What did you do to your bike today?

[Ian Frog]

cleaned the Rex ready for the annual owners club meet this weekend in Oxford. 

going for a trundle in a minute.

I still love this bike the most. 

cheers 

Ian 

[S-Westerly]

Collected the Guzzi from daughter's place and rode it home cross country- Shepperton- Pangbourne- Wantage- Faringdon- Lechlade- Cirencester- home. Pure fun especially in Sport mode. Too many 50 mph limits though.

[jr71]

11 hours ago, Simon Davey said:

Pulled the front brake calipers apart, I even put them back together. They're now a lot cleaner, and with new seals, polished up pistons and new pads. 

They're a bugger to bleed though, and I can still get the lever to the bar on occasion. 

Still went for a 90 minute blap last night though

i bought a vacuum pump off ebay for bleeding the brakes/clutch, takes a couple of minutes using it.

probably the best bang for buck tool ive ever purchased. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391718817400?

[Simon Davey]

1 hour ago, jr71 said:

i bought a vacuum pump off ebay for bleeding the brakes/clutch, takes a couple of minutes using it.

probably the best bang for buck tool ive ever purchased. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391718817400?

 

That's brilliant, cheers. I've actually ordered it as I decided I'd do the master cylinder rebuild too. 

Nice one, thanks again. 

[Trooper74]

Get yourself a 50mm syringe … and a length of silicone fuel tube from a model shop or online  …. Perfect brake bleeding every time …

[Fish]

Collected some new friends  

 

[Geordie Oldie]

Went out for a proper ride on my Hornet, filled her up, it must be the first time in 30 years I have put petrol in a bike, maybe longer. Only took 6 litres, I will have to check the volume of the tank.

 

Rode down the A1 from Northumberland to my mates house in Durham, rather foolishly I had forgotten what the A1  is like on a Friday afternoon ( retired) it was at a virtually standstill and difficult to filter due to narrow lanes and road works.

 

Took me 90 minutes to do 40 miles. One scary moment where I had turned the fuel tap to off instead of normal and I thought I had broken down.

 

My hips were hurting from the riding position, hopefully that will get better with time.

 

I am totally besotted with biking again and that bike in particular.

[Nick the wanderer]

21 minutes ago, Geordie Oldie said:

Went out for a proper ride on my Hornet, filled her up, it must be the first time in 30 years I have put petrol in a bike, maybe longer. Only took 6 litres, I will have to check the volume of the tank.

 

Rode down the A1 from Northumberland to my mates house in Durham, rather foolishly I had forgotten what the A1  is like on a Friday afternoon ( retired) it was at a virtually standstill and difficult to filter due to narrow lanes and road works.

 

Took me 90 minutes to do 40 miles. One scary moment where I had turned the fuel tap to off instead of normal and I thought I had broken down.

 

My hips were hurting from the riding position, hopefully that will get better with time.

 

I am totally besotted with biking again and that bike in particular.

I avoid the motorways/ dual carriageways as much as possible and try and find the A/B roads for a more leisurely ride.

[RideWithStyles]

16-19ltrs

Edited May 15 by RideWithStyles

[Geordie Oldie]

3 hours ago, RideWithStyles said:

16-19ltrs depending on specific bike.

bikes can be very fugal with if ridden lightly in the right circumstance's though 6 ltrs used for 40miles is 30mpg so you mustn't be pottering about? 

I filled it up before I set off.

 

Also it was 80 miles round trip.coming back was quicker but still best part of an hour.

 

 

Edited May 11 by Geordie Oldie

[S-Westerly]

11 hours ago, Geordie Oldie said:

Went out for a proper ride on my Hornet, filled her up, it must be the first time in 30 years I have put petrol in a bike, maybe longer. Only took 6 litres, I will have to check the volume of the tank.

 

Rode down the A1 from Northumberland to my mates house in Durham, rather foolishly I had forgotten what the A1  is like on a Friday afternoon ( retired) it was at a virtually standstill and difficult to filter due to narrow lanes and road works.

I always avoid the A1 on busy days or times unless I've absolutely no choice.  Going from my dad's in Morpeth to my daughter's in Barnard Castle the A68 isn't a bad way and you can cut across the moors etc. Of course if he's on the flat bit of Durham near the coast you're screwed.

Edited May 11 by S-Westerly

[Geordie Oldie]

1 hour ago, S-Westerly said:

I always avoid the A1 on busy days or times unless I've absolutely no choice.  Going from my dad's in Morpeth to my daughter's in Barnard Castle the A68 isn't a bad way and you can cut across the moors etc. Of course if he's on the flat bit of Durham near the coast you're screwed.

Spennymoor,  I thought about the A68.

[S-Westerly]

Just now, Geordie Oldie said:

Spennymoor,  I thought about the A68.

A68 to Firtree then cut across to Bishop and then Spennymoor.  Done it myself and parts of the A68 are a lot of fun. Still have slow cars etc but plenty of chances to pass.

[Tinkicker]

Float gaskets arrived saturday lunchtime, so fitted those and fitted the carbs back on the bike.  Plugged in my remote fuel tank and  propped it up high to get a good head of fuel.  No leaks and no overflows.  Started bike to get fuel pump pressure.  No leaks and no overflows.

 

Left remote tank plugged in to keep more head pressure in the system than the bikes own fuel tank, locked shed and had beer.

 

This morning, looked in.  Remote tank level had not changed, oil level had not changed and no sign of overflowing float vents.

 

Then calibrated the gauges on cylinder 1 and balanced the carbs.  Hate it.  Whoever designed that carb rack and adjuster setup is a damnable sadist.  You cannot even see the screws, everything has to be done by feel and in a small space, surrounded by sharp,  red hot bits of engine.  

