fastbob

Here's a drawing of a very similar set of parts on a Suzuki GN 125 so I reckon MB & MW have got it spot on. It's basically a spring loaded stopper that limits the movement of the selector drum . http://i.imgur.com/1jnDO2T.png the spring seems to be in a different place but designs will vary although the function is the same.

I know this is a common mistake people make with the Suzuki VanVan engine - removing the gear selector blanking plug instead of the oil drain plug - and what comes out looks just like that. Yep , I'd go with that theory. Many bikes have blanking plugs or gallery plugs that ( quite understandably ) get mistaken for drain plugs. I reckon it goes back in spring first. I wouldn't worry too much but I probably would undo the real one incase the first one didn't let all of the oil out .

You have to be very careful when you remove the PLUG CAPS on Bandits . Because they go down deep into the engine its tempting to pull them off the plugs by gripping the ht lead . This could cause it to become detached from the plug cap which would lead to poor running. Sometimes the little pointed screw in the cap can come loose because its only held in by a star washer. The best way to get the caps off the plugs is to lever them off using a large pair of thin nosed pliers. It's equally possible that the ht leads have come loose from the coils . If they are held in by plastic clips like they are on a GSXR then they are ridiculously fragile and very hard to find replacements for . Most people end up using zip ties to keep the leads in place when these things fail. Hope this helps . Whenever a bike won't work after work has been done then then it's nearly always going to be the work that has caused the change.

Have you considered measuring it ? Alternatively , why not just cut a centimeter off and take it to your local bike shop as a comparison. Try to get old fashioned black neoprene tubing rather than this new translucent green stuff that quickly goes hard when exposed to fuel . By the way, if you're losing a lot of fuel surely you would smell it . If the bike has a carburetor maybe it's overflowing due to a stuck float valve or an incorrect float height. Perhaps it's running rich due to a dirty air filter.

Good isn't it. I resisted the donut stall around the corner because I'm on a diet. See my post in Thoughts on donuts in Motorcycle chat .

Winters just around the corner and the days are getting shorter but I noticed some favourable weather this weekend so I decided to take a chance and go on a one day whistle stop tour of Wales . The GSXR is already on SORN so it was out with the ER5 . I set off at 8.00 to avoid the car boot and Sunday shopping traffic. From Coventry I took the A46 to Warwick then to Henley in Arden . Then Redditch, Kidderminster, Bewdley, up over Clee Hill which has a stunning viewpoint. Down into Ludlow, up to Craven Arms , left towards Bishops Castle and stopped for a coffee in Newtown. Sat at MacDonald's and must have seen almost a hundred bikes go by in half an hour. Set off again to Machynlleth , down the estuary to Aberdovey then Tywyn , up the coastal road catching great views of waves breaking all around Cardigan Bay. Next , inland again to cross the wooden toll bridge, bikes 50p , then down another estuary to Barmouth . Quick fish and chips from the Mermaid chippy then off again to Harlech , get a second tank of petrol, then north to Blaenau Festiniog . This is a grim looking place , I've always wondered how all those slate spoil heaps stay put. Brilliant scenery to Betws-y-Coed where it seemed to have just had torrential rain judging by the amount of water on the roads. From there it was just a case of getting back home before dark so I went A5 , M54, M6 ( no roadworks ! ) A45 . I got back home for 7.00 pm . Lovely day out, I think the bike enjoyed it too.

I had a look on ebay , you're right it is puzzling regarding the two plugs . The three yellow wires is as I would expect, that's the input from the alternator which has three phases but three out is less common. I don't know what the extra wire would be.

Are we going to get a picture ? The suspense is mounting.

Which two cogs ? Picture required please. I definitely wouldn't start it till you're sure what they are.

When you had the tank off did you separate every block connector and inspect for signs of melting, blackening or green gunk on the spades and inside the female halves ? Sometimes a connector can melt internally, fail , then work again as the melted material burns away due to shorting. This might explain why your bike appears to have cured itself. I've seen a few connectors that looked ok from the outside but were charred to a crisp on the inside and still working.

