Gerontious

that horn is the general go to direct replacement. ive never heard a problem with it such as you describe.

My bike is just loud.. last year I left the baffle out before going to Germany and I got.. err.. comments. Im actually a little concerned about it this time round as there have been posts on FB from guys who have been stopped, the volume measured and a fine issued and worse than that they were not allowed to continue until the exhaust was replaced as the polizei took it off!! bit of a nightmare to say the least. Fortunately Ive kept my original and so its no big deal doing the swap.

I get these sorts of emails all the time. There’s nothing new about them. Send out a 1000 and if they get a few bites that’s enough. Ones I get most are about a failure to process tv license payment. I’ve not had a tv licence for 20 year. Others are banks I don’t use. Power suppliers I wouldn’t touch. Phone networks I don’t use. And so on. And on. And on. When I get an email that might be relevant. I look at the actual sender, not who they say they are. And never ever open attachments.

10W40 was more an unspoken industry standard for many vehicles. There is no difference with their start up characteristics, the 30 oil is just thinner at 100 degrees so it is easier to pump around the engine at the cost it doesn't give the same thick coating a 40w oil will. It's really just a symptom of engines being built to better and more guaranteed tolerances these days, material science playing a big part. On the original topic, £180 is a bit much... While I do all the heavier work on my bike, every 2 years I get it serviced at a garage. Usually £100 for a oil/filter change. I'm after the stamp in the book if I'm honest, and they usually let me hoon about on a test ride bike for a few hours as far as im aware its due to £65 an hour labour. plus the cost of the oil and then added VAT. 2 hours they said. and if i want a loaner, thats another £15

With modern bikes the 'minor' services tend to be fairly simple and straightforward, that most anyone can do. No garage required. (I dont have one) And no stamp needed either.. just keep receipts and be sure to follow the schedule. use OEM parts where possible. or to spec where its not. and keep receipts to prove. I thought that this was the sort of thing, forums like this were for. But, isn't the question whether, if you were to sell your bike now, you could expect to recoup the dealer cost by selling it as "Full Main dealer history" rather than "some well meaning individual did it themselves"? It doesnt have to be a new bike. The vast majority of new bike buyers are trapped by the small print in their pcp contract anyway. so this post doesnt apply to them. and others see bike ownership as a strictly temporary thing. buy a bike.. keep it for maybe 3 years and then trade in for something new and sparkly. and this post doesnt apply to them either. And then there are those who spend far too much time worrying about residual value. so will ignore this post anyway thinking a fully stamped service book is the be all and end all. (it isn't) if I was to sell my bike next week i really do wonder how much i would lose due to the fact i gave it an oil change myself. before due date. and its well before due date, I'm only doing it now.. or in the next few weeks so it has fresh oil before my trip. if you're going to spend time fretting over a few quid. and it really is just a few quid of loss of value. then this post is not for you. My bike is actually a 'keeper'... and my thinking now is that the more money i can save in these early days the easier it will be to justify the cost of the 24,000 miler. which is priced at BMW levels and beyond my technical skill level. but thats a way off and not something i want to think about now.

which in the case of BMW isn't altogether a bad thing. nor does it actually matter. Im afraid that this is the way things are in london. there are probably other factors at play but London is high risk. youth and inexperience. parking overnight. commuting. can all have serious impacts on the premiums demanded. especially where a new or nearly new bike is involved. its probably best to go for a lower value less risky bike to start with and make absolutely certain, going to every length possible to ensure its not stolen. or if it is that you do not claim. silly as that may sound.

OPIE has it in stock. cheaper to order from them using ebay. https://tinyurl.com/y5n6wj3o

and how long has it too for this revelation to materialise ? I'm not sure i understand what you mean. I didn't do this thread for myself, I did it for anyone out there who is a bit cash strapped due to the current crisis as a pretty stark comparison between the actual price of a dealership doing a task and doing it yourself. I rang the dealership to get a correct quote, I never had any intention of using them. Then ordered the oil to get a correct price for that. I didnt want to just make the costs up... i wanted both to be correct. so the cost savings were real. and very very obvious. Only thing I missed was the price of the two sump washers I got for just in case the two originals need replacing. With modern bikes the 'minor' services tend to be fairly simple and straightforward, that most anyone can do. No garage required. (I dont have one) And no stamp needed either.. just keep receipts and be sure to follow the schedule. use OEM parts where possible. or to spec where its not. and keep receipts to prove. I thought that this was the sort of thing, forums like this were for. Of course its almost inevitable that its turned into a 'my oil is better than yours' discussion. But my original point remains clear enough in the first post.

There have been 'modern humans' in Europe for at least 46,000 years. so.. only a small discrepancy there.

Can't see that happening here with our temperatures. Just got back from feeding the horses and it was 42C at 6PM. Spanish owners manual has same specs.