 

Not a place you want to be sticking your hand in.  My right paw is a bit of a burned, bruised mess this afternoon.

 

 

But carbs are balanced to within specified tolerance. Fuel tank is back on the bike and connected up.  Fuel is off.  I have discovered that with seat removed and a long JIS screwdriver, you can turn the tap on and off by using the tap lever securing screw to operate the tap.  Lesson learned.  From now on the default setting for that tap when in the shed is OFF.

 

Carbs now within spec and a nice smooth idle.  They were not far out in any case.  My initial bench setup worked very well.  Always check the calibration of the gauges against each other before starting to synch the carbs.  

 

 

 

Edited May 12 by Tinkicker

[S-Westerly]

4 hours ago, Tinkicker said:

Float gaskets arrived saturday lunchtime, so fitted those and fitted the carbs back on the bike.  Plugged in my remote fuel tank and  propped it up high to get a good head of fuel.  No leaks and no overflows.  Started bike to get fuel pump pressure.  No leaks and no overflows.

 

Left remote tank plugged in to keep more head pressure in the system than the bikes own fuel tank, locked shed and had beer.

 

This morning, looked in.  Remote tank level had not changed, oil level had not changed and no sign of overflowing float vents.

 

Then calibrated the gauges on cylinder 1 and balanced the carbs.  Hate it.  Whoever designed that carb rack and adjuster setup is a damnable sadist.  You cannot even see the screws, everything has to be done by feel and in a small space, surrounded by sharp,  red hot bits of engine.  

 

Not a place you want to be sticking your hand in.  My right paw is a bit of a burned, bruised mess this afternoon.

 

 

But carbs are balanced to within specified tolerance. Fuel tank is back on the bike and connected up.  Fuel is off.  I have discovered that with seat removed and a long JIS screwdriver, you can turn the tap on and off by using the tap lever securing screw to operate the tap.  Lesson learned.  From now on the default setting for that tap when in the shed is OFF.

 

Carbs now within spec and a nice smooth idle.  They were not far out in any case.  My initial bench setup worked very well.  Always check the calibration of the gauges against each other before starting to synch the carbs.  

 

 

 

Braver man than me.

[peepae]

On 04/05/2024 at 00:05, Joe85 said:

Well, i managed to get it up (relatively) straight. I quite like it. 

What jeans are those? They look quite good.

[S-Westerly]

Changed the end can from this:

 

to this:

I think it looks better. Unfortunately the utterly hideous catalyser is even more visible. Why can manufacturers not make a cat system that looks anything better than ugly and goes downhill from that?

 

[Simon Davey]

7 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

Changed the end can from this:

 

to this:

I think it looks better. Unfortunately the utterly hideous catalyser is even more visible. Why can manufacturers not make a cat system that looks anything better than ugly and goes downhill from that?

 

 

 

Looks very smart, I really like the heat shield.

You're only seeing a tiny bit more of the cat, it's just more noticeable because the new can is smaller than the original.

How about some matt black fire paint? The kind they spray on log burners etc, that would hide the cat.

Something like this (although this is a paint) https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-sp5-heat-resistant-stove-paint-matt-b/

 

[S-Westerly]

45 minutes ago, Simon Davey said:

 

 

Looks very smart, I really like the heat shield.

You're only seeing a tiny bit more of the cat, it's just more noticeable because the new can is smaller than the original.

How about some matt black fire paint? The kind they spray on log burners etc, that would hide the cat.

Something like this (although this is a paint) https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-sp5-heat-resistant-stove-paint-matt-b/

 

That's actually not a bad idea. A paint on version would work as I don't want overspray and with no garage I don't really want to dismantle the system.

[RideWithStyles]

sa

Edited May 15 by RideWithStyles

[skyrider]

9 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

Changed the end can from this:

 

to this:

I think it looks better. Unfortunately the utterly hideous catalyser is even more visible. Why can manufacturers not make a cat system that looks anything better than ugly and goes downhill from that?

 

the joys of modern bike ownership classics never had these hideous things 

[Gerontious]

15 minutes ago, skyrider said:

the joys of modern bike ownership classics never had these hideous things 

it’s a choice if the bikes designer to make these things obviously visible. There is no need to - the one on my GS was invisible, unless I got down in my hands and knees. And as that was one of the first cats on a bike that appeared in 1993. It seems ridiculous and just plain lazy for this to be an issue 30 years later.

[curlylegend]

1 hour ago, skyrider said:

the joys of modern bike ownership classics never had these hideous things 

You do wonder though, don't you ?   Modern motorcycles engines are very efficient. But a Boeing airliner taking off will burn through over 500gallons of fuel, and how many planes take off and land every day around London for example ?  Compared to this, motorcycles are unlikely to be doing much damage to the environment. 

Vegan and vegetarian flatulence probably contributes as much pollution as motorcycles.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

19 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

Changed the end can from this:

 

to this:

I think it looks better. Unfortunately the utterly hideous catalyser is even more visible. Why can manufacturers not make a cat system that looks anything better than ugly and goes downhill from that?

 

That does look a whole lot better. I hate those huge end cans on modern bikes.

 

Re the cat....one reason I'm a fan of the Bobber is that the cat is very cleverly hidden. There are then two dummy covers that hide where the real exhaust enters and exits the cat. It makes look like a straight through system. So it can be done. 

 

Black high temp paint works and will certainly hide the cat visually.  I use it on the CBF downpipes which are mild steel (Honda you cheapskates) but you need to repaint a couple of times a year as it doesn't survive the underside of motorcycles for long. 

[Nick the wanderer]

9 hours ago, curlylegend said:

Vegan and vegetarian flatulence probably contributes as much pollution as motorcycles.

Ha Haar... I bet your farts smell of roses..