polecat

What a lovely day for painting !! I knew it was going to be a sunny day today so got up at 7am (yes there are TWO 7 o'clocks in a day ! ) First thing I did was build myself a Spray booth Buy 4 sheets of plastic dust sheets and staple them to the inside of your Shed or consevetory to keep the dust off your painting and more important the paint of the other halfs valuebles

4 hours this morning trying to do up 2 jubilee clips !! thanks to god I am not charging by the hour Finally decided I was not going to get them screws back in the clips so had to remove the carbs again do them up and then put it all back togather. Thought the datatool alarm was going to give me trouble cos I had pulled the battery without disconnecting the inline fuse (where ever that is ) Anyhoo put the fuel tank back on plugged in the battery,little bit of choke and it burst into life on the touch of the button ...YAY... Sounds the same as it did before Restrictoin and reving it up still seems to have more than enough power So now the bike is restricted I can get on with the Fun part of painting

just read this i cant remember how i used to do it but you can remove the battery without it been in service mode! im not sure if you just remove the battery then disarm the alarm when it activates then put it in ferry mode so the shock sensing is off I tried that but it would not disarm until i connected the battery again Can you remember where the battery of the alarm is ? maby if I took that out ? as over the next few weeks it will be beeping away like a loony bike (My neighbours would be really greatfull if you can remember what you did There are good vids on Utube onb how to fix a System 3 (involves bashing it hard with a hammer when its on the concrete floor )

Here is a full list of the damage : Fairing ............ pretty much destroyed..........replaced £130 L/H seat panel......cracked............................replaced £20 R/H brake lever ........broken.........................replaced £11 Fuel tank .........5p piece sized dent...............will fix Rear pillion grab rail .........missing................replaced £15 L/H mirror..............scratched......................not to bothered at this time L/H foot peg .........small scrap on tip...........not to bothered about this Cost to repaint as matching not really an option will be £120 materials Total cost £296 Insurance cost would be Genuine Yamaha parts fitted by Yamaha dealer and bike hire while works being done which I added up to about £2400 so they wrote it off. One of the problems they faced was the availibility of the front fairing also because it is not a Foxeye and when I looked into it was almost impossible to get short of ordering from Yamaha in Japan,which would add to the bike hire cost waiting for parts. I was lucky to get one on ebay with no damage

FITTING 33BHP RESTRICTION KIT So I bought this set of washers from a guy on ebay for £32 + £2 postage They are made from Stainless steel and have a rounded triangle hole off center and come with certificates from this guy who also makes them himself. I read the HAYNES a couple of times on removing carbs and then continued to fit the kit which should take an hour but I am already 4 hours in to it and still not finished The Fazer has a neat trick where the Airbox slides back on two slots when the bolts are undone but unfortunatly it still does not allow much room for manouver. The haynes was so busy concentrating on the Thundercat model that it neglected to tell me to remove several other things to get said airbox to move I had no intention of removing the carbs completly but hoped to slide the washers up into the outlets but in order to get them in the jubilee clips had to be completly undone as it was a very tight fit. once i managed to get the carbs away from the engine it was pretty easy to now slip in the two outer washers but the inner ones were a real pig and I was staring to find the weak point in the design of this kit ......... Being that the hole had to go nearest the bottom it was hard to do that when inserting them "blind" in the inner carb outlets whereas had the hole been in the center (like Fi International kits) then it would not matter if they moved as you shove them in. The second thing is being that they are stainless steel,when you drop them (and you will) it is really hard to get them out from the area on the engine they fell into (non magnetic) It took best part of hour and a half to get the two inner washers fitted as there was hardly any room to get my hand in and fit them but once they were all snug it was easy to press the carbs back into the outlets and the airfilter back into the inlets. The Big problem that finished me off for the day was getting the bolt and spacer back into the jubilee clips on the inner carbs as its like trying to line up the bolt with the hole while holding it from turning and keeping the spacer from falling off the bolt and then trying to get the bolt to catch the hole all this was easy on the outer clips but on the inner ones it is a nightmare ! It was getting dark and my patience was ragged so I decided to finish off that tomorrow and then I can Fire it up and see what happens. Put the battery in the house to charge overnight so the stupid datatool alarm will be beeping all night

No it is not and has not since the new V5C (Red one) and it only applied to Vehicles that require a VIC and Motorcycles do not. As I said I Do not wish to keep going over these myths and guesses as I have made all the enquiries with the proper authorities. Anybody wanting to examine my V5 is welcome to pop around Anyhow.... started to strip down the bike today and take off all the damaged parts,which went a lot better than expected despite the fact that the HAYNES manual is shared with the Thundercat and The Fazer is a little sidelined I felt (as far as photos go in the book) The Fuel tank comes up a on a little hinge revealing a fuel tap which you must switch off before removing the tank (good thinking) Anyhow being an extra saftey squirrel I read "disconect battery before removing fuel tank" Bearing in mind it is 7am on sunday morning ... I disconect the battery and the Frigging alarm goes off Mopping the blood from my broken ears I remember somthing about Datatool system 3 alarm having a service mode where you put in the ignition key and press the button on the fob for 3 seconds ...only problem then is it will beep like a chafinch every 5 seconds until you put the battery back in the bike (drove me nuts by the end of the day,no wonder people smash them with a hammer on utube) I took the last of the Paintable bits off the bike then stupidly thought,why not put in the restrictor kit while everything is all off ..........

