Welcome To Bikes And Travels...
...It's about bikes...and travels...mostly on bikes!
Oh summer where for art thou? Ren is missing the warmth of summer but when it returns he'll be complaining about the
amount of traffic on the roads.
What's New?
Shell Island - It Only Pours
You can't win them all. Ren is having one of "those" weekends in what otherwise should have been a pleasant trip to North Wales
KLX 250 The Little Bike That Could
Bob reviews his Kwakker KLX250. It is way more than a dirt bike with lights, especially now Bob's had a fettle inside the motor.
The Bike Is Behaving Strangely Today
Rod's Inazuma 250 has been just fine but today it is acting in a most peculiar manner. Can you help Rod diagnose the issue he's having with his motorcycle?
Recommended Ride - Dolomites Loop
Upon the advice of an overly friendly German Upt'North goes for a ride. Thankfully he listened, it was Upt'North's best ride ever. So far.
Recommended Ride - Roman Roads to the Cotswolds
There's history and scenery mixed with straight and wiggly roads on Ian's route. Have a brew while watching gliders then a walk around pretty Burford.
CB500X Cheapo Screen Deflector
Pocketpete's Bling Blog part two. This time in a bid to fix Honda's useless aero package China delivers a screen deflector. Will it make any difference?
Recommended Ride - South Birmingham
Mr Soady Esq takes us on a merry jaunt around the wiggly bits of the lands just south of Birmingham city.
CB500X Cheapo Radiator Guard
Pocketpete has a plan. Looks like the "X" is staying but changes are afoot. He's sprinkling the farkles.
Splish Splash Santander
The beauty and grandeur of the The Picos means Sharon does not want to leave, ever. It's back to the city, ready to sail home. Fear not, there's still pleasures to be found.
BMW F850GSA Exclusive Review
Mark Collins has the chance to compare and contrast his 800 against BMW's new F850GSA. It's a hard life, it's a dirty job, but someone has to do it I guess. Poor Mark.
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Latest Posts
Shell Island - It Only Pours
Bob said :-
I was there too! I stayed in Penmachno from Friday to Monday.
On the Saturday I was out riding in the 50MPH wind and driving rain - I actually struggled to get back because the Police had closed all but one of the main roads south to Betws-Y-Coed from the north.
In the car park on the top of Great Orme I was standing leaning 30 degrees into the wind, it was a second gear job riding up the rock becuase of the cross-winds.
I had fun riding through some 2 ft deep floods on the back roads.
As for camping - pot that for a game of soldiers, I like a warm, dry bed, Wifi and freeview!
20/3/2019 3:29:59 PM UTC
CB500X Adjusting The Tappets
Ren - The Ed said :-
Cor! Well done Rory.
I really must work out how to do the "whole fairing" thing as in some ways it could be a lot easier. And yeah, I used CB500X.com to glean the information and get me going, damn useful it all was too. You got any details regarding removing the fairing as you did?
20/3/2019 8:39:09 AM UTC
CB500X Adjusting The Tappets
RoryD said :-
Many thanks to Ren for this blog as I think I may have successfully undertaken my delayed valve clearance service (c.20k mls vs 16k) thanks to the clear instructions here - and on the CB500X forum. All 4 exhaust valves were tight (.20 to.22) altho' inlets were all within tolerance. Micrometers and shims were all new to me, and the dis-assembly required was mind-boggling in comparison to my last bike - but at least it's only every 16k miles (4 years for me), and not every 3k as it was for the Inazuma.
Took the shortcut someone on the CB500X forum suggested for removing the fairings by simply undoing 8 screws & 2 bolts, disconnecting a couple of plugs and easing the whole thing (incl. headlamp & instrument panel) away forwards. Image of the whole fairing hanging up next to the crash bars, from where it surveyed me as I nervously followed Ren's instructions for the rest of the process. Ren's advice re removing the top coolant pipe was good - esp as I was replacing the coolant - and I left the pair valve attached to the tray rather than detaching it.
- RoryD
19/3/2019 11:40:51 PM UTC
Shell Island - It Only Pours
Upt'North said :-
Gordon Bennett Borsuk, with you and Er'Indoors you've got a football team.
No wonder you like going for a bike ride.
Upt'North.
19/3/2019 6:57:23 PM UTC
Shell Island - It Only Pours
Borsuk said :-
4 of the daughters and the four sons are inherited.
19/3/2019 5:33:59 PM UTC
CBF 125 Alternator-Stator Problem
Ren - The Ed said :-
Yeah we'd need more details. I am tempted to suspect the alternator but there's quite a few other more important safety items I'd go through first.
19/3/2019 11:14:17 AM UTC
Shell Island - It Only Pours
Ren - The Ed said :-
There surely is a camping shop on site. Whether or not they'd have spare poles for my tent was unknown and at that time the shop was closed. It's all very well and good informing me what shops have what and where but were you available to provide me with this information at 0700 on a Saturday morning!!
