End of the week rant

[Andy M]

A few weeks back we had some snow here abouts. The outfit performed well enough but wasn't keen on going up the slope into the garage from a standing start. Having needed GC's help to push it off the camp site at Llanthoney I knew the culprit; the semi-slick part-worn rear tyre. I therefore decided to run a semi-knobbly thing for the rest of the winter and use up the last of the road tyre over the summer.

The trouble with the Triumph is the total palaver of getting the rear wheel out. You need to remove five of six bolts (and pillion pegs) that hold the rack, both silencers (can do it with one, but see below) and the brake calliper. You can then actually get at the axle to drop it out and slip the chain off. The rear mudguard is then so low you need to either let the tyre down or jack the bike, or undo the bolts holding the guard and twist it to one side. The jack option is easier (outfit), but on a solo you've got no choice but to undo more bolts or get it on the centre stand over a kerb before you start. Having got the wheel the tyre change is easy enough. Putting it back brings forth another problem. The axle passes through Chain adjuster (****y pressed thing that bends like a coat hanger)- swing arm- adjuster again - brake plate (loose and inclined to drop off)- spacer- wheel- spacer- another ****y adjuster - swing arm - ****y adjuster. Not surprisingly these ten holes tend to be rather disinclined to line up while you are balancing 10 kg of wheel on a shovel. The chain adjusters bend to get out of the way of the wheel spacers as the fit is rather tight. (Trick is to put a socket bar through the wrong way to line up half the holes). Total time to change a tyre; 1 hour 40 minutes 

Makes you want to buy a BMW 

Actually, I'm more likely to fit an upswept exhaust and make my own chain adjusters, but I don't see why I should fix a Triumph design that was obviously drawn by some art student who'd been shown a picture of a bike rather than a proper engineer who'd used the things.

What happened to folding mudguards that stopped mud but got out of the way when you needed? Why can't we have Bullet type chain adjusters that drop in place? Why does the brake plate need to be on a blind slideway rather than one you could run the whole calliper along and out of the way? Why can't the exhaust bracket have a bolt away from the pillion peg so you can leave the rack alone? With my cost engineering head on it'd add about three quid to the price 

Personally I'd make every graduate trainee ride an MZ for 12 months and give design apprentices Rocket 3's/Harleys/BMW LT's on technically un-supported loan (where they have to return them in showroom condition) to knock some sense into 'em 

So, just to make me feel better, what other bits of totally **** design are we struggling with? Any stories of home made practicality? Anyone got a bit of good design out of a manufacturer in the last 10 years?

Andy

[Julian217]

MZ Mastiff,  no marks on swingarm to help align wheel when adjusting chain. Seems to be the same with the Skorpion I've seen tools constucted to get round this



I'm just going to draw some marks on with a felt tip pen.

[Steffan]

Skorpion has marks - not very precise looking ones but they are there

Steffan

[Steve H]

The SRX marks are rubbish as well, in the end I lined the wheels up using a straight edge, then measure the length adjuster sticking out. Found to te be the same on seach side, so when I adjust the chain all I do is use a 6" steel rule to make sure each adjuster has the same amout of thread stcking out.

[bullet350]

on my cbr600 to remove the front wheel you need to have a day or two off work.

firstly put it on the centre stand, or not since most don't have one.

then lift the front of the bike off the ground- axle stand under the engine.
however to do this you have to remove both sides of the fairings, usually breaking all the crappy plastic clips that stop it all rattling.

then remove both brake calipers, which will involve deep scores to both sides of the white wheel.

then simply unbolt the wheel.

now the wheel is trapped under the mudguard so this has to be removed. the only way to remove the mudguard without scratching anything is to slide it down the forks and out at the bottom.

except the front wheel is in the way.



 bullet350

[guest7]

on my cbr600 to remove the front wheel you need to have a day or two off work.

firstly put it on the centre stand, or not since most don't have one.

I'd never thought about this. In most workshops they use a bike hoist, a large frame that sits alongside and above the bike. A long handle is fitted to the frame. One end of the handle has straps that you loop under the bars, the other end you pull down on to raise the front end of the bike.

