This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
Messages - bludclot
1
« on: 02 April 2021, 06:31:29 pm »
Deposit taken.
2
« on: 29 March 2021, 07:52:02 pm »
The time has come to part with my Fazer.I've had it over 10 years and it's been my favourite bike by far, I hope that I won't regret letting it go. When Mike Falcon Ivanised it, his comment was "if it's not the best Fazer that I've seen it's certainly in the top three"... Details: - It's done 27500 miles,
- was MOTd last week,
- wears an Akrapovic can (standard also available),
- S1000RR rear shock (standard also available),
- has a META alarm/immobiliser with a key fob conversion,
- full history and everything else you would expect of a pampered dry weather toy.
- It's mechanically perfect, rides like a brand new bike and gathers positive comments everywhere it goes.
- Located in Fareham, just outside Portsmouth.
- Price £3k
[I attached the photo's to the post, full sized versions can be found here & here - bkd]
3
« on: 10 August 2020, 06:52:58 am »
There are average speed camera on the M27 at the moment, signed as set to 50mph. When I keep a steady 50 through them I seem to be the slowest thing out there and yes, tailgating happens a lot. (Why?) Went in a friend's car last week, he has been commuting along that stretch of road for months. He set his cruise control to 56mph, said he has been doing it like that twice every day and hasn't had a ticket yet....
4
« on: 26 July 2020, 08:02:18 am »
I think it unfair to apportion too much blame on 125s. (Although I think they sound dreadful with loud cans.) Mrs and I went for a walk in Upperford Copse last weekend, it's near the A32. There were many obviously large capacity bikes blatting past, clearly sporting after market cans, it was really quite unpleasant to hear. When the road noise abated it was a truly lovely and peaceful part of the world. Didn't notice any car or small capacity bike noise, just noisy big bikes.
I know I am a biker and part of the problem, I hold my hand up to that. But I think it's important to recognise that a great many bikes sport louder than stock exhausts and when in use make noise pollution which is unpleasant for all living things within an affected area. Shame on us for allowing bike culture to become unpleasant in this way.
Leading on from that why do 125 riders fit loud cans? Is it because they want to be like their big bike cousins? And the same with youngsters in their souped up Civics, wanting to be like the bike boys on their big bikes with loud exhausts? Come to think of it what does a loud exhaust achieve that's good for anyone anywhere any time?
5
« on: 23 July 2020, 07:37:19 am »
How about adding an inline on/off switch? I appreciate it's a 'work around' rather than a fix.
6
« on: 17 July 2020, 06:57:42 am »
Excellent points well made there, thank you. I have relayed what was said and he is going to look at a v-strom 650 this weekend. I gave him a run down of what to look for and how to check - tyres, chain and sprockets, wheel / head bearings, signs of damage etc. He's taking another biker friend with him too so hopefully some knowledge and experience can be applied to the consideration process. When I went to see him last night he was clearing a space in his garage...
7
« on: 15 July 2020, 07:07:45 am »
A friend of mine is turning 50 next month and has been talking about riding since I have known him. His wife has bought him a direct access booking for his birthday. He's been driving for years so already has road sense and traffic patterns knowledge and experience. He's around 6' 4" and well built and has asked me what I would recommend for a first bike. When I ask what lines he's thinking along he wants more of a 'tourer' style, nothing too new so that's it's not precious (up to around £6k perhaps) and definitely something that's not too small given his body size. He's very comfortable sitting on my Fazer thousand but doesn't like the idea of that much bhp for a first bike. I came up with: CB1000 (SC30), CB1300SA, tiger 800, R1150R but none of them seemed to appeal to him. He suggested a Versys 650, but I know that the ER-6n it's based on is bordering on the tiny. Any other suggestions?
8
« on: 01 July 2020, 06:37:05 pm »
Mine is cleaner and minter than any of those listed for sale. It's done 27K now. I just keep it for dry clean roads and wipe it after every use.
There's a multitude of marks visible on the first one VNA listed, I don't think it's all that. Certainly not as good as mine.
Just saying.
9
« on: 15 June 2020, 07:24:50 am »
I think that looks seriously good!
10
« on: 04 June 2020, 07:04:48 pm »
Fascinating to know what others do.
I play squash, have done since I was a child. No great shakes but still compete at club level after all these years - starting to be the oldest player of both teams at fixtures these days. It's a seriously intense game that keeps me fit and trim, I miss it loads due to current restrictions. Seeing as I fit bathrooms and kitchens for a living and ride motorcycles all year round to squash training, games and matches I think I can confidently look forward to more knee problems, having already suffered quite a bit already....
I also enjoy collecting and mixing vinyl records, mainly jungle and DnB (hence the avatar) not a cheap hobby by any stretch. I have 'played out' before, great fun and went down well but the work and preparation required was eye opening, not something I am keen to repeat. A couple of people that know me and know that I mix have asked me to play at weddings.... when I demonstrate the music that I play they promptly think again.
11
« on: 27 May 2020, 06:24:37 am »
Fantastic colour choice. Here's hoping for pictures, as many as you can take and post....
12
« on: 21 May 2020, 07:23:51 am »
The gen 1 is seems sensitive to clutch its cable, I think it's because it goes through 4 angles between lever and housing. Is yours a genuine cable? If so it will need to be adjusted 'just so' for a smooth change and an easy to find neutral. I and others on this forum have tried after market cables and have promptly changed them for genuine.
13
« on: 18 May 2020, 07:02:51 pm »
I love candy cherry red but haven't had the nerve to put it (or have it put) on a vehicle as there's virtually (absolutely?) no blowing or touching in candy finishes for any blemishes if you want a perfect match... Nearest dark red metallic that I have found is Land Rover Alverston red which is a stunning colour, I had my two CB400s painted in it. I think if would suit a gen 2 with black wheels but might be a bit similar to the factory (is it Lava?) red?
