Welcome To Bikes And Travels...
...It's about bikes... and travels... mostly on bikes!
Spring has sprung, now we have a few months of warm pleasant rain to enjoy after the cold and miserable rain of winter.
What excitement and adventures will this year bring?
What's New?
Let The Chaos Commence
It's a typical start to a trip and overall things seem to be going well. Except for the weather. And the traffic. And the suspect motorcycles. And the disorganisation.
Them There Alps
Title page for Bogger's retelling of the tale of a curious trip to The Alps with friends.
Pothole Ouch
I'm sure we've all had a similar experience. Ren's been shaken by a pothole, poor Ren. You'd think riding an adventure motorcycle and being experienced he'd know better. Nope.
Charging Troubles (5v not 12v)
To keep the lights on and to keep going in the right direction Ren needs charging. It's time to update and rethink the USB power setup on the 500
CB500X At 40k And What Next?
Ren's 500 is getting on a bit now. Where's the bike at and could there be a new addition to the stable?
Not A Lot To Say In The Best Possible Way
Walking and some motorcycling with not a lot to report, which is a good thing. Ren is pondering the disadvantages of going to nice places.
The Tourer Transformation Continues
Sharon's shiny new Z400's transformation from naked street machine to grand tourer is well under way. She does enjoy spending money far too much for Ren's liking.
CB500X Tappet Time Again
Ren loves the CB500X except for one service job. It's time to do the unthinkable, it's time to do the tappets. He's a grumpy old grouch.
Sunshine And Sadness
Striking lucky with the weather the dynamic muppets are having a look around North Wales' properties. It's not all glorious though with a bit of bad news.
Dodging Weather To Wales
Ren sets the scene, faces impending disaster, has some luck and then gets lost. All in a day's muppetry for the dynamic halfwit.
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Latest Posts
Let The Chaos Commence
ROD¹ said :-
I admire people that undertake these trips on small capacity motorcycles, but is it a tour, or is it an endurance test?
I am looking forward to the next episode.
24/04/2024 11:18:21 UTC
Let The Chaos Commence
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Sounds like the perfect start to a bike trip, rain, wind and bumpy seas. Very Woolerumnal.
Those bikes look like badly wrapped kebabs.
When does his rear end fall off!
Upt.
24/04/2024 09:38:32 UTC
Review of the Honda ANF 125 Innova - By Peter Hawker
Jon said :-
Only just found this Innova site. I'm putting one together from two tea chest's full of bits & I thought I'd change the front end ! I've got the engine stripped because of big end failure ! Watch this space ?
23/04/2024 23:18:44 UTC
Pothole Ouch
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Don't go to Brussels Rod....not that you would.
You'll be cancelled.
Upt.
18/04/2024 18:45:13 UTC
Pothole Ouch
ROD¹ said :-
We got here because Ren ventured a little to close to the politics of the pothole situation.
I am keeping quiet. My views are very right wing so my freedom of speech disappeared years ago!
18/04/2024 17:37:54 UTC
Pothole Ouch
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Before I go any further can I state for the record I've got nothing against spotty teenagers. But!
Ian, you raise an interesting point, not the first time and I doubt it will be the last.
I always find the English teenager to be ill suited to waitering, with one or two exceptions. They are not starting a career, it is merely an iPhone interlude. They have no knowledge of the food or wine. They just carry the food from the kitchen to the table, returning 5 minutes later to request your impression of the food. Albeit they have zero interest in your reply.
Now your professional EU waiter is a different kettle of fish. They know the menu back to front and will suggest wine pairings at all price ranges. Obviously this doesn't include Parisian waiters. They are a different breed entirely, arrogant and full of pffffffftttttt's.
Your average EU diner is usually very helpful too and we've had numerous good suggestions from fellow munchers as to the best food on offer. They're usually right too.
How did we get here from potholes and a shaking Ed. Pffffffftttttt.
Upt.
18/04/2024 16:00:32 UTC
Pothole Ouch
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Yes, they often do that but remove it when asked. I always prefer to give the cash directly. Of course in France, tipping more than a few odd coins isn't normal practice as waiters etc are paid properly....
18/04/2024 10:13:40 UTC
Pothole Ouch
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I don't know if you eat out much Ian me'lad. If you do check your bill, I've found 15% service added a couple of times lately.....and I was invited to tip on top!
Pffffffftttttt.
Upt.
17/04/2024 17:21:27 UTC
Pothole Ouch
Ian Soady¹ said :-
The trouble with this country (he said leaning against the bar) is that people expect Western European levels of public service for American levels of taxation. And that ignores the fact that tipping people in the USA is virtually compulsory and is at least 20% of any bill.
Tax the rich I say!
17/04/2024 17:08:54 UTC
Pothole Ouch
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Apparently.....
While UK taxes are higher than in most other English-speaking developed economies (such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and the United States), they are considerably lower than in most other western European countries.
Under current government plans, UK tax revenue is forecast to increase to 37.7% of GDP
by 2027–28. This would take the UK above both the current OECD and G7 averages. It should be noted, however, that other governments may also increase their levels of taxation by then.
Only two certainties in life, death and taxes. Make that 3, Potholes!
