....to test ride a shite old CBR1000. I may be some time.
In uk.rec.motorcycles, JackH amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom: Welcome to the dark side. It's very nimble when you get the hang of it and it will be noticeably faster if you chop the exhaust and take the baffles out <Bows in appreciation>
I'm not sure if it's shite enough for that, tbh, all I know at the mo, is it's a J plater, and it looks quite original with 44k on the clock, and that I want something a bit more grunty for blasting from one side of the country to the other on, than the Fazer... and will be known if bought, as 'Sharon' (1). (1) Black bike with red bits, and Mr Honda put the equivalent of white stilettos on it... white wheels, which I fear may have to be removed and repowder coated in black, given I prefer to spend my weekends riding the bloody thing, rather than spending hours scrubbing the rims with an old toothbrush.
Assuming it's all it appears to be, aye, I'll be joining that as soon as various bits of paper have changed hands. <Rolls up trouser leg, and gives Whinging Courier a funny handshake>
In uk.rec.motorcycles, JackH amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom: Good luck with it. Mine's been nothing but reliable (apart from a dodgy battery last winter) and I've had no issues at all. Tyres last for ages, too. Is that... <Thinks> Ewwwwww!
Muck wrote Why waste money on paint when time and road grime can have the same effect but with added kudos?
I seem to recall you posting that your bike had developed a ticking noise at sometime and this whole NG (well, nearly) all said "CAMCHAIN AND TENSIONER". <narrows eyes> Or were you just lying Whinging Courier?
In uk.rec.motorcycles, gazzafield amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom: Not lying at all. Where does a ticking noise have anything to with reliability issues?
steve auvache emerged from their own little world to say Just spray some Motorex chain spray on the wheels. They'll soon go black as the brake dust accumulates in the sticky goo.
You never said what it was, 'tis all. It's also ones own definition of reliability. I've known folk who always seem to be spannering away at their car/bike but "it's reliable as the day is long mate". Then you have the other side of the coin where nothing has ever gone wrong for thousands of miles and then they get a puncture. "Heap of shite, need to sell the thing". That kind of idea.
In uk.rec.motorcycles, gazzafield amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom: Reliability in my book is something that starts when you want it to, stops when you want it to, steers straight and everything else you'd expect from a roadworthy vehicle. If a breakdown is due to neglect then you have to expect that but your analogy of the spannering bloke is just keeping his vehicle tip-top. Mine's never broken down and always starts on the button, except for those few dodgy moments I said about with the battery. So that's pretty fucking reliable in my book.
gazzafield _I.ko says... Mine makes a sort of camchainey noise on startup and I mentioned it to the mechanic when it was in for its MOT. He said it'll be fine they run forever like that.[1] [1] Expect a post soon describing tales of woe involving pistons/valve interfaces.
Well... we came, we saw, we didn't buy. To summarise... it wasn't as clean as it looked in the pictures... that didn't really bother me. It had a few marks and scratches... that didn't really bother me either - it's a J reg bike, and as such, par for the course generally. It did however, have a KM/H speedo, so it's an import - that kind of bothered me, but not enough to put me off if the price was right - I didn't get as far as finding out where it had been imported from, but it didn't seem as willing as I'd expected at higher speeds, which made me suspect it might actually be a Euro spec machine, and so down on power. The oil filter was covered in enough grime to indicate it had been in place for 'some time', the fuel gauge was dead, and I could feel something moving about that shouldn't be, under my arse under hard braking, when it hit a bump... so given all the weight was bearing down on the front, I suspect it has worn bushes in the swingarm or shock - not enough to make one walk away really, but enough given the overall condition, and the fact the dealer admitted it had been festering in their showroom for over 4 months, to either want a decent offer on ones bike in PX, or a sizeable lump off for cash. Neither were offered... in fact I was quite offended by how little he offered for the Fazer, even though he proffered that "It rides nice, doesn't it". However, I liked it - turbine smooth when opened up, much more bearable for a fat lump like me at motorway speeds plus (and this is without the planned addition of a bigger screen), and less manic than the Fazer is, when "avin' it large', down country lanes etc. In other words, much more what I'm looking for from a bike really, and one that's much more likely to ensure one keeps ones licence for longer than the Fazer will. The most obvious failings compared to the Fazer, were the obvious ones - less willing to be punted through a tight set of bends as fast, nor that flickable through roundabouts etc., and the brakes weren't nearly as confidence inspiring as the Fazers. Hardly a revelation, given what I'd already read about both bikes. So I want one... I know this for sure now, that... or I need to try a ZZR1100 and accept my insurance will rise by 300%, rather than 50%. ;-) It's a CBR... I've had loads of early 600s, and bar one regulator unit going and destroying the battery, they've all been spot on, never let me down.
Aye, well I think most peoples idea of reliability, is how often does it leave one stranded at the side of the road, and how often does it end up costing one an arm and a leg in unexpected repairs - IME of 600s, CBRs tend to be bloody good in both respects.
In uk.rec.motorcycles, JackH amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom: Where do you live again? It wasn't a green/pink/black one was it? I had a feeling mine was down on power when I first got it because I was expecting that sudden rush at 10,000 rpm, except that was the redline. It's really quite flickable when you get the hang of it. You need to plan the flick though and it's best to do it on roads you know! Get a 1990 plated one. Your insurance will come /down/ by 300%
