Out with the grease

[Andy M]

Well chaps, it's spring cleaning time. After getting the outfit into the garage for the brake carrier fixing it made sense to fix all the little niggles in one go. After the winter rallies/ stag do trip it's really costing me this time, and it's mostly because the muppets at Hinckley don't use any grease and fit some really cheap bits in places. So far it's cost me:

£16 for new brake pins: had to drill the old ones out as they were siezed in.
£34 for new pads, the old ones were corroding from the back (due to lack of copperslip?).
£50 for new silencers which fair enough just rot due to exhaust gasses. I can't afford stainless this time, so it's e-bay for someones cast-offs.
£2 in DOT 4 which I'll put down as a running cost as the old fluid wasn't a nice colour, but If I hadn't had to do the brakes I might have managed with a quick flush through.
£12 for new HT caps and £25 for a spare coil to try and sort the missfire; OK, not grease/parts related, but the wiring wasn't exactly the latest word in weatherproof.

All in all it seems like this years spring clean (bike's 5 years old) is the big one. Still. I guess the more I strip and rebuild properly the easier things get.

The good news is that the expensive bits (forks, wheels etc.) seem to be standing the use a lot better than my previous rides. The last BM would have been a rust coloured stain on the garage floor by now 

How's everyone else doing for winter wear and tear, salt damage?

Andy

[guest18]

Outfit is as usual, looks hideous but runs well 

MZ is unfortunately getting to be like the outfit  Scottish salt solution has destroyed the finish on the forks and created rust patches on morror stems, frame, bracketry, headlamps etc etc, most of the alloy is at best dull grey and at worst pitted. That said after a new pair of fork tubes and seals (at hideous expense  ) she's running fine and I enjoyed my runs to work and back tremendously yesterday. I am quite convinced that a:- had I treated *any* japanese bike this way it would be cosmetically destroyed by now (as opposed to just "distressed" lol) and b:- I need either another big traily based bike or a Pan when the time comes to change it. The problem is I use my bike like most people use their cars, and not like some precious jewel that needs cosseted all the time 
Incidentally, I'm now up about 38k (ish) so it's not doing badly for a bike I got with 3k on the clock and haven't used for work 

(Simon will no doubt be along shortly to advise me I'm a fair weather rider who hardly ever uses his bike  )

[Steffan]

Bullet, got a wipe over the other day with a rag dipped in some sort of anti corrosion spray. Some surface rust on the mudguards and stays and rims. Replaced the chain sometime back now. I was sold a 99 pitch Renolds but had to remove 4 pitch to make it fit, the cheaper stock 95 pitch item wouldn't fit apparently when the local shop tried to fit it. I am thinking of getting a small carrier fabricated to the grab rail as the one I got from HMC impedes the removal of the QD rear subframe. Handlebars are slightly out after gospel pass but I have a set of OR bars and Tomasselli grips to fit sometime. Starts first kick and is still bringing a smile 

Skorpion, ignoring the fiasco with the new clipons going strong and not cost a bean.

So if I stop with the addiction to tweaking I might have some money..

Steffan

[squirrelciv]

Dolly's starting to show her age it must be said. we've just completed our 3rd winter together (might be 4th?) and their is little laquer left on the engine casings. Swingarm had to have a coat of hammerite and the plastic is starting to wear away where they interlock, not to mention all the damage I've inflicted . She had to have a new saddle and the wheel bearings as well as the head set have been replaced. Also, the front calliper seized and had to be drilled, exhaust dropped off, and the battery died (twice!)
Just done 48k and the motor sounds sweet enough so I'm not that bothered, but I bet her re-sale value would be bugger all. So I suppose it's a case of looking after her and running her till she expires naturally. Let that be many years from now

[guest18]

Good point Pat, I forgot to mention that the seat is starting to split and will need a visit to our friendly local upholsterer 

[SteveC#222]

I have to admit that the XBR has spent most of the winter months in the garage and so has not suffered the ravages of the salt ( yes yes I know this is a RIDERS club and my head is hanging in shame).....The Suzi GN250....which has been used all winter, has emerged relatively unscathed due to the fact that it's covered in a case hardened layer of oil/grease/crap lovingly built up over 3 years which even salt seems unable to penetrate....also has the advantage that most cars give it a wide berth!!      The chain/ sprockets have benefited massively from the loobman chain oiler, last winter a new chainset was destroyed in a matter of months by salt but this year it's still like new.  The exhaust finally died (fell in two!) after 3 years ( it was pretty rotten when I bought the bike to be fair)  and this has been replaced with another from Ebay - £15. It could do with a couple of new tyres but otherwise it's ok.

Incidentally, I was reading a write up on the latest Honda Fireplace..blah blah more power blah blah  2 grammes lighter etc etc.  It seems the latest brake calipers fitted are NON rebuildable...so if one of the six pistons sticks or seals  leak due to the glorious British weather,you have to buy a new caliper  ...however they are several grammes lighter than the old ones apparently.....

[guest18]

Incidentally, I was reading a write up on the latest Honda Fireplace..blah blah more power blah blah  2 grammes lighter etc etc.  It seems the latest brake calipers fitted are NON rebuildable...so if one of the six pistons sticks or seals  leak due to the glorious British weather,you have to buy a new caliper  ...however they are several grammes lighter than the old ones apparently.....

which is exactly the sort of attitude which will see the demise of the Japanese bike industry (unless they get their collective heads out of their sportsbike obsessed a***s) and let the Koreans (or whoever) take over... bring it on I say!

