What did you do to your bike today?

[Fiddlesticks]

We have Cool Covers - basically like the cheap Amazon ones, but fitted to the seat. They are good - you get the advantage of a bit of extra airflow in hot weather, a bit of extra drainage in wet weather and a bit of extra springyness in the seat.

[Gerontious]

14 hours ago, Nick the wanderer said:

One of the things that I keep noticing on this forum is Honda motorcycles really suffer badly from rust.

my bike will be six years old in November and has spent its entire time from new living outside under a cover, which a recently augmented with a tarpaulin as the cover has begun to leak. It’s survived this remarkably well, with some discolouration only on a few of the fasteners. No rust that I can see. I’ve not used any preventative treatment on it. Tend to wash it and just allow it to dry naturally. The only rust I’ve seen thus far is on added parts. Most notably the exhaust hanger which came with them scorpion can. I don’t tend to ride it when the roads are being salted and usually wait for the inevitable rain to wash it away. The worst Honda I’ve ever seen for rust was a Brazilian bike. It was called a CB450DX this was back in the 90s and I was given that piece of crao as a courtesy bike. I felt insulted to have to ride such a wreck. Can’t say I’ve seen many more modern Hondas with corrosion problems. It’s usually the fasteners that people complain about. Or the chain which has suffered from neglect.

[dynax]

Another MOT passed today, no advisories happy days

[bonio]

Rear light fixed

 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

Since both of mine are in bits and waiting for parts I went to the pub

 

 

[Joe85]

I’ve had a moment of madness and bought a £300 seat from Wunderlich.

[Mickly]

1 minute ago, Joe85 said:

I’ve had a moment of madness and bought a £300 seat from Wunderlich.

WTF? Is it a sofa

[Joe85]

2 hours ago, Mickly said:

WTF? Is it a sofa

I’m expecting a pair of hand to massage my arse cheeks for this price.

[Gerontious]

£300 isn’t bad for an aftermarket seat. My own, which is a Sargent would cost me £420 today. Got mine second hand just before brexit kicked in for £250 second hand from a guy in Finland. The high price is mostly related to the seat pan, each bike has a unique base so it costs. A wunderlich will have been made in Germany. I think they use Kahedo to manufacture them and I think it’s pretty certain they don’t pay their staff minimum wage, it’s all relative.

 

Kahedo make seats for German made BMWs as well as those sold by Touratech. And a few others. Good stuff. With some actual care going into the design of their non oem seats.

Edited April 7, 2024 by Gerontious

[husoi]

Yesterday washed all fairing parts for the pan.

Next remove all rust and paint some proper primer.

 

Not convinced about rust converter and read mixed views on the web.

 

Today had a wee trip around the council.

Ansthruder, At Andrews and then back home.

Just in time to avoid the strong winds.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

9 hours ago, husoi said:

Yesterday washed all fairing parts for the pan.

Next remove all rust and paint some proper primer.

 

Not convinced about rust converter and read mixed views on the web.

 

Today had a wee trip around the council.

Ansthruder, At Andrews and then back home.

Just in time to avoid the strong winds.

I used to restore rusty old cars and there's no rust converter that stops rust completely. I used a variety of treatments that slowed it down but once it's in the metal you won't kill it dead. 

 

The most important thing is to remove as much corrosion as possible and get back to clean metal. Then use a really good primer. Then a really good finishing coat. That makes more difference than any rust converter. 

 

Rustoleum stuff is pretty good. My favourite anti rust primer is Bonda, it says it has a high zinc content. I've used it on very rusty bodyshells and it lasts longer than anything else I've found. 

 

Forget Hammerite paints. Useless over metal with any trace of corrosion. 

 

Ronseal NoRust is actually a very good top coat for previously rusty metal. 

 

 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

The replacement spacers have arrived from TEC....with rather a lot of stickers!

 

 

 

 

[Simon Davey]

22 minutes ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

The replacement spacers have arrived from TEC....with rather a lot of stickers!

 

 

 

 

 

That was quick with the spacers, hope they do the trick. 

