The "Today I did something to my bike" thread

Had a little time so flushed the rear brakes with some new fluid as when I got the bike I noticed the stuff in it was a bit manky

Changed the oil and filter last week
Have 2 new plugs and an Air filter to go in but tank has to be removed so waiting till it gets low on fuel

Yesterday I removed the licence plate holder and sanded and repainted the metal bracket as it was a little rusty

Plan is also to drain and flush cooling system

cantdecide wrote: »

New shifter arrived but the rose joint had a RH thread instead of the factor LH one. I was about to throw it in the bin but realised I could chop a broken extra long screwdriver and die the forward thread into both rose joints...

I like the ingenuity!

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

Fitted a double USB port to the Blackbird earlier today, delighted with it as its now ready for the tour starting Tuesday and we can charge our phones, power banks, and Bluetooth intercoms.

Gonna fit some mini wide angle mirrors to the existing mirrors tomorrow, just to increase rear visibility, and give her a quick wash too. Maybe a polish if I get time.

Where'd you get the double port and where does it get power? Need something similar for the GS

Finally put the 10 Yr old anakee 2s on the silage heap.



Wheelmate gets the vote now I've finally clicked with it.
Tourance take some psi to seat.
Interestingly these tyres are way lighter, rear alone was over 700g lighter!

I washed my bike yesterday then started it in the garden with the intention of a spin.

My neighbour came over for a chat so I shut it off with the switch... a while later I went to go out and the battery was flat so booster pack on and started it up but the idle was terrible, not really sure what happened but after a 5 minute spin all was well again. I've put it down to an electrical anomaly but I will be keeping an eye on it

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Latest purchase is some Renthal G149 grips. About €14 delivered on ebay. Looks like a handy job to fit them too. The old ones are well worn.

Can't beat an air compressor to fit grips, just put the nozzle into the grip and it just slides on. If you are using grip glue then apply that to the bar first.
I use safety wire on mine usually though.

Also I normally do all my own work, I'm handy on the tools and have a comprehensive selection of tools. But I've no access to my usual work space at the minute and being off next week I wanted the bike to get a service so dropped it into a garage.

I feel like my backside is going to feel like I've been the new guy in Arbour Hill..

Handy bit of kit there blade. Never bought one as all my bikes have a centre stand (pre requisite I'm afraid, now I'm old) but my piece of shyte front stand must go, hate it with a vengence. Recommend one?

Any desire to swop the clutch slave for aftermarket?
I got sick of this craic fast. ..

... So replaced it with Oberon about 8yrs back. Fluid don't blacken as much and still on the same seal.

Pulled the blue dr wilbers springs, gone right off progressives and they're fuggin harsh in the final third of stroke.

Have about 5 sets of oem springs and picked the longest of them and bunged them in. It will be softer for sure but with the intiminators brake dive will be reeled in. Wilbers shock needs a service, rang Paul, 180 bliparoos. Will hold off till winter, which feels about now...

Despite having immersed the patched tube in water to assure myself.... she was soft yday so spat, cursed and pulled the wheel, bunged in a uhd Mitas tube I bought and balanced her up again.
I'm pulling the 530 chain and sprocks tomo (conversion I fitted during rebuild) and fitting stock gearing with 520 zfm extreme did chain. Chains got stiff links and was damn heavy in comparison to the red dr's. That and bigs kill chains and they nearly always punch through the case when the let go so not chancing it.

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

Fitted a double USB port to the Blackbird earlier today, delighted with it as its now ready for the tour starting Tuesday and we can charge our phones, power banks, and Bluetooth intercoms.

Gonna fit some mini wide angle mirrors to the existing mirrors tomorrow, just to increase rear visibility, and give her a quick wash too. Maybe a polish if I get time.

Which Bluetooth intercoms do you use?

blade1 wrote: »

I have two rear stands, and two front stands but they are only cheap and cheerful ones.
If I have to recommend something, I'd say buy something made by abba.
Fantastic stuff.
I have now ordered the front lift arm.


