LB Community Forums / Help & Information / Questions & Answers

Keeping a bike with no garage

BigSims — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:27:01 GMT

Hi folks,

First post apart from intro in newbies section! :cool:

I'm hoping to be getting a second-hand bike soon - nothing fancy, mainly for commuting, aiming at getting a Bandit 600.

My concern is that I don't have a garage so the bike will be living outside. I'll invest in anything I might need to keep the bike in better shape but can anyone give me any tips or advice on how to look after the bike and protect it as much as possible from the elements?

Thanks!
Simon :)

buying my first bike

BoomShaka — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:41:36 GMT

Hi

I've been looking around for a while now for my first bike. I'm pretty keen to get a Honda XR 125, as I like the higher seating position.
Anyway, I just saw one at Lazer Motorcycles in Chalk Farm / Camden for £1795. My original budget was £1500, but I could consider stretching it to the £1700 they were willing to drop to if all else fails.

The bike seemed to be in good repair, started up a bit weak (due to being cold I assume), but otherwise seemed alright, and comes with the usual dealer trappings.
2005 model, 6500 miles on the clock (and what is apparently a full service history that has been filled out incorrectly?)

I guess my question is this: Is this a reasonable price for this type of bike? I've seen similar (even with less mileage) going cheaper a little further out of London, but most of them have been snapped up pretty quick.

Thanks for any input
Boom

P.S. I just noticed the Lazer Motorcycles advert in the right hand column so I'm wondering how impartial the responses will be ;)

New exhaust for an SV

5150 — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:46:17 GMT

Hi,

I still have the stock pipe on my SV, but I want change it for something a bit fruitier.

As it stands, I know I can get a single exhaust to replace the OEM one - but I'm considering getting two - one either side (at the same level as now - not under the seat). Would this be prohibitively expensive, given that there'd be plumbing (and two cans) involved?

I know it's vain, but I really like the idea of two exhausts - one for each cylinder. :D

Ithangyew.

Starter Troubleshooting

CBR6FP — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:46:17 GMT

Ok, with ignition on and press start switch I get the crrrr noise from the relay switch but starter motor does not turn.

following manual troubleshooting - Battery good and have got to part where it says: Connect the starter motor terminal to the battery positive terminal directly( do not use thin wires).If motor turns then possible fault with relay and if motor does not turn then faulty motor.

I connected the two and turn ignition on a everything is dead, no lights nothing, disconnect and back to normal but motor does not turn.

What am i doing wrong? this may be a stupid question but if you connect starter terminal directly to battery are you not bypassing any switches, therefore if the motor is fine it would turn without having to press starter button?

TV Coverage Of BSB?

rusty — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:59:03 GMT

Does anyone know if there's going to be any highlights of this weekends BSB shown on Channel 4? I know that in the past they've had some sort of highlight show mid-week after the event but I can't seem to see anything!

Failing that, is Eurosport the only other way of watching it?

Where to buy bike clothing and helmets etc. in North London?

nikobe — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:23:05 GMT

Hey guys,

I'll be looking to buy my first helmet, boots and other bike attire soon. Do you have any recommendations for places to buy in London? Preferably north london?

Cheers

N

U-Turns - Legal or Not? Who's Liability?

kml_uk — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:36:50 GMT

This morning riding into the office I saw a guy in front of me nearly get T-boned by a cabbie has he pulled off a U turn from the inside lane on a normal stretch of road....

Using the diagram below:

If the bike is the blue showing his filtering position and that, and the red is a bus, the red arrow shows the taxi's manouver.... If the bike and the taxi had collided, who's fault would it have been? Is it a legal move? or not?

I must admit, since my mate had a car pull out on him, I'm very very cautious of buses pulled over or stopped...I can see over most cars but not buses or vans!

Wurth Lube?

sandman — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:31:35 GMT

Does anyone out there know what the light blue spray on Wurth lube is called?? It is normally used for spraying on clutch / brake levers, footpegs and other external moving parts. I've seen it in small cans in bike workshops etc. and they always cover my bike in the stuff at service time but can't remember the name. As I said, it is made by Wurth & is pretty good stuff for keeping stuff moving properly as the rubbish weather is upon us (well winter anyway as summer was rubbish too !). Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Sandman

Right foot down?

Ziggy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:09:59 GMT

Hi guys.

I did my CBT on a twist and go.

I'm currently riding a Suzuki GP100, which is a geared 98cc motorcycle. Didn't do a gear conversion course, or have any lessons, I just taught myself on my mates geared bike.

When I did my CBT we were instructed to always put our left foot down at stops or junctions, but I've noticed now that I'm on the road that most riders of geared motorcycles put their right foot down and keep their left up by the gears.