Because that is the specified oil grade and the bike is still in warranty. so, for now I'm sticking to the schedule - to the letter. The brand is Castrol. and it exactly matches the spec in the owners manual. JASO T 903 MA 10W/30 API SG (or higher) - its SL Strange to specify 10W30 though? And I'd have gone with Motul! It says exactly the same in the honda shop manual, its not something I worry about. I never really got the brand loyalty thing.. I would have gone for any of the big brands, no particular reason for buying Castrol. It could as easily have been Motul, Silkolene, Shell. Warranty expires in November and then it wont be an issue. I will swap for 10W/40 then

Once again everything is looking a bit dicey. but 31 days to go.. so, lets see. I have two distinct tours all ready to roll. depending on what the situation is 'on the day'. South of France. Germany, Austria and... very likely dropping down to the Dolomites. either.. out of choice, or necessity if the weather is a bit off further north. I really fancy a return to Cortina d'Ampezzo. Theres a great campsite there with its own Pizzeria. and the view from the site is very special. But... Theres a lot going on right now.. so still just watching and waiting as thats all i can do. its pretty much out of my hands.

Because that is the specified oil grade and the bike is still in warranty. so, for now I'm sticking to the schedule - to the letter. The brand is Castrol. and it exactly matches the spec in the owners manual. JASO T 903 MA 10W/30 API SG (or higher) - its SL

pointless changing the filters both of which are changed at 16K. the bike has 2 brake levers and the rear brake pedal and they were checked as part of no. 3. There is no clutch lever to worry about. Fuel filter is internal.. and beyond my reach as the tank is full.

Sometime before 9 o'clock this morning I rang the dealership to get a quote on this service. £180 inc. I have a Haynes and read through the schedule. 1. clean crankcase breather. - already clean 2. check brake pads - fine 3. check brake system and brake light operation. - works as they should. 4. check fuel system and hoses. fine. 5. check idle speed - spot on. 6. check throttle system. - fine. 7. change the engine oil. (to do) 8. check cooling system. perfect 9. check headlight beam aim. (double check when its dark tonight) 10. check side-stand and starter interlock. works as it should. 11. check front and rear suspension. fine. 12 check steering head bearings and adjust if necessary. fine. Ive spent an hour doing all of that.. well the bits that aren't bloody obvious every time i ride the bike, (most of it) came inside and ordered 4L of 10w/30 - £32 inc. expensive, maybe - but convenient. delivery by fedex tomorrow. Dealership £180. Me £32 That is all.

This made me laugh today..

Two things I’ve learnt this yr. pay no attention to those who think they can predict the future. and take nothing for granted, assume it’s going to happen but have a fall-back plan ready for if it doesn’t. My fall-back plan was the wild Atlantic way, in Ireland. I’ve never toured in the land of my birth so it wouldn’t have been such a bitter pill. First choice was always Austria and now, right now it looks very promising. But only time will tell. Whatever happens as I ride off the train in France. (Assuming I can even do that) I will be chasing the sun and heading for the mountains.

We’re lead by donkeys.

So, some of you i guess have been following my now quite lengthy post about my upcoming trip to Europe. Originally to Austria... and then being told, when the Pandemic arrived that i was being optimistic. And nothing would probably happen. But then.. as i always assumed. Changes came and Europe.. or rather, most of Europe re-opened. Even countries that have suffered a disaster of epic proportions. but Austria.. typically cautious as only they can be looked at Britain and especially what has happened in Leicester and put a road block in place that was insurmountable without huge risks.. risks of a €1,400 instant, on the spot fine. So... i scrapped the idea of going to Austria for this year. And switched to a return to the South of France. i knew exactly what and where.. it was all very simple. well.. Im on nights at the moment. and have been asleep. And while i was asleep this happened. The Austrian Embassy updated their front page. 5 weeks today.. and i guess things can still change. but... BUT... it looks like....

Cats are usually nearer the engine due to the heat the need to operate at. I think it's a trend with a lot of new bikes to have huge exhausts. its more a requirement of euro 4 (and now euro 5), manufacturers have been forced to use bigger mufflers to keep the volume under 80db.

Raised the bar (by 25mm)

I use this a lot.

One of my favourite places to stop-off away from the hoi-polloi at Matlock. there and Grindleford. both lovely. Good to hear Matlock is back to normal.. quiet during weekdays. time for a return then.

Nothing to the bike.. but last night I finished the routes for next month and loaded them onto the sat nav. I do like it when some places offer choices of routes handy for where you're staying like this: https://www.lecampingmoto.net/maps Ive chosen 3 of them. all variations on what we did last time. including a real favourite.. a ride i really enjoyed, a return to the summit of Mont Ventoux. worth it just for the view of Provence. The road climbs 566m higher than Ben Nevis.