XmisterIS

Lovely! I've just ordered one. Seems a better solution than taking the can to bits (if it works!) I do much prefer the sound of the Beowulf compared to the stock can, just wish the Beowulf wasn't quite so loud ... loud is good, but not that loud! If the new baffle is too much, I can always drill it out a bit.

It is a really lovely can, but I don't want something so loud that I have to remember not to open up the throttle when people are around! It's been sitting at the back of the garage for about 8 months, I've watched a few youtube videos and done a little search on Google and I understand how baffling works now, so I think I'm going to drill out the rivets and see if I can modify the baffle with a washer and re-pack the thing with wire wool. Play around and see how it sounds.

The OEM can on the SV is huge, heavy and makes the bike sound like a hairdryer. (I've left myself open to abuse with that "hairdryer" statement haven't I ... ) So anyway, I swopped the old can out for a Beowulf slip-on ... and it went too far the other way!!! Actually, anti-socially loud - making pedestrians wince when I opened up the throttle, not to mention the fact that it actually hurt my ears too just sitting on the bike ... and that's with the baffle IN!! Other than that, it's actually a nice sound - just too loud. In fact, there's not much difference between the loudness of the engine with no can at all and with the Beowulf. So I put the standard can back on for the meantime because I think it's the lesser of two evils. What can I do to make the beowulf can a bit quieter while still retaining the nice sound it makes? E.g. I love the rumbling and popping sound it makes during engine braking - that's very satisfying. I'm thinking - new home-made baffle with more attenuation than the stock beowulf baffle?

What the previous owner did screams out "bodge" to me ... Bodging is often fine for DIY jobs, but the words "bodge" and "motorbike" are likely to result in the words "death or serious injury". I only ever fit the correct parts to my motorbike!!

Problem solved: http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/items/__cbr60 ... 459_228459 Simples

I would imagine it's destroying the tyre too ... huggers should be held on with nice study hex bolts, not cable ties!!! Can you imagine if the ties snapped and it ended up wrapping itself round the back wheel? Even if it's not the right hugger for your bike, surely you can trim it as required, then be inventive with an electric drill and a bag of hex bolts from halfords and secure it to the bike better!

That was quick! I ordered 4 NGK Iridiums yesterday afternoon and they've just arrived! It may actually take longer for me to fit them than it did to deliver them (By all accounts, changing the front plugs on the SV is a bit of a pig due to the angle of the front cylinder ... I hope the neighbours aren't going to be offended by me shouting random swear-words ... )

I know it would take quite a bit of modding to the wiring and also a new bracket, but I think three headlamps either in a row or in an upside-down triangle would look unusual and would also be much brighter (having 3x55W instead of my current 1x55W). BUT --- would it be legal to have three headlamps? Or are you only allowed 2 at max? And what about the positions? Could they be in a triangle or would they need to be in a row?

I am running pilot road 2ct's and they seem like good'uns to me ... what do you mean by "not a lot of feel"? My experience of the pr 2ct's is that they stick to the road like a pair of good'uns!

I guess it will be difficult to know either way - new iridiums may be an improvement over new OEM's, but the ones in the bike as it is are probably shot to buggery anyway (they are the originals and the bike now has more than 11000 on the clock) so any new set of plugs will be an improvement!!

You've convinced me - I'm going to go for the NGK Iridiums - only £6 more expensive for the four, so it's worth a go.

The range of choices is overwhelming! Everything from a bog standard OEM plug for £4.50 per plug, all the way up to a Denso Iridium for £9 per plug. What's the difference? Is there a difference? Is it a big difference? Does it really matter?!

Sounds good! Could you post a pic here?

No oil = rapidly knackered engine!! Check it regularly and keep it topped up if needs be. Change it regularly too. Your engine will thank you for it!! The best way to check the oil level if you have no centre stand (like me) is to sit on the bike on a flat and level surface in good light and use an inspection mirror to look at the oil window.

How did you manage to snap 3 plates??!! I just bought the bog standard L-plates from Halfords, for the back one I cut out a mount from the base of a broken old paint roller tray, araldyted the plate to it, made a couple of mounting holes with the point of a knife, bolted it onto the bottom of the numberplate, job done! It was good like that for two years and still good when I sold the bike to the next learner!

Has anyone had experience of using one of these: http://www.abbastands.co.uk/product_details.asp?id=38 It seems a good long-term investment, if I plan to keep riding bikes for the rest of my life!

Dieses Lied gefaellt mir gut, aber wuerde ich zu Rammstein lieber hoeren ... http://hide33.3dn.ru/_nw/9/36407332.jpg

Well, I don't think I'll take the calipers off just yet - took it out for a blast yesterday and the back wheel is spinning more freely now. It's gone back to the amount of pad-disc contact that there was before. Out of interest, is it impossible to avoid a bit of rubbing of the pad on the disc?

Yes daddy ... Halfords it is then!

Thanks guys, seems a simple enough job! I'm guessing that brake cleaner is an off-the-shelf-at-Halfords kind of a thing? EDIT: Can I equally well use parafin? I have 4 litres of that!

Note that I haven't ridden the bike since the end of October. Last week I changed the brake lines; I've installed braided steel lines (Goodridge). All went well, I've refilled them, no leaks, they seem to work fine (at a standstill) Note that when I changed the lines over, the old lines were off the bike for about a month while I got new lines. BUT ... the back brake is rubbing quite a lot on the rear disc. When I put the bike up on the paddock stand, the wheel can be rotated, but you can definitely feel resistance there, and you can hear it rubbing. It used to rub a bit, but not that much. Is this something that will fix itself once I ride the bike (seeing as it's not been ridden for about 7 weeks)? Or should I take the calliper off and push the pistons back into the caliper with a screwdriver? Or can that be done without removing the calliper?

Turns out it is the connector or switch itself - I did try adjusting it first time, done it again and found that if I press on it in a certain position, it works, but only just. I'll have to take that to bits now, find out if it's the connector or switch. No biggie though. The connector is tucked under the master cylinder, nowhere near the banjo bolt! So I won't have knocked it when fitting the lines. Only thing that I can think of is that when you fill the brake lines, you're taking the brake lever all the way back to the handlebars when the bleed nipple is open, and you're doing that a lot, so that could have knackered the switch itself. In the meantime, I think if I put a rubber band in there to hold it in position, there's no problem.

Indicators are fine, rear brake makes the brake light come on fine, headlamp is fine on main and dipped beam. But the front brake does something strange ... when I just move the lever to the "click" point, the brake light comes on. But when I move it further, it flickers and sometimes goes off completely. I have just fitted new brake lines, I don't think that would have anything to do with it though. Any ideas?

Lovely jubbly, I've got plenty of new fluid to flush with! I'll fill them up, leave them overnight for the new fluid to absorb the moisture, then flush them the next day.

How does that work then?!