Colchester Kawasaki

[Simon Davey]

Only done a few hundred miles on my bike, and I thought I'd get a main dealer to check it over and give it a service before I spend the summer riding as much as possible. 

 

"Sorry sir, your bike is too old" was the reply. 

2005 ZZR1200 isn't new, but it's only got 16k on the clock. 

So, they've instantly lost the chance future sales to me. 

[RideWithStyles]

 

Well yes

 

Edited May 14, 2024 by RideWithStyles

[Simon Davey]

15 minutes ago, RideWithStyles said:

 too shitted/messed up maybe but then again ive only ventured out once to a new bike (afew with cars) as all my others have been used bikes and seldom bother with dealers as my experience with them aren't good...

Well yes they killed future purchases, what id do is find an independent garage or a really good old school mechanic.. which is what ive got near me. one thing will be they'll be cheaper and easier to deal with.

 

 

Cheers, yes, I'll be trying to find an independent for the stuff I can't do. 

Happy to do most stuff myself. 

 

[RideWithStyles]

dealer

Edited May 14, 2024 by RideWithStyles

[Nick the wanderer]

Forgive me but didn't you just get it looked at when you put the tyres on it?

Loads of good roads to pootle about on around you, Braintree to Beccles and have lunch? just get out and put a few miles on it, clear a tank of fuel through it a couple of times will do it the power of good.

[Simon Davey]

18 hours ago, Nick the wanderer said:

Forgive me but didn't you just get it looked at when you put the tyres on it?

Loads of good roads to pootle about on around you, Braintree to Beccles and have lunch? just get out and put a few miles on it, clear a tank of fuel through it a couple of times will do it the power of good.

 

Well, sort of. 

He made it faster, and put new tyres on. 

Just looking on their website for a nose about, and I saw they do a "while you wait" service, and I thought that, as the oil is as black as soot, it would be a good excuse to look at the bikes they have and get a feel for what they're like. 

Last chap didn't actually sort out my low rev spluttering, his answer was to ride it faster, which is a crap thing for a mechanic of his experience to say. 

 

Anyhoo, I've pretty much sorted it myself, but need a couple more rides to confirm whether it's back pressure from the new "quiet" baffles, or whether it was the SeaFoam. 

I'm doing my front calipers this week, and on Tuesday 7th, I'm going to Newport near Saffron Waldon for some kind of bike meet. 

 

Edited May 2, 2024 by Simon Davey

[JRH]

4 hours ago, Simon Davey said:

Only done a few hundred miles on my bike, and I thought I'd get a main dealer to check it over and give it a service before I spend the summer riding as much as possible. 

 

"Sorry sir, your bike is too old" was the reply. 

2005 ZZR1200 isn't new, but it's only got 16k on the clock. 

So, they've instantly lost the chance future sales to me. 

That's terrible service/ attitude. My bike is slightly younger, 2008, but it is mot'ed and usually serviced at the same time. I use a family firm who are a Yamaha ( they also used to be a Suzuki) dealership. They ask what sort of service I want rather than use the prescribed year / milage datum. 

[Simon Davey]

18 minutes ago, JRH said:

That's terrible service/ attitude. My bike is slightly younger, 2008, but it is mot'ed and usually serviced at the same time. I use a family firm who are a Yamaha ( they also used to be a Suzuki) dealership. They ask what sort of service I want rather than use the prescribed year / milage datum. 

 

I can do most things myself, but I procrastinate a lot and take an age to do anything. 

Hope to find someone independent like you have. 

 

[Gerontious]

2 hours ago, Simon Davey said:

 

I procrastinate a lot and take an age to do anything. 

 

In other words you’re apt to faff. You’ll fit in perfectly.

[Shepherd]

I can recommend Hythe Hill motorcycles in Colchester, they do a good job at a fair price. Not afraid to send you to the breakers yard either, if it's a part worth getting. They're now in Whitehall Road, but still under the same name.

[Simon Davey]

8 minutes ago, Shepherd said:

I can recommend Hythe Hill motorcycles in Colchester, they do a good job at a fair price. Not afraid to send you to the breakers yard either, if it's a part worth getting. They're now in Whitehall Road, but still under the same name.

 

That's great, many thanks @Shepherd

[RideWithStyles]

yes it l

Edited May 14, 2024 by RideWithStyles

[Simon Davey]

46 minutes ago, RideWithStyles said:

yes it sort of is but it depends on why? sometimes just the constant heat and fuel pressures being forced through can just clear it if its lightly affected, as sometimes you have to reset everything when you start taking things off and clean them manually which adds to price...

 

He changed the plugs, cut back the ends of the HT leads, put the carb's in a sonic cleaner and balanced them. 

This gave a significant increase in acceleration. 

 

46 minutes ago, RideWithStyles said:

 

generally good baffles with decent/good systems (quiet ones that also depend on the bike setup and exhaust) very rarely affect low speed, but actively help low speed running, hence why other than proactive emissions benefit the exhaust valve was (pipe or cat placement) favoured for a very long time.

so if you take the baffle out, you might experience little loss but might fluff up the low to mid range, variation from slightly dip in delivery to stuttering to massive holes or off power band levels of effects.

 

I've never liked the sound of my Beowolf exhausts, unless I'm above 6000 RPM, it was like riding through a tunnel, so I've been trying to find a nice pair of original pipes. However, I noticed on the Beowolf website that they sell road legal "quiet" baffles, so I ordered a pair delivered for £60. Much, much nicer sound, but still sound impressive. 

 

Meanwhile, I've been running Seafoam fuel cleaner through the system, and either the fuel cleaner, or the baffles seem to have cured the low range spluttering. I need a couple more rides (including switching back to the noisy baffles) to be sure. 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2024 by Simon Davey

[RideWithStyles]

fair

Edited May 14, 2024 by RideWithStyles

[Simon Davey]

I think it's worth taking a tiny hit on the horsepower to have the baffles in, to have smooth delivery. 

I had a ZX6r, Superb bike, until the front of a minicab rearranged it

Edited May 2, 2024 by Simon Davey

[Cycleops]

That's a rather odd attitude. They can't service it because they don't have the expertise or just can't be bothered to fix older machines? No great loss as there are plenty of independents around who won't rip you off with exhorbitant prices and probably offer a better and more friendly service.

[Simon Davey]

36 minutes ago, Cycleops said:

That's a rather odd attitude. They can't service it because they don't have the expertise or just can't be bothered to fix older machines? No great loss as there are plenty of independents around who won't rip you off with exhorbitant prices and probably offer a better and more friendly service.

 

Maybe there's nowhere for them to plug in their tool..... 

[RideWithStyles]

ne

Edited May 14, 2024 by RideWithStyles