Gerontious

The owners manual for my bike has nothing to say about atmospheric/ambient temperature. It gives a single recommendation for the tyres on my bike and for the way I ride. (No pillion) That is what I follow. When on tour and loaded with luggage I treat that as a pillion and increase the pressure, again as recommended by Honda. Been doing it this way for decades and it’s never given me a problem. I’m a bit old fashioned. I have this outdated idea that the people who designed, built and tested these bikes know what they’re talking about.

22 minutes ago, Simon Davey said:

 

I'm thinking "why not", but, I also have stronger thoughts about it being contained in something waterproof.

I can only imagine I would always wish I could see the screen properly under a variety of conditions.

 

How did you manage an XT for that price? I can only find them for £340

Blue light card. gives discounts for emergency services. NHS. social care or armed forces. it comes in handy for things like this. just a matter of hunting down resellers who accept it.

but for a general purpose motorcycle sat nav, you dont need the latest and greatest. they have been rather good for a long time now, but they do hold their value so even second hand will not be as cheap as one designed for use in a car.

I still dont begrudge spending £260 on my Garmin XT. its expensive yes, because its a niche product. but its built to satisfy a particular purpose and withstand the conditions its subjected too without any modifications.  like any quality product. buy once - cry once. Sat navs made for cars will always be significantly cheaper as the numbers are disproportional, its always going to be cheaper to produce something in the millions than in the thousands. But there will always be certain limitations, but if these are not a concern then, why not?

2 hours ago, Throttled said:

 

Any idea about washing when the bike is still hot? I am wondering if I have made a mistake by hosing the bike down whilst the engine and exhaust is still hot and if that will take off the coating?

Its an oil. so no amount of plain water will wash it off. it  might push any excess around. but it won't remove the coating which in most instances is so thin you can't even see it. you only know its there because you might see particles of dust and grime adhering to it.

In addition to being an oil its also a super-thin fluid - though its doesnt appear so when cold and out of the can. but it is and these behave in very strange ways. This is why its used on jet planes/ jet engines. and applied as a warm/hot fine mist. If we had the ability to do it in the same way at home. a normal sized can would last 10/20 years. 10/20 applications. at a bare minimum. but we dont. we slap it on with a brush. or wipe it on with a cloth. or spray it on with a pump spray.  But its still a super-thin fluid and does the job it was designed to.

if you think about its use on jet planes and jet engines. just think of the pressure. air streaming over it. water hitting it at 300 miles an hour etc. and it still doesnt come off. so a hose isn't going to do much.

39 minutes ago, RideWithStyles said:

Yea that plug is very good really.

iridiums are very durable like three to five times more than plats or coppers so easy with heat and use reasons but if your coils or electrical system weren't really designed for them from the factory and their abit worn out they canbe trouble. Id be checking those out.

 

Iridiums require less power than standard spark plugs so are better suited to older bikes with original electrics than standards. The FAQs generally recommend reducing the gap by 0.1mm if the electrical system is noticeably weakened.

But obviously if the system is noticeably weakened that’s not something that should be ignored for long as it’s likely to affect the starter motor and that’s definitely not good.

drain it and refill to the correct level.

22 hours ago, Interference Fit said:

Would 8 owners put you off or is it just me?

 

 

Might do. I would wonder why? Some possible answers have already been given, but here is another one. People are apt to go with their heart rather than their head and especially if the bike is bought without a test ride. And test rides aren't always possible or even feasible. They might realise they made a mistake. (I did this once.) It was a second bike.. but even so, I kept it a couple of years riding it quite rarely and sold it on. Did about 400 miles a year on it. maybe less than that.

And a bike can go through a series of owners for this reason. maybe not all of them, each owner might have had a different reason to sell. If the bike is attractive to older owners then it could be as simple as death. or some physical/mental deterioration and they can't manage it anymore. There are so many reasons. And of course you always run the risk of just being the latest. and soon realise it was a mistake and its time for owner number 10.

But.. its not all bad. sometimes we have an itch we need to scratch. And if thats the case then no amount of persuasion will change your mind.

Iridium plugs in my bike are 5 years old now, passed 24,000 miles. fuel has been nothing aside from normal E10 and the plugs aren't due to be replaced until 32K.  no issues. bike starts the same as if it was new.

