what have you done to your "bike" today

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mik_str
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by mik_str »

sirch345 wrote: Mon Jun 04, 2018 8:31 pm
mik_str wrote: Sat Jun 02, 2018 5:47 pm got my new ABM carbon handlebars a couple days back; trimmed them slightly (15mm from each end) then filled them with black silicone (for vibration attenuation). I should be getting the Carbon Express back from the shop (recent and final rebuild: 99mm JE pistons, crankcase venting mods, more aggressive (Yosh Stg 1) intake cams, lightweight flywheel, along with numerous longevity/durability refreshes) any day now and will mount up the bars. Last item on my to do list, after performing a proper break-in, will be to replace the oil lines with some custom braided versions (built from the fittings I bought from the Pineapple man, lol)
That must have hurt adding weight to the Carbon Express :lol:

Chris.
it's for a good cause, lol

P.S. besides, I just removed 2 lbs from the flywheel so I have some room to play, he he
99 VTR1000F Firestorm, a.k.a. The Carbon Express
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sirch345
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by sirch345 »

mik_str wrote: Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:46 pm


P.S. besides, I just removed 2 lbs from the flywheel so I have some room to play, he he
:lol: :thumbup:

Good reply :clap:

Chris.
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sirch345
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by sirch345 »

MacV2 wrote: Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:20 pm
sirch345 wrote: Mon Jun 04, 2018 8:33 pm
MacV2 wrote: Sat Jun 02, 2018 7:35 pm Took a large hammer & sevral diffrent drifts to 4x shock linkages...Some took more pesuading than others, two more triangles to work on but the bearings are so crusty & rusty I may have to resort to a different method...Tried heat on one of them, still woudnt budge... They are currently having a bit of a soak in plus gas...

Image
What were you trying to do Mac :?: save yourself from buying new bearings :wink:

Chris.
Nah these are all the scrap ones, only fit for the bin & thats the lid off my scrap bin...
Ah I see :thumbup:

Chris.
lanny
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by lanny »

Being less of it has improved it...........Kind of.
Took the rear to bits tonight, and slackened what i thought would be problem bolts, luckily every nut and bolt moved freely, i guess its more evidence that although the bike looks pretty grim it is actually a low mileage bike that will come up trumps.
I took a rag to the worst areas and under the grime it seems in pretty good order.
As we like pics here is some of tonight's progress
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sirch345
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by sirch345 »

It's cleaning up well :thumbup:

Chris.
lanny
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by lanny »

sirch345 wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:34 pm It's cleaning up well :thumbup:

Chris.
It has certainly reignited the passion Chris, cant say i have felt so enthusiastic for bikes again for a good few years.
Thing is now, i am at a point were i need to decide which direction i want to go with it, by this i mean do i simply give it a basic once over or take it to a higher standard :confused I know that if i get the sub frame coasted whilst its off then that will be the start of a deeper make over, problem i have is the sub frame isnt bad but could be better and for the cost of powder coating why bodge up with rattle cans.
Fortunately i have another bike to ride but it must be feeling pretty neglected at the moment as i only have eyes for the VTR. :redface
lanny
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by lanny »

Up in the air to complete the dismantling.
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by lanny »

lanny wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 7:00 pm Up in the air to complete the dismantling.
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sirch345
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by sirch345 »

lanny wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 6:24 am
sirch345 wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:34 pm It's cleaning up well :thumbup:

Chris.
It has certainly reignited the passion Chris, cant say i have felt so enthusiastic for bikes again for a good few years.
Thing is now, i am at a point were i need to decide which direction i want to go with it, by this i mean do i simply give it a basic once over or take it to a higher standard :confused I know that if i get the sub frame coasted whilst its off then that will be the start of a deeper make over, problem i have is the sub frame isnt bad but could be better and for the cost of powder coating why bodge up with rattle cans.
Fortunately i have another bike to ride but it must be feeling pretty neglected at the moment as i only have eyes for the VTR. :redface
:lol: :thumbup:

I almost spat my drink over the keyboard when reading that :lol:

Big decisions to make :wink:
It's coming on great,

Chris.
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podman
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by podman »

podman wrote: Tue May 01, 2018 2:20 pm Looked at chopping it in..

Had a demo ride on an MT10 , still not a massive fan of some areas of the bike but I do love the overall aggressive look of the thing, suits its character and who cares when your riding it, was a riot, demo bike was decatted and sounded epic even with the std can.