Something electrical,possibly under the tank, might have melted or gone crispy . Prime candidate the connector for the ignition switch.

And so another potentially interesting thread fizzles out , shame.

A word of caution , I know personally of someone who erected one of these Armadillo covers in his front garden. Following complaints from neighbours he was ordered by Coventry City Council to take it down again. Seems it's OK to store a caravan on your drive though. Some people are just ar*eholes.

Googled it, no result. What is it again? Could that be ' Rain X ' Power of autocorrect Thanks RainX . Ok for car windscreens but is it ok on visors with anti fog / anti scratch coatings ? Maybe it was the wrong kind of rain on Sunday. I'm wondering if the design of the helmet is putting the droplets within my focal length so that I am looking at them rather than through them . I do wear quite strong reading glasses.

Googled it, no result. What is it again?

Save your money for a better bike in the future and leave your bike standard so you will get a better price when you sell it on. Alternatively , stick an ER5 engine in it , there's certainly enough room.

Yep, practice , practice , practice . But don't forget to enjoy as well, try picking a destination on a map and spend an afternoon riding there and back . This way your riding will become more natural and your instincts will develop so that you will have some head space left for remembering the extra things you have to do to satisfy the examiner. As for your dodgy throttle , sounds like a frayed cable . You definitely don't need the added distraction of an unpredictable bike so hopefully your mechanic will sort it out. Good luck.

I've just bought a Shark Vision R helmet and I took it out on Sunday for a test ride . As a helmet I can't fault it . Its comfortable, quiet , looks good and seems well made . The main feature is the extra wide and tall visor that gives great over shoulder views when overtaking. The problem is that the so called anti mist visor doesn't mist but it does go more and more blurry until I can't see anything in detail at all . When I open it to clear the blurriness it takes ages to clear. Also when it started to rain with a very fine drizzle it seemed to really stick to the visor with the droplets not merging together or falling away. Anyone got any suggestions? I'm thinking of using a rain repellent for the outside but I don't want to end up with a crazed or delaminated visor . As for the inside I guess I'm stuck with it . I should add that at speed its fine , it's just bad when stationary or moving slow. I'm interested to know what people think.

I'll take a guess at a pinched or detached vacuum pipe to the fuel tap . This is the one that regulates fuel flow by opening the diaphragm when the engine is running. If it runs ok on the " Pri " position this will confirm it. It might be a punctured diaphragm because this would produce the same symptoms as well. Easy enough to replace, you can get rebuild kits for most bikes , try Wemoto.

Free the clutch, tickle the carb,put on a bit of choke, switch on, then with one foot on the kick start launch yourself into the air , straighten your leg and bring your full weight down on the lever while applying a little throttle. If the resulting explosion hasn't broken your ankle repeat the process until the bike fires up. And that's how you start a Triumph Tiger . Welcome to the forum. Errm , you did say Tiger 90 didn't you ?

Here you go, my first bike the aforementioned upmarket CB175. Not original, it had been done up to quite a good standard including a respray and a 2 into 1 SS matt black exhaust system. I worshipped it but I wish I'd understood how it worked.

I had a GS550 that only got stuck in gear when it got hot so I think its wishful thinking to believe the fault has gone away I'm afraid. Now that you have a second bike you have all winter to fix the gearbox yourself. Its probably a bent or worn selector fork. The best thing to do now is read and re read the Haynes manual until you have a good grasp of what's involved. I've done this job myself and it's not as daunting as it might seem.

Like this ? http://i.imgur.com/lbhoDFX.jpg this is a twin by the way , seen in Coventry today.

Please tell you don't actually go out on a motorbike with one of these on your headhttp://i.imgur.com/u4aJOJi.png

Zip tie around the chin piece.