GazW

That would definitely be worth a "before and after".

I cleaned the car with my new Karcher the other day using the Karcher detergent - now all my once black plastics are grey so I'd appreciate knowing if this works or not.

I will do. If I don't blow up

The paint hasn't come off. It's not primer, the plastics were manufactured black.

It's a clouding in the plastics themselves. I ended up asking a mechanic when I dropped it in to have its chain + sprockets replaced, he reckons it's been cleaned with too harsh a chemical, like a truck wash. His solution? Applying heat.

Cue much looking at him like he was a mad man, what with the tank containing petrol. He briefly flicked over a section with a heat gun and it brought them right back up. Apparently whatever has been used to clean it has attacked the oils in the plastics, and applying heat causes the oils to be brought to the surface.

He reckons a hairdryer would be effective too so I'm going to carefully have a go when I pick it up tonight.

The ktm tank has white fogging/clouding on the plastics on the tank. Has anyone come across this? Any way of getting rid? I've tried back to black but it's not done anything. I'll try and get a picture of it later on.

There is a tank vacum that run thought the tank from the left side just under the the cap

That's a water overflow. It's sole purpose is to drain water that gathers in the filler cap well.

Does the weekend up the lakes round August time still happen?

It's a bloody minefield. I've not even viewed a car yet.

Mrs is after something to learn to drive in. I've tried to arrange to view a few. I've got one bloke I messaged last night who's texted me 15 times today. I feel like I know him better than I know myself. Only wanted to buy a car and got some blokes life story in return.

Rang up another one, he said I couldn't view it tonight, arranged to view it tomorrow (Tuesday) I've had texts off him saying it's his birthday Tuesday and can I view it tonight.

Tried to arrange to view another one. 'Well you've got to ring up and make an appointment' "ok, so...." 'Well just ring up when you want to make an appointment' "what the f**k do you think I'm on the phone for, to ask how the wife and kids are" "you have to make an appointment on the day" "what difference does it make if I'm asking to view it tomorrow" "you have to ring up on the day"

What the hell is wrong with people? Most are acting like theyre doing me a favour. I'm not bothered there's literally 100's of cars around in this price bracket, being weird or an obstinate sod is only going to make me not come and view it. Got a feeling the first guy would have flowers waiting for me if I turned up.

The weekend after bank holiday, three sisters is holding a road legal track day from 9-5. £45 all day, it's only a small track but should be a laugh. Anyone fancy it?

Someone has dropped out of the TT, one ferry one bike leaving 3am Wednesday 10th, coming back 8:30pm Sunday 14th ferry ticket for one person and bike £190

thanks for the advice, lots to think about.

No thanks to chav's moaning about MY budget. Get a life.

donnk

Have you actually tried anything on yet?

Don't settle on a brand until you've tried it for fit. Arai helmets won't fit my head, nor will sharks or hjc, alright with AGV but nowt fits me like a shoei, even that's not concrete, my last shoei was medium, current is large helmets vary not only from make, but from models in the range.

I like alpinestars gloves, but my palms are too fat and fingers too stubby, the ones I get over my hands are about an inch too long in the fingers, so I've got armr gloves. Weren't cheap, or a major brand, but they fit.

RST boots are too narrow for my feet, so I've got alpinestars boots.

I've got hein gericke one piece leathers, frank Thomas 2 piece leathers, both in completely different sizes.

Anyway, point being mate, we are all different shapes and sizes, you're lucky enough to have a decent budget for gear, it's pointless spending 3k on your 'wish list' if you could spend half that on gear that fits better. You're better off with a £100 lid that fits as opposed to a £500 one that doesn't. Granted mine was about £400 and that's only because it's a black one, graphics stick another £100 on the price. I'm not saying don't spend a fortune, it's your money, spend what you want, just don't get fixated on one thing before you've tried others on. Don't just go in a shop, try what you want on and assume it fits, try a few on. So you've a comparison. You really want to be leaving a lid on for at least half an hour, shops won't mind, there's nowt worse than a helmet that puts pressure in the wrong places, can be agony after a while.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

So with choke fully off (I am assuming this is in the UP position) I can't get the bike to idle at all. Increasing the revs loads still doesn't help.

I have managed to lower the revs while in the middle position to around 1.5k so it's a bit better but still concerned. Any advice appreciated.