Only real area I thought might be better was the brakes, didnt have much in the way of initial bite I thought(even over the Storm...)

Out of balance and curiosity, ive a S1000 R test ride booked in on Friday, ive discounted the Triumph on price and poke but IMHO its the best looking of the super nakeds, ridden my friends GSX1000-S which is also a stonking bike but doesnt have the fun factor of the MT that's for sure.

[url]Image

[url]Image
Finally managed to take a S1000 R Sport out today for an hour-ish.

[url]Image

I was pretty much convinced I was going for the Yamaha but after today I think the "better" bike is *maybe* the BMW.

Was a few weeks ago I rode the MT but by chance, the BMW dealer had a secondhand MT in stock to make a comparison with.

The S1000 felt lighter, handled better(lighter steering and a quicker turn in, felt more a sportsbike ) and had way better initial bite and feel from the brakes.

The engine felt buzzy and vibey at 80-90ish but super smooth elsewhere, the throttle wasnt as snatchy as the MT and it felt quite a bit faster, maybe it just has more of revvy, top end feel and doesnt really make any more HP(MT 160 claimed Vs the BMWs 165) but it seemed more vivid acceleration wise.

Looks are subjective, some areas of the BMW look better than the MT and Vs versa, ill call that a draw.

I thought the BMW Sport was better value(£12,000) when you look at the electrical wizardry it has compared to the base MT10 and equaling ( I think?) the SP at what, £13,500-£14,000? I was also offered a stonking deal on the BMW and the local Yamaha dealer is, well, a bit of a miserable b'std to be honest.

Character is a hard thing to define and I can see why some people criticise the BMW over the MT for that as its "another IL4" but is a snatchy throttle Vs a smooth one annoying or "character"?

Apart from the awesome noise and instant wheelies of the MT, it has no advantage, the BMW offers no lack of fun, it drives hard from very low RPM in any gear and with both the up/down quickshifter, made some great noises whilst working...

The MT is slighly more upright with a little more leg room but the BMW certainly wasnt uncomfortable.

Mmmm....in a bit of a dilema now aint I........! The other curve ball is a like my luggage nowadays and the Sport doesnt seem to cater so well for the traveler, MT10 touring could be more suitable for my needs! Aggghhhhh!
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sirch345
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by sirch345 »

podman wrote: Fri Jun 08, 2018 7:27 pm
podman wrote: Tue May 01, 2018 2:20 pm Looked at chopping it in..

Had a demo ride on an MT10 , still not a massive fan of some areas of the bike but I do love the overall aggressive look of the thing, suits its character and who cares when your riding it, was a riot, demo bike was decatted and sounded epic even with the std can.

Only real area I thought might be better was the brakes, didnt have much in the way of initial bite I thought(even over the Storm...)

Out of balance and curiosity, ive a S1000 R test ride booked in on Friday, ive discounted the Triumph on price and poke but IMHO its the best looking of the super nakeds, ridden my friends GSX1000-S which is also a stonking bike but doesnt have the fun factor of the MT that's for sure.

[url]Image

[url]Image
Finally managed to take a S1000 R Sport out today for an hour-ish.

[url]Image

I was pretty much convinced I was going for the Yamaha but after today I think the "better" bike is *maybe* the BMW.

Was a few weeks ago I rode the MT but by chance, the BMW dealer had a secondhand MT in stock to make a comparison with.

The S1000 felt lighter, handled better(lighter steering and a quicker turn in, felt more a sportsbike ) and had way better initial bite and feel from the brakes.

The engine felt buzzy and vibey at 80-90ish but super smooth elsewhere, the throttle wasnt as snatchy as the MT and it felt quite a bit faster, maybe it just has more of revvy, top end feel and doesnt really make any more HP(MT 160 claimed Vs the BMWs 165) but it seemed more vivid acceleration wise.

Looks are subjective, some areas of the BMW look better than the MT and Vs versa, ill call that a draw.

I thought the BMW Sport was better value(£12,000) when you look at the electrical wizardry it has compared to the base MT10 and equaling ( I think?) the SP at what, £13,500-£14,000? I was also offered a stonking deal on the BMW and the local Yamaha dealer is, well, a bit of a miserable b'std to be honest.

Character is a hard thing to define and I can see why some people criticise the BMW over the MT for that as its "another IL4" but is a snatchy throttle Vs a smooth one annoying or "character"?