17/04/2024 16:54:32 UTC
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Ian Soady¹ said :-
My car is a 12 year old Kand Rover Freelander and yes I'd trust it to take me to the South of France - with or without caravan, although these days Normandy / Brittany / the Loire seem far enough. Sadly although the spirit may be willing I'm afraid the flesh is too weak to make any sort of long distance bike journey but when I was doing that it was aboard a 30 year old Norton Commando which I'd completely rebuilt myself and it never let me down although occasionally presented me with interesting intellectual problems to solve.
I confess to letting others do the necessary for the car as (a) I can afford it and (b) lying underneath seems to have lost its allure. Of course back in the day I thought nothing of changing the big end shells on a Morris 1000 in the street. Although the pleasure that gave was short lived....
23/04/2024 14:25:11 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
It goes to show that if both the Yammy and the BSAZuki were in prime condition you would only have been initially happy, as opposed to the now dirty and frustrated happiness you're presently suffering/enjoying.
For myself one concern is that of "ready to ride" -ness. How do you go on with your car Ian? I don't think you run old machinery and spend all day lying on the floor of the driveway with the car on jacks trying to refettle that seized brake arm or setting the timing with strobe and feeler gauges.
Would you, now, as a maturing chap, take either of your bikes to the south of France and back with the good lady in tow? I'm not talking of the physical aspect (comfort etc) I mean would you trust the bikes to make the trip? Would you feel confident towing the caravan with a 1960's car to Spain?
In a perfect world I'd have a garage and one bike for all the time use that gets fettled and messed with and used and abused. Then there'd be a nice bike that's in perfect order with low miles, kept in mothballs until that week or 2 away somewhere nice.
23/04/2024 13:09:50 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
You're probably right Ren for some but I think I may be far from a "typical" rider. And as I've mentioned there are few modern bikes I'd want. And how would I occupy my time if not lying in a pool of oil cursing some far-away designer or ham-handed previous owner?
23/04/2024 10:47:42 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
PCP is fine for a certain kind of rider, and that rider is perhaps the most common type of rider.
You put a not insignificant but manageable amount down and pay X pounds per month. For this you get a shiny new motorcycle that you will use on dry Sundays, one evening a week to visit the bike meet and one, possibly 2 motorcycle holidays per year. Approximately 4,000 miles annually, maybe a little more. You get the bike annually serviced twice then on the third year you complete your PCP deal by trading in your now 3 year old 12,000 mile bike for another new shiny model and a slight increase in your monthly payment.
This way you know where you stand. X pounds per month plus a little extra for tyres and the annual service. Your motorcycle is always less than 3 years old. You're not dealing with seized brake calipers. You're not dealing with fitting a new chain and sprocket kit. You're not dealing with camchain tensioners. In fact you're not dealing with seized in exhaust bolts or mangled sump nuts or complex wiring issues and on and on and on and on.
There are times when I'm elbow deep in dirty oil and blooded knuckles and desperately worrying if my bike will actually be fit for our next trip - I think I might just sign up myself! But then with a PCP bike for the deal to work the bike must be in a resaleable condition after the 3 years (or otherwise depending on the deal). I couldn't fit my amazing handguards. I couldn't bodge in my USB charging system. I'd have to drastically reduce my mileage.
PCP might not be for me, and probably most of the readers of this type of blog. But for a lot of folks it makes a lot of sense.
23/04/2024 07:34:09 UTC
nab301 said :-
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I'll let the cut-off screws rest in penetrating oil for the time being - no rush to sort them out.'ve ordered the bits I need from CSM in the Netherlands who seem to have good stocks.
I see a DIY induction heater project in the next episode!
Nigel
22/04/2024 13:29:10 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Yes, looking up. And yes, the oil was very diluted and petrol-like. If I had a 2 stroke I could probably have used it.
There aren't really any "modern" bikes I fancy although that SWM I mentioned here a little while ago was quite tempting. PCP? Just another way to be ripped off. And as you know I like getting my hands dirty and a challenge only makes it more worthwhile.
The gift that keeps on giving is of course the theft of the Tri-Greeves and XBR500 both of which were pretty much ready for riding.
21/04/2024 10:23:14 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Are we looking "up" here Ian I'm guessing? Logic says it is but the image feels like we're looking from the side.
I hope you're garage is well ventilated as I reckon that oil will be 20 to 50% petrol now, slowly evaporating into a combustible gas with the air.
Logic also dictates as soon as the weather improves your motorcycle(s) will decide now would be a good time to demand some mechanical attention. You could always purchase a new fangled motorcycle with warranty and servicing carried out by someone else, all in an easily affordable PCP package. Trade in and re-sign every 3 years and never have to get your hands dirty again. No?
21/04/2024 08:36:25 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
A brief update: judicious use of a cold chisel to make a notch in the outer periphery, followed by a long punch has got the plug out at least. The "oil" that came out was about twice the normal capacity and stunk of petrol, as did the oil filter. The mashed up plug is below.
I'll let the cut-off screws rest in penetrating oil for the time being - no rush to sort them out. I've ordered the bits I need from CSM in the Netherlands who seem to have good stocks.
