Tinkicker

Electrical testing 101. Disconnect the relay exciter wire ( small wire to relay) and touch a piece of decently sized wire between the relay exciter terminal and the battery positive. If the starter spins, you have a problem in the exciter circuit, either a bad fuse, bad connection, bad ignition switch or handlebar switch. Buy a cheap multimeter ( because you may damage a non pro type, specially designed for this type of testing, doing the test) and connect one end to the battery positive and the other end to the starter relay positive in terminal ( with battery cable fitted as normal). Set multimeter to amps. Press the starter button. If the multimeter shows zero amps, or very low milliamps during your test, it shows you have got good connections at each end of the cable and the cable itself is good. If the multimeter stops working, you have blown an internal 10a fuse in the meter due to high current flowing through it, and the cable or connections are bad. You could also before testing the cable, first, test the connections at each end of the cable in the same way. Cable terminal to relay post and terminal at other end of the cable to battery post. If both show zero amps and then you blow the meter when testing the cable itself, you know you have a bad cable. Repeat from relay to starter motor. Then test the ground side cables and connections. Battery voltages. 12.7 and im in heaven. 12.5 im still alive. 12.1. Some work needs to be done.....

A nice little ride out on the VFR around Elvington/ York area this morning. On my way back to Selby, I called in the Strawberry Fields Cafe. It is on the A19 at Crockey Hill. I don't normally "do" bikers cafes, but since I was passing..... I stopped in for a frothy coffee. Rude not to. 11am on a Friday morning and there were perhaps 20 bikes there. From what I have seen when passing previously, that seems to be the norm. It is not a massive bikers haunt with hundreds of bikes parked up. I would have shuddered and rode on by if it was. Hate poseur places. Strawberry fields just seems to be a biker friendly place, run by from what I witnessed, a biking family and a place to drop by for a quick butty on your way somewhere else; not spend all day strutting around in baggy arsed one piece leathers. I have even seen hardy bikers parked there on a wet winter Saturday afternoon. A shit pic taken furtively. I did not take a pic of the bikes lined up because it would be wrong to photo their reg plates. Coffee was OK. Not fantastic, but frothy and drinkable. I am on holiday again next week, and given the shennanigans I had while sampling cafe food during my last week off, I gave the burger in a bun a miss.

Everyone has given entirely reasonable advice and I cannot add anything to what has been said, also I do not have any direct experience to this model. However, the elephant in the room is the metallic particles in the oil. I focus on this. If it is making metal in the oil, this should be your primary concern. First port if call is identify the debris. Will it all stick to a magnet? Compression, if over 85 psi should allow it to run. Not well, but it should start just about. Timing. Yup. Could affect compression. Valve clearances were out of adjustment. Possiby also affect compression if too tight or too slack. We have a very rapidly deteriorating situation where we have good running, poor running and no running. And those shavings in the oil... And thanks to google in regards to how the engine is constructed.. I would be looking to pull the cam and examine the cam bearings. Are they seized or worn and spinning in the cam holder? The way the holder is constructed would suggest the bearings are a clearance fit twixt holder and bearing. If a bearing is getting a sufficiently stiff to turn, it would spin in the holder rather than spin itself. Poor oil, lack of maintenance and possibly poor oil flow to the top end will quickly destroy the cam bearings, allowing the cam to float around, not doing cammy things very well. Only needs a small amount of play. A bit of delving shows a brand new cam holder is around £25 from honda. This seems to be in almost service item territory. I was shocked.. Is this showing a very popular replacement item, and or a nod from honda that it can be problematic? Just something to throw in the mix.....

Not really...

I have no knowledge of the "fuel" exhaust system, nor the earlier models than the RC36; but I do know that both the original honda RC36 system and the aftermarket system I have, use clamps to hold the headers and collector together. Perhaps someone forgot thes clamps? If not, you could aways cut slots into your collector sleeves and add clamps to hold it together.

Just buy a bigger bike...

Nope. The 50 and 80 have different throw cranks.

Phoned the guy this afternoon. It is not THE ONE. Everything added up, correct colour, model, month and year of registration, general location and carbon fibre rear hugger. The registration number says otherwise. Thanks for the help Harry... I was gutted. A reaction I was not really expecting. I had already planned a space for it. My baby is still out there. R757KUG Where art thou? Everything correct, bar the reg number and of course the hideous gold painted bits.