Apart from the awesome noise and instant wheelies of the MT, it has no advantage, the BMW offers no lack of fun, it drives hard from very low RPM in any gear and with both the up/down quickshifter, made some great noises whilst working...

The MT is slighly more upright with a little more leg room but the BMW certainly wasnt uncomfortable.

Mmmm....in a bit of a dilema now aint I........! The other curve ball is a like my luggage nowadays and the Sport doesnt seem to cater so well for the traveler, MT10 touring could be more suitable for my needs! Aggghhhhh!
An interesting read that, good to hear your opinion on the two bikes.

Good luck in making a decision, it looks like you're going to need it :wink:

Chris.
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popkat
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by popkat »

podman wrote: Fri Jun 08, 2018 7:27 pm
podman wrote: Tue May 01, 2018 2:20 pm Looked at chopping it in..

Had a demo ride on an MT10 , still not a massive fan of some areas of the bike but I do love the overall aggressive look of the thing, suits its character and who cares when your riding it, was a riot, demo bike was decatted and sounded epic even with the std can.

Only real area I thought might be better was the brakes, didnt have much in the way of initial bite I thought(even over the Storm...)

Out of balance and curiosity, ive a S1000 R test ride booked in on Friday, ive discounted the Triumph on price and poke but IMHO its the best looking of the super nakeds, ridden my friends GSX1000-S which is also a stonking bike but doesnt have the fun factor of the MT that's for sure.

[url]Image

[url]Image
Finally managed to take a S1000 R Sport out today for an hour-ish.

[url]Image

I was pretty much convinced I was going for the Yamaha but after today I think the "better" bike is *maybe* the BMW.

Was a few weeks ago I rode the MT but by chance, the BMW dealer had a secondhand MT in stock to make a comparison with.

The S1000 felt lighter, handled better(lighter steering and a quicker turn in, felt more a sportsbike ) and had way better initial bite and feel from the brakes.

The engine felt buzzy and vibey at 80-90ish but super smooth elsewhere, the throttle wasnt as snatchy as the MT and it felt quite a bit faster, maybe it just has more of revvy, top end feel and doesnt really make any more HP(MT 160 claimed Vs the BMWs 165) but it seemed more vivid acceleration wise.

Looks are subjective, some areas of the BMW look better than the MT and Vs versa, ill call that a draw.

I thought the BMW Sport was better value(£12,000) when you look at the electrical wizardry it has compared to the base MT10 and equaling ( I think?) the SP at what, £13,500-£14,000? I was also offered a stonking deal on the BMW and the local Yamaha dealer is, well, a bit of a miserable b'std to be honest.

Character is a hard thing to define and I can see why some people criticise the BMW over the MT for that as its "another IL4" but is a snatchy throttle Vs a smooth one annoying or "character"?

Apart from the awesome noise and instant wheelies of the MT, it has no advantage, the BMW offers no lack of fun, it drives hard from very low RPM in any gear and with both the up/down quickshifter, made some great noises whilst working...

The MT is slighly more upright with a little more leg room but the BMW certainly wasnt uncomfortable.

Mmmm....in a bit of a dilema now aint I........! The other curve ball is a like my luggage nowadays and the Sport doesnt seem to cater so well for the traveler, MT10 touring could be more suitable for my needs! Aggghhhhh!

The MT brakes are easily improved with some HH pads, lots of people doing it as like you say the initial bit isn't great, the brakes are quite powerful though, you just need to squeeze them a bit... the snatchy throttle is a euro 4 thing, they have fuel cut which shuts off completely, this can be fixed with a reflash, there's a place in Newbury that does good stuff with MT's, if you want to keep it standard then they can remove the fuel cut, lower the fan temp and tweak your fueling a little, also they can adjust the sensitivity of the throttle bodies, power 1 isn't really usable as it's too abrupt, power 2 and 3 work well though, if you go decat then they can also turn off the AIS and the exhaust valve within the ECU, there's nothing there going to make it blow up so should be no troubles with warranty.
The normal IL4 engine and the MT are really different in character, the MT feeling more like a cross between a twin and a V4.
I bought the MT10 as it's got a more practical side over the S1000, a givi rack doesn't loo out of place, the Yamaha screen looks pretty good and suits the bike, the S1000 can only have a small screen or it looks all wrong..
Both bikes are good but for me the want for a bit of weather protection ruled out the S1000 and Speed triple.
In saying all that it's a bit of a love/hate relationship at the moment, sometimes I ride it and it's awesome, then another time the throttle bothers me and p1sses me off, either way though whenever I get home, go in and take my gear off I want to go back out on it again :lol:



