When i bought the bike last year, it already had the heated grips fitted, haven't a clue what make they are but they have proved to be very handy the last few times i've been out on the bike in cold weather this winter.
But i digress... Last Sunday, i went for a spin to visit a couple of friends on Anglesey, some 20-odd miles away from where i live.
I used the heated grips on the way, got to matey's and stayed for a cuppa and a chat, as you do.
An hour later i came out to a flat battery, i had left the damn grips turned on, anyway it started easily enough with a bump start and off i went, so visit matey two, called at the petrol station about four miles away and the bike started on the button afterwards.
I noticed on the way to matey two's, that the left grip was loose, turning as freely as the twistgrip, so i assume that the heat build-up when they were left on for the hour i was visiting, had melted the glue that holds it to the bars?
Power for the grips come directly from the battery, so obviously they can be accidentally left on, as i did.
So, is there anywhere i can source a switchable power supply, such as the ignition circuit, so that this problem doesn't happen again?

When i got home, i took the battery off to charge it, i do have an optimate but the bike is outside under a cover, so it isn't convenient to charge it while it's on the bike, sod trailing wires out of the front window in this weather!
Anyway, as i said, i took the battery off the bike, which i found to be quite a wind-up, seeing as i couldn't get any grip on the beggar, so i resorted to threading a thin cable tie through each of the battery terminals and lifting it out that way, otherwise i would have had to have been a touch more inventive!
One of the cells has a slight bulge, as was made known to me when it was at the dyno mans last year, due he said, to the failure of the rec\reg unit, so i expect that the bulge didn't help with the removal of it.
Anyone else had a problem removing the battery?

G ; )

Well, as i stated in a previous post, the bike needed to go to the Dyno man to have the new inlet rubbers fitted and the bike to be set up.
So, yesterday dinner, i took it over and a mate brought me back home, Dyno man phoned me this morning to let me know that number three cylinder has no compression at all, in fact he can feel it coming back through the airbox and the silencer, it's that bad.
His suggestion is either to remove the head and check for bent valve stems and if they are ok, then grind all the valves in.....or, put it back together and stick it on ebay, not a nice thing to do but somebody did it to me, so hey-ho!
So at the moment, i'm waiting for him to get back to me later on this evening, he has other bikes in that the owners obviously want sorting but if one of them isn't too much in a rush, then he can do mine sooner.
If not, then it could be a few months before he an get round to stripping the head off it.
Of course, if i had a garage, then i would strip it myself but i haven't, so i'll just have to wait and see what he says this evening.
I sometimes wonder if it's all worth the bother, unfortunately it is, after 40+ years of biking, it isn't something you can just give up on, is it?

G ; )

Well, i've had the Fazer a couple of weeks now and i'm pleased as punch with it, although a couple of issues have arisen.
I live in Bangor, North Wales and occasionally i have a trip up to Rossendale, in Lancashire to visit friends and family, sometimes in the car, sometimes on the bike.
Last Friday, i gave the bike it's first decent long(ish) run up North, it ran pretty well, apart from a tendency to "bog down" when i opened the throttle to overtake a vehicle on the motorway.
I've noticed this a couple of times before i went on the trip, doing around 40-50mph, then drop down a gear and overtake but it sometimes holds back until i roll the throttle off a touch, then it takes off like a scalded cat.
On the motorway, doing around 70-80mph, the same thing would happen, roll off the throttle for a vehicle in front, then when it has moved over, i open the throttle and it dies for a spit second, until i roll off the throttle, then it picks up again and all is good.
Today, i want out for a short spin round the mountain roads hereabouts with a mate on his SV650, at certain points he would take off and i would follow, although again the bike would bog down if i wound the throttle open and as before, it would pick up again if i rolled off a touch.
Matey also mentioned that there was a slight smoking when setting off if we stopped for a while, plus he said he could smell the "smoke".
Haven't checked the plugs as yet, although the end of the silencer isn't wet, just sooty, so i'm hoping that the problem may be down to a rich mixture problem, i don't have to use the choke when i first start the bike, again that makes me think it could be a carb problem, it doesn't appear to be using any engine oil, the level is fine.
Anyway, i phoned my friendly dyno man today, to see if he can give it a once over and maybe find the problem, although he's booked up all next week but said he will call me if he gets a window free.

Cheers, G ; )

Hello y'all, bought a 2002 FZS 600 last Monday, to replace the BMW R100S i blew up the previous Saturday.
to be honest, i should have bought a Fazer before i got the Beemer, i've always fancied one and now i have one, i find that it's twice...nay thrice the bike that the Beemer was.
Anyway, hope to find some tricks on the forum to make the Fazer even better than it already is, if that's possible?

George