Last-minute Tenere hassles

The speedo cable broke this afternoon. Oh great. What are the chances of
getting one before Tuesday lunchtime?

Zilch, apparently. If a dealer doesn't have it, it takes three or four
days to get a part (any Yamaha part) from Holland.

Ring around London Yamaha dealers. Nobody has one. Apparently Fowlers
has one, but a 260-mile round trip for a speedo cable is a bit silly.
Ponder asking Platy if he could get it and bring it out with him....

Not that I can't get to the Elefant with a dead speedo, but it'll make
judging refuelling stops hard.

Bloke in my local dealer has other speedo cables for Yamaha dirt bikes,
so I measure the Tenere's speedo cable with a tape measure and he pulls
one out that is almost exactly the right length (about three quarters of
an inch too short) and has the same mounts at either end.

It'll fit.

But I can't get the old cable off because the little plastic clip that
holds it against the fork leg is secured with a tiny nut and bolt and
they're corroded solid. Sod it: this is what cable ties are for, so I
riup off the silly plastic clip, run the cable up insie the fairing, and
behold, we have a working speedo again.

And it is a right *bastard* getting at the attchment on the speedo head
on the Tenere.... You need about six fingers. I daresay they manage OK
in Norfolk.

Elefant, here we come....

 

I'd have suggested going to Halfords and getting a pushbike speedo.
You have to **** about glueing the sender somewhere where it won't be
a problem but they work ok once they're on.

I'd intended getting loads done today but ended up simply sorting out
tools and piling emergency type stuff (1) into one pannier, spraying
FS365 all over the place and then spraying every exposed electrical
connection with a water dispersant/sealer that I've had for years.

(1) I've probably gone crazy but I've got a pretty comprehensive
toolkit in there, a footpump, a multimeter, gaffa tape, funnel, WD40,
emergency cable set, puncture repair spray, Easystart, a couple of
old rags and a litre of engine oil. If anything goes wrong that I
can't sort with that lot I'll torch the bike.

 

YHM

 

I've got a spare pair of levers (brake, clutch) on the basis that I'm
sure to drop the bike and break one or both.

The main thing is that the bike is cheap enough for me to be able to
junk it if the worst happens. I'd rather not, mind, because I *really*
like it.

I suppose we could break it into large lumps and carry the pieces back
in various sidecars?

 

Thanks, but sorted now.

 

I forgot to mention the 1.5t bottle jack that's also in the pannier.
I'll not be bothering with spare levers because if I break a lever
then I'll probably be going to hospital

I'm sure we could do something, maybe just tow it behind one of the
chairs if it was mechanical but crash damage might be more difficult.

I've got Carole Nash European recovery cover on mine so I just
automatically assume everyone else has the same.

 

I was going to work on the R65 Friday, didn't. Today, didn't. So it gets
what I can do Sunday and Tuesday morning before heading to Bedford and
that's the lot.

I have no spare cables or parts and it's 27 years old.

It's a BMW. Everything will be fine.

 

Cue "help" post from Doncaster.

 

You could go and rescue him then take him as a passenger on the Wing.
I'm sure you said you were coming with us this year and then you did a
Zymurgy and bottled it. It's not too late to throw everything on the
bike, book a ferry and tag along.

 

I was advised that the Wing was less than ideal. The other two are
hardly made for the job, either.

I genuinely thought you going last Wednesday, and dropped out
ostensibly because of that.

I've been mental busy at work, and a break would have been good.

I think my brownie point account is sufficiently overdrawn as it is.

 

Doh. So have I.

 

Heh, I'd have loaned you the KTM just for the laugh of seeing you ride
it.

Poor excuse.

Only time will tell if it's good or not but it'll be a change of
scenery.

She'll get over it.

 

I did think about seeing if you were in today, while riding around
Bedfordshire trying to talk myself out of a purchase.

 

Did you manage to talk yourself out of a purchase? You could have
popped into mine and helped me polish the SV to within an inch of its
life

--
Lozzo
SV650S K5, ZX-7R P4, CBR600F-W, SR250 SpazzTrakka, SR250 Project
SpazzCaffer
I see a bright new future, where chickens can cross the road with no
fear of having their motives questioned

 

Alas, no. Sig-change imminent.

 

He'd be better off taking one of those rotary engines with infinite
stroke that "someone" is peddling on rec.motorcycles...

 

Thanks. Did I ever mention that my family lived in Stockholm? On
Strandvagen.

 

NP. Send me the details.

 

Ostensibly. I really didn't want to go cos it'll be all cold and
horricle and stuff.

Be careful what you wish for.

I'm now into toxic levels of debt on the brownie point front,but I
seem to be doing quite well on the sympathy hugs.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, SD

Excellent.

Make sure she goes on top for a while. It gives your poorly hand a rest
and makes her feel in charge.

It's all good.