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?
Oh The Shame
Sharon's Keeway hasn't run for a while. Will it start? Or is this the end of the road for Zen's adventures...
The Fear Of Tightening Spark Plugs
It's a wonder Ren even manages to step outside the house! The only thing to fear is fear itself. Unless you're Ren then everything is scary it seems.
Oxford Heated Grips Brief Review
Pocketpete doesn't suffer from frozen fingers on a frigid morning. In fact his fingers are on fire!
Honda CB500X At 30,000 Miles
Ren's shiny new CB500X is now a 30,000 mile dirty dawg. What does he think of his purchase so far?
Seasonal Shenanigans
'Tis the season to be jolly. Unless you're Ren. He's mooching around cursing everyone and everything. Be warned - there's a risk of a slightly upbeat ending.
Spain Is Slowing Down Too
Spain is dropping their speed limits on some country lanes. Times, they are a-changing.
Strange Screen Aerodynamics CB500X
If we learn from our mistakes why isn't Ren the wisest sage of all time? Curious aerodynamic cause and effect are today's lessons.
A Look At The Honda C125 Cub
Honda has re-invented the C90 into the new C125. But who is it really for?
Lessons from Devon
Ren is pondering the problems with the trip to Devon.
Kawasaki Ninja 400 Test Ride Review
So what does the Hobbitses thinks of Kawasaki Ninja 400s? She has to ridesis them to makes her mindes up. Scarees it is.
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Latest Posts
Keeway Front Sprocket
Ren - The Ed said :-
Kieron b - normally if there are teeth I'd use a piece of wood through the rear wheel to stop it from turning and a big old wrench to get the nut off. If as you say the teeth are done for then you're stuck.
That nut will be tight. If you were to put the bike in gear and turn the nut it would just turn the engine over. My best advise it to find a friend or a local mechanic with an impact wrench. You know the things - in a mechanic's workshop they're called "windy guns" and make a dr-dr-dr-dr---whizzz! noise like a formula one tyre change. I have an electric one, you may know someone who has one or the local garage might whizz it off for you if you can push the bike there.
Otherwise you'd have to weld something to the sprocket to hold it still. This as Upt'North says could melt the seal behind. You're more like to find a impact wrench than a welder anyhow.
20/1//2019 5:08:37 PM UTC
Oh The Shame
Ren - The Ed said :-
I don't know whether to be proud of you all for sharing your foolish moments or to question the kind of people that read this blog! I hope this is all proving very cathartic for you all.
In the interest of sharing. This morning Sharon decided we'd go out on the 125s. We'd arranged to meet at 1200 at Orrell Motorcycles. I arrived a little early to see 2 text messages cursing the 125. It starts but won't run. It's sort of going then not. Now it's getting worse.
Oh for goodness sake! Even Sharon's not silly enough to leave the side stand down a second time. Is she? No it coughing a spluttering. I call her. Ah - she's just this minute "fixed it". Yeah. I'd turned the fuel tap off.
Thanks for sharing folks. I've had a laugh!
20/1//2019 5:00:57 PM UTC
Keeway Front Sprocket
Upt'North said :-
For ate read plate. Damn predictive text.
20/1//2019 4:40:13 PM UTC
Keeway Front Sprocket
Upt'North said :-
If none of those work, you could drill and chisel it off, obviously a new nut would be required and possibly a seal depending on your drilling skills, you may be able to fit a steel ate behind to reduce the effects of drilling and heat.
Upt'North.
20/1//2019 4:39:15 PM UTC
Keeway Front Sprocket
Upt'North said :-
Kieron, firstly I would put some freeing agent on there, plus gas or similar and let it soak in a while. Then give it another whirl, I take it you are trying with it in gear etc to prevent it turning. If that doesn't work then some heat may be required on the nut, be careful though you don't want to melt the seal behind. A plumbers torch would do it.
Hope it helps.
Upt'North.
20/1//2019 4:34:08 PM UTC
Keeway Front Sprocket
Kieron b said :-
Any1 have any ideas..
20/1//2019 4:04:03 PM UTC
Keeway Front Sprocket
Kieron b said :-
Hey peeps im having trouble getting the nut off my front sprocket! The teeth on the spocket are well worn down and wont gaip the chain when i lock it up, but also the nut will not budge! Im turning it left as instructed by keeyway but the nut will not budge, iv tried everything
20/1//2019 4:03:19 PM UTC
Oh The Shame
NigelS said :-
Christmas Eve 2017, lovely clear sunny winter's day and I had to nip up to Meir B&Q for a few bits and pieces to put up the decorations. Long and short of it was that on start up, plenty of ice in the shadows, full right lock, in a hurry to beat the traffic to the exit, gunned the GTV and forgot the strength 10 chain and lock on the front wheel. Result, three broken ribs, bashed crash bars and broken mirror. And not one of the spectators came to help me pick it up! PS The photo was taken after repairs!
