i were worried about failing but in absence of that would be making sure the basics were all covered (e.g. chain tightness correct, tyres have enough tread, brake pads aren't worn out - all the stuff they can check visually as that's all an MOT is) and otherwise crossing fingers.

Oh right, before bleeding them, get a cable tie and tie it round the brake lever and handlebar over night, see if that helps as it should remove air bubbles from the lines, apparently I thought that was for after the brakes have been bled, rather than before?

Pads may needs some miles to bed in properly. Bleeding can't hurt, but as megawatt says i do hope you cleaned the pistons! Otherwise you might as well have it off again and do it properly.

Hence why i should be using a torque wrench, i'm heavy handed enough to cause myself a problem

That finger+half turn tightness sounds about right, used to use something like it for the CG and i'm missing the simplicity. Lord knows how irritated a modern sports machine is likely to make me And i didn't think of checking eBay