Author Topic: Why do we do this?  (Read 366 times)

Itsme

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Why do we do this?
« on: May 02, 2023, 08:56:04 AM »
Hi All

I can't be the only person who has a bike that they are happy with and then suddenly read an article which suggests that model may have a common fault and so lose faith in the bike. Many bikes are reported as having common faults and many times I haven't experienced those faults. ER5 Kawasaki rear wheels are supposed to warp, Hondas blow regulators, Enfields generally break down etc. The only bike I ever had that did act up exactly as predicted was my BMW R1100R which had Hall Effect Sensor failure at almost exactly 57,000 miles as predicted.

I bought a 2016 Suzuki Inazuma about 3 months ago and have done about 5,000 trouble free miles on it and was very happy with it. Until I read some forum posts about how the fuel injection fails. I went out on a ride a couple of weeks ago and the FI light stayed flashing when I turned the key and the bike wouldn't start. I turned it off and on again and it was fine and has been since. But rather than assume it was a simple thing I am now convinced my Inazuma will let me down and need millions of pounds spending on it to sort it.

Why do we make ourselves panic over things that probably won't happen? Or is it really just me?

Ian

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Re: Why do we do this?
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2023, 03:11:47 PM »
That's why I got rid of my RE500 ElectraX - joining their forum didn't help either!
Constant talks of exploding sprag clutches alongside everything else that goes wrong with them meant I wasn't willing to ride it any further from my house than I'd be happy to pushing it back again.
Pity, as I much prefered the look and ride over my XBR but I don't think the Honda is as likely to randomly detonate  ???

xbally

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Re: Why do we do this?
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2023, 03:59:11 PM »
That's why I got rid of my RE500 ElectraX - joining their forum didn't help either!
Constant talks of exploding sprag clutches alongside everything else that goes wrong with them meant I wasn't willing to ride it any further from my house than I'd be happy to pushing it back again.
Pity, as I much prefered the look and ride over my XBR but I don't think the Honda is as likely to randomly detonate  ???
I went through 2 sprag clutches on my Electra X so it's not an urban myth. I used to think it was...until it happened to me! I part exed it for an early EFI which was far more reliable although on its day the old style Electra X was a very nice bike to thump about on. Used to get over 100 MPG IIRC at the chilled out speeds I used to ride it at.
HONDA CB250RSA ROYAL ENFIELD CONTINENTAL GT535

CrazyFrog

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Re: Why do we do this?
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2023, 08:16:05 PM »
Weird that Ian - the only bike I've ever owned which displayed the breeds distinguishing features was my BMW F650. Within the first 6 months of my ownership it suffered a hydraulic lock of the engine caused by the horrible Mikuni BST33 carbs, and it also fried it's reg/rec and took out a good portion of the wiring loom too. It went not long after it was fixed.

As for the 'Zuma, I did a bit of research before purchase, and IIRC the main culprit for the FI light coming on is the clutch switch, which is easily bypassed. Otherwise, getting one of these :-

https://www.motorcyclespareparts.eu/en/suzuki-parts/0993082720

allows you to read stored ECU error codes.
2023 Royal Enfield Meteor 350
2021 Honda CB125F

Itsme

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Re: Why do we do this?
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2023, 06:00:21 AM »
Hi Pete

Thanks for that, I had read somewhere about the clutch switch and that isn't a big deal at all so that makes me happy. I re-located the reg/rec on all three of my f650s so managed to avoid the problem there.

The Inazuma is such a nice little bike that I will stick with it and if it breaks then I will mend it.

In other news I rebuilt the motor of the Mighty Midget (GN250) and it is now smoke free and running really well. Oil use is drastically reduced to almost notheing ao that is a great result.

Ian

Moto63

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Re: Why do we do this?
« Reply #5 on: May 03, 2023, 04:55:33 PM »
Evening spartician, great news about the MIGHTY MIDGET 👍
Cheers, Michael

CrazyFrog

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Re: Why do we do this?
« Reply #6 on: May 03, 2023, 04:59:12 PM »
Good to hear the Mighty Midget is behaving itself at last!

Yes, I'm impressed with my 'Zuma. I took it over to Ireland to the Shepherds Rest shindig a couple of weeks ago. 1100 miles in 5 days without missing a beat. Cruises easily on the motorway at 65mph with enough left for a quick sprint upto 75 - 80 to get past slower traffic. To be honest, I've got absolutely no desire to go any faster than that these days, so it suits my needs perfectly. The trip home from Stranraer was a 350 miles mix of motorways and A roads and it took just under 7 hours including two petrol stops/comfort breaks. I very much doubt I'd have done it any quicker on a bigger bike.
2023 Royal Enfield Meteor 350
2021 Honda CB125F

Itsme

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Re: Why do we do this?
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2023, 06:09:22 AM »
Thank you gentlemen I am indeed very happy to have a functioning Mighty Midget as it will always be my favourite back lanes bike. I am also glad to hear how much you like your Inazuma Pete as I don't intend to sell that either. I christened it Newzuki to distinguish it from the MM which is my old 'zuki.

Ian

iansoady

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Re: Why do we do this?
« Reply #8 on: May 08, 2023, 10:41:19 AM »
When I bought my year old Triumph Tiger 955i I of course started to read the forums voraciously. Apparently a common fault with them was to have the 2 hoses to the expansion tank connected  the wrong way round. This meant that when the engine heated up, excess coolant found its way to the tank OK but as the return pipe was now above the fluid level it never found its way back. My bike did get a bit hot and bothered in traffic etc. I returned to the dealer who sold me it and guess what they told me? Yes. "they all do that sir".

Somewhat underwhelmed by this response I investigated and guess what - the pipes were incorrectly connected so I fixed it. The odd thing was that my bike's VIN was way past the range that was supposed to be affceted according to the recall notice from Triumph which I eventually found. Going by the completely cack-handed way other work had been done on my - year old, remember - bike it was probably the dealer who crossed them up.
Ian.
1952 Norton ES2
1986 Honda XBR500
1958(ish) Grumph.....

CrazyFrog

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Re: Why do we do this?
« Reply #9 on: May 08, 2023, 11:07:25 AM »
I had such poor experiences with 'professional' motorcycle mechanics in my early years on bikes that I gave up on Japanese bikes for decades, instead running MZ's and teaching myself how to maintain them as I went along. The money I saved I used to 8nvest in decent tools, some of which I still have all these years later.

Even now, I still don't allow anyone else to work on a bike I'm going to be riding, and always give 2nd hand bikes a thorough going over. I'm in a bit of a quandary with the little 125 though as it came with a Honda service plan when I bought it 2nd hand. I'm struggling between my naturally parsimonious nature which is forcing me to let the Honda dealer do the next service, and my dread of them touching it!
2023 Royal Enfield Meteor 350
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Itsme

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Re: Why do we do this?
« Reply #10 on: May 08, 2023, 04:18:56 PM »
That is a bit of a dilema Pete but hopefully being a Honda dealer they will have well trained mechanics. I too do all my own work, not because I don't trust professionals, my son is a car mechanic, but because the bikes I have are usually older than the dealers are happy to work on. I remember the mechanic at a dealer I once took my 1952 BSA A10 combination to for an MOT shouting a young mechanic through to some and see a 'proper bike'.

Also I enjoy getting my hands dirty as I come from the generation for whom work didn't mean pressing a keyboard or dialling a phone. I know 'old fart alert'.

Ian