6 minutes ago, Simon Davey said:

 

 

@Gerontious I hadn't given the exhaust height too much thought, so thanks for pointing that out, and probably saving me the hassle of returning stuff.

Just like most peeps, I'll see how the budget works out.

 

 

This shouldn't be a problem with a bike like yours. There is a fair amount of adjustability built in to these things. the cross straps can be shortened so the panniers are lifted higher. This should be normal. but, I imagine there might be some brands that dont allow this, for some stupid ill thought out reason.

There are all sorts. some need frames, many do not. (frames are commonly required on bikes with a very high exhaust) Obviously the most important factor to consider is depth, they must not touch the exhaust as they are generally made from either Polyurethane or Vinyl and can easily melt - there are also canvas like options.  Most commonly you might have 30L per side. sometimes more. sometimes less. Some aren't inherently waterproof and need a waterproof inner bag - this can be as simple as a heavy duty (garden) bin liner. a very easy fix. Some can be entirely waterproof. Like these 30L per side Lomo.  of course there is nothing stopping you from putting another bag on top and across the pillion seat - if you dont have a pillion and thus increase capacity even further. just measure the width and buy a bag to fit within that width.

none of this is particularly expensive, compared to hard case panniers. just slightly less convenient. maybe.

The options are wide and so are the costs. brands made specifically for Motorcycles tend to be at the pricy end - Like Kriega. but there are more affordable options - like Lomo. (and copies)

Not bad for an imaginary guitar solo. but ultimately, who gives a f**K anyway?

one of many favourites from this man. sadly missed. even 30 years later.

7 minutes ago, veracocha said:

My mistake was taking it to a dealer. I nearly came home with a different bike I was so tempted by the Tracer 9GT+

Well obviously its now practically worthless.. so why not? 

The dealer won't be bothered by that little bit of missing paint. nor will the next buyer until he notices it. (obviously)

Life is too short. if you like the new bike. get it.

1 hour ago, Nick the wanderer said:

I think the sump comes off in situ, you want a replacement. Also because of that you want to have a good look at all your other finishes, make sure there is nothing else while you're at it.

I would be extremely surprised if that is treated as a warranty issue.

They will just use clause 2 of the warranty to get out of it. and blame the weather. or the salt/grit mix we use in this country.

I would rub it down and then cover it up with an appropriate paint. myself, before it spreads further.

I'm old enough to remember the shift from Leather to Textiles... early 1980s it was. Before then there were definitely textiles - mostly cotton based with waterproofing (or water resistance) provided by wax impregnation. The classic example of this was the Belstaff.

But then things changed. obviously there wasn't a huge range of fibres that were suitable, in the early days mistakes were made. You had jackets that were effectively made from heavy duty (plain) nylon - with solid waterproofing layers underneath. so you were effectively riding in a plastic bag. sweat hell. This sort of gear was only worn in the winter when being sweaty wasn't really an issue. But then some bright spark had an idea. Why not use Cordura? To begin with it was a fairly expensive fabric and so only used by the high end brands like Rukka. But it soon caught on and evolved. Dupont saw this huge new market for the fabric and did a bit of rejigging. So.. very quickly the old story about textiles melting and fusing disappeared. it was never really an issue anyway except in those very rare cases where riders in an off would slide a long distance without tumbling. But these stories once they get into the zeitgeist never really go away. Now we are 40 years on. 40 years of research and development. Cordura is decidedly old tech - though its been improved hugely in the time. And is somewhat banal. Everyone uses it or its copies. And nowadays.. just like at any time. You get what you pay for.

Cordura today has very little in common with the Cordura of 1929 (when it was invented)

You simply cannot compare the leathers that professional riders wear on the track with ANYTHING available to us mere mortals - from our local "off the peg" gear shop. regardless of brand. Its a completely false equivalence. Though modern biker leathers are light years ahead of what was on sale 'back in the day'.  Not because the leather is any different. But how it's sorted. and stitched and everything that goes into its construction is completely different. You might say that quality has suffered. But then (again) back in the day there might only be 3 people involved in making a leather jacket. The person who sorted the leathers, graded and cut the pattern. The seamstress who would make it, from start to finish. and then the 'checker' - who would examine it closely looking for any bad workmanship. Who gets this amount of dedication now? nobody. aside from GP riders or those lucky enough to have access to a small manufacturer with the same work ethos. They do exist. But you won't find anything from them in sportsbikeshop. unless you are willing to pay £3000 or thereabouts. for the best of the best from maybe Alpinestars. or similar. And you can bet these high end suits are not made in the same place, by the same people as their 'affordable' gear.