I come across this a lot when on the road. I *KNOW* there will be a place that sells a suitable pole nearby. There'll be a place that sells a spare lever if you need it, a place that has that particular bolt the bike needs, a place that sells made up cables for a broken clutch cable, a lady who can fix that broken jacket zip, someone who can re-glue the sole of my boot, somewhere to get my glasses fixed, a tyre shop with the right tyre for your bike, a place that sells the bungee to replace the one that's broken and so on and so on and so on and so on.
The thing is when you're sat in a tent at 0600 bracing yourself against the tempest it's hard to find out where these places are. When you're stood at the side of a busy road in the tippling rain Google is not much help because mobile phones don't work when they're filled with rainwater.
Anyhow - 5 daughters!!
19/3/2019 11:12:42 AM UTC
Shell Island - It Only Pours
Borsuk said :-
Theres a camping shop on the site according to the wife, Number 5 daughter used to work there and there is a camping and caravaning shop in Barmouth, been in it once or twice. I am more familiar with Barmouth than I ever expected to be as herself's family live there.
19/3/2019 10:30:11 AM UTC
CBF 125 Alternator-Stator Problem
Upt'North said :-
+1 Ed, are you sure this is rpm related and not road spedd related. If road speed you need to be looking elsewhere. Perhaps post more details.
Can it be replicated in other gears.
Can it be replicated at standstill.
Is the chain correctly adjusted and lubed.
Is the vehicle serviced.
Upt'North.
19/3/2019 9:59:05 AM UTC
CBF 125 Alternator-Stator Problem
Ren - The Ed said :-
That's a new one on me Kieran. My alternator made a spooky "oooooo" noise, quite quiet. That said I didn't get chance to ride it at pace.
I don't have an answer for you. As a matter of safety though check your tyres, wheels, chain and sprockets.
19/3/2019 8:41:54 AM UTC
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Upt'North said :-
These are the welded version.
Don't worry Ed, still £0.00.
Upt'North.
20/3/2019 5:06:53 PM UTC
Henrik said :-
Correction: import-fee not 12 but 22 euro
20/3/2019 12:27:37 PM UTC
Henrik said :-
No one knows anything, unless we are all being manipulated and there is a secret master-plan, we expect a hard-brexit, in a few days, or with a little delay, maybe 3-6-12 mounths max
After that UK orders wil be taxed like any other non-eu country
A order like this around 130 euro will be added with vat 25 pct, import fee around 12 euro, plus, regular import taxes, it will most certainly end up around 200-225 euros
Just to give you an idea
So knowing I had to get it sooner or later, plus stock is also reducing over time,... now was the time
20/3/2019 12:14:24 PM UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Blimey Henrik - I live in the UK and I don't have a clue what's happening with Brexit. I don't think our government or politicians do either. And you're panic buying? Is there something Denmark knows that we don't?
20/3/2019 8:42:20 AM UTC
Henrik said :-
Last panic-order on Ebay before brexit, exhaust for my XRX
Lots of other stuff that I have no time to search and order, so this was it
Look forward to see how the trade and taxes will end up
I usually order both in UK and USA a few times every year, with drlivery on DK
Guess its the same in UK the other way around
20/3/2019 8:29:21 AM UTC
Upt'North said :-
Ian, it was more down to how it turned out. I made the first and worked at it until the dimensions were right and it turned out like this. The Measurements were probably 20,30 and 80 before the file smoothed and squared things off. Glad you like my drawing. South Cheshire Technical College don't you know...............I was the cleaner.
Upt'North.
18/3/2019 5:04:04 PM UTC
Ian Soady said :-
Ooh look, a proper dimensioned drawing!
I do wonder why you didn't round them off though - 80mm instead of 78, 30 instead of 28. Or was it just a bit of old scrap you had lying around with those dimensions?
Many years ago I was splashing around in the Highlands on my Commando getting very disgruntled as I'd misread the map and had to retrace my wheeltracks about 20 miles due to there not being a bridge across a loch where I'd thought there was one. I nearly fell off when the twin Fiamma airhorns (very loud) I had fitted suddenly went off. Not the tank bag - the relay had filled with water and shorted out......
18/3/2019 4:00:06 PM UTC
Upt'North said :-
Hey, you like em. Obviously all bikes are different but I'll post the dimensions which might help. I filed the clamp slightly so the anti peeper went in square and the the black brackets are steel reinforcement. Any questions just ask.
Ta.
Upt'North.
17/3/2019 11:16:23 PM UTC
Borsuk said :-
Upt'North those are a brilliant idea. I'll be looking at my bike tomorrow to see what would be needed.
Scare the SHoneT out of myself doing a u turn the other day when the horn went off and I thought there was a car on the road behind me.
17/3/2019 11:04:39 PM UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Those... are... absolutely... bleeding... FANTASTIC!
My everyday tankbag, AKA manbag with magnets for attaching to the tank, causes no such issues as it's small. My larger travel tank bag does though. I might have to patent these Upt' and then get 10,000 made in China and sell them on Ebay for £25 per side.
You sir are a legend. I mean leg end.
17/3/2019 7:50:12 PM UTC