The "Today I did something to my bike" thread

zubair

Zaiden Fit Schoolmarm wrote: »

I kind of actually do tbh, I can't justify mine at all without commuting every day on it. May aswell be burning money every day

This is it, I was riding 5 or 6 days a week. Now, like you, the bike is just sitting there, I'm officially a fair weather biker now. 1 positive, this is the longest a tyre has ever lasted me.

Fabio wrote: »

I miss mine terribly. It's not an exciting commute but it's therapy for me.

That being said, I don't think I ever want to go back to 5 days a week in the office again...

I'm with you there, during lockdown 2, I was going into the office twice a week to do the paper work, which suited me perfectly.

Hotblack Desiato

nigeldaniel wrote: »

PS the XVS is still bagged up and I am thinking of declaring it off the road for the year. That is to save on the insurance more than the road tax.

just take it off the policy then at renewal time, you don't have to have declared it off the road unless you don't renew the tax (I'm presuming that you still have some tax left to go when your insurance is up.)

If you still have other bike(s) insured then you don't have to worry about losing your NCB.

Depending on the bike, taking it off the policy mid-policy could well cost you more in admin fees than you'd get in a refund.

Hotblack Desiato

Waa7 wrote: »

I think the original issue may have occurred a few months back when I was coming back from Wexford and the tank was on empty and it cut out so I had to switch it to reserve. Hope this might help another biker.

If reserve is never used, it fills up with crap and dumps that into the fuel filter/carbs when you do need to use it. I always used to use reserve for a few miles on each tankful before filling up to keep the tap and lines clean. Just don't forget to switch back to normal when you fill up.

Did you remove the tank and flush out any crap from the bottom of the tank? Any rust?

Been years since I've ridden a carbed bike...

zubair

zubair wrote: »

This is it, I was riding 5 or 6 days a week. Now, like you, the bike is just sitting there, I'm officially a fair weather biker now. 1 positive, this is the longest a tyre has ever lasted me.



I'm with you there, during lockdown 2, I was going into the office twice a week to do the paper work, which suited me perfectly.

To be fair I suppose with covid it is unique, like even if you got a nice day on a weekend not as if you can go anywhere. well unless your Japcati who doesn't give 5uck by the looks of posts

Waa7

Has anyone any rust issues? A few weeks back I tried scrunched up Tin foil and warm water. Well it worked an absolute treat. Small tip but it looks unreal since I done it. The picture below was full of rust like the top part but look how brilliant it’s come out. PS: forgot to take before n after pics Ooops. Doesn’t leave scratch marks or anything.

goblin59

Waa7 wrote: »

Has anyone any rust issues? A few weeks back I tried scrunched up Tin foil and warm water. Well it worked an absolute treat. Small tip but it looks unreal since I done it. The picture below was full of rust like the top part but look how brilliant it’s come out. PS: forgot to take before n after pics Ooops. Doesn’t leave scratch marks or anything.

havnt heard the tin foil and hot water trick before.
How does that work?

flashinthepan

goblin59 wrote: »

havnt heard the tin foil and hot water trick before.
How does that work?

Me too I have not heard of that
interested if it works :-)

GBX

https://wd40.co.uk/tips-and-tricks/how-to-remove-rust/

goblin59

GBX wrote: »

https://wd40.co.uk/tips-and-tricks/how-to-remove-rust/

Skimming through the website, I seen this
HOW TO REMOVE RUST WITH DISH SOAP AND A POTATO:


seems very appropriate for us

CJhaughey

If you want to remove rust spots from chrome, use 0000 grade steel wool and WD40 or a similar lubricant, any light oil really.
This will restore chrome without scratching it.

blade1

Only got around to fitting an Oberon clutch slave that I got around Xmas to my Tuono
today.
That's 3 Oberon slaves fitted to my 3 Apes.
Got a spin in as well.

IrishGrimReaper

Put barkbusters on and a new exhuast.