.
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2014 CRMC Post classic Superbike champion.
2014 CRMC Post classic senior production champion. On a Suzuki Katana 1100
My bikes, Firestorm, Suzuki GSX-s1000 Katana, VFR800Fi. Projects, 1986 popup Katana, 3 XJ600’s
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popkat
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by popkat »

Did a full days work today then stayed late to sort the Storm. oil and filter changed, brake fluid flushed, bike all checked over and an MOT, was really happy with no advisories :biggrin the tester really is a diamond bloke :cool2
The bike hasn't been ridden since early October so needed a bit of love and it got it. It's pretty much all ready for Devon Storm next weekend, the weather's been great for ages, hope that doesn't mean we pay for it next weekend 8O .... better prep the VFR just in case :lol:



.
http://www.bidefordmotorcycles.co.uk
2014 CRMC Post classic Superbike champion.
2014 CRMC Post classic senior production champion. On a Suzuki Katana 1100
My bikes, Firestorm, Suzuki GSX-s1000 Katana, VFR800Fi. Projects, 1986 popup Katana, 3 XJ600’s
mik_str
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by mik_str »

Picked up the Carbon Express a couple days ago and have been putting miles on it, breaking it in. Mechanically/performance-wise, the changes include 99mm JE pistons, "new" intake cams (replaced the previous Mori exh which were used in intake position (249 degrees, 10.1mm, 102 LC) wit Yoshi Stage 1 (250 deg, 10.7mm, 104 LC)), lightened flywheel (-2.6 lbs vs stock) and venting mods for crankcase. Also had new valves, guides put in as well as getting the seats refreshed (new bearings and seals too). New stator went in too as was told old one was on its way out.

As for my tinkering, I revised my Filter-in-lid airbox, increasing the filter element area and raising the lid slightly (which bumps volume slightly and, more importantly, frees up space above the velocity stack). I also replaced the long HPower front stack with a "long" Moriwaki unit (@ 15mm shorter) and made a new set of X-wing diffusers for them (which basically splits the venturi horizontally in two identically-sized halves; previous version was about 65% lower and 35% upper half).

So, how does it run? Incredible, sublime!!!!! Clean pickup from any speed, quick response and smooth, muscular acceleration. Just pulls and pulls and pulls. It is nice and smooth at constant throttle but the engine gives off some nice mechanical vibes/feedback under acceleration. Potent, with lots of character. Love it!!!!!

I have about 250 miles on it so far as just seems to be running better and better (lots of on-off throttle). Changed the oil (15w40 diesel oil) yesterday after 100 miles. Am running 15w40 diesel again (but higher end stuff), will run this batch for about 600 miles then drop it and put in a mix of Motul 7100 and 5100 in.

I also have a quickshifter to start playing with. My focus has been to do a proper break-in but with that going well, I can now start playing around with/programming the quickshifter (by Healtech, is programmable via cell phone).

I LOVE my bike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
99 VTR1000F Firestorm, a.k.a. The Carbon Express
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MacV2
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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today

Post by MacV2 »

popkat wrote: Fri Jun 08, 2018 9:42 pm Did a full days work today then stayed late to sort the Storm. oil and filter changed, brake fluid flushed, bike all checked over and an MOT, was really happy with no advisories :biggrin the tester really is a diamond bloke :cool2
The bike hasn't been ridden since early October so needed a bit of love and it got it. It's pretty much all ready for Devon Storm next weekend, the weather's been great for ages, hope that doesn't mean we pay for it next weekend 8O .... better prep the VFR just in case :lol:



.
I hope the MOT man is less grumpy than some I've had to deal with in the past... :lol: :lol:

Weather for Westward Ho! is looking OK..ish...Cloudy maybe a touch of rain in the overnight & in the morn's...

Of course it depends on which weather service you look at...

https://www.accuweather.com/en/gb/westw ... 3_pc?day=7

http://www.metcheck.com/WEATHER/16days. ... 7&lon=-3.6

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/0/2634240
Making up since 2007, sometimes it's true...Honest...
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