In the same way you cannot compare leather gear produced today with leather gear made in the 1980s. Same goes for textiles. There is no comparison. unless you look at the cheapest of the cheap. And even then you are seeing improvements as cheap cordura copies are still a huge upgrade on what was available back in the day.

The fabrics used, however are only as good as the design of the garment allows. And more importantly the skills of the seamstresses in the facilities that produce these items. There is a reason why the high end textiles are so expensive. Even the mid range are expensive - if you have a certain point of view. Why buy a Rukka jacket that costs over a £1000 when you can buy a Rev'it that costs £500 or an Oxford that costs £250 or an Ozone that costs £99.  You get what you pay for. You get the fabrics and protection that you pay for. You get the workmanship that you pay for.

The specs for that £99 jacket - seem perfectly fine. (though it lacks any kind of waterproofing)

Would I buy it? Nope. Should you buy it? Yes.. its going to be a lot better than wearing a puffa jacket.. and is probably light years better than any affordable textile jacket that was on sale in 1982. And if its all you can afford (at the moment) then who am I to tell you NO.

Ive always been a bit of a dreamer. Back in the 80's I would look on agog at excruciatingly expensive  Valve amps - still being manufactured despite the fact that the valves they needed hadn't been made for 30 years or so.You could at the time send them away to be reconditioned. but new replacements were impossible to find. Fast forward to today and Valve amps are borderline cheap and Valves are once again being produced based on designer that date back to the 1950s.

Not too long ago finding anyone that made an affordable and good turntable was also next to impossible. Now they are plentiful and quite a few of the best are made in England.

Similarly 10 years ago CD players all but disappeared as the factories in Japan stopped producing the laser components that they need. But also thats changed too. CD players are coming back. I was looking at one last night at work thats made in a factory in Southend on sea!!

I was so amazed by that, and its a brand Ive know for donkeys years that after looking at reviews (for hours) I bit the bullet and ordered an amplifier. It will be here tomorrow.

My Mission was made in Huntingdon - back in the day. This new one is made in Southend. It has a turntable input, which I dont really need. A small increase in power. And, despite it being made by hand in England - its actually cheaper than my antique. (allowing for inflation) actually a 1/3rd cheaper. The CD player they make, also by hand is a rather different matter. Im not sure I can justify the price. But, we'll see. I have been known to splash out.

It is very nice though... hand made in the UK.

Imagine that. a CD player made in the UK.

At the moment I’m just listening to music on my phone. It’s the end of an era. My Amplifier has died a horrible death. Hard to believe I bought it in 1985!! It was a Mission Cyrus One and though other components have come and gone that little amp just chugged along - 39 years!! Now I just have a very lonely looking pair of Linns.

its been a long time since I dipped my toe in the murky ocean of HiFi. I have a feeling life is going to be a bit expensive for a while.

does anyone else listen to music on separates?

You mention a 'heavy coating' - this was a mistake that a lot of people make with this product. it should be the lightest coating possible.

But that aside. ACF is essentially nothing more complicated than a very thin oil so any decent degreaser will remove it. There are all sorts of products that will do the job. Cheapest, though perhaps not the easiest is a very basic car shampoo in warm water. Though there are better products than that - because part of the crud will be gritty - you do need to be careful as any kind of scrubbing will damage painted and some coated surfaces. it will be like rubbing it with sand paper. so be careful.

If it were my bike I wouldn't touch the ACF until the spring when any chance of salt on the road is well and truly over.

13 minutes ago, Cher Davis said:

Hi thank you so much for your quick response. I didn't even know about this law change. I received a letter from the Mayor of London informing me that -- according to the DVLA -- they said, my bike was not compliant. What sites exactly should I check to make sure my bike is not already compliant?