The quality on that exhaust is amazing the welds are perfect and I think it's the best sounding aftermarket option for the bike. Didn't have a tool to take the baffle out but even with it in it's nearly too loud :pac:

Waa7

goblin59 wrote: »

havnt heard the tin foil and hot water trick before.
How does that work?

flashinthepan wrote: »

Me too I have not heard of that
interested if it works :-)

Absolutely does work, wish I’d have taken there before n after pics. Try it on something that’s chrome n Rusty if you don’t believe me, I put Autosol polish on after and it comes up great.

flashinthepan

Been a miserable couple of days so I decided to tackle the grubby looking petrol cap
Bit of silver paint and painted the heads of the screws black they were silver





I will give the black piece a clean when the weather clears up

omerin

Washed the bike at the weekend and applied acf 50, cleaned and adjusted the chain, fitted a custom brake cap, removed the tax holder, will carry disc with me, (anyone ever pulled on it?) spray painted the bash plate. Contemplating removing the handrail and rear pegs

Zebbedee

omerin wrote: »

removed the tax holder, will carry disc with me, (anyone ever pulled on it?)

I've had my tax disc on my key ring for a long long time.
This was because tax discs used to get robbed years ago.
I've never had an issue but bear in mind some jobs worth may give you a ticket for non display of the tax disc while parked up.

Cienciano

I had 2 stolen so just carried it in my pocket. Never an issue. Even going through tax checkpoints they didn't even look. Might be an issue if you parked on a footpath somewhere like king street regularly.

goblin59

I keep a photocopy of my tax disc in the holder and keep the original on file at home.
I also have a PDF on google documents of the tax and insurance so I can show them as needed without having to search

Waa7

What would everyone’s tips be on learning and becoming a bike mechanic? Is there any particular courses needed? etc, thanks for help in advance. I’m really interested in learning as I see a gap in the market in the next few years in Waterford especially having talked to Marcus Doherty n I know Hilton only takes appointments now. Seems there’s plenty of bikes to repair but not enough mechanics in the city they seem to be overwhelmed.

goblin59

Waa7 wrote: »

What would everyone’s tips be on learning and becoming a bike mechanic? Is there any particular courses needed? etc, thanks for help in advance. I’m really interested in learning as I see a gap in the market in the next few years in Waterford especially having talked to Marcus Doherty n I know Hilton only takes appointments now. Seems there’s plenty of bikes to repair but not enough mechanics in the city they seem to be overwhelmed.

A friend of mine did a mechanics course and then apprenticed for a bit before getting work in a Garage.

I found building that DR from parts off the internet was a good way to learn some mechanic skills.

Do a welders course too, being able to weld decently makes a huge difference on your portfolio.

Waa7

goblin59 wrote: »

A friend of mine did a mechanics course and then apprenticed for a bit before getting work in a Garage.

I found building that DR from parts off the internet was a good way to learn some mechanic skills.

Do a welders course too, being able to weld decently makes a huge difference on your portfolio.

What’s the DR? The welders course sounds like a great idea, thanks.

goblin59

Waa7 wrote: »

What’s the DR? The welders course sounds like a great idea, thanks.

Its an old Suzuki bike, probably the longest running production bike at the moment, 1990 - 2021
I was building one from parts off eBay

they're a very simple single cylinder bike, so was a good project to learn about engine maintenance, tappets, truing wheels, oil changing, wiring (did the entire loom from scratch)

previously I'd only done oil, sprockets, Dot4 and chain maintenance

Waa7

goblin59 wrote: »

Its an old Suzuki bike, probably the longest running production bike at the moment, 1990 - 2021
I was building one from parts off eBay

they're a very simple single cylinder bike, so was a good project to learn about engine maintenance, tappets, truing wheels, oil changing, wiring (did the entire loom from scratch)

previously I'd only done oil, sprockets, Dot4 and chain maintenance

Brilliant, I’ll try what I can on my own bike to whatever comes up. Once things open I’ll go do a welding course.

