Devon TRF Group Forum

Right, I've managed to get my arms back into the right sockets now.  Hell of a job as I had to use one of the cats as a lever.  BTW CR250 chicken was put down this week... tasted crap though. CR250 is OK I 'think' - haven't touched it since WWB 2011.

Off we tootle at 9.30 for what Rog thought would be a 3 hoursish journey.  2 hours later we realise that we have been talking too much and that we are nearly in Penzance and that it might be a good idea to turn on the satnav sound as it was face down on the seat.  Turn round, turn sound on and head back to the postcode I had for collection. No address, just a postcode and a 'phone number.  Rog's satnav took us to the right postcode but the wrong road within that postcode!  A 'phone call later and we are heading to the right place.

Arrive to find the vendor pumping up the front tyre. Bike looks OK, paintwork better than expected, flat battery, won't start!  Going well so far....  Always nice when it happens to other people but I did feel sorry for him hahahuhaha   After ten minutes of battery booster and chit chat about batman suits and stickers I got bored so I started it.  First press of the magic button and up it fired. Sounded meaty, nice newish four into one Micron exhaust with what sounds like a loose baffle.  I was happy as it had a working engine and two wheels with 12 months MoT, 6 months tax with a new back tyre and the numbers on the V5 matched the bike - didn't on the CR500.  Money checked for smudges or wet ink and counted.  Paperwork signed - just for once I actually signed everything - didn't on the CR500.  Had my first ride up the steep drive to the waiting van and ramp.  I think they actually thought I was going to ride it in!  Van loaded and off we went.

Nearly bought a tidy looking "he's spent loads on it" NC30 from his neighbour but we were back on the A30 by the time he called me, see Flog It! for details in a while.  His neighbour was a Stump Grinder which I am assured is a horticultural practice unless he is an amputee abuser or a very physical prostitute.  If you ever meet a woman who says she is a stump grinder - RUN!

Stopped in Cambourne for fish and chips, I had the healthy option of a roasted chicken breast which was microwaved and then deep fried! - nice though. Saw a shop called Beard Blinds which made me laugh like a 17 year old virgin.  Lots of tutti frutti in town with nice harrises.  Off we go again, once I thought Rog knew where he was going I turned the satnav sound off.  He then took a wrong turning.  Twazert! Eventually we found the big green road called the A30.  The drive home was a lot slower due to all the tractors 'racing' to get out of Cornwall.  Refuelling stop at Exeter Tesco and we worked out that Rog's new van had only done 30mpg for the journey - Vooops!  Got home, unloaded bike, made an espresso and ebiked it for £13.65.  Sat in the drive waiting for 16:15 to tick round and then I was legal.....

Newton Popp ---> Lyme Regis ---> A35 ---> Hontion ---> A30 ---> M5 ---> Exeter Tesco ---> Newton Popp

I experimented with different throttle openings on the journey and discovered these facts:

Below 4000rpm - bit sluggish and the induction noise sounds like the consequence of an off centered dildo in the wrong hole.  Low speed handling is fine though, nice light clutch and the bike doesn't feel heavy at all.  Standing start acceleration is bang tidy!

4-5000rpm - you can feel it getting interesting.  4000 is 60mph in 5th. 5000 is 75mph.

6000rpm - Fark! 6000 in 5th is 90mph.

Above 6000rpm in 5th - difficult to hold on! Good case for cable tieing your hands to the handle bars.  6000+ in 5th is 90+mph.

MENTAL MENTAL MENTAL

Apparently the gearbox clicks in 3rd gear but how the hell he could hear that I've no idea!  You don't notice the loose baffle noise at 70mph so who cares.

Horrible vibrating noise which after 50 miles I'd worked out was the tank on the top rails.  If you press down on the tank or pull it up a few millimetres it stops.  So I've put some foam strip on either side betwixt tank and rails.  I'll test that tomorrow.

The funky little mirrors on the handle bars work well as long as you remember where the mirrors are - below your hands!  Right hand mirror was a bit blurry at speed but that is hopefully cured now I have tightened the allen bolt on the clamp thingymijig.

