My first spannering session - battery changing - the first hitch

Clutching my allen keys and an adjustable spanner I'm all set. I wheel
the bike out into the sun. It's dusty.

Find correct size allen key for seat bolt, put key in so it is almost
touching right hand side of tank, turn to far left of tank thus
getting maximum turning, remove, repeat a few times, the seat's off.

There's a junction box. I know it is a junction box because it has a
helpful name on it. The battery must be under it. It's held in place
by a bit of plastic with two upside down U shaped bits that it slots
into to. I unslot it, peel it back out of the way.

The black plastic has a crack to one side - through it I can see the
letters batt - there it is, the battery.

Now how do I get this bit of black plastic off to get at it? It has a
bolt near the back of the seat that my puny strength and pathetic
adjustable spanner can not defeat.

It sort of slots in by the tank, I try to slide it towards me - not
enough to get it to release.

So, do I keep trying to slide the slotting in bit out or get someone
with proper tools to undo the bolt for me?

 

GAMI.

 

No, I'm a big girl now and I can do it myself.

<sings 'sisters are doing it for themselves'>

I borrowed a man's socket set. I see tool purchases in my future. Bolt
comes undone, slidy bit slides out, black plastic is lifted and
there's my battery.

Following WUN's instructions I check the wires, one to the positive
with a red sheath over the terminal, two to the negative, one of these
a black and yellow one is actually attached to the terminal.

With the wonders of a socket set I undo them, lift the battery out,
get the new one (which has already had the acid poured in) slot it
into place.

I use Pip's blue tack tip to hold the nuts while I reconnect the
terminals.

It didn't have a tube - the owner of the socket set says 'this is
because WUN rides agricultural pieces of shit and lives in the past
and he looks like an ewok'.

Putting the slidy bit of black plastic on and shoving the junction box
back into it cracks it a little more, but hey that's the least of the
cracks and scrapes on this bike.

I start it before putting the seat back on. It lives!

Now what else needs checking on a bike that's been standing? I want to
spanner some more.

 

The usual things - oil and coolant levels, tyre pressures, fuel lines
for tightness, etc, etc.

 

Valve clearances, headstock bearings and brake pads. Plus all the other bits
of electrickery.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Hmm. I didn't think Cane knew what a socket set was, much less own one.

 

<stern look>

Huge snip

That all sounds a little bit advanced. Do you want to do the write up
on how to do them?

 

Ah now those are easy, I can do those. Plus I know how to change the
tickover rate. It's all coming back to me. It will need coolant after
its little 'chucking it all over the garage forecourt' session.

 

Why? I mean, assuming they were OK when the bike was stored, why would
you want to check them now?


--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

Work in progress wrote

Much of this would not benefit from the sustained use of an adjustable
spanner, and sockets cannot be used everywhere. (A nice Britool
combination spanner set is a smashing birthday present.)

 

Mark Olson wrote

Yup. Something very useful to have available but never first choice.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Work in progress

<haughty sniff>

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (Falling apart) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer

 

Work in progress banged the rocks together and they said :

Oh god, another woman with the impending purchase of a tool box.

"Its now or never lads! Bomb the sperm banks! Go large on clubs!"

ROFL

Nice one, well done.

Chain, oil level, brake pads, brake calipers, piston rings, big end
torque settings...

 

Mark Olson banged the rocks together and they said :

Thats cause you've got the wrong tool.

Monkey wrench and angle grinder.

The only three tools any true bike mechanic needs.

 

frag wrote

Hammer?

 

Roger Hunt says...

No, his trouser crotch is always by his knees.

--
Lozzo
Triumph Daytona 955i SE (Black with added black bits)
Suzuki Bandit 600S (Green with added shit bits)
Yamaha SR250 Delusion (It's "Special")
Homefucking is killing prostitution.

 

Err...


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

You'll note that all the suggestions are in the "Probably not the
easiest/best things to do to gain ab-intio spannering experience". Or to put
it another way... whooosh.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Ahh, not just me then.



--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

I can see the use of the angle grinder and the wrench, but a monkey?