So after much sweat dripping off nose and out of hair, including two blokes simultaneously whaling away with two 20lb sledgehammers to get the brake housings off the axle case, job done. Just got to lift the diff assembly out tomorrow. Everything is undone, just need the overhead crane, which someone else was using. Before removing the brake housings, I recalled describing the internal brake system on here and also that bigger stuff have the brakes acting directly on the hub, and not through the halfshafts like the smaller stuff. Hub removed, outer brake housing reaction plate removed and we have the brake disc assembly exposed. Time for a pic...

I love Norfolk. My favourite place to dream to live in the UK is just down the road from Cromer. A place called Mundesley.

You have caught me at somewhat of a disadvantage. I have embibed a beer or ten. So my judgement may not be what it could have been when responding. However. I refer you to my previous post re CRF300. " also good on the road", or words to that effect. Do not try to play the victim. You like to portray yourself as the "dashing rebel". A bit edgy. I have seen it all, and a good part of my previous life was fighting ambulance chasing lawyers against " experienced motorcyclists" who thought they knew how to ride motorcycles off road, thought it would be a jolly jape, and failed miserably; and suddenly, despite being offered tuition which they declined, and signing legally binding disclaimers, decided it was all our fault for finding themselves with broken legs/ arms/ ankles. So sorry. I do not find you to be very much of a contest, nor someone to take anything you say seriously " mental, that sounds good". You are playing at riding motorcycles. And motorcycles do not like that. They WILL bite you on the ass, completely and irrevocably. I think you need to find another pastime. Try speed knitting, or painting landscapes. Something your ego will not get you killed or maimed doing. Classic. A fool and his money are easily parted. And the weak will always try to favour the powerful... I wonder how many WR 450s are languishing in garages up.and down the country because their owners had more money than sense or knowledge... Its bigger and more expensive.. Must be sicker. Stands to reason dunnit? Ooh shit, I hate it. It has a mind of its own.... I will put it in the corner, throw a blanket over it, and avoid any conversation with the missus about it. It never existed.... I offer good advice and am trying mightily to save your C2 vertibrae, ensure you have some fun, and try to.avoid wasting the contents of your wallet. In the end it is your life and your decision. I accept from what I have learned from your posts, you will not listen to a single word of advice that anyone has offered here, despite you asking for it. Do what the feck you want. I will not be chipping in £20 for a wreath though. Done.

Looking forward to an easy week next week. Driver went to ICL Boulby to pick up a Clarke Hurth axle from a Manitou telehandler. Nice week for once. Driver gets there and looks for the axle. Apparently it was coming up from pit bottom in the materials elevator. Said elevator appears with two axles and a bloke in a hard hat and clipboard. One, the Clarke Hurth. The other a Clarke 19D. Worthy with clipboard says " theres ya two axles" Driver says I cannot get two on without being overloaded..I only came for the smaller one. "Oh well, the big un is urgent, machine is stood, we already have a recon manitou axle in stores, you will have to come back for the manitou on monday". Just great. I think I may throw a sickie. Manitou Telehandler.. Clarke 19Ds fitted in an Atlas Copco/ Wagner ST7. Aw Crap. Much sweat and tears in my future. Already sweated buckets over it on thursday. Right hand side final reduction gears have completely shat themselves. Every thing welded together with the heat involved. Took three hours to get the hub off. Usually a half hour job.

Thanks Ian. I have fired off an email asking if part of the registration number matches a fairly famous aircraft. Of course, being an aviation nut, I picked that very registration from a choice of several. Colour is correct. General part of the country is correct. Some rarely seen carbon fibre accessories on VFRs that I fitted back in the day are correct. I have watched every VFR for those accessories for years without result. And the approximate date of registration is correct. It was a birthday present from the missus when we lived in far wealthier, but more stress laden times. Of course, other things are different. When I sold it, it was in showroom condition. It has had the " usual" modifications. Missus says if it is our old one, we will have it. We toured the country on it. It is expensive though. I will not be offering the asking price. Remains to be seen if I get a good answer.