I have done complete checks about the whole thing and Cat c is Economic not a reflection on the damage on the bike, cars that are Cat c need a vehicle inspection by VOSA but not for bikes. The Only way to find a bike is CAT c is to do an HPI check as there is no reference on the log book The insurance companies will KNOW it is a Category D Write-Off. The owner may well not know. There is no obligation TO know. There is also NO obligation to notify that it was written off. Being 'written off' for Categories C and D is only a financial calculation. If it was Category A or B, this would show on vehicle databases and the insurance would likely be refused anyway. I would rather this was a restoration thread not an argument about myths on what a CAT C is I have contacted the MIB,VOSA and DLVA and had discussions with all 3 and have my facts correct at the time of writing My intention is to keep this Bike but if I DID sell it I would no doubt mention to the Buyer it had damage once but the parts were replaced because that is how I deal with people..But if anybody has a bike over 5 years old that has not had parts changed I would be suprised and If they sold that bike they would not have to list the parts they changed for what ever reason inless they chose to.

How kind well this is a diferent kettle of fish to the last one but should be no less interesting (to somebody marrooned in a lighthouse for 6 months with no telly and the nearest woman is 50 miles away)

Hi folks, I did not expect to be doing another restoration thread so soon after my last but....You know how it is Browsing Ebay like you do,saw a 2003 Yamaha Fazer for sale about 30 miles away and it claimed to only have 9400 miles on the clock and it was Catagory C. So as it was a new listing I did some rapid research,like whats this cat c really all about ? Definitive anwser gained from the Association of British Insurers : CAT A = The vehicle has not been repaired following extreame damage,it was deemed too damaged to be repairable with little or no salvageable parts (often used also with Fatacs and this vehicle must be crushed) CAT B = The vehicle has not been repaired following significant damage,it was deemed too damaged to be repairable however did have salvageable parts (so basicaly can be broken for parts) CAT C = the vehicle was repairable , but the repair costs exceed the vehicle value,the insurer chose not to repair for economic reasons (£2500 bike gets a broken fairing a footpeg,indicator side panel,clutch lever cost of parts from Yamaha + Yamaha mechanic +bike hire for insured = more than £2500 against you or me buying parts on ebay used fitting yourself and no bike hire about £300) CAT D = The vehicle was repairable,but the repair cost was significant compared to the vehicle value,the insurer chose not to repair for economic reasons (same as C but a finer line between write off or not) So having researched all this and looked into the Bike and checking its milage was genuine ect on Mycarcheck.com for £9.99 We went to have a look at it Went to the guys house he buys from insurance and sells on but seemed really helpfull and even let me ride it up a private road,Blimey that engine sounded good ! He ofered me PX on my old XJ600N sight unseen and even offered to deliver new bike and pick up my old one free so I paid £500 plus my old bike to total £1250 which he wanted for the Fazer.....Bargain When you buy a CAT C there is no log book as it and the currnet MOT are sent back to DVLA and burned or something ! You have to get a Form V62 fill it in then send it off with £25 and a couple weeks later you get the V5 in your name (do not forget to fill in the V11 SORN notice at the same time or you get a tax evasion fine if you are keeping it off road) That is how easy it is to buy a CAT C bike EDIT : DVLA sent the £25 back to me and stated there is not a fee for economic write offs !

Just found a guy on EBAY who is makeing and selling his own restrictor kits with certificates for £32 which is not bad really ! most popular makes are availible and they look really well made Looks like a little competition for Fi International me thinks .

Thanks guys I have seen a set going cheap so am keeping my fingers crossed and if I am lucky enough to win them will be happy to pass any dimentions to them that wants them They are from a bike dealer so should be ok but I sure am not paying the £172 Fi international wants ! I would rather wait 7 months

I saw the familiar 4 washers on ebay for a Fazer and also a packet of bits and spring for a thundercat (which has the same engine as a fazer) Does the FZS use washers or the would the thundercat spring and bits kit be the best option ? I presume the cat kit is a throttle restriction ? which is best anyhow ? I know this has been covered before but anyone with experience of Fazer restriction would know whats best cheers

Great thread and oh so familiar,much better seeing someone else doing all the hard work though Looking forward to seeing more

Lovely bike and great to see you fixing her up ! I don't think this thread does justice to the amount of work you have put in to it already Can't wait to see the the paint job !

