The lift makes a potential awkward job very easy and the TTR is well designed to facilitate a simple job like removing/replacing the wheels.
The new tyres look businesslike!
Thursday, 30 April 2009
New tyres
The healing process has progressed far enough to allow me to do a bit of light physical work - just as well 'cos I am getting fat - and so today I used my new bike lift to remove the wheels from the TTR which I then took to Watling Tyres at Swanley where I had the TKC80s replaced by Michelin AC10s. The price was pretty good and fitting is free so I was a happy bunny. Alan Clark who runs the Swanley depot is a long time motocrosser and enduro racer himself so he knows what's important to a biker.
The lift makes a potential awkward job very easy and the TTR is well designed to facilitate a simple job like removing/replacing the wheels.
The new tyres look businesslike!
The lift makes a potential awkward job very easy and the TTR is well designed to facilitate a simple job like removing/replacing the wheels.
The new tyres look businesslike!
Friday, 24 April 2009
Monday, 20 April 2009
Trailer arrived, towbar fitted
Courtesy of an excellent itinerant towbar fitter, I now have the means to pull a trailer and as of this morning, a trailer to pull. All I lack is the body to ride a bike.. The muscles in my chest just scream when I try to do anything involving my upper body with bending, sneezing, coughing or (not much of this) laughing. I made the mistake of trying to sort out my new trailer and I felt something in the region of the pec muscles tear as I did so. I am just praying I shall be OK for my next bike trip to Wales and after that to Slovenia.
Saturday, 18 April 2009
And the week started so well!
With the new bike in my garage, I submitted it to a very close inspection - something that seemed both unnecessary and difficult to do with the Goldwing and the F800GS. In the case of the Goldwing, everything is hidden under acres of plastic and even the BMW needs quite a lot of stuff removing to get at things - try changing a spark plug! Plus of course, I bought these bikes new. By contrast, the simplicity of the TTR lends itself to care in the home workshop - even when the owner is not that experienced a mechanic.
Things seemed pretty good. I had the covers off the starter and rotor to check the starter gears for wear but couldn't see any so that relieved me from worrying bout the slight noise the bike makes when switching it off - something I had been concerned might indicate wear in the sprag clutch. The rear brake pads looked as thought they could do with replacing so I ordered both front and back sets from Moto-Ward which arrived by post on Thursday. The day before, I had received another item - a bike lift with which I can lift all three bikes clear of the ground. With the TTR I can do it single handed but with the other two bikes, I need help. I steady the bike whilst dearly beloved pumps up the bike lift. Thus on Thursday, I was in good shape to change the brake pads, a task that proved very easy. I also got to test the alloy tyre lever cum ring spanner I had bought for the F800 as the rear wheel nut is the same 24mm size. The alloy lever had no trouble undoing the nut and appeared to suffer no distortion in the process - so perhaps it was worth the rather high price.
Yesterday, I was keen to bed the new pads in so went for a ride around the neighbourhood, taking in a few unsurfaced roads - they led me to think the front forks could do with some attention but I shall await the first real offroad experience (planned for the coming Sunday) before fiddling with them. All was going well until on the way home, a van did a u-turn in front of me without signaling. I slammed on the brakes but the front wheel locked and I went down hard. The van driver did at least show concern and claimed he was a biker and said he had signalled - frankly I don't think so. In any event, I managed to ride home OK but with a very sore hand, knee and ribs. It was the hand that hurt most and X-rays taken later at the A&E department of our local hospital showed I had broken my little finger. This was strapped up to a splint and I was sent on my not very merry way.
It has put paid to my weekend plans for sure. No doubt if I was 20 years old and a MotoGP star, I'd be out on the track ignoring the pains in hand, chest and knee and just getting on with the job - unfortunately anno domini has decreed that ain't gonna happen. I just hope I'm back in shape for my next Wales trip planned for the middle of next month.
Things seemed pretty good. I had the covers off the starter and rotor to check the starter gears for wear but couldn't see any so that relieved me from worrying bout the slight noise the bike makes when switching it off - something I had been concerned might indicate wear in the sprag clutch. The rear brake pads looked as thought they could do with replacing so I ordered both front and back sets from Moto-Ward which arrived by post on Thursday. The day before, I had received another item - a bike lift with which I can lift all three bikes clear of the ground. With the TTR I can do it single handed but with the other two bikes, I need help. I steady the bike whilst dearly beloved pumps up the bike lift. Thus on Thursday, I was in good shape to change the brake pads, a task that proved very easy. I also got to test the alloy tyre lever cum ring spanner I had bought for the F800 as the rear wheel nut is the same 24mm size. The alloy lever had no trouble undoing the nut and appeared to suffer no distortion in the process - so perhaps it was worth the rather high price.
Yesterday, I was keen to bed the new pads in so went for a ride around the neighbourhood, taking in a few unsurfaced roads - they led me to think the front forks could do with some attention but I shall await the first real offroad experience (planned for the coming Sunday) before fiddling with them. All was going well until on the way home, a van did a u-turn in front of me without signaling. I slammed on the brakes but the front wheel locked and I went down hard. The van driver did at least show concern and claimed he was a biker and said he had signalled - frankly I don't think so. In any event, I managed to ride home OK but with a very sore hand, knee and ribs. It was the hand that hurt most and X-rays taken later at the A&E department of our local hospital showed I had broken my little finger. This was strapped up to a splint and I was sent on my not very merry way.
