Popular Post Fleck Posted February 24 Popular Post Posted February 24 Cleaned the downpipes with autosol 10 Quote
Mickly Posted February 25 Posted February 25 Gave Katy a rinse & fitted folding mirrors -£13 for the pair, inc post from AliExpress 7 Quote
Shepherd Posted February 27 Posted February 27 Took the scenic route to the Essex/Suffolk border today to visit my daughter. Around 125 miles was enough for me to decide the Deauville is no longer the bike for me, I'm just too lanky. It doesn't give me the smile that my Versys does either. So, I'll be prepping it again for sale, after trying last year and getting the run around with time wasters. What's the best site to sell these days, is it still ebay? I don't do faceache/ twatter etc, so not a lot of options. 2 Quote
Simon Davey Posted February 28 Posted February 28 (edited) @Shepherd eBay should sell it. I'm always on there looking at bikes I can't afford. Any bikes I watch out of interest, always go for a good price. Edited February 28 by Simon Davey 3 Quote
onesea Posted February 28 Posted February 28 1 hour ago, Simon Davey said: @Shepherd eBay should sell it. I'm always on there looking at bikes I can't afford. Any bikes I watch out of interest, always go for a good price. I have always found GumTree slow but reliable and free, often with sister listing on FB as classified. Wait until classified add is passed often people wait till it’s not sold then make an offer - sometimes silly some times sensible. 4 Quote
Tinkicker Posted February 28 Posted February 28 (edited) I strolled out to the shed, looked through the window and noted the battery voltages with solar panel in full sun, 13.7V so all good. It has been a particularly dismal winter this winter, so I have had to top up a couple of times with the charger, not because the solar array was not charging the batteries, but because the grey murk would not allow the solar panel to produce enough voltage to fully charge them. The odd sunny day was spent in building up the capacity of the bulk storage battery and not enough time to fully charge them both. On the couple of occasions when the voltage dropped to 12.5V, it was time to intervene with a quick overnight top up. I stood there, staring at the VFR under its blanket, hands in pockets for a time and thought that with the Ides of March approaching, it was time to actually do something constructive. So armed with a 12mm socket, a 13mm spanner, and a 19mm socket; we have the rear wheel of the VFR out in around 5 mins. Intention is to take it to the local bike shop in the morning, order a pair of Michelin Road 6s and leave the wheel with them. Collect it next weekend, refit and then remove the front wheel for the front tyre fitting. I will have it ready for pulling the loose spindle tomorrow after I drop off the rear. Do not want it balancing precariously on a jack and the centre stand without wheels all week. You know how my luck goes... Shame about the tyres because the Bridgestones have well over 3mm tread left, but were manufactured in 2012. A rare burst of winter activity... Little yeller will be brought back to life sometime in March and both the VFR and DT175 will be recommissioned in April. Panel will not produce more than 12.5V on a grey, cloudy winter day, so batteries will slowly discharge to that level if we have a very long run of cloudy days.. Full sun, the system produces around 13.8V which is all the voltage the solar controller will allow across to the batteries. A couple of days of full sun and we are showing 13.7V, indicating both batteries are fully charged. (Pics taken while building the system last year, not today.). Voltage drops to a nominal 12.8V overnight when the charge current stops. In these pics, bulk storage is showing 13.4V and the controller is banging 1.6A into it to bring it up to full capacity.. The controller is allowing a 0.1A maintenance charge across to the bike battery. Temp in the shed this afternoon is a giddy 19C. Which is fully charged and showing 13.2V in this pic (13.7V today) This particular voltmeter can only show the voltage across the bike battery terminals, it is independent of the solar charger and bulk battery. flick the switch and the display goes blank as it is powered directly from the bike battery, even though there is current from the solar charger present in the system. Edited February 28 by Tinkicker 4 Quote
Mawsley Posted February 28 Posted February 28 Rack fitted, tax paid - kit laid out ready for the first proper ride of the year. Got to leave at 8 to get to the meet-up, going to kill me getting up before 11 on a Saturday. 4 Quote
Tinkicker Posted March 1 Posted March 1 (edited) Toddled over to SJ Biketech in selby with rear wheel in hand. To my surprise, the bloke remembered me and the VFR straight away. Twas he who did the MOT. Anyhoo. A pair of Michelin road 6s duly ordered and paid for. £371 inc fitting, new valve and balance. Duly stoked, in a very rare burst of winter energy, back in the shed, front calipers removed and front spindle ready to tug straight out as soon as I get the front end jacked up. Also ordered four new rear wheel nuts from CMSNL. Expensive shipping at £14, but the discounted price compared with traditional UK suppliers made it cheaper to buy from the Netherlands. CMSL price 6.50. Some vendors in the UK wanted anything from over a tenner each, plus a fiver shipping, to almost £20 each in one barmy case. It has gone cloudy and my rare burst of winter energy is over.... Edited March 1 by Tinkicker 4 Quote
Mickly Posted March 1 Posted March 1 Woke the Speedtriple from its winter hibernation, started on the button, put a bit of air in the tyres, everything working fine, out for a bimble tomorrow to the Piston Club with some mates. Taxed it, MoT next week. 3 Quote