Hotblack Desiato

Waa7 wrote: »

What would everyone’s tips be on learning and becoming a bike mechanic? Is there any particular courses needed? etc, thanks for help in advance. I’m really interested in learning as I see a gap in the market in the next few years in Waterford especially having talked to Marcus Doherty n I know Hilton only takes appointments now. Seems there’s plenty of bikes to repair but not enough mechanics in the city they seem to be overwhelmed.

In Ireland, you have to learn how to gunter in bolts as tight as possible just short of snapping them without any grease :rolleyes:

Adding random scratches in places the owner won't notice til later is also a skill

Sir Galahad

Waa7 wrote: »

What would everyone’s tips be on learning and becoming a bike mechanic? Is there any particular courses needed? etc, thanks for help in advance. I’m really interested in learning as I see a gap in the market in the next few years in Waterford especially having talked to Marcus Doherty n I know Hilton only takes appointments now. Seems there’s plenty of bikes to repair but not enough mechanics in the city they seem to be overwhelmed.

I had two customers about ten years ago that were "state employees" and rode motorcycles for a living and both did a course in Kevin Street or similar college to become a mechanic. They got transferred back to the country and set up as bike mechanics and make a nice income. If you can do it you will definitely be busy. My mechanic has stopped servicing bikes and opened a bicycle shop. His business is now booming. There's a shortage of good mechanics in Dublin.

H_Lime

What's the craic with these lidl chargers??
I cycle the button to the motorcycle icon and it will charge the battery with I'm guessing a pre determined mix of voltages. But........why does it float charge (as in maintaining a steady voltage after going through its initial cycle) at such a low voltage???
Both of mine that I bought wk before last allow the battery run down to like 12.7/12.8v which is imo not a winner. I'd like to see a steady 14v as I would with my other chargers or have I missed a trick with them?

newmember2

H_Lime wrote: »

What's the craic with these lidl chargers??
I cycle the button to the motorcycle icon and it will charge the battery with I'm guessing a pre determined mix of voltages. But........why does it float charge (as in maintaining a steady voltage after going through its initial cycle) at such a low voltage???
Both of mine that I bought wk before last allow the battery run down to like 12.7/12.8v which is imo not a winner. I'd like to see a steady 14v as I would with my other chargers or have I missed a trick with them?

Your other chargers float charge the battery at 14V??

H_Lime

newmember? wrote: »

Your other chargers float charge the battery at 14V??

Yah, one at round 13.8 and other at 14. All my bikes have voltmeters fitted. I'm no expert on it but I took it to be the norm, you differ with that?

Hotblack Desiato

14V is only half a volt (or less) than what you'd get when charging or riding it, all functioning well

So it'd be charging the battery all the time, not just maintaining it.

I haven't needed to leave the Lidl one hooked up continuously but afaik it's monitoring the voltage at 12.7/12.8V and when it drops below that it charges up to 14.4 and then goes back into monitoring mode again.

What do the instructions say?

Also you could try disconnecting it for a minute when it's at the maintenance voltage level, reconnect it, set it to charge and see how long it takes to hit full charge - should only be 5 or 10 minutes.

H_Lime

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

14V is only half a volt (or less) than what you'd get when charging or riding it, all functioning well

So it'd be charging the battery all the time, not just maintaining it.

I haven't left the Lidl one hooked up continuously but afaik it's monitoring the voltage at 12.7/12.8V and when it drops below that it charges up to 14.4 and then goes back into monitoring mode again.

What do the instructions say?

Also you could try disconnecting it for a minute when it's at the maintenance voltage level, reconnect it, set it to charge and see how long it takes to hit full charge - should only be 5 or 10 minutes.

I scanned the instructions but must have a better read.
The initial cycling of higher volts only lasts a short while which hopefully is because my bat's are in decent shape. It's the 12.7 long term trickling that I'm cautious of but will admit to knowing little of what the ideal voltage is to trickle on longterm. As I say my other chargers are 14v.