 

You sure it's not the other way round? Choke off is normally away from you and on is towards you. Has been on all my previous bikes anyway, handlebar mounted and directly on the carb.

 

Interesting Gaz...so assuming that's the case - why won't my bike idle with the choke on full? I would expect it to idle at high revs but it just cuts out...

It won't do unless it's needed, a choke works to stop an effect, where vaporised fuel droplets stick to the inside of a cold engine. When this happens, it reduces the concentration of fuel in the mix making it harder to ignite. All a choke does is reduce the air that can get through, (chokes it) increasing the concentration of fuel in the mix and making it combustible again. if your bike will start with no choke or on 1/2, it will cut out on full. It's not needed, you're just making it run extremely rich. Enough so that it cuts out.

It won't again for young people if they keep banging on about creating millions of 'apprenticeships' it's not an apprenticeship if its in office admin, or a fish and chip shop. It's slave labour.

If it's a skilled job then fair enough, most trades are, but it doesn't warrant an apprenticeship if you can learn to be competent in the job within a matter of weeks.

So with choke fully off (I am assuming this is in the UP position) I can't get the bike to idle at all. Increasing the revs loads still doesn't help.

I have managed to lower the revs while in the middle position to around 1.5k so it's a bit better but still concerned. Any advice appreciated.

You sure it's not the other way round? Choke off is normally away from you and on is towards you. Has been on all my previous bikes anyway, handlebar mounted and directly on the carb.

I have two first not so bad for me but i was coming over a roundabout and some idiot decided he was driving on the continent and took the roundabout the wrong way and exited on the wrong side of the central reservation then pulled in front of me???? Wtf

Second award and outright winner is the absoloute fecktard that decided to overtake coming towards me and pull onto my side of the road only a couple hundred yards ahead of me and on a national speed road with closing speed of 120mph thats not much time to react, luckily me and my friend both managed to move over in time and avoid being mounted in the grill of the 4x4.

Question..... If i was wearing a helmet cam (i wasnt though) could video footage like this be used to prosecute? As its idiots like this that cause no end of accidents on lincolnshire roads and plenty around the country but i have never seen it more than since i moved here

Few people have been prosecuted now due to helmet camera footage. That bloke who punched the cyclist, the guy who almost hit something on the cat and fiddle road. If the image quality was good enough and had the reg and the face of the driver I'm sure the police would go for it with a view to convict of dangerous driving.

If you stall in 5th it would be quite hard to get down the box without the engine running. Rock it slightly in each gear before changing down.

Have you checked the compression.

Worst case scenario you could buy an entire second hand engine for a few quid.

When I had a few issues with one, I got a 2004 engine, loom, cdi, clocks and switchgear for less than £200. Worked out cheaper than trial and error replacing stuff.

6.

I could bring cake, but it would be in a sorry state when I arrived

The more secure you make it look, the more it looks like you're hiding something worth nicking!

Stealth is your best weapon. Keep the bike out of sight and as the post above says, be vigilent of people following or taking interest.

I have a host of security measures but nothing visible that makes my garage look unusually secure...And I live is a very low risk area - I'm just paranoid lol!

I did think of this, that's why I'm trying to do everything on the inside of the shed, barring the two locks I'm planning on fitting it should look pretty much the same from the outside.

I presume the shed is in the back garden? In that case, I suggest your best bet is to make the back gates as strong as possible, or if you have none, then hang some!

My bike sits uncovered in our car port, beside the house, but where the driveway goes beside the house, I have erected a pair of 7 foot high Z-frame side-hinge gates with a good lock on them. In order to get through the gates, thieves would have to take a sledgehammer or angle-grinder to them in full view of the street. Their other option would be to smash through our 7 foot high and very solid garden fence at the back, walk the full length of the back garden, then get the bike down a set of steps in the middle of the garden, and up another set at the end. Few thieves are that brazen. They'll go for the easy pickings first.

Got a back gate hung off a brick wall with a padbolt top + bottom, but I park the works van in front of the back gate, so if they wanted it at night then they would have to get in the shed when it's fortified then ride over the van or smash the window and handbrake off job.

I know it's never going to be unnickable, I just want to make it as hard as possible.