I've tried it myself and it is more comfortable. Especially as with my bike it sometimes seems that I'm in first, but I'm actually in neutral, and the neutral light just hasn't come up. So it's nice to be able to correct that quickly and then pull away.

What is the correct practice?

Cheers,
Ziggy100

HISS - missing key number plate

Cray — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:59:38 GMT

Evening all!

I bought my CBR in June this year and it only came with one key and unfortunately not the key numberplate.

I'm wondering if any of you know if it's possible to get a new key made without the key numberplate as long as I have all the registration papers and the current working key?

I was told getting a new HISS fitted would be rather costly so I'd try to avoid that if possible :)

Cheers

Leathers And Cold Weather!

rusty — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:36:33 GMT

I'm heading out on a trackday tomorrow and I need to be there for 7.30! I'm guessing that it's gonna be pretty cold at about 6.30 tomorrow morning so does anyone have any good suggestions for jackets etc. that I can wear with my leathers so I don't freeze on the way to the track?

display on my SL1000 Falco

Fu — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:59:56 GMT

Morning all,
I had to reset my immobiliser last night on my aprilia falco. On my LCD display on it's coming up with DIAG and then different numbers. Does anybody know what this means? Normally the engine temp and time would be displayed.

Ta,
Fuu

end can

NinjaMan — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:28:25 GMT

just got round to fitting an end can on my 7r after all these years,fired the bike up and the engine sounded much better because normally when cold it is a bit wooly sounding untill warm,i turned the choke off straight away and found it would idle really sweet and was nice and crisp on the throttle,i am thinking that it is running a bit rich now on the idle as the choke had no effect whatsoever,do you reckon i should give the mixture screws a tweak or probably go down a size or two on the pilot air jets to lean it out again.

Happy/Sad Faced Smiley Speeding Boards

SirYamalot — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:18:51 GMT

The other day while riding down my road in the dark I passed one of the electronic speed check boards.... On passing though I noticed a police car with a couple of bobbies sitting in it, parked infront of it with their lights off!. Luckily my house is just past it so I was slowing down to turn in (got a smiley face). Im guessing they were using it to nick people with???, is that possible???.

Datatool alarm/immobiliser problem

Fu — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:35:27 GMT

Hi all,

I have an aprilia sl1000 falco and seem to be having a problem with my alarm/immobiliser. It seems almost it's stuck in service mode. I cannot disarm it with the fob even though I put a new battery in the fob. If i remove the seat or move the bike about, normally that would set the alarm etc off. However at the moment nothing sets it off until I turn the ignition on.

Can anybody help?

Cheers,

JK :)

Questions

benp1 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:19:59 GMT

Couples of questions -

1 - I know that there is talk about letting bikes in bus lanes, fingers crossed. Is there any issue with us being in cycle lanes? i.e at lights and when filtering.

2 - When going slow in 2nd and not using the throttle, do you pull the clutch in when using the throttle again. When I do there's a small jerk, even when I'm trying to be delicate. I don't know whether the jerk is due to me not being smooth or whether there is no way of being uber smooth. If I pull in the clutch I can slip it out so there's no jerk, but filtering etc means that I'm always using the clutch, I'm just wondering if I'm using it too much. Actually same question for 1st gear too! I nearly always use the clutch then

Datatool Alarms fitted in 1993

CBR6FP — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:54:06 GMT

Ok so here be my problem.

My alarm has reactivated itself after battery removal but the remote thingy is knackered and I did not get the key to deactivate the system when I bought the bike in 2004.

This system obviously not made anymore cos cannot find reference to it on the datatool website.

It was fitted in 1993 and the invoice I have says it is a Datatool 50.

Has anyone else got this same system and have you ever had to replace the remote.

Any advice would be appreciated

datatool system 21

striderzm8 — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:56:33 GMT

hi all the problem i have is that i brought a gorgeous cbr600rr 05 and brought it home on a trailer due to the weather, unfortunately the seller didnt know how to put into ferry mode on the alarm,, hence when i got it home the battery was flat. the battery has been charged now but the alarm wont do anything and the bike wont show no life either, the inline fuse is in tact for the alarm so i am sitting here drooling and polishing until im back on the road, any advice would be great. cheers :hehe:

I passed my DAS now what??

oxuk — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:27:09 GMT

Hiya I recently passed my DAS on a suzuki GS500 so far the bigggest bike I've ever ridden.

I currently own a CBR 125 which not so long ago I thought was a really cool bike... but now I have changed my mind... I guess it is because I now have an idea of what more power means!

