Bugger!!

[firestorm_al]

Just nipped out to Tesco their for something to eat. On the way back to the office turned into the industrial estate and started to accelerate. Instead of the glorious v-twin growl I was met with the sound of and old tin can full of bolts!!

Me thinks the cam chain tensioner has gone and piston and valves have got intimate!

I was supposed to be dropping the bike off for its 24k mile service after work as well. I’ve got the feeling it’s going to cost me a mint so I guess my biking days may be over for a while.

[firestorm996]

Blimey, sounds a bit severe! You may have got lucky though - if the cam chain hasn't skipped a tooth (or two) there should be no piston/valve damage. Fingers crossed eh mate.

[WayneM]

Poo elbow Bollox is the phrase your looking for.

Definately not good.

[delmeekc]

wot did I hear somebody needs an engine, how would you like it sir, standard, balanced or with some nice pistons too.

Bummer, but I could sell ya a lump for a reasonable price!!!, depends how much the MC shop want to repair it, keep it in mind mate before ya pay a shop.

seriously, I will have an engine forsale in about three weeks.

Del (bloody engines)

[Stormtrooper]

Yup its yer tensioner for sure,best to get the other one changed out at the same time as it will most likley go soon
thats just how my one went on my first storm, i thought the bloody engine had blown up
but as the man says ,if you were not going to quick it might have not done any damage,
mine one was ok, after it went i ran it down to the dealers, very,very slowly, wasnt to expensive either.

[firestorm_al]

wot did I hear somebody needs an engine, how would you like it sir, standard, balanced or with some nice pistons too.

Bummer, but I could sell ya a lump for a reasonable price!!!, depends how much the MC shop want to repair it, keep it in mind mate before ya pay a shop.

seriously, I will have an engine forsale in about three weeks.

Del (bloody engines)

Thanks Del, I'll keep that in mind!

[delmeekc]

no probs.

Don't ride it (don't even start it anymore), take it on a trailer or somit, if it ain't damaged riding it could most definately finish it off, the cam wheels skip on the chain really easily once the tension is off and the labour to change the valves and pistons is gonna be well large if they get knacked. Have you had it dynoed, if ya have once they have done the tensioner get it checked on the dyno just incase the shop don't check the valves for ya and there is a problem. I would defo get a quote for labour unless it's under warranty.

Del. (should tell ya to ride it really hard then I could sell ya an engine, but i is too nice)

[firestorm_al]

After it happened I pushed the bike back to our building then collapsed in a heap for about an hour. After that, I called the dealer and they collected it for me and left a CB500 in its place so I'm still mobile.

The bike is an early 97 model (frame # 4xxx )

Starting the thing again was the last thing on my mind. The bike has cost me a fortune this year allready! ( New battery, regulator, starter motor, wheel bearings front & rear, suspension linkage bearings, forks re-sprung, new rear shock, new chain and sprockets {chain snapped a couple of months ago!} and I was just putting it in for its 24k service early so they could replace my water pump seals, head bearings, swing arm bearings and bung on a set of braided brake hoses as the origonals are past it. )

Not a happy bunny! If I do have to go down the new engine route, I'm stuck up here in Aberdeen so will get stung for transporting the thing!!

On that happy note I'm off for a lemsip!

[WayneM]

Jeez! And I thought I was having a bad run or luck!

[firestorm_al]

P.S. Forgot to mention I've had to fit 2 new front disks as well!!

Just back from the Honda dealer. As suspected the tensioner has failed and the cam chain has jumped a couple of teeth resulting in a couple of bent valves. The damage is very minimal so I was relativly lucky. Still going to cost me a bit to get it done, though not so much as to justify an engine swap, and they've still got to do the service and the bearings & water pump seals done as well :-(

As long as the bike is fighting fit so I can do some track days next year! ;)

Al.

[Stormtrooper]

I wonder al if you are running my old storm ?
is it an S reg bought from mgowans

[firestorm_al]

Afraid not. Mine is an eary 97 P-reg that I picked up exactly 2 years ago from McGowans. It had 14k on the clock then but HAD to have it after taking it out for a test ride. I was goint to go for a brand new SV650 at the time. Even with all the problems I'm glad I went for it.

It used to belong to a chap in Cove who was a member of ADAM but for some reason he traded it in for a ZXR900??

Here's a piccy of it -



I've got the top box rack off it at the moment to get re-painted. It also has flush fit indicators and Micron cans on it. I had to take the seat cover off it at the weekend cause I noticed a crack on it but it'll be off the bike for a while as I'm using a tail pack at the moment because of the top box being being out of action.

What's yours like so I can recognise you?

Al.

[Stormtrooper]

Thats totally spooky
as i have been a member of adam since 93 & i traded in a red storm
with gold wheels for a new ZX900R around a year & a bit ago,
but after recently writing it off i am now back on a 2002 red storm
totally standard apart from carbon microns & belly-pan same as yours.
i wear red\black spike leathers & a roberts red\blue gp lid,
I have seen your bike going about in the bridge of don near asda & at dubford,
my brother stays in greenbrae (he has a black xjr1200)
i am well known by some of the people you ride around with.
it really is quite a small world. :wink2

[firestorm_al]

It is indeed a small world. I was on a couple of ADAM runs at the begining of the year but due to my kids etc. I haven't been able to get on any since. I also felt guilty about going on the runs because I hadn't joined . I used to go out on a lot of Sunday runs with Bob Wilson (now sunning himself in Spain) but still go out with Andy and Ingrid when I've got the chance.

As for Greenbrae, I work in Denmore industrial estate so am up and down that road a lot. My chain snapped on that very road earlier this year.

Al.

[Stormtrooper]

I cant remember the last time i was on an adam run 2 years maybe, i just keep in touch for the insurance discount,
as for old missile bob ,ive been out with him when he had his old blade & his sp1 , last time i saw him he was trying to sell me his imported blade before he went to the sunnyside retirment home.
ive also been out a few times with the banana twins, long time ago though when they used to ride his & hers ninjas, & 250 aprillas
bit to much same same there though,
i was infact talking with them on friday night in town,
:wink2 I checked my old storm reg number & it was a definatly a S plate so your bike is not my old one,
i will keep an eye out for you going about,
as i run my bikes nearly all year round