It has put paid to my weekend plans for sure. No doubt if I was 20 years old and a MotoGP star, I'd be out on the track ignoring the pains in hand, chest and knee and just getting on with the job - unfortunately anno domini has decreed that ain't gonna happen. I just hope I'm back in shape for my next Wales trip planned for the middle of next month.
Monday, 13 April 2009
Blog needs new title - Three Bikes at a Time
Yes, I got another! The new one is a Yamaha TTR250R bought off the bay expressly for greenlaning. So far I have only ridden it home from the seller's house but I plan to go off-road to Salisbury plain next weekend so it should get a good workout there. The bike is a 2004 model with 3000 miles on the clock and although 25 kilos heavier than the Honda CRF230 I was initially looking for, feels light enough nonetheless. It's quite a tall bike - the same as the F800 GS actually but I hope much easier to deal with on some of the more difficult trails. At this stage, I guess my only reservations are whether the bike will have enough power and if I shall outgrow its capabilities before old age diminishes mine sufficiently as to need an even smaller lighter bike..
The design is pretty basic - air-cooled, carburetted with no fancy electronics, just what one needs if a bike has to be fixed in the middle of nowhere! Thus far I have adjusted a few things here and there, topped up the brake fluid front and rear (the pads need changing but as it's Easter, I can't order new ones before tomorrow. I had a side cover off to look at the starter motorshaft and idler gears (these can wear badly once the sprag clutch gets worn apparently) but everything looked pretty good to my relief. I have not adjusted any suspension settings and will wait until I've had my first off-road experience before touching them.
On the 100 mile ride home with the new machine, it managed 55-60mph on the motorway fairly readily so it will be good for getting to local trails not too far away. For going further afield, I shall be getting a trailer however as I don't fancy riding all the way to say North Wales on this bike. Apart from anything else the seat is hard on the bum! I am going to try fitting the Airhawk to it for the ride down to Wiltshire and back. I can stuff it in my rucksack when actually riding the trails.
The design is pretty basic - air-cooled, carburetted with no fancy electronics, just what one needs if a bike has to be fixed in the middle of nowhere! Thus far I have adjusted a few things here and there, topped up the brake fluid front and rear (the pads need changing but as it's Easter, I can't order new ones before tomorrow. I had a side cover off to look at the starter motorshaft and idler gears (these can wear badly once the sprag clutch gets worn apparently) but everything looked pretty good to my relief. I have not adjusted any suspension settings and will wait until I've had my first off-road experience before touching them.
On the 100 mile ride home with the new machine, it managed 55-60mph on the motorway fairly readily so it will be good for getting to local trails not too far away. For going further afield, I shall be getting a trailer however as I don't fancy riding all the way to say North Wales on this bike. Apart from anything else the seat is hard on the bum! I am going to try fitting the Airhawk to it for the ride down to Wiltshire and back. I can stuff it in my rucksack when actually riding the trails.
Friday, 3 April 2009
Bike Fixed!
Yesterday, I got a call from Mark Holden to say that my parts had arrived. I elected to have him install them as I wanted to see what kind of a job he did. I took the bike over in the afternoon, went into Bromley for a coffee and about an hour later got a call on my mobile to say that the bike was ready. Everything seemed fine and the price was reasonable so I am happy so far with Mark's service. It is a big plus point for me that I live not far away so it is much less of a hassle to go there than to visit South London Motorrad.
I just hope the next couple of outings on the bike leave it in good shape for my trip to Slovenia in June! The first is a novices' run I am joining on Salisbury plain so that should be OK (a good test for my wrist..) but then in May I am heading for Wales again with UKGSers and those Welsh trails can prove demanding! If I succeed in my mission to get a pogo before then I might well take that instead.
Finding a pogo is proving harder than I expected. The Honda CRF 230 sounded ideal ut they have stopped making it and newones are like rocking horse manure whilst used ones are few ab]nd far between as well. I have therefore been considering new bikes but first, finding one that sounds as though it would suit me has been tricky, as they are all virtually designed for racing and as such have what sound like peaky engines and potentially tiring characteristics. Of the new ones, a Husqvarna TE310 has caught my eye as the most like to suit but so far I haven't seen one in the flesh. I have (I think but so far with nil feedback) booked a trail ride with Husky Trails that would allow me to sample the TE250.
Another problem with competition focused bikes is the demanding maintenance schedule with many requiring oil chages every 500km and piston/ring changes every 100km or similar. I have no wish to take up bike maintenece as a hobby and although I realise that some is inevitable, I'd like to keep it to a minimum.
I just hope the next couple of outings on the bike leave it in good shape for my trip to Slovenia in June! The first is a novices' run I am joining on Salisbury plain so that should be OK (a good test for my wrist..) but then in May I am heading for Wales again with UKGSers and those Welsh trails can prove demanding! If I succeed in my mission to get a pogo before then I might well take that instead.
Finding a pogo is proving harder than I expected. The Honda CRF 230 sounded ideal ut they have stopped making it and newones are like rocking horse manure whilst used ones are few ab]nd far between as well. I have therefore been considering new bikes but first, finding one that sounds as though it would suit me has been tricky, as they are all virtually designed for racing and as such have what sound like peaky engines and potentially tiring characteristics. Of the new ones, a Husqvarna TE310 has caught my eye as the most like to suit but so far I haven't seen one in the flesh. I have (I think but so far with nil feedback) booked a trail ride with Husky Trails that would allow me to sample the TE250.
Another problem with competition focused bikes is the demanding maintenance schedule with many requiring oil chages every 500km and piston/ring changes every 100km or similar. I have no wish to take up bike maintenece as a hobby and although I realise that some is inevitable, I'd like to keep it to a minimum.
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