YAMAHA XJ600N 2000 model bought last june for £1200 in the local paper with 24000 miles It has taken me nearly a year to get used to this bike but feel now to be able to write a reasonable review. Naked in black the bike is restricted to 33BHP and in really good condition for its age. Not many think much of the XJ600 often thought of as a cheap winter hack to use and abuse but actually it is suprisingly stylish and has a very good build quality proved by the condition of the chrome parts and the fact apart from the odd bolt there is no rust anywhere. Riding this bike restricted Means it is much more revvy than it should be which causes a lot of vibration at 40-50mph apparently the gear ratio is much better when the bike is at full power. Enough acceleration to give a thrill off the line yet not too much to cause the bike to feel out of control. This bike is Very comfortable and you can ride it for hours without needing a stop it seems to run about 150 miles on a full tank but this would go up after restriction removed. The easiest bike to work on : take off the tank (one bolt) remove the seat (key) and everything is exposed and looks like what you would expect it to. The worse thing about the bike is the fact its naked and you get full weather experience but powerbronze do a full fairing kit if required or you could get the 600S half faired version. They all have the YAMAHA clutch rattle on idle but you get used to it and it causes no real harm Lots of parts on ebay and one of the cheapest bikes to insure so the XJ600N is an economical choise for new riders as well. Overall an excellent yet highly under rated bike that in my view is a better alternative to the Suzuki bandit more than enough power for the standard use of a motorcycle with the added benefit of cheap motoring....and it is YAMAHA

Thanks Viki it is great to have a section like this Almost tempts me to do another Restoration .................. Almost

Excellent choice enjoy! I like it when people make the right choise in the end

For a 1978 honda should I be running it on unleaded fuel or should I be adding something to componsate for the lack of lead ? I am a little concerned as it seems to get quiet hot and a guy said it is cos I am using the wrong fuel (unleaded) Can anybody clear this up for me Many Thanks

not a bad idea but like i say lets have a think for now like i say above its ok having all these new sections its whether they get used I belive if there was a restoration section more people would become inspired to have a go and it would therfor become more used And it may not have to be just a bike Restoration ....It could be just a single part like a seat or a brake caliper ? I would Love to read about somebody restoring a spoked wheel for example .....but I am just strange

I love restoration threads but even had trouble finding my own It would be really nice to have a proper home on this site for all restoration threads as So much work goes into writing them and they will soon be lost in the bike chat section and wont give the inspiration to others for which they were done in the first place ......Looks hopefully at the site Owners

You are not being picky at all It has a chainguard which is black plastic (which is very shiney coz I laquered it ) which was standard The Rear Mudguard WAS chrome but it was SO bad I Had to paint it again (as it was when I bought it) You can not get the chrome rear Fenders Anymore but should I ever come accross one then I would of course fit it. When doing a bike like this is it a case of getting it as good as you can,then as time goes on you can improve it slowly I am just delighted that it now runs well and hope it never gets neglected again like it did before, ie 20 years of neglect and 14 of them off the road in a shed

Just wanted to update on the Project for those interested As I said the bike was running like a puch maxi ....great up to 30mph then it would hold back and I started to get tail gated by tractors Anyhow I broke off the rocker cover bolt when trying to nip it up due to a slight leak so being the final straw I took the bike to a proper mechanic to sort out for me Just picked up the bike "£140" later what did I get for my money? He made a new rocker bolt and removed the old one stuck in the head,he stripped the carbs and cleaned them (found lots of gunk) he balanced the carbs,checked the timing and tuned it up. I picked up the bike after parting with my money and thanked him very muchly and rode away with the mechanics proud face in my rear veiw mirrors. Left the industrial estate onto the main road (a bit stuck in traffic) then when I got clear I opened her up to see what she could do.......got to 35mph and it was the same as before ! I felt gutted so i slowed down with a view to returning to the garage and as I came to a stop the engine died .....suddenly it dawned on me that I had forgot to turn the fuel on I turned the fuel on and started the bike where it roared(ish) into life I then set off again and it was like a new bike,ran just as it most likely did when it was New 33 years ago So the future for the bike is most likely,my weekend bike for trundling around the back roads just for fun. I am still amazed the bike got as far as it did by just what was in the carbs The mechanic said When he went for a test ride he enjoyed it so much he went off his usual circuit and most likely used most of my fuel and As I had checked the tripometer before putting it in this was confirmed (36 mile test ride !) I will continue to improve the bike in slow time while I own it and hopefully it will be around for some time to come

At five and a half grand I think it is way to expensive and if you were to spend that much money you would have to be a fanatic. If they were around the £2500 mark I may be interested in one for the weekend

I would LOVE to be a fair weather rider but alas I need the bike for work and I live in England

I am suprised to say that it made a Big diference after adjusting the valves ! Not a MotoGP bike but it certainly increased the Power considerably As I said this bike has 3 valves per cylinder and out of the 6 Half were way too tight (not loose as I imagined) I have to admit Doing the valves was not as hard as I had imagined (or the Haynes made it look) I think all it needs now is a bit of a TUNE .....Timing and Carbs maby then it will be tip top. Funny thing was how under the Rocker cover it was clean as a whistle and the oil looked like New Thanks for the help Guys