The Power of Cable Ties

I wondered what that metallic "something's fallen off" noise was the
other day. I stopped off to see if everything was okay, but didn't
notice until today that the bolt from the left hand side of my
headlamp had skipped off behind me on the road.

Oh well.

<grabs bag of cable ties>

 

The invention of the wheel pales into insignificance next to the invention
of cable ties - they are truly wonderful!

 

This is why top posting is a bad thing.

However, I agree with you. Cable ties and gaffer tape.

 

I wondered what that metallic "something's fallen off" noise was the

while your in a grabbing mood...........
Grab the following too.

1 1 roll Gaffer Tape.
2 2m Soft pliable wire
3 2 each of 6mm, 8mm and 10mm bolts 30mm long
4 and a TuiT, preferably round

Then when all breaks loose again you can use the first 3 until you get to 4


--


--
Robbo

Trophy 1200 1998
BotaFOF #19. E.O.S.M 2001/2002/2003/2004.
B.O.S.M 2003, 2004, 2005
FURSWB#1 KotL..YTC449
PM#7
..

 

http://www.passco.com/tuit.htm

Are you going to Brands on Saturday, dear?

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, BGN amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:

The bag that goes beneath the clocks would look better sprayed black

I like the way you left the loose end of the tie and haven't cut it off.

Now the indicators I like!

It's getting there.

You want one of those smiley "have a nice day" stickers on the chrome
mirror back.

Spray the clutch lever black!

You need to ride it for a couple more years. It'll be somewhere
approaching unwashed by then.

I reckon your bike needs a respray. Use Castrol chain wax!

Bet you wish you'd never bought a sports bike now, eh?

 

That covers the gaping whole in the electrics, but is transparent so
that I notice if I've left a signal or full beam on. Must tape the
sides down again on Monday.

I thought that there was little use in cutting it short - it's not as
if it will make it look like it was never crashed. But I like it like
that.

They give the bike some character, and I'm sure someone will ask me,
one day, after the clocks and headlamp are finished, why the signals
don't match.

I'll keep an eye out for something similar. I don't want to attract
TOO much attention to the bike until the headlamp is fixed, I don't
want the plod sniffing around it when it's "unroadworthy"

Do you know if garages frown upon non-working rev counters at an MOT
test?

....And do they frown upon freezer bags?

I know for certain that the MOT requires a headlamp aim that is
SECURE, but that's the only obvious failure I can see at the moment.

I think I'll leave it how it is for now - I may have to fix it a bit
more later on.

I wash it every week and it takes about an hour each time, but by the
end of the week it's as if I'd never even bothered. It's used in all
weathers though.

I'm not sure what to do with that rear wheel though. I have the urge
to cover it in WD-40 to help shift down the grease, but I'm sure that
the tyres wouldn't enjoy it.

I'm more worried about putting MORE chain wax on in a couple of
hundred miles. It's fucking impossible to get off without a large
quantity of elbow grease.

I can imagine myself scrubbing the chain with kerosene for an hour
every week, going out for a bimble for 15 minutes to warm the chain
up, then spraying more lube/wax on it.

Do you think it's meant to look like that, or did I go overboard with
the the spray? One spray on each of the dimples, and one in between
the links. Repeat on both sides.

Looking at the spray can, it does say that's it's lube as well as wax,
but it looks horrible in cream colour.

I think it's a sports bike in the loosest possible sense. Mind you,
if the CBR125 is a "sports" bike, then I guess an ER-5 is far more
likely...

 

while your in a grabbing mood...........

Yes possibly............... Y?

 

I was just wondering. I'm also coming along for the day, as is Mr.
prawn.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, BGN amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:

I wear my socks like that.

Don't think so. I've had bikes pass when the speedo didn't work.

M&S have more (phonetically spelt) cashay than Iceland ones.

Secure is the thing. Last MOT on the RB, the bloke said gaffer tape was
out but lobbed me a bracket and a couple of bolts. I whopped 'em on, did
'em up finger tight so I could get the beam right and it passed.

You've got more care (for want of a better expression) than me then. I
tend to fall out of love with stuff that gets damaged.

Muck-off. You can get it in Halfords. It really is the dog's cahoonas
for shifting grease and the like. Just spray it on, leave it for a
minute and rinse off. Prepare to be amazed!

All credit to you then, sir. The last thing I feel like doing after a
ride is lubing my chain. I use proper lube rather than wax FWIW, it just
seems to do a better job of getting into the nooks and crannies and
doesn't leave that ghastly white streak everywhere.

I put one drop (not easy to do with wax and one of the reasons I don't
use it) between the plates on both sides and one on the sides of the
roller and repeat until the whole chain is done. Takes about 10 minutes
with practice.

 

Great. I wonder if cable ties are okay. Saves me doing any more work
on it.

Since I crashed it I don't care as much about it, but if I can make
something clean then I try. I'm not as careful (with the washing) as
I used to be.

I got the hose pipe our last week and aimed for those hard to reach
places where gravel/dirt gathers up, whereas before I wouldn't dream
of doing it.

I didn't realise the wax would look so utterly shit. As it's on the
chain I (probably) can't just throw random harsh chemicals at it, so
I'll give Castrol a call to see what they expect me to do with the
chain when re-lubing apart from take it off and throw it into an acid
bath every week.

It took me about ten minutes, but as it's a spray can I can't measure
out drops.

 

No, its not a testable item.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, BGN amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:

I might be worth going to pay them a visit first, just to see if it
would pass like that. S'wat I've done on mine before.

Exactly.

Each to their own but IMO, chain wax is shite.

 

I think the MOT is due in February, so I've got plenty of time to bash
it up before then. Will book it a service this week too methinks.

That shite is being modelled by my bike and it's disgusting. I was
being all economical in the shoppe:

Shall I buy both chain lube and chain wax? <sees Castrol Chain Lube &
Wax in one can> Take TWO bottles into the shower? <grabs>

 

I think I may just buy a "general speedo" and "general rev counter"
and then see if I can buy a "general instrument light panel" for the
signals/neutral/full beam from somewhere and then pay someone money to
put it all together for me as I'm hopeless when it comes to connecting
wires to anything.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, BGN amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:

I want to do the same thing but by choice. For the idiot light I want a
length of ally with LED sized holes drilled in it and then replace the
bulbs with said LEDs. The thing is finding a bit of ally...

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, BGN amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:

False economy. I had a bog standard sized can of Silkolene chain lube
that ran out about three weeks ago. I had it since I bought my bike and
I lube that chain every week.

'sup to you innit. Personally I'd use the wax for emergencies. Now I
think about it, I left a can round somebody's house after only one
application: It was that bad!

 

With a Scottoiler, you can just slosh and go.

 

Cycle computer for a speedo, forget the rev counter, the rev limiter
doesn't need a rev counter to work.

 

As I'm getting my bike serviced this month one may well be on the
cards to be fitted at the same time. How much is a scottoiler for an
ER-5 these days?