Most of those decals aren't particularly subtle 

[Nick the wanderer]

Love a sticker me,  got hundreds of them, good to collect if you like collecting stuff because they take up very little room.

[Tinkicker]

Finally got to refit the squeaky clean carbs on the VFR.  Filled the float bowls with Aspen Alkylate fuel to check for leaks, then ran it through the fuel pump and pipework till it started running out of the end of the pipe that fits to the carb fuel inlet.

 

With trepidation, I pressed the button.

 

It fired straight up on all four cylinders and settled straight down to idle..  

 

All that work because of crap modern fuel.

 

Even better, listening to the carbs telling me their tale, it seems like my bench synchronisation has worked great.  No need to put the vacuum gauges on to check.  They are very even.

 

Glad about that.  VFR carbs are an absolute PITA to balance.

Edited April 8, 2024 by Tinkicker

[Fish]

Not today, but over the weekend I had the chance to take an MT10 out for an extended test ride, so used that to go down and test ride a 765RS. Thought it would be naughty if I didnt take advantage. The 10 was a lot more forgiving that I expected from such a heavy weight, the 765 was a much better ride than my previous demo 765. Suspension was much more as expected, as in on the harder side. If the weather is good again this Saturday, I'm looking to take an Aprilia R660 and Tuono 660 Facotry out, after that the last on my 'test ride' list is the MT09SP.

 

[Joe85]

On 07/04/2024 at 16:42, Joe85 said:

I’ve had a moment of madness and bought a £300 seat from Wunderlich.

So I received the seat… and it is rock effing hard. It’s certainly thicker than the stock seat but it might as well be a length of 4x2. Absolutely solid slab of a seat.

“Comfort” my arse. I think I’d have more comfort sitting on the tank.

 

Edited April 10, 2024 by Joe85

[S-Westerly]

Gel insert?

[Ian Frog]

Bath time for 2 of the girls! 

in fairness we have been using these 2 on and off since Feb so I can't deny it was necessary. 

looking at the weather forecast the weekend looks ok as well.

cheers

Ian 

[Simon Davey]

7 hours ago, Angela Collen said:

Gel pads are your best friend, had them fitted in my new seat during restoration, you can get different grades, they are so worth it!!

 

You've got me looking at those, I'm going to buy an external one, rather than pull my seat apart. 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

New radiator fitted a refilled with fresh coolant. I ran out of time so didn't get the fuel tank back on. That will have to wait until tomorrow.  

[Fender1515]

First Ride of the year 

Bike sailed through MOT, love those guys at BSA Tyres and Exhausts, proper bikers garage, the guys do the NC500 most years, which  i am going to ride this year, we talked through their experiences stuff., priceless.

Then flew through the Peak District and landed in Buxton, with the biggest grin.

I love that first first ride of the year, it's like a portal to happy times opens up, always a bit of a challenge getting dialled in  tackling Holme Moss Hill,  the views are stunning, the condition of the road was not, deep pot holes and road surface very unpredictable. 

Loads of bikers out, which was good to see,.

On route back I had an empty road back up Holme Moss, absolutely nailed it, stopped at the summit just to soak up experience,  met with a guy who had recently got a KTM Duke and was clearly loving it. 

I am not sure I can adequately explain  to non-biker friends and family why, as an old git, I still ride bikes,  but for me, yesterday said it all.

So today I will be accompanying my beloved to a textile fair, she makes stuff, that's the deal, but I wont be in the room, I will be blasting up Holme Moss,  win-win. 

Have fun, stay safeish!

 

[Simon Davey]

That's great to read @Fender1515

[JRH]

Well when starting in the mornings occasionally the display dims and sometimes the clock resets. So plugged in the Optimate overnight. Ends the charging session with Amber and Green lamps lit. Optimate manual says replace soon. So day was buy and fit new battery.

I have had the bike since 2015 and never replaced the battery. 
 

Edited April 14, 2024 by JRH

[Simon Davey]

9 years, That's darned good going @JRH