I would love to jump straight on to a CBR 600 RR but when I tried the insurance ThirdPartyF&T... my quote was over £4500... which is a real no no!!

I am 23 and I live in Brixton so I need to find my-self a bigger yet cheap to insure bike... can anyone make a recomendation???

Could anyone tell me where I can join a biking organisation... something I think would help reduce my insurance premium!!

Cheers!!

NEW YORK

jimblade — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 19:08:44 GMT

Folks, me and the missus are off the NYC for a few days in NOVEMBER,
can anybody reccomend a good value place to stay, must be pretty central and clean, dontwant to spend loads on accom but at the moment i am stumped,
i want to buy an aftermarket zorst for the blade i reckon they will be a load cheaper there, anybody know af any decent bike shop in around the city (NYC)
heres hoping Jim.

bike test?

cswd — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:40:42 GMT

hi all, do i need to hire a bike or am i able to use a mates gsxr750?

Wheels... Powder coating or Paint????

flight — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:20:38 GMT

Hi there Guys and Gals,

I would like to get the wheels on my R1 coloured gold...

I was just going to get them sprayed but was advised by a friend to get them powder coated instead as painted wheels get chipped alot easier...
Has anybody got any knowledge and experience with this subject that they could share with me...

Does anyone know of any companies who could take on the work and how much I should expect to pay.

also, what should I do with the bike while its feet are away??? LoL

Thanks for reading.
:)

Looking for a good south london mechanic

si600rr — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:48:15 GMT

Hi,

Looking for a good mechanic to fit some S/S lines and a new set of sprocket studs and bolts. I have the items just need someone I can trust to work on my p&j.

Thanks,

filtering offside islands legal?

yoseph — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:05:40 GMT

as in, when filtering approaching traffic lights, how correct / legal is it to go really wide and pass traffic islands on the right hand side, when there is no oncoming vehicle leaving a clear way ahead ?

When do you shift up?

Mamady — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:48:24 GMT

Personally I use No. 2... but it doesnt feel right... I sense the 'right' answer is No. 5?

BTW, this is for racetrack only... im not really interested in street riding. I use a combo of No. 4 and No. 5 for street riding and am happy keeping it that way.

What Paint

NinjaMan — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:21:27 GMT

Just stripped down my spare shock and stripped the paint and rust off of the spring,what is the best paint to use to respray it with. I will be doing it myself..

How long to fit and remap an exhaust?

kml_uk — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:53:00 GMT

Afternoon all!

Quick one for the mechanics out there.... If I'm looking to have an exhaust system fitted and remapped how long would it take and how long would I expect a dealer to charge me for labour?

Thanks in Advance!

:cool:

Splicing power for an Autocom - help!

cbrbiker — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:50:53 GMT

Hi guys!

Jenna (other half) and I both bought an Autocom intercom yesterday, so we can talk to each other when we're riding.

We had a nice chat with John at Bike Stop. We laughed, we joked, he mentioned something about connecting the live power wire to a switchgear, we paid and toddled off.

Now I realise that in fact, I haven't got a clue how to splice a wire into the wiring loom and have never attempted such a job before in my life! I'm not skilled with a soldering iron and when playing around with bike electrics, I'm concerned I'll fudge the whole thing up and end up with a bike that has electrical difficulties! The last thing I want to end up with is a Honda that feels like a Ducati! ;)

So basically, I'm wondering if anyone would be able/willing to give us a hand fitting these things to our bikes? Mine's a 2000 FireBlade and Jenna's is a 1988 CBR400 NC23. Payment in the form of beer or cash equivalent would be offered. ;)

Thanks in a pre-emptive sort of way! :D

custom helmets

hammy — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:56:09 GMT

Can anyone recommend somebody who does custom art/paint on helmets? Grateful for any tips... cheers, Hammy

Thin Road Legal Helmets

Ziggy — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:48:51 GMT

Hi, I'm a new rider. Only just passed my CBT, and looking to eventually do the full license.

The style of bikes I like are either the old cafe racer type or the old Royal Enfield/Vincent/Indian/BSA style bikes. I particularly like the new Royal Enfield Machismo, even though any biker or mechanic I've spoken to have almost spat on the pavement and slapped me for even thinking about buying an RE, because they're so unreliable (although I've heard that the new ones are better and don't **** oil).

Obviously full face lids don't really look right on this style of bike, so I'm looking at open face lids, and my problem is this: I'm a short arse with quite a small face and not a particularly small head (although I don't look quite as odd as I maybe make myself sound), and most helmets make me look like that bloke out of 'Spaceballs'.

