Hi, I have just joined this site despite buying an Fzs 1000 new in 05. I have added  Yamaha hugger, crash bungs and belly pan, I have also added a radiator cover, race can and front braided hoses and i will get round to fitting the different tie bars for the rear suspension that i have had for some time to sharpen the steering.
I also own a CCM 404 DS. Roll on the warmer weather. un

December's theme was "All I want for Christmas" and the photos are here: http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php/topic,1037.0.html

Last month everyone seemed happy with a different form of voting, so it's the same for this month - you get 3 votes that you can 'spend' as you wish.

Before i start.... yes i've seen the R6 shock threads  :lol

The old shock is no longer up to handling bike with pillion (ground down center stand....oops!)

My issue is every time i ride the weight i put on the bike changes. Top box can be empty, half full or down right overloaded... Then add in optional pillion/ panniers and what i really need is a shock with remote adjusters because i aint about to get on my hands n knees with the spanner every journey?

What are my options? (if any) and what sort of money am i realisticaly looking at?

TIA

My mate and I finally started to pen down some ideas over lunch today about a big trip through Europe this year. We've talked about it for a while and i've wanted to do it for years.

So, here is our rough plan....

Day 1 - Get to dover and get over to Brugge to rest for night
Day 2 - Through Belgium and West Germany to rest at Manheim (no idea what this place is like but it's just somewhere we've pinned to stop as mileage will be too high to carry on)  :z
Day 3 - Down through Stuttgart and towards Innsbruck

Somewhere between Innsbruck and Zurich we'll find a place that will be our base for a few days where we'll do day trips to the Alps, Austria and potentially North Italy but I might fancy at least 2 trips through the Alps 

After all this, heading back through Switzerland, brushing through France towards Luxembourg and back towards Calais. Planning to do all this in 8 days Fri - Sat but keeping Sunday spare in case we want it or need it.

I'll be looking into the legalities as much as possible but any tips are welcome. Any first timer tips are appreciated? Any obvious stuff?

Mainly any good routes that generally conform to this plan or any nice places to stay will be very welcome as never ridden abroad before so it's all new to me.

We're planning to camp whilst on route but probably find a B&B when we make our base camp between Innsbruck and Zurich.

Thanks for reading :thumbup
Brace

Second winter of using these now , Partner an myself+ inlaw use them . I still can't get over how good they actually are ours don't have any heat controllers but manage to stay at just the right temp. No longer an ordeal now riding at motorway speed on a winters day. At £40 Ebay they make the oxford rage of clothing seem dear , My inlaw also got a posh battery pack powered jacket , cost him over a hundred pounds but I don't really think it is any better than our cheepos.
I don't have any £ relationship to anybody selling these, but just calling a spade a spade they are good! An easy matter to rig a cigar lighter power take of on the fazer fairing panels. or get an optional battery pack , Combined with heated grips great!

Through experience and looking on various web sites I would always recommend “brimming” the fuel tank in other words fill the tank to the max especially if you are going to store your bike outside. As Al correctly states fuel these days has a percentage of ethanol in it (same ingredient as anti-freeze) which is basically alcohol. Alcohol attracts moister partials from the air which will eventually start to corrode the inside of the fuel tank and foul up the fuel system. If you fill the tank with fuel, there will be no air gap at the top which in turn means no place for moisture to collect. Leaving a bike for six weeks is not an issue at all and try out a fuel additive such as Putoline® fuel stabilizer (£5.95 for a 200ml can). http://www.bitzforbikes.co.uk/​-ref-12951-350.htm



Putoline Motor Treatment is a 100% pure petroleum product thatsafely and effectively cleans internal fuel and oil system components, helping your engine run cleaner and more efficiently. Putoline is an EPA-registered product, and will not harm engine components, seals, gaskets, catalytic converters or oxygen sensors.

Putoline liquefies gum and varnish deposits or internal engine contaminants, removing carbon deposits, freeing sticky valve lifters and rings, improving idle quality, pinging and hesitation problems. By using Putoline to eliminate varnish and carbon buildup, you can more accurately diagnose mechanical problems that may exist.

As a fuel system additive, Putoline will clean carburetors, fuel injectors, clean carbon, gum and varnish deposits, add lubricity to fuel, stabilize fuel for 2 years and control moisture.

As an oil system additive, Putoline controls moisture, gum, varnish and residue deposits.



The other items to consider before lying you bike up for the winter is:
1.Lubricate the chain thoroughly especially if you are keeping the bike outside even if it is going under a cover.
2.Purchase a quality battery optimizer to keep the battery in tip top condition or better still, remove the battery all together and store it in a dry mild area and connected to a battery conditioner.
3.Give the painted surfaces and plastics a good old polish with pledge or a water dispelling product such as WD40 (remember not to clean the seat).
4.If you’re parking the bike up on a concrete surface, get an off cut of carpet and place it under the front and rear wheels. Concrete surfaces hold the cold compared to all other floor surfaces and will decompose a tyre caucus in time.
5.Finally whatever you do don’t be tempted to nip out once a week and warm your bike up. Although you think you are doing the best thing for your bike’s engine you’re not! Engine wear is at its highest during the first few minutes of start up. The engine will also create moisture into the oil and exhaust system when it cools down and all you’ll be doing is pouring water into the exhausts collect

All was going well with my R6 shock mod until i started to tighten up the bolts on the shock. I started to tighten up the lower shock bolt and then it happened  :eek [size=78%]the nut started to get loose again. I was not putting much pressure on the nut honest guv, just getting it ready for the torque wrench. I thought i would carry on and tighten up the rest of them and come back to the lower shock bolt later. I was tightening up the relay arm to frame nut when it happened again [/size] :eek :eek :o :o .[size=78%]  So would anyone have any spare lower shock and a relay arm bolts? And any easy way to get a rung nut of?[/size]

[size=78%]I know i must have been a bit heavy handed but i have been tinkering with cars and bikes for years and this has never happened before. Is there anything special about the suspension bolts?[/size]

Looks like i will be doing this today...

The old rectifier connector mod...

One nearly burnt out connector...

Some connectors...


Silverdream...

Hello,

So I've just finished servicing the Gf's bike and I seem to have come unstuck on putting the bracket back on that the fuel tank sits on (seat end). I seem to remember unscrewing the two bolts but don't remember retrieving any nuts or a plate that was underneath securing it to the frame. I've shaken the bike like mad, tipped it over pretty far both sides and not even a rattle to suggest theres anything dropped down anywhere and the garage floor is clear.

Have I lost something or is there nothing to loose and I'm just being a twit and doing something wrong..?

Any Ideas?

Here's a pic of the bracket I mean.
https://picasaweb.google.com/10701982182...6838712690


Any help will be more than welcome!

Many Thanks,

Ben

Hello,

My name is Ben and I ride a Suzuki V Strom!! -

However, my GF rides a sweet looking 2001 FZS 600 which we brought back in September as she upgraded from her Honda CBF 125 which she'd ridden round on for a year before doing her DAS this summer.

I'll be the mug paying for it and keeping it roadworthy so just thought i'd drop a message to say hey!

Cheers,

Ben