what did you do with your fazer today ?

[fazersharp]

Not today but yesterday. Had a ride out to view the practice flypast for the kings coronation. 100 mile round trip.

[robbo]

All back together. Fresh coolant, exup and front calipers serviced. Doubt if I’ll bother with Yamaha Day at The Ace, as no LOFO interest and journey for me is mind numbingly boring. Hope the forecast improves for the May Day run, although will give Hastings itself a swerve.

[robbo]

It was the traditional May Day Run to Hastings yesterday. Despite the sketchy weather forecast there was a good turnout. Although it's a motorcycle event, it brings out quads, Yank cars, in fact anything of interest with wheels and an engine. Unfortunately I saw the aftermath of three bike accidents and hope no one was badly hurt. Possibly this was the first ride of the year for many, and skills could maybe have been a bit rusty.
It was good to catch up with Kitcrazy, who's now back in the Yamaha fold with a very nice Tracer 9 GT, having had daliances in the BMW and Kawasaki camps.
It's definitely worth doing the ride into Hastings at least once for the experience, but the resort gets absolutely rammed with bikes. It's quite a few years now that the group I ride with have opted to make straight for Rye, for a relaxed meal and a chill out.
We were very fortunate with the weather, and only encountered maybe a 5 minute shower around Appledore, certainly not worth stopping to don waterproofs. We were soon at our usual pub stop, before splitting for home. The trip meter showed 153 miles for the day, which together with my trip to Le Mans the other week,meant my new rear tyre has done 1k miles already :eek .

[notsofast]

Ordered a replacement front tyre last week and spent the thicker end of 4 hours trying to spoon it into position yesterday evening. First thing this morning, I wrapped it in a tyre warmer to try and make it easier but to no avail and I conceded defeat.  Jumped in the car and took it to a local garage who had it over the rim literally within the minute.  I then tried to balance it on my newly purchased wheel balancer and after 30 minutes, concluded that the balancer shaft was ever so slightly out of true.  Rolled the shaft on a sheet of glass and it had a 1mm bend over its length.  A few pieces of wood and a deft thump with a persuader got it close to true hence a reasonable balance thereafter....
Hopefully get it scrubbed in over the next day or so weather dependent.

[Grahamm]

I'm going to be taking my Driving Test soon, so I went out on the FZ6 to check out some of the local routes and spot any odd junctions or weird changes of speed limits etc and racked up 80 miles checking out five of them.

[fazerscotty]

Took it for it's MOT - passed.
(Has anyone had a failure on a Gen 1 Thou - ever?)

[robbo]

One look and you can tell the bike's well cared for, and a fast red one to boot :lol .
Last Thursday was the last dry day in the south for a while, so took the opportunity for a whizz up to TTT Motorcycles at Sudbury in Suffolk. I've done a few ride outs to this general area in recent years, so knew where the good B roads were. However, a few miles short of Thaxted, the road was closed for resurfacing, the diversion being single track lanes, which made for an interesting 20 minutes or so, before we got back on tarmac proper.
It's quite a set up at TTT's, which has a large unit, with clothing,helmets,oils etc displayed along the perimeter walls. The rest of the space occupied by mainly classic Japanese and British bikes, with a cafe area with a varied menu in one corner. The bike prices were a little eyewatering, but I suppose that's what the market dictates for a rideaway classic.
After a spot of lunch we headed homeward, stopping off at Finchingfield, which is a very pretty "chocolate box" village, for a few shandies and general chill out. Petrol stations in this area are pretty thin on the ground, and my pal on his MT10SP was getting quite anxious when the filling station I'd aimed for, was shut. However he now knows, when we got to the Shell station at Ongar, that the MT will do at least 116 miles on a tankfull....just. The M25 at Brentwood was rammed, causing us to filter all the way to the Dartford Bridge. The delay caused me to get caught in a shower about 10 miles from home. A good day out clocking up only 156 miles which felt like more with the diversion and M25 grief taken into account. I'd recommend a visit to TTT's for anyone in that general neck of the woods, that fancies a bike ride.