Also, could you please tell me how/where to find out about the offer of £1000 for scrappage for bikes, just in case. Makes me sad to think of that option. Can you explain what you mean by 'exempt' once a bike hits 40 yrs old please. Exempt from what exactly? (Sorry for my ignorance.) I wouldn't mind waiting a year. Thank you soooo much again for your helpful advice.

I found this all with just using google. once a bike is 40 years old it's exempt from ULEZ fees. google told me that, or rather  Autotrader did. In fact Autotrader answers most of your questions.

 https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bikes/content/ulez-expansion-what-london-motorcyclists-need-to-know-and-what-are-the-best-bikes-to-buy?refresh=true

Im not sure it's even possible to re-engineer a bike so it will pass ULEZ. I assume you have thoroughly checked the bike on the sites to make sure it's not already compliant. some older bikes that predate euro 3, are. I know TFL are offering £1000 for scrappage for bikes. I also think that your bike will be exempt from next year. once it hits 40yrs old. I know waiting for a year is tough. but unless you want to get rid that might be your only option and pay the ULEZ fee in-between times.

Im not sure if it would be worth your while having it tested. £175 (apparently) is a hefty price to pay especially if it fails.

43 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

We’ve just been quoted £380 for the hire of a “2 yard” skip. When we first arrived at this house we were hiring “6 yard” skips for under £300. 

Maybe it's just down to a lack of competition in your area. picked a random skip hire in my area and a 4 yard for brick waste is £198

this particular company doesn't offer a 2 yard for that type of waste.

27 minutes ago, Simon Davey said:

I'm already looking at summer textiles 

Now is definitely the best time to buy summer gear. just as early summer is the best time for winter gear. unless you are the type that must always have the latest and greatest.  Though to be honest the 'greatest' usually returns for a few years before being updated.

Bear in mind that summer gear normally falls into two distinct types. fully vented - where entire panels are made from a mesh like material that maximises air flow. and generally doesn't come with extra zip-out warm layers or waterproofing.

Or what is more usually described as 3 season. so usually with zip opening vents and probably a warm liner that can be removed once its warm enough and the put back in when it cools down a bit - think spring and autumn.  These normally come with either a zip-in waterproof membrane, or are made. from a laminate where the waterproof membrane is bonded to a stronger, more abrasion resistant outer.

My main jacket is 3 season - but in reverse. so its late autumn/winter/spring. And Im actively looking for a fully vented jacket for this years tours. I'll also pack a waterproof over jacket in case of summer storms. heat waves seem to be the new normal - we had them both in Southern Europe last June. but also in the north, in the Eifel region in September. and to my mind a heat wave is as bad.. if not worse in some ways than the cold.

A vented jacket can be a more practical buy than a fully vented/mesh as you can wear it for a much greater proportion of the season.

2 minutes ago, Fiddlesticks said:

According to https://www.classicbulbs.co.uk/faq/data-books-free-can-i-fit-an-led-bulb-to-my-motorcycle-in-the-uk

they're now legal, as long as they don't dazzle oncoming traffic. I'm looking at a specific kit for the Tiger Explorer at the moment.

when I added spots to my old GS I used standard LED spots and had them aimed so they filled out the 'dip' and were always on.. when the dip was on. So, at night I got better forward visibility when using main beam was inappropriate and during the day I was (in theory) more visible to other traffic without blinding them. so they were really 'driving lights'.  The choices available for these is huge and varied.

15 minutes ago, mealexme said:

Having never used spotlights, id presume a problem with spotlights is they don't have a high beam / low beam, which I'd need to use as headlights.

 

They don't. for a single light you would want the equivalent of an old H4. or a spotlight with two led arrays that are differentially aimed. Im not sure such a thing exists unless its been specifically manufactured for a particular model. Its probably not the sort of thing you could buy off the shelf as the market for such a thing would be tiny.

Seems to be quite a few options, but whether any will suit your needs is another question entirely.

I used the google machine - led motorcycle spotlights silver

and got quite a few results.

why not? as long as its dry and the leather isn't summer friendly perforated. I would probably need to wear thermals underneath plus an extra layer as a top. But fortunately I don't have the choice anymore as leathers became impractical and ive not worn them for almost 20 years.

Anyway, this time of year, working up a sweat on a bike - regardless of the material is quite an achievement.