Yeah the slave cylinder will be going.
Both my other apes got treated to Oberon's when I bought them.
Just seem to have a constant flow of things to buy at the moment but I'll get there.

Would Paul use öhlins parts if I gave him my front and rear suspension?
Öhlins seals seem to be a bit softer than others.
A bit more prone to leaks but kinder to the nitride coating on the forks.

Steve in ndm in Dublin is ohlins trained but I'd be surprised if Paul wasn't doing them, give him bell.
There loads of opinion back n forth bout using non ohlins fork seals. Hard to argue with lads using gixer seals for tens of thousand ks insisting the nitride's fine on theirs, but then again tis the interweb so believe little.
I know if I had as many bikes with gooooold forks as you I'd be buying the tools (surely it's just the peg spanner for the caps?!) to do the work myself otherwise that sh1ts gona get exp.

Talk to him about those green skf low stiction seals. Was it Galway or CJ here mentioned them and I've been doing a little reading and reports are ++ and Paul was in agreement bout them. Could be an option for you, bout 60 quid a set.

Here's my hitec tool I made for my suzukis:D

blade1 wrote: »

I've seen loads of nitride coating worn from gsxr seals.
Wouldn't be putting them on my bikes anyway.
You make a tool for ohlins and do mine for me!

A good fitting peg spanner would sort the caps, unsure what the craic is thereafter with any specialist tools. I'd have thought that the usual bracket for an usd fork would see you good but ain't been inside a set so unsure??
I've no skin in the gixer seals in ohlins forks buzz but considering the ti ni wear on k1 to 4 I'd be going oem or skf green myself.

Powers out so had to do this with a file lol

....so I could drive the link out, wanna keep as spare for emergency.

New tyres, c&s (15/48 - 520), fork springs, revalved the intiminators (4 x 0.6mm shims) and she's a lot more supple. The stock 520 set is 786g lighter than the 530 I had on there and what surprising is how that's very obviously felt! Now if this feckin storm fooks off I can get out on er for a proper test.

goblin59 wrote: »

installed fork gators on my F650GS last weekend, ended up being a pain in the arse as two of the bolts holding the mudguard siezed, my neighbor came to the rescue and installed a helicoil for me.

hoping to take this bike to Wacken Open Air and then across the alps next summer, so getting the prep work done this year so I can catch anything that might be an issue well before the trip

Love the stand! Pics?
Had a bolt seize exact same place on a the Dr.
How's the bike been/behaving now?

goblin59 wrote: »

Its really handy for doing the work on, it belongs to my Dad so I've limited access to it, went back home for the good weather 2 weeks ago.

https://www.sealey.co.uk/product/5637191853/single-post-motorcycle-lift-450kg-capacity

So far i think i may have done something to the brakes as the pads were getting excessively hot when riding.
I gave them a clean during the week but haven't been out for long trips to check them due to ****ty weather.

I have spoke tyres for this bike, but they need to be set up, the plan is get Dunlop trailmax missions onto the spokes for travelling and then I've Dunlop Trailsmarts on the alloys for general usage here.
Going to do a conversion on the spokes and make them tubeless.

Pump the caliper pistons out about 5mm clean em and grease the sliding pins too. If still no good new seals! Beemer sell em even tho brembo.
Really cool stand goblin, would love it.
Recently rebuild a set of wheels and am pondering what tyres to fit. Properly scrubbed the new tourance today. Great tyre.

goblin59 wrote: »

Yeah i pumped them out and had the cleaner at them and regreased the pins.
I'm hoping that did it.
If not yeah its time for new seals, i'm pretty new to bikes (only did the IBT in November)
But Dad has been on them for just under 45 years, heading home in a few weeks, so might order the kit and rebuild the calipers while im up there, He's done it before on quite a few bikes.

Yer laughing so, tis a very satisfying job when you have all the bits and prep done:)


How do like thew bike, has it been a good first bike? Anything you don't like bout it?