Bianco2564 Posted March 1 Posted March 1 Last weekend hauled the RGV out into the sunshine, reconnected the power valves, removed the rear subframe for paint and cleaned up the main loom. Today I fitted a new battery to the R1 and tried to start it up. It was always a bit reluctant to start after being laid up, not run it for probably 6 mths. Spun over ok and made an occasional cough but it wasnt having any of it. It smelt a bit flooded so took the tank, air box and plugs out. Dried the plugs out and tried again, nope nothing. Tried for a spark with a plug resting on the frame, nothing which was odd as it ran ok the last time. Unplugged and reconnected the cdi unit, checked the main fuses, both still ok but one felt quite loose it it’s holder. Gave the terminals a little squeeze and put it back in. Tried for spark again and it was all good. Tried again and it fired up straight away and sounded really sweet. I did spot a pool of coolant on top of the head where a pipe connects, suspect it’s probably an o ring, a bit more investigation required. Sadly it’s unlikely I’ll be riding either this year, I suffered a mild stroke in November and currently not able to drive/ride 11 Quote
bud Posted March 1 Posted March 1 1 hour ago, Bianco2564 said: Last weekend hauled the RGV out into the sunshine, reconnected the power valves, removed the rear subframe for paint and cleaned up the main loom. Today I fitted a new battery to the R1 and tried to start it up. It was always a bit reluctant to start after being laid up, not run it for probably 6 mths. Spun over ok and made an occasional cough but it wasnt having any of it. It smelt a bit flooded so took the tank, air box and plugs out. Dried the plugs out and tried again, nope nothing. Tried for a spark with a plug resting on the frame, nothing which was odd as it ran ok the last time. Unplugged and reconnected the cdi unit, checked the main fuses, both still ok but one felt quite loose it it’s holder. Gave the terminals a little squeeze and put it back in. Tried for spark again and it was all good. Tried again and it fired up straight away and sounded really sweet. I did spot a pool of coolant on top of the head where a pipe connects, suspect it’s probably an o ring, a bit more investigation required. Sadly it’s unlikely I’ll be riding either this year, I suffered a mild stroke in November and currently not able to drive/ride That really sucks. I hope they give you the all clear to ride soon. You have two cracking bikes waiting for a good blast. 1 Quote
bud Posted March 1 Posted March 1 On 24/02/2025 at 23:21, Fleck said: Cleaned the downpipes with autosol Are the new new hornet down pipes stainless like the old hornets were? Quote
Fleck Posted March 1 Posted March 1 20 minutes ago, bud said: Are the new new hornet down pipes stainless like the old hornets were? Yes 1 Quote
Tinkicker Posted March 2 Posted March 2 I can only copy what everyone else has said. Get better soonest. You are a biker, bikers are tough. Sometimes I forget that, I will make you a deal. Get better, arrange a ride and I will take my beloved veteran VFR out on a ride with you, no matter the weather. Sun, rain, fog, the works. 4 Quote
Tinkicker Posted March 2 Posted March 2 (edited) 10 hours ago, Simon Davey said: £20! That's nuts...... (I'll get my coat) Here is your coat sir... A respectable try nevertheless. God loves a trier.... Better than I could do... Edited March 2 by Tinkicker 2 Quote
V650 Posted March 2 Posted March 2 (edited) Finally got round to finishing the alarm install Getting slower in my old age Hardest part is trying to find somewhere to hide all the gubbins I didn't want to try tap in to the led indicators as the ones on the bike are about 3V and the alarm output is 12 V to the flashers so I ordered some tiny indicators off Ali and ran a couple of cables just for to something flash when arming and disarming I put waterproof connectors at the front and rear so that I can remove the rear rack or the light bar if needed https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004305843800.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.42.718a18028bKj6x https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005682033378.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.11.68c61802XFHhQ6 The waterproof connectors were a little bigger than I expected Edited March 2 by V650 2 Quote
Simon Davey Posted March 2 Posted March 2 Those extra indicators are a great idea @V650, good placement too. 1 Quote
Simon Davey Posted March 2 Posted March 2 @V650 Out of interest, is the alarm remote controlled? (It's pretty obvious it is), but does it automatically arm if the bike is left for a while? Quote
V650 Posted March 2 Posted March 2 1 hour ago, Simon Davey said: @V650 Out of interest, is the alarm remote controlled? (It's pretty obvious it is), but does it automatically arm if the bike is left for a while? Yep remote Yep if you disarm it flashes twice & chirps and if you don't do anything (like getting on the bike or moving it) it rearms itself after 30 seconds Pressing the disarm twice stops the automatic rearming 1 Quote
RideWithStyles Posted March 3 Posted March 3 Get well soon bianco. . well I decided to change oil on the gsf, last time done in late 23 and only done just over 2 thou mls since then so not many miles . the filter looked quite clean inside, oil condition wasnt bad, no shiny bits, yet some odd clumps and foreign matter was in the pan. looked and felt like little bit of jelly, separation, somehow with tiny stones (they were hard) mixed in with it, so what exactly it was or how they got in there im not sure. sorry no pics unfortunately as I was pushed to sort out other matters. quite liked the racing filter with nut on the top, though working out what torque setting it likes was fun.. Trying to get the cap off the filter afterward took more effort than really wanted so at least now next time I won’t have to bother with it. so what went in was cheap oil, my plan now will be to change it at the end of this year again and see what drop outs this time… 3 Quote
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