[Andy M]

Incidentally, I was reading a write up on the latest Honda Fireplace..blah blah more power blah blah  2 grammes lighter etc etc.  It seems the latest brake calipers fitted are NON rebuildable...so if one of the six pistons sticks or seals  leak due to the glorious British weather,you have to buy a new caliper  ...however they are several grammes lighter than the old ones apparently.....

Good grief 

As someone who works with brakes I can see where they are coming from, but it'll be a half done job. On  trucks, the pads can last over 100000 miles and callipers work totally unserviced for the "first life" of the vehicle, about 8 years. At this point the vehicle is serviced by some kid whose done a 6-week course in vehicle maintenance and sociology, who might just be able to unbolt a calliper and fit the new one without kiling anyone. This however is quite simple air-mechanical callier made of serious steel lumps with some really really clever anti-corrosion features, not a poxy lump of aluminium that being eaten from the inside by brake fluid and from the outside by salt.

I can see the only new bike I will ever consider again will be the rumoured FI Ural (after the 2-3rd production year when they've sorted whichever bit explodes)  or something Chinese and copied from a mid '90's XT/DR 

Andy

[Richard]

Sadly its us out of sync rather than the designer of the Fireblade brakes.  Biking is now a lifestyle, those who can afford to buy new Blades don't give a monkeys about rebuildability.  SEP (Somebody Elses Problem).

So I'll have to carry on rebuilding the Beemer every few years.  Just spent £600 on a top end job, twin plugs and lots of goodies.  Which guarantees that the exhausts will grow a hole next month.

I wouldn't have it any other way.  But the manufacturers don't make a lot of money out of me as I don't buy a new bike every couple of years and don't have it expensively serviced by them either.

'BMW - you may own the bike but the Co own YOU'.

Richard

[guest18]

Sadly its us out of sync rather than the designer of the Fireblade brakes.  Biking is now a lifestyle, those who can afford to buy new Blades don't give a monkeys about rebuildability.  SEP (Somebody Elses Problem).

Till the price of petrol goes past £3 a litre (or whatever it takes), the traffic gets gridlocked and the big four realise they're missing a trick and the new kids on the block are stealing sales, and more importantly brand awareness from them 

New FI Ural  if it's as good as their old carbs were...  (allegedly) or is it a complete revamp?

[Steffan]

Started the strip down for my stroker rebuild this evening. Others need nothing and its time. Will cost a lot less than the BMer too.

Steffan

Hey Andy how is you MZ?

[Andy M]

New FI Ural  if it's as good as their old carbs were...  (allegedly) or is it a complete revamp?

They need to go FI to meet the next emissions regs. Should be an off the shelf (probably Italian, probably straight off a Guzzi) set up. Once they get the map right you should have the "perfect" sidecar engine (simple pushrods plus simple FI) with that nice reverse gear and all the other practical features. As I said though, it's a rumour, they might do something stupid like add some *** awful BMW style 4 valve head with chains and push rods all over the shop or a ******* CAN electric set up, but we'll see, I bet they make a Guzzi/old-BMW/Bonneville competitor with a reverse gear and slightly thinner paint. If they are out in 2009/10 I won't be buying until at least 2011 though, I don't trust any manufacturer to get any bike right for the first year! Ural's last mess was the "hand grenade" alternator, so if they mix the electric and petrol in the wrong way expect a semi mobile BBQ 

The MZ is a proper bike. I ride it to work every day and touch nothing except the fuel filler cap and oil tank. I'll paint the exhaust (holds the rust together) before the MOT  It seems to like cold dry days. I had 85 on the clock the other day (Full throttle laid flat, but I passed a Porsche 911 the driver of which I hope was suitably embarrased  ), which is probably heading towards siezure territory, and I do try to keep it to where 293cc bikes should run,  but does show it's rather healthy 

Andy

[Steffan]

The MZ is a proper bike. I ride it to work every day and touch nothing except the fuel filler cap and oil tank. I'll paint the exhaust (holds the rust together) before the MOT  It seems to like cold dry days. I had 85 on the clock the other day (Full throttle laid flat, but I passed a Porsche 911 the driver of which I hope was suitably embarrased  ), which is probably heading towards siezure territory, and I do try to keep it to where 293cc bikes should run,  but does show it's rather healthy 
Andy

Bloody Brilliant!!

I plan to get mine sorted over the summer - engine bearings, electrics etc and a lick of paint too. Still running the MZ-B?

[Hondapartsman]

Incidentally, I was reading a write up on the latest Honda Fireplace..blah blah more power blah blah  2 grammes lighter etc etc.  It seems the latest brake calipers fitted are NON rebuildable...so if one of the six pistons sticks or seals  leak due to the glorious British weather,you have to buy a new caliper  ...however they are several grammes lighter than the old ones apparently.....

Well I don't know where they got that from. I just looked on the parts list for the 08 and guess what, pistons and seals listed as usual. Just remember, never believe everything you read. I do believe it may be true of certain Honda cars though, I'm sure I came across one like that a few months back, can't remember which model though.

[Hondapartsman]

Beyond my last post. I didn't intend to use my old RS over the winter, having spent the summer stripping, painting, rebuilding etc I was going to carry on using the old rusty one. As it turned out every time I tried to get a mot booked I was put off (I know, I work there but they had too few people to do it, like one person who had lots of other stuff to do too,  and customers took priority) so I ended up using it and the poor thing is now showing very rusty in places. Not to worry, it's still only an old bike to me and if I'd given thought to using it over the winter I'd have protected her better. One way and another though, with health issues with me and the bank account in the end the money for an MOT wasn't going to be easy to find either. It'll clean up  once I have another bike on the road and can find the time/funds and the weather is a bit warmer.