Often said that I loved my brand new 1997 VFR750 back in the day and wished I never sold it. Now I have a fully restored, to as factory fresh replacement. I knew the original was still around, but never knew where. I strongly suspect I have tracked it down. What to do? I have 3 bikes already and have nowhere to keep number 4. I have considered stripping both bikes and putting all the new and fully rebuilt parts onto my old bike and all of the serviceable parts from the old bike, onto my present one, then selling it on as a very tidy but cheaper one than it is currently valued at. My present one has a fair bit higher mileage than the old one. Clearly I have no use for two VFRs. However I would hate to disrespect my present bike thus. It does not deserve such treatment. As said, it is fully restored. I think I first need to ascertain if it is indeed my old bike, most of the evidence points to it. Restored to as factory fresh at great expense. Could I bring myself to break the poor thing down, and more importantly, should I?

Same guy in both pics.. Your dream. The reality. Eddie Kidd. Formidable motocross racer and stunt rider.. Wayne Rainey. 3x World Champion Grand Prix rider. What a hero. Severed his spinal cord while sliding over loose gravel on his back. World Championship Extreme Enduro event.. How many WR 450s do you see in this pic? Answer, probably none. You will be very unlikely to find one bigger than 300cc. Keep it real. I am not stumping up £20 towards a forum wreath. Learn to walk before you try running......

I am going to be very cruel and very deliberate in this post. I do not want to be, but I do it for your own good. You leave me no choice. I should step away and let you get on with it, but I will leave you with this observation. I am done with this thread. You clearly have no idea of "off road". It is well documentented on here that I have competed for many the year in on and off road pursuits, both in an amateur and professional capacity. I do have a wealth of knowledge in this "area". Your idea of " mental sounds good" combined with your obvious zero comprehension of off road technique leads me to two prophesies in your future. 1. A trip in a air ambulance. 2. A very intimate relationship with a wheelchair. Your choice. Rein in your ego. It will hurt you. Better riders than I now know about wheelchair cushion sores... Riding motorcycles to the limit is a game of chance. Good riders always stack the odds of success in their favour, not against and even that often is not enough..

Honda CRF300 Rally. Perfect for those with little off road experience and decent enough on road too. Too much power per experience / talent unit is extremely tiring after a day on the trails. Hell, even little yeller has more than enough power to get the inexperienced into trail riding "difficulty". Little yeller. Mad as a box of frogs.

1st port of call is to get the carbs balanced.

Me thinks you are quite hiding your light under bushel...

Do you get to fly home while they are swapping it out?

Indeed. We ran 6x CB500s for early DAS training at the motorcycle activity centre. Of course, all that slow speed running, U turns and emergency stops meant a hard life. Apart from fork seals, tyres, brake pads, steering head bearings and new brake hoses every 40,000 miles or so, nothing really went wrong with them. They all needed clutches changed at least once in their 75,000 mile lifespan, and I did the oil pump chain at the same time, but nothing else ever really went wrong. Edit.. The sprocket carrier bearing was one to keep an eye on also... Great little bikes. Dead easy to work on.

Suzuki burgmann...

Some will, some won't. The deciding factor is where the puncture is. If it is more than halfway across towards the sidewall from the tread centre line. most will not.

Back in the day, I had a new honda blackbird. 400 miles on the clock. Z rated tyres. I got an old split pin puncturing the rear tyre. I had and was in charge of a fully equipped motorcycle repair workshop, complete with mushroom plugs to repair tubeless tyre punctures professionally. However Z rated tyres should not be repaired. On the other hand, I would not very likely be sustaining 180mph plus. So what to do? I thought and thought. I hated looking at that rear wheel with an almost brand new tyre sat in the corner. A lot of dosh on the line. I picked up my tool of choice.. A hacksaw, very literally ran at the wheel and hacked a wide cut into the tyre. Then got on the phone to order a very expensive replacement. I removed any choice I had in the matter. True story. I have devoted my entire career to absolute vehicular roadworthyness. I had to and do, apply that to my own vehicles, no matter the cost, else how could I possibly advise others to do the right thing? I practice what I preach. At the end of the day, You ave not given enough detail to hazard a guess as to your course of action. But as my mentor once told me to great and lifelong lasting effect. You examine a part to see if it is still serviceable. If you have to procrastinate more than a couple of seconds of its suitability, clearly it is not serviceable. Clearly you have thought long and hard, and finally asked advice on an internet forum.... You are not happy... The tyre is not, in your mind, fully serviceable in its present state. Two options. 1. One, have it professionally repaired. 2. Have it replaced. It is the only way you will have faith in it.

It's for when riding off road in deep ruts. It will not allow the pedals to bend far enough back that they break off when you straighten them at the side of the trail. Quite a common practice back in the day.