If they cant break in, they'll just set it on fire

just lining with 12mm ply would make it difficult enough to get in though the sides/roof, dont think you need steel mesh!

get a good alarm so it makes loads of noise if anyone tries to get in.

I hope not, pretty close to the house, I'd like to think even thieving twats wouldnt risk burning a house down. Maybe wishful thinking.

The only reason I was thinking about the metal is because I could get hold of some pretty cheap, very cheap in fact, my uncle owns a fencing firm, I know he's got a load these that are beyond repair in his yard.

He will also be supplying the wood, it's going to be OSB sheet I'll be lining the inside with, reclaimed, so I was thinking even if they kick through the feather edged boards the metal would ensure they couldn't get through the second layer.

I was looking at those shed alarms, are the battery powered ones any good? No possibility of wiring to the mains unfortunately.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/12/70d50f095275d9c9c516b2e9643ed9b4.jpg

I've got a cracking deal on this 10 month old shed off ebay today. Went to pick it up this afternoon and its already up in the back yard. Problem is it's only feather edged fence boards on 2x2 batons.

I was thinking of reinforcing the roof with more struts out of 3x2, three on each side of the apex, then I'm toying with the idea of lining the inside with steel mesh from those heras frame temporary security fence things. I reckon the wire from three would be enough, fixed to some extra 3x2 batons I'll bolt to the existing uprights, hoping to cover the inside and the roof completely. Then panelling with plywood over the wire mesh.

As for the door, I'm going to reinforce the existing frame, then build a door within the frame, I've just ordered some of those hidden hinges, so when the door is closed the hinges won't be accessible, and I was thinking of two of those round padlocked hasp and staple things you see on the back of van doors, one on the top beam and one on the bottom coach bolted through.

I know it's never going to be as secure as a permenant building, but I'm going to try my best to make it as hard as possible to get inside.

Struggling coming up with something to chain the bike to, cutting a hole in the middle of the floor + concreting a ground anchor in is probably the best bet, but I'm in rented accomodation, and not sure if I can do that.

Any ideas?

Extra suggestions?

Sweet, thatll be a nice job for next weekend on my day off between exercises in brecon, and a wife who is due to pop on the following wednesday... An excuse to live in the garage for a bit at least haha.

Thanks for the help, hopefully i can sort it out.

Use neat acetone & not nail varnish remover, that only has a percentage in, you can normally pick bottles up from chemists for a couple of quid

Acetone is strong stuff, can melt plastic, there's a change you could have stuffed it. Try some t cut or polish and some elbow grease

Proving it is the main problem, when I worked in kitchens I got my sister a part time job washing pots, someone had her radley purse off with about £50 in it out the staff room.

As soon as I found out I went apeshit, I could tell who it was, because one of the newer waiters couldn't look me in the face, and was visibly shaking when I was going mad. I demanded the manager search people's bags before leaving and pretty much everyone else was ok with it barring this little prick but the manager said he didn't have the power to do that.

Looking back I should have just found his bag and emptied it myself, but I was concerned with my job as I had rent to pay (only reason I worked in such a shithole anyway) end result was, my sister wouldn't come back to work there, I walked out not long after, had a massive row with the manager, told him it was theft and constituted gross misconduct, sackable offence, he told me to drop it, I said something along the lines of dropping him, then walked out before I snapped. Never went back, but I know how horrible it makes a working environment when it happens.

If they have a safe you should be able to request that you lock personal belongings in that.

Failing that set some f**ker up, get a load of them napkins that vaguely look like money, have them just on view in a pocket in your bag and set that drift cam up of yours out of sight. If the company still won't take action, post it all over facebook and tag the thieving get in it. Make sure all their freinds and family know what they are like

Kawasaki ones are notoriously slack from standard.

If you look on the sprocket carrier, there will be 5 lugs that knit into the rubbers when it all fits together.

Slip an old bit of innertube over them.

Edit;

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/08/460fdad3a69d515c350439417075fd96.jpg

Them bits, generic photo,

Can you motorway yet ricky?

 

stop swearing!!

bloody motorways on a bike

edit: no he cant

Was thinking about coming down through Wales to avoid miles on the m6, but even that's easier to get to via the motorway. Most likely going to turn a 2hour journey into 4 each way, might get there for a brew then have to get off

Should just be a graphite gasket in the downpipes if you're getting a link pipe with it