Motorbike thread 2

[LewisD]

Wondering whether to splash out on a grandstand ticket or just slum it at the edge of the track..

[False]

edge totally fine, bring a picnic and a blanket

[<]:^D]

ive got one picture!

[Kezzer]

very pretty

[rinks]

I've been sceptical about electric bikes, because power delivery is such a critical part of riding, but if Triumph go on to make this it could change my mind (with a Williams-designed battery system).


https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/n ... ting-ready

[Afrocat]

That does look amazing! I've not had a chance to ride an electric bike. The idea definitely interests me, but it is a concern that they're just not as fun to ride.


I'm still riding my 2010 ER-6f. I can't believe it's 12 years old now, it felt brand new when I picked it up in 2014.

It recently had a running issue that caused it to misfire at steady throttle which made keeping a constant speed an absolute nightmare. Not so noticeable on a twisty road where you're constantly accelerating/braking but trying to stick to 30mph felt like one of those mechanical rodeo bulls. I took it in to a couple garages who both had no idea what was wrong and suggested I take it to a Kawasaki dealer... but there's none local to me. It was even worse when I collected it from the second garage - it just stalled out as soon as I tried to pull away... I had to push it home

After swapping out the fuel and testing for an air leak I was fairly confident it was an electrical issue. So I took a chance and bought a diagnostic harness for the throttle position sensor and found the readings were all over the place. Unfortunately you can't buy a new sensor, they come pre-installed in the throttle body, so I picked up a new throttle body from a breaker and did the swap myself. Definitely the most mechanically intense job I've done on the bike. It runs perfectly now!

[rinks]

Good work! I wouldn't have had the nerve to undertake that, but you seem well equipped and clued up.

That's a cracking scenic photo.

[Afrocat]

Good work! I wouldn't have had the nerve to undertake that, but you seem well equipped and clued up.

That's a cracking scenic photo.

I wouldn't say clued up... Just Google, a Haynes manual and a lot of swearing until it's done. Hardest part was probably swapping the fuel rail onto the new throttle body. The bolts were seized and the screwdriver was just chewing up the heads.

Photo was taken on the Long Mynd in Shropshire, it's fortunately only about 30 mins ride from here.

[Afrocat]

In much need of a new helmet as my trusty Arai will turn 8 years old in a month. I have a stupid shaped head which makes shopping for helmets a nightmare. Most helmets will fit fine everywhere except the forehead.

I tried on a few at the local Honda dealer today. From Arai they only had the "Debut" model but even a Large felt a bit tight around the forehead, even though my current Arai is a Medium. The Shoei NXR 2 however felt quite good all around in a Large so after wearing it for 5 mins in the shop decided to go for it.

Once I got home and put it on for 30 mins I found that it's also probably too tight... It left a red imprint of the padding all across my forehead.

Shoei do sell a thinner crown padding which might be enough, but also might affect the fit elsewhere. So I think I'm going to have to see if they'll accept a return first.

[Kezzer]

Lets hope so, a decent shop should at least let you do an exchange.

[Afrocat]

Went to a Sportsbikeshop store today to try a few more on for size. I found the Arai Profile V had a similar tight fit to the Debut, but the Quantic was much more comfortable (in Large). I guess the cheaper models must not use the oval shell?

Also tried some Nolan's as I'd read they were a cheaper alternative with a similar fit to Arai. But couldn't find one that agreed with my head.

Features wise the Quantic is pretty much the newer version of my old Rebel, albeit £100 more than I spent back then. I'll see if I can take the Shoei back tomorrow and I can ask if they can order in a Quantic to exchange if they can't refund...

[Afrocat]

A couple weeks ago I went for my first proper ride this year. On the return leg, about an hour from home, after failing to navigate by feel I pulled over in a small Welsh village to check where the hell I actually was. I shut the engine off as a courtesy to the local residents and memorised the next few turns from Google maps. Went to pull away and surprise! The engine turned over once before the bike lost all power and the dash rebooted. Tried a couple more times to the same effect.

I thought I'd give it 15 while I mulled over how long it would take to get recovered in rural Wales on a Sunday evening. I was on a slight hill so bump starting was a definite possibility, although the road runs out quite quickly so I'd probably only get one attempt before having to push it back uphill. I've never done it before and was fairly sure it'd end with me dropping the bike!

Fortunately after 15 minutes it did start! So I went straight home without stopping. As I rolled into the driveway I thought I'd try killing the engine and starting it again, and of course, same problem again.

Broke out the multimeter and the service manual and it looks like the stator isn't providing any charge. Kawasaki want nearly £500 for a new OEM one so aftermarket it is. It does give me a good excuse to replace the stator cover that's been scratched up since I crashed 9 years ago.

Starting to wonder if it's time for a new bike. Mine seems to spend more time broken these days.

[floydfreak]

[Afrocat]

I got tired of fixing the ER6 so obviously the logical choice was to trade it in for something Italian.

[Afrocat]

I've done some minor mods since last year. Started with a tail tidy but that made the numberplate look massive, so I got an 8x5 plate. I've also put on a tank protector and grips because the matte finish scuffs incredibly easily.

[<]:^D]

ooh thats nice
definitely wont be missed as well

[Afrocat]

ooh thats nice
definitely wont be missed as well

If anyone hits me they'll need to think of a different excuse than the usual one