Voila, easy wheel removal. What do you mean you haven't got £300 and the space the size of a small car to store the frame? I don't know 

[guest7]

In the days when I was paid to change oil in bikes and just generally polish them after the real fitters had fixed 'em, it was really pleasant to find a bike that someome had designed with the mechanic in mind.

I always thought the Honda CB500 (mid 90s to present day) was a well made bike with easy access to whatever you needed to fix. On the other hand that bloody VFR with the hinged exhaust so that you could remove the wheel was a low point.

The XBR isn't particularly fixer-friendly, but I think this is mostly due to having to stuff everything into a small space.

As for silencers getting in the way of removing the spindle, that drives me mad. It's not a problem with my bikes, but it's something that has incensed me in the past. On some machines I found it easier to unbolt the shocks and let the wheel drop so that the spindle can be reomved below the pipes.

So Andy, you use a shovel to hoick the wheel back up eh? Very enterprising.
GC

[squirrelciv]

The big question for me is why oh why didn't Honda fit a centre stand as standard to the Dommie?? Don't think they're alone, but seeing as this is supposed to be a 'trail' bike you'd have thought the ability to deal with a puncture out on the trail was a major consideration. If they were worried about wieght the could have consulted Laser to design their exhaust and saved themselves a bundle of kilos 

[trophydave]

On the other hand that bloody VFR with the hinged exhaust so that you could remove the wheel was a low point.

I have a VFR.You would think that a bike with a single sided swingarm and a wheel held on with four nuts,just like a car,would make removal the easiest job out.No,as GC says the silencer is in the way,but can be hinged downwards.Mine came fitted with a high level race can.''That won't get in the way''you say.Oh no It sat so close to the tyre that it had to come off to get the wheel off.Also throw overs had to be strapped on just right to keep them off the can.I sold it and put a standard one on.Why couldn't the pipe exit on the other side like the RC30?
Chain tensioning is very easy though.Undo the pinch bolt on the swingarm.The wheel mounts on an eccentric thingy,move this around,tighten pinch bolt,job done.

[Bruce]

Dear oh dear all this modern technolgy, on my Big 4 there is the main stand which lifts the back wheel and at the front the mudguard  stay can be moved down to lift the front wheel.

[guest146]

I find the best way to get my Dommi clear of the ground is to wheel it up a car ramp put a block under the frame and hold it on the front brake and then kick the ramp away. Or lift it and get the wife to put a block of wood under it but they never get it in the right place and you end up knackered

Ken

The big question for me is why oh why didn't Honda fit a centre stand as standard to the Dommie?? Don't think they're alone, but seeing as this is supposed to be a 'trail' bike you'd have thought the ability to deal with a puncture out on the trail was a major consideration. If they were worried about wieght the could have consulted Laser to design their exhaust and saved themselves a bundle of kilos 

[Andy M]

So Andy, you use a shovel to hoick the wheel back up eh? Very enterprising.
GC

When the wheel is a 22 inch job off something that comes with 8 or 12 of the ****ers, the shovel "trick" comes in very useful. That said the guy I used to work with who showed me could pick up a truck wheel by the nut holes while sat on the workshop floor! Guess it sort of just springs to mind when I start struggling with bike wheels 

Andy

[themoudie]

Good evening to you All,

Maybe should have put this on the recommendations part of the site:

http://www.on-bike.com/index.htm

I purchased an 'Original' red when they first came on the market and with the 'fleet' to maintain I have found it realy good and prevents all that scrabbling around on the floor, yet stores away off the floor, unlike a bench. Not cheap but well worth the money for my back and knees.

Please move this posting SteveH if you think fit.

My regards, Bill.

[002]

Must admit for routine maintenance and servicing,I find my Airhead GS a Piece Of Piss !
And for getting the wheels in and out.
Mind changing the front tyre is a real Bastard....because the flnge of the wheel is so thick to allow for the spokes and the tyre being narrow.There is very little room for the tyre to move about as you remove and fit it.



Jethro