Nick the wanderer

I hope you are not in Baltimore..

No me neither..

Yeah l agree, it seemed to take me ages to get some link pipes that fitted to keep it a 4 into 2. I had to get some Viper ones shimmed up, so when l got those sorted I wanted to try them out as soon as possible. That and me being a tight arse l got those cheap, to try them out. They have baffles and sound really really good so l thought they'll do for now. Still have a search for a pair of cans saved on eBay but l just moved on to the Yamaha, like you do...

I boosted Pecco I was convinced he was going to do well.. aaarrr.. A couple more tweeks to be had now. I'm a bit annoyed with myself I didn't pay more attention when choosing my teams and the points scoring system. My mission now is not to come last!

Hi, yes as above, like it would be when you look at anything second hand. I don't know anything much about the models you show, so the basics, do they look worn out and tired, have they been dropped etc. Go and talk to the sellers and see what they say, ask them what's wrong with them (the bike) Just go and find out as much as you can, you'll be surprised what you learn along the way. You said (in another thread I think) there are a lot of chinese 125's there. One of the reasons they are not good over here is because there is no real service/parts back up. As well as the quality being lower than say japanese bikes. But because there is so many over there I wouldn't discount one of those, if everyone has them there must be a lot of local knowledge and plenty of cheap spares. They can't all be bad, can they?

I'd be looking for what fits best to start with. You may find the virago cruiser type bikes too low/small. Go and have a sit on few and get a feel.

Its down to the MOT tester basically. I use an aftermarket exhaust and never change it. It doesn't need to have a kite mark or anything. It should also not say 'for race use only' or 'not for road use' which would give your tester an excuse to fail it. If it's sound and solid and not offensive it should pass. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-motorcycles/8-exhaust-noise#:~:text=The exhaust system and silencer,standard silencer in

Easy enough to do an oil and filter change on these the conventional way, just remember to fit a new crush washer on the sump plug bolt and don't overtighten them. 23nm only.

Try rotating the plate that you have taken the bolts out of on the shaft. Think bayonet light bulb.

Looks like he never got it back after the third attempt if he's selling all his gear...

ULEZ won't be scrapped whoever gets in so there is not a lot of point just bitching. You need to get up on the rules and play the game, find out what the manufacturer states as emissions for that bike. Which motorbikes are exempt from ULEZ? A significant number of pre-2007 motorcycle are exempt from ULEZ charges. This is because, even though older, they produce less than the 0.15 g/Km of NOx emissions ULEZ and Euro3 was configured to prevent. Some common examples of these are Honda's CBR1100RRXX Super Blackbird, the Ducati Monster 600 and BMW's R1150GS.8 Aug 2023

I have read stories of getting older bikes through the relevant tests. Not sure how because l don't live there but l definitely saw something. So l wouldn't give up just yet. Hopefully someone will be along to point you in the right direction. Ultimately of course burning fossil fuels and polluting the air we breathe will be phased out, but not quite just yet.

Welcome, not sure what to think with the bike getting nicked 3 times bit.

I'm glad the tec guy said that confirms what we thought. Have a good trip.

I strongly disagree with the sliding scale answers myself. I just go straight to the extremes, yes or no. Can't remember the exact scenarios but they were all equally wrong to me.

Folks on the XSR site moan about Yamaha torque settings being too high. The sump bolt in particular being a 15mm drain plug doesn't need 43nm of torque, 25nm is sufficient with a new crush washer. IMO

The easiest way would have been to remove the rear wheel, taking all the weight off the swingarm. Chocking the bike up from underneath the engine or holding it off the floor with straps from the seat area. I know you've done it now but in the future sort of thing. Glad you got it sorted anyway, good job!

Search WK Scrambler parts, it takes you to Quadzilla where you can look up your model and find your part. https://www.quadzillaparts.co.uk/pages/wk-bikes Other bars will fit you need to make sure the sizes are the same diameter. Thickness. They may be different where they clamp to the bike and where the controls fit. Once you know that there are loads out there.

Because you have the back wheel in still you have a lot of forces pushing the swingarm away from where you want it. Including the chain being tight. Get some muscle to help lift the wheel to align it all.

Had that over 20 years thought about getting rid of it a few times but it's still there in the shed. Does sound good too, they are a pair of cans, 4 into 2. Had a GS1000 once but they are the only Suzukis I've had. I've had more Kawasaki's and Yamaha's than anything else.

I think the Norton project is great, a total one off. What could be more interesting and challenging than that?

I'm putting off starting anything garden related for as long as possible..

One day I will get my old 1100 back on the road. The truth is though they are just heavy great lumps to move around in a tight space (my yard) Hence the lighter and noticeably better everything of the Yamaha.

I think Milly does tons of stuff you just don't see. Plus it's a hobby to him now. Henry has all the TV connections. I think they work well together and have a laugh. Didn't they just do a 200 mph two up record? They get out and about.

Yeah that's simple enough l wonder why l never thought of that. DOH.