JT - that 'thing' above the headlight looks better in real life and I like it so it is staying.

One missing mounting lug on the front of the right hand tailpiece but no big deal.  Matey gave me a nice set of crosser handle bars with custom made spacers if I want to fit them but I like the splayed clipons (new).  My hands don't get crushed on full lock so I am happy.  Bit like a cafe racer which is retro even for a 23 year old bike. All it needs now is a nice coat of matt black paint.

So for what I hope will be less than £500 it is a farking bargain! (Complete fairing + original headlight in Flog !t!)

PS I didn't kill anyone so the cheap insurance did the job very well.

PPS I didn't realise I was the son of a Goth but my Mum prefers the GSXR to the Blade because it is black! Blade is a nicer all rounder and the engine is great at any revs but nothing beats proper old skool sillyness that you don't care about getting wet and dirty but the physio bills might add up.

To be continued.......

-- Edited by Simmo on Wednesday 19th of September 2012 09:19:19 PM

He's put some here Steve

grouty wrote:

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Nice buy Ian
Are you going to take it laning ....... seems to be all the fashion lately !

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Another 40 miles today mainly in and around Exeter.  Bike is fine around town no issues.  More discoveries.....

It has a parking light! The steering lock isn't the last click but the parking light is.  I only found out because having left it parked up for an hour in central Exeter I came back only to see my brake light on.  I thought I'd left the keys in it and walked off.  I actually ran back to the bike at this point to find no keys in the lock....hmmmmm .  Then it twigged and it was a nice suprise.

Fuel low light too! - don't get that on an 8 year newer Honda FireBlade.

"Clicks in third gear" - that is what it said on ebay and I know what he means now.  The dildo induction noise only happens in third gear so that must be what he means.  Definitely not clicking, more of a knocking with a felt covered rubber mallet or a debeaked woodpecker bashing their head against a damp tree.  No real idea what it could be though.  Some harmonic event that happens only in 3rd.  Pulls cleanly in 3rd, doesn't jump out of gear, no performance degredatrion just a weird noise.  Can't stop thinking about dildos when I hear it though!

Vibrating sound - Still there even with the foam tape under the tank so I don't know.  Not overly concerning.  Maybe something under the tank?

Riding position - Fine until you try and get off (arthritic knee, 35% disabled).  Crouching on the tank really improves your chances of holding on above 6000 pm.  Aerodynamics I guess - funny that, even with the little batman deflector on the headlamp.  He said it really made a difference.

Exeter Tesco on Day 1 - The bike was sold to me with the best part of half a tank of petrol in it.  When I was filling up yesterday I got talking to another biker who liked my GSXR.  "That's nice, had it long?"  "Just picked it up"  "How much, 3/4000?" "No, £750"  "What, pounds?"

Power Delivery versus 1997 CBR900 - The CBR is lovely, smooth linear power delivery, lots of torque at low rpm, 30mph in 6th around town.  Banzai when you want it to be.  Even fast it is smooth and planted.  GSXR - bit like a two stroke, nothing below 3000rpm, then you can hear it picking up, by the time you hit 6000 the torque is trying to take the handlebars out of your hands.  Bags of torque at screaming high revs but naff all down below.  That is why it is so farking mad - they don't make bikes for the road like this anymore.

Carburettors are very inefficient and waste more petrol than they push through to burn probably.  It was the day and age of cheap petrol.  Original 80s Audi Quattro (crashed 2, 1 written off), 2 stroke motocrossers, GSX-R.  I'm a 80s boy, that must be it!  I met Rog for the first time in the 80s too.  The 80s were my formative years, I loved the idea of Yuppies and interest rates of 12% on savings accounts. When I was 14ish I did a summer holiday job at Kynaston Coachworks in Exeter, where they were originally which then became where Speed Motorcycles first set up.  The boss Paul Kynaston got a brand spankers GSX-R1100 blue and white - 1986 - I drooled over it for ages.  Maybe a seed was sown then.  Had a ride in his brother's rally prepared Sierra Cosworth too, another 80s automotive icon.  Did some crazy things on a Honda melody scooter delivering pizzas in the 80s.....which is also when it all started to go wrong, or off course anyway....