The only thing I've tried that's road legal and looks alright is a Davida 91, supposedly the smallest road legal helmet on the market (wish I could wear one of their pudding bowl helmets. I know a lot people still do but it bothers me that you're not insured when you do). Trouble with the 91 is that even the large (58-60cm) is not exactly too small, but there is some pressure on my forehead, which although bearable I think would annoy after a not very long while. A bloke serving in metropolis motorcycles in Vauxhall reckons you can use a spoon to press the front in a bit. Anyway I think it's because the 91 is quite a round helmet and my head's a little more oval.

So my question is this: anybody know of a lid as small as the Davida 91, that is perhaps a bit more oval in shape?

Thanks.

Am I Ruining My Clutch Cable?

chris r — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:03:54 GMT

Not sure if I am the only one that does this, I'll bet my house on it that I'm not. But when waiting at traffic lights & the like, unless I am a few cars back I nearly always leave the bike in gear & sit there waiting for the lights to go green, clutch in...natch.

Am i causing undue wear & tear on my cable doing this? Have I just been lucky over the years that the cable hasn't gone "snap". Is this a bad habit I should really try & break....or does everyone else do it?

How much can a garage cost to rent?

Jay — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:00:49 GMT

I'm looking for a garage to rent and have had two offers, but I think it's expensive. What do people charge/pay?

Little mirror things

jimbona — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:14:01 GMT

hi guys,
i'll hopefully get this answered tomororw at the borough market but does anyone know what those little square mirrors are called? I did see a guys R1 with them on the other week but never got the name! He had those on it instead of actual mirrors. Think they stick on the inside of the aeroscreen.
Thanks,

engine cutting out

BoomShaka — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:20:03 GMT

So I went to see a bike on Saturday in Crowthorne (Hatfields of Crowthorne, approved Honda dealer) to see a Honda XR 125.
Starting the engine the bike would cut out almost immediately if some revs were not supplied.
The dealer told me this is just because the engine is cold because its been sitting on show for a while and that once it is in constant use it should have no trouble starting up...

Do I believe him?

P.S. I am a 100% noobie, so if it's a stupid question please don't hold it against me :)

Bikestrobe, East Barnet

BoomShaka — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:54:45 GMT

Has anyone had any experience with Bikestrobe in East Barnet? They have a XR 125 I am considering looking at.

http://dealerservices.autotrader.co.uk/109832/bikestrobe.htm

Clutch is slipping badly

RedZ — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:48:13 GMT

The adjustments are both as far as they can go, is it likely that the cable has stretched? R1 2005

I just want some brain storming before spending money i dont have! :)

Cleaning up a crash helmet

WASP — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:52:18 GMT

Got a yellow roof boxer and its got some awful marks on it, what can i use to clean it up nice and shiny like? T cut?........:crazy:

URGENT QUESTION: eMoto and MV Agusta parts

Lustfish — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:06:17 GMT

Morning gang, my big Bro is over from the states on a flying visit today and he's after some carbon fiber bits and pieces for his Agusta and I was wondering if anyone knows if eMoto gives an LB discount? If not, do you know of any suppliers in London that might have parts available to buy off-the-shelf today?

Thanks for the help in advance :)

very low tyre pressures, Michelin Pilot Road 2s on CBR600F

OrangeSpoon — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:46:16 GMT

you'll prob all tell me off for this but i trusted the tyre pressures set (or should that be left) by the previous owner as it was in such good condition

this morning, a week after the purchase, i have quickly washed the bike for the first time and checked pressures:

Front 25 psi, Rear 28psi WTF!!!!! :w00t:

Obviously immediately sorted that out, trying 36 psi front and 38 psi rear, but that will teach me for trusting a garaged bike again! he hadnt used it much at all in the winter.

i am using a michelin 12v car cigarette socket powered inflator with digital gauge that has been correctly re-zeroed as per the manual

my questions are?....

1. how dangerous were those low pressures? aside from resulting in higher tyre wear and slower turning (not that my feeble talents would notice that right now ;))

2. michelin and honda manual recommendations are front 36 and rear 42 psi, but real world settings gleaned from web searches mention 38 psi as more realistic (42 being a safe level to take into account pillions etc) does this make sense or is 38 psi on the rear a bad idea?

as always, thanks for your advice :)

Weird horn problem

Yamrider — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 01:42:53 GMT

Hiya,

Wonder if anyone can shed some light on this one...

My horns have packed up (I got those dual Motrax horns one hi, one lo note). If I press the horn button I get a very brief blip but then nothing. If I wait a while or turn off the ignition, I can get another blip.

I topped up the battery with fluid and gave it a good charge, but that wasn't it. Any ideas?

Many thanks.