Colour choosing is not as easy as just picking your favourite however, it has to suit the vehicle it's to go on. I wanted my CBR600F red but when I researched pictures on the cbr forum it just didn't suit it....
I think that Honda Lapis blue (a pearl colour) with matt copper wheels might suit the gen 2 nicely, it would certainly give it a modern look if that is what you might like?
When colour changing a bike I collect spare bodywork and tank first and then prepare that and either spray it myself or have it sprayed, that way it can go back to original at any time or still be on the road if any or all panels need touching in for scratches, stone chips or the like...
Hope that helps.
14
« on: 18 May 2020, 06:41:57 pm »
I love the look of that KTM. A really good looking bike, brilliant styling job to my eye.
15
« on: 19 April 2020, 08:25:35 am »
Get the factory one. All other ones, in my opnion are crap
and look crap too.... Each to their own though.
16
« on: 17 April 2020, 08:02:17 am »
While your top fairing is in paint it's a good opportunity to colour code your front mudguard extension.
17
« on: 17 April 2020, 08:00:42 am »
Well done for coming this far, sometimes making the decision is just as hard as undertaking the project.
I think that the FZS is peerless among motorcycles, it's fast but oh so comfortable. I haven't found faster without sacrificing the comfort - so on that score they are worth restoring.
Having read the posts in this thread I have two comments:
- the nicer the condition of the bike in the garage the less tempting it is to ride it. My Fazer is cleaner than new and I manage somewhere between 500 and 900 miles a year on it, the roads must be dry and salt free and the weather good for the duration before I'll take it out. It becomes a luxury item rather than transport.
- there's little point in making the bike really nice without improving your 'less than perfect cleaning regime'. I find having decent music and a drink in the garage a very real help. A 'wet cloth / dry cloth wipe over' can take as little as 15 minutes, it's not onerous.
18
« on: 25 February 2020, 11:27:59 am »
I fitted my newly painted spare tank and plastics to my little wet weather bike. It's also had it's 16k major service, new cam chain tensioner and chain and sprockets - running very sweetly indeed now. Starting to look and feel like one of my bikes:  
19
« on: 23 February 2020, 04:43:53 pm »
The tank (and plastics) from my CBR are all changed so am going to store them in the loft until sale or accident time. I was considering putting the tank into one of the many vacuum storage bags available cheaply from DIY shops or Ebay, a good idea? Tank is empty of fuel and has two large holes, one for the filler and the other for the fuel pump and filter assembly....
20
« on: 17 February 2020, 07:15:46 am »
Andrew Dalton wrote a very good piece (as are all his articles) in Bike magazine warning about potential perils of accepting a loan bike from an insurance company. He gave an example (if i recall) where a non-fault victim accepted a loan bike with a verbal reassurance that he would not have to pay, signed the paperwork without reading it and was then hit with a bill for over a oner a day for keeping it, (30k in total or something silly?) so caution required.
We all know that we don't / won't usually get back the large sums of money spent on bikes getting them up together, these bills are not reflected in the subsequent market value. The sad reality is a financial hit one way or another following any accident, fault or not.
I feel for you and hope that it ends soon and without too much more loss, worry and inconvenience.
21
« on: 09 February 2020, 03:25:17 pm »
Putting a 2 pack clear on a non 2 pack colour can lead to issues, (putting a harder paint on a softer base) best stick to same paint types if unsure. Results tend to be proportional to time and effort put into paint, it's perhaps 80% preparation, 10% application and 10% flatting and polishing afterwards. All three can go wrong....
If using rattle cans I'd suggest the pro-xl range, they are generally excellent. The hi-build primer can sometimes shrink faster than colour and clear coats however, leaving a lined or crinkled effect. I have used the non 2 pack aerosol range to paint bike and car wheels and parts giving excellent and long lasting results on many occasions. Keys to a good finish include patience (plenty!), environment and good eyesight. A love of sanding, abrading and polishing helps greatly, there's plenty of it!
Basically there's many pitfalls with paint. Having painted 100s of parts with my own gun and aerosols over the years these days I take parts to my local paint shop and point at them and describe the colour I want, I'd rather pay the money than take the grief. Having a pair of wheels painted is not expensive, even cheaper if they are sanded and prepared at home before hand....
hth.
22
« on: 04 February 2020, 08:04:50 am »
I like the stealth 'hedge car' at the back of picture two....
24
« on: 12 December 2019, 12:02:41 pm »
Don't want to keep banging on but.... not emission free. So yes electric cars are essentially emission free.
No they are not. Electric motors emit heat and noise while in use, batteries emit heat - hence not emission free. It's not wise to discount heat emissions - global warming is upon us and millions of running engines or electric motors do not help. I don't know which runs cooler, I suspect an electric setup runs significantly cooler than an equivalent powered fossil fuel engine so perhaps there's a step in the right direction there. That's just the power unit however. The rest of the vehicle emits brake dust particles, tyre rubber particles, light emissions (not to be discounted lightly either) while in use. There's also consumables to consider - bearings, fluids, shocks etc. that are replaced during the working life of a vehicle. As stated above the electricity powering the vehicle does not materialise by magic, it comes at a cost. The same is true for vehicle manufacture and decommission, it is considered that these two parts of vehicle life contribute up to 90% (!) of total pollutants during the life of a vehicle. (This is difficult to measure apparently.) (The amount of virgin natural resources consumed to make one vehicle is depressing.) To say that a vehicle is emissions free is just plain wrong. Electric vehicles are tail pipe emissions free, that's more accurate.
25
« on: 12 December 2019, 08:19:48 am »
Electric motor for pootling around town (emission free) Don't want to keep banging on but.... not emission free.
|
Show Posts