20/1//2019 3:29:08 PM UTC
Oh The Shame
Pedro said :-
During an afternoon run on my TDM, I stopped at a chippy, the parking area outside the chippy sloped down slightly, so I would normally roll the bike in backwards so it's easier to get out. But for some reason I parked the bike forwards, with the wheel against the kerb and the bike in gear to prevent it from rolling, and fitted the disc lock. When I was leaving, I flicked the side stand up selected neutral, and started pulling the bike backwards. Clunk! as the disc lock hit the fork leg. No damage done. Side stand down again, I began removing the disc lock, the bike was now in neutral and away from the kerb, and you guessed it. It rolled forward prop stand flicked up and it came crashing down. The first and last time I park forwards on a slope.
20/1//2019 3:06:07 PM UTC
Oh The Shame
Ren - The Ed said :-
Quite true Henrik, quite true. Obviously I like to think of myself as a genius though and not some idiot about to disassemble a perfectly functional motorcycle because I'd forgotten about how the side stand works differently on Sharon's bike.
Gosh yes! The old separate steering locks! Tucked away usually behind the bottom yoke. Sharon's is still like that too - that'll be my next trick.
20/1//2019 12:09:56 AM UTC
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Ren - The Ed said :-
Pocketpete - I'd need to think about this more but. Hosing the bike down thoroughly should provide enough water to remove the salt and not simply create a briny solution which would be worse for rusting than dry salt.
That said it has been my experience that a thoroughly dirty bike provides a layer of protective gunk. My bikes do suffer surface layer rust but not deep damaging rust as I've seen on some regularly cleaned bikes. This is a whole can of worms and I'm sure there are a million opinions.
Upt'North - I recall my first motorcycling visit to Scotland and my first time as an adult. I came through Glencoe and I too was stunned. As an experienced Highlands rider now I'm also aware there are even more breathtaking views to be found. Glencoe is just the doorway.
Thanks for the tip on the leatherish thing under my seat. You're a star you really are.
19/1//2019 8:08:18 AM UTC
Upt'North said :-
I've seen Glencoe in all seasons and it's nearly always looked like that. Although when you see it in all its glory, well, amazing. I was up there with Er'Indoors probably around 2009 on the CBF1000, we'd just set off from the King House (?) after a slap up breakfast and parked up shortly after in the piper's lay by and Er'Indoors was reduced to tears by its beauty. I told her to pull herself together, there were pegs to scrape.
Ren, do you know there's a leatherish thing under your seat?
Upt'North.
18/1//2019 11:17:43 PM UTC
Borsuk said :-
I have many memories of climbing and camping at Glencoe in mid winter, usually just freezing rain but sometimes there was deep snow.
And my friends wonder why I moved to Southern Spain.
18/1//2019 10:55:55 PM UTC
Pocketpete said :-
I have been using my bike since 1st Jan to commute to work. Yes I have actually got a part time job. Got to pay for my daughter's house. I've been cleaning it using Sharon's method. No acf50 for me. I came home today the bike is covered in salt. So how do I clean it.
Wash with muc off then rinse off and clean with Williams wash and was. Then mc94 ptfe spray. I usually rinse off with the hosepipe. Is this going to create a rush making brine.
What's the best way to get rid of salt?
18/1//2019 7:19:58 PM UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Then this afternoon in a totally unrelated incident I took the seat off the 500, I needed some 12v goodness. Look what I found. DOH!!!
18/1//2019 3:54:37 PM UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
I have a cheap leather case to protect my phone when it's in the tank bag or what not. Then last week it disappeared. This week I've been making do with a bubble wrap postage back cut down to fit...
18/1//2019 3:53:04 PM UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Dammit Jim!! I'm really miserable now. Mind you I reckon today would be, well, frankly bloody freezing up there.
Anyhow here's an image of Glencoe in winter. Brrrrrrr!
18/1//2019 9:14:44 AM UTC
Jim said :-
Shetland Islands in January has a lot to recommend it!
18/1//2019 7:55:39 AM UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Well it's positively miserable outside. I was sat here wishing I was in Ullapool but then I saw an image from The Isle of Harris where the snow is getting thick. I wish I was in Ullapool...in summer.
16/1//2019 9:14:05 PM UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
The more I test the less confident I am...
maps.google.com...
15/1//2019 12:48:32 PM UTC