Front Suspension - He said it was stiff and jarry, and he ain't wrong.  Needs backing off a touch.  Ivybridge tomorrow, so i'll endure it for another 80 miles until the manual turns up.  Then I can see what the settings should be.

Traffic Lights - Amazing fun!

So to sum up I'm well happy with my £750  two hours notice, just browsing, ebay winter hack (!s**t!) bike which if the fairing sells will owe me less than £500.  £500 is less than the previous owner paid for it before he spent £200 tidying it up.  Who needs yucky Hondas from Japaseasia?

BTW The Bum Bandit 1200's engine is a bit woofy and heavily softened bored out GSX-R1100 engine.  The GSX-R is not a Bandit, it is Mother Farker of Bandit!

THE END (or is it .....?)

-- Edited by Simmo on Friday 21st of September 2012 09:19:25 PM

jt wrote:

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Saw you today going down St Davids Hill - was tempted to pull out in front of you to see how good yer brakes were

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Ha Ha

They call the 1989 GSX-R1100 the killer K after it's model letter and the fact that two riders of Ks died at the TT in '89.  I have still got a K but it doesn't look as good as yesterday................only joking.   I experienced the old headshake which was quite entertaining, up Haldon Hill, left hand kink at the top - this barrier may be closer than you thought it would be....

Anyway final discoveries and I'll finish at 200 miles rather than update the thread every day.

Overtaking - Need to remember to throttle off 2 seconds before you think about overtaking as the acceleration is a bit quicker than the Blade.

Dildo noise - can just hear it for a while in fourth also then it goes.

Cold starting - Does like a good five minutes warm up mostly on stage 1 of choke.

Paint - I even looked at Halfords matt black paint last night...

Mirrors - Come into their own in the racing crouch as your head is almost level with them.

I suppose the only frustrating thing I've found is that you can't seem to get a top box mounting or sports rack for it.  Top boxes are the most useful motorcycle accessory ever invented.

THE END OF THE END FINALLY THE END

-- Edited by Simmo on Thursday 20th of September 2012 05:42:22 PM

Simmo wrote:

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grouty wrote:

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Nice buy Ian
Are you going to take it laning ....... seems to be all the fashion lately !

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 love the gsxr but come across this 1 on you tube take a peak at this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=uzgbmr-sc6A

or this 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=N-DuzXcQ4qM&list=ULN-DuzXcQ4qM

-- Edited by sparky on Friday 21st of September 2012 04:53:29 PM

First big trip on gixxer tomorrow - Warwickshire, Herbalife seminar.  Tools packed....

This would be just right for MAM

C'mon Simmo, your CR has been in it, don't let the Gixer get an inferiority complex

Bike sorted but now pissing down so I am staying put for a bit

Not strong enough to pick bike up and tip. No worries, tax deductible business expenses....

BTW Got home 5:30am, 24 hours after my alarm went off on Saturday morning. 2 hours sleep and then up for Josh. so to sum up 3 calls to the AA, 2 recoveries and 1 pumpout, lots of very nice men in shiny jackets, not a single policeman involved which makes a change, bump starts in garage forecourts. My highlight was probably shouting CU@T at the top of my voice on the last forecourt of the night ( morning)... 24 hour days and all that is why I love motorcycles! I never had so much fun from driving cars but bikes are always an ADVENTURE!!!!!!!! It can be done with less hassle but where is the fun in that?

Steve H wrote:

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Simmo wrote:

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 I love motorcycles!

I had so much fun ......... but bikes are always an ADVENTURE!!!!!!!! It can be done with less hassle but where is the fun in that?

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 Made me smile. Looking forward to hearing about future 'adventures'.

If turns out its your starter motor let me know as I'm sure I have a good spare 1 with my other bits I have

It was pointed out to me today that I will have gicven the top end a good clean and lubricate by putting diesel through it.  Buggered the plugs but I've replaced those and it seems to run OK now.  Will road test tomorrow armed with large screwdriver.

wemoto have a parts listing error so sent the wrong relay.  So chanced my arm and bought the one available used one in the uk on ebay.