[fazersharp]

Well thanks to the  :faz it seems that I was one of the very few who saw at least in most part what the kings flyover would of looked like.
Long live king - :faz mokin

[Anquetil]

New rear tyre fitted. A nice ride in the sun to Llandudno, via Ruthin, Denbigh, St Asaph. Betws yn Rhos, Colwyn Bay, Rhos on Sea. A coffee at Coast Cafe then back. Just over 100 miles. 

[Anquetil]

A ride to Lakeside Cafe, Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, via Ruthin, Cerrig, Fron Goch, Llyn Celyn. 130 miles round trip. Quite a few bikers out and several at the cafe. Quiet roads.

[robbo]

Shorty clutch levers are working overtime now :lol . Glad you’re getting out and about, racking up some miles :thumbup .

[Anquetil]

Thanks robbo. The shorty levers have given me a new lease of life.  I'm enjoying riding more than ever !

[notsofast]

Had a fantastic run on Sunday over a great route but decided not to run it in the reverse direction as the clutch cable began to fray at the lever.  I adjusted it to get me home on a less bendy route.  Swapped out the cable today as I actually had a spare.
More problematic was the leak that had developed from the L/H front caliper.  I have had this bike for a couple of years and the chap I bought it from had changed the caliper pistons and seals just before I bought it.  Stripped out the pads and cleaned up the caliper, leaving it overnight connected to it's hose to see which piston was leaking and it was the inboard smaller one.  The first warning sign (other than the leak) was the fact that all four pistons were in the caliper back to front with the blank end bearing on the pad.  One dust deal had been guillotined with most of it inside the caliper.  Another one was folded over.  The leaking piston seal seemed to be far too large and must have been squeezed into its groove before the piston was forced through it.  Ordered up a new seal kit so should have it sorted for next weekend.
Strange thing was the brakes worked really well (far better than my GSXR) and it took a couple of years and a good few thousand miles before the shoddy work showed up.

[notsofast]

Replacement caliper seal kit arrived so swapped out the damaged / incorrect seals in the leaking L/H caliper.  Decided that it was a waste of time bleeding the caliper without checking the R/H caliper.  Whilst it wasn't leaking, it was every bit as poor with pistons the wrong way round, 1x sticking large piston and both the small piston dust seals destroyed.  Managed to cobble something almost perfect with the remaining good seals, reassembled with the pistons correctly oriented, bled the brakes and ordered a further full set for next time......have not looked yet but should probably check the rear caliper......

[fazersharp]

..have not looked yet but should probably check the rear caliper......

AND anything else the moron of a last owner has ever touched 

[robbo]

I had planned to do my annual day trip to Cornwall yesterday, but with heavy showers and lightning forecast for Hampshire and westward, I put that off for another time and headed east instead. Essex and Suffolk were due to be bathed in sunshine all day, and the forecast didn't disappoint. One of my non retired pals missed out on the trip to TTT Motorcycle Village the other month due to work commitments, so Sudbury was our destination.


Other than getting stuck behind horseboxes on a few occasions, the ride up was fairly uneventful and completed in good time. I was quite surprised by the number of bikes lined up outside, but was able to get a table in the cafe area. One slight disappointment was the suspension of their normal menu, so that on Sundays it's a flat 10 quid for an all you can eat buffet breakfast, which made scrambled egg on toast a tad expensive.


Quite a few of the classic bikes had been sold since my last visit, so there must be plenty of money about among the classic bike community. After brunch and a stroll around the bikes on offer, it was time to struggle back into leather jackets, and head south to Finchingfield for a few shandies on the village green. This village is quite a biking mecca in this part of northern Essex, and is certainly worth a visit.


The boring bit from Brentwood to the Dartford Crossing on the M25 was fortunately drama free, and rolled onto the drive as rain clouds threatened, with 187 of our lovely English miles on the trip meter.

[fazersharp]

It don't get much better than that 

[Anquetil]

Metzeler Roadtec 01 SE rear tyre fitted to ' 1000' then off to Lakeside Cafe, Tanygrisiau, via Ruthin, Cerrig, Fron Goch, Llyn Celyn, Llan Ffestiniog. Very quiet roads. 124 miles.

[robbo]

Nice pics. Excellent tyre choice :thumbup

[Anquetil]

Thanks robbo. The old tyre was a Roadtec 01 . Nail through it last week.