Oh, this was supposed to be my riding around bike while I fettled the BSAZuki.......
20/04/2024 16:24:13 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I thought I'd just do a few little jobs on the Yam 250. An hour or so in the shed I thought.....
I do hate the vacuum controlled fuel system. There is no "off" position as such (well there is on another tap but you have to take the seat off to get at it). It only has On, Reserve and Prime on the main switch - the latter being a non-vacuum "on" independent of the vacuum. I may in due course ditch the vacuum unit and put a simple on/off tap in its place.
It turns out I was right to be suspicious of the vacuum arrangement. I put a gallon of fuel in yesterday, started the engine on Prime (started easily and sounds good) and left the tap on Main. When I went into the garage this morning, guess what? a pool of petrol underneath. Obviously the vacuum tap gadget is passing fuel when it shouldn't. Exactly what I feared. So I'll do my mod of replacing it with a simple on/off tap. When I lifted the air filter housing the front carb was full of petrol as well, so the needle valve in that one at least needs a good looking at. All this because idle riders can't be bothered to turn the petrol off!
I've stripped both "taps" and will replace one with an ordinary on/off tap feeding the main/reserve one. I've replaced the vacuum arrangement in that with a simple gasket with a smear of wellseal.
I guessed that the petrol would have got into the cylinders so turned the engine over with the plugs out (by turning the back wheel in gear - I'm not daft enough to use the starter) and was rewarded(?) by a spurt of petrol from each plug hole. But if it's got into the cylinders then it must have got into the oil as well? So dive underneath only to find the sump plug has been cruelly hacked about. I'm starting to realise why the PO wanted shot of it.
Of course the drain plug is lurking between frame tubes and convoluted exhaust pipes so is a bugger to get at - no chance of stillsons or mole grips.
I thought if I could get the offside exhaust off I'd have more fiddle room but of course the allen screws holding it on are rusted solid and rounded off. I expect I'll have to drill them out. What other horrors await....
I don't know what on earth those allen screws holding the exhaust on are made of but it took me nearly an hour to drill the head off the upper one and make a start on the lower one. It's particularly awkward as they're quite low and need to be attacked from a crouching position. Oddly enough the bolt holding the silencer to the exhaust came undone with little effort. Remember the days when fasteners on Japanes bikes were as soft as butter?
I'm beginning to think the seller knew about these problems and passed them on to the first mug who came along. Although I did get it cheap (I thought....)
Eventually I resorted to a thin cutting disc in the Dremel and managed to cut the head off the lower screw and release the exhaust.
This is what remains: a moot point as to how to remove the remains of the screws but I'll leave that for another day.
20/04/2024 16:26:59 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
The proof of your success will be in the riding Ian. Good luck.
03/04/2024 08:14:31 UTC
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Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Tour Of Devon Rev. Mick!? At the pace you went across The Outer Hebrides a Tour Of Devon should take you 2 days I reckon. Throw in a bit of Cornwall.
46f Upt'. I'm gunna have to google that. Ah, just under 8 proper sensible degrees Celsius (or centigrade). 8c is perfectly warm, you just forgot to put a jumper on after being in the nice warm car all winter.
23/04/2024 07:16:26 UTC
Rev. Mick! said :-
You do have to love cubs.
After a complete winter of neglect, due to the very good weather in Ireland currently, the Cub was wheeled out from the back of my niece’s husband’s shed.
Looks like a barn find but started 2nd kick. Battery not even flat.
The summer is coming.
First thinking a “Tour of Devon”.
21/04/2024 20:28:30 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Got The B MOT'D at Berwick-upon-the-Tweed.
First ride this year, blummin freezin at only 46 of your f's.
I've decided there's only two weather seasons, I officially decree it! We now have Woolerumnal and Summer. Summer is optional. Woolerumnal at this moment has continued unabated since June 30th 2023.
Pffffffftttttt.
Upt.
21/04/2024 09:21:57 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
That'll be the long and the short of it Upt' yes. It's only money, but without it we're screwed.
21/04/2024 08:38:52 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
That's a lot of money for a retainer. But of course you'll be paying for delivery from Belgium overnight, whether you want it or not, plus the profit of the Chinese manufacturer, Honda themselves, the dealer etc.
That must be a common part on other models too with Nissin calipers.
The metal is fairly funky too, like a spring stainless if memory serves me right.
But it's only money.
Upt.
19/04/2024 08:31:39 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
This little sliver of metal. About £10. What the flip?!?!
18/04/2024 16:53:53 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Harsh Upt', harsh, however also funny.
nab301 - Pfffft. Right where to start.
Evening 1 - remove rear wheel, clean rear wheel, get into the usual battle royale with rubber, fit tyre, collapse in a sweaty heap.
Evening 2 - clean the cush drive and sprocket carrier, clean the swingarm, clean the rear brake, balance the wheel/tyre, work out how to use chain tool, break chain tool because you don't know how it works, cut chain with angle grinder, fit new chain, use the now broken chain tool to flare the soft rivet, collapse in a sweaty heap.
Evening 3 - fit new front sprocket, fit new rear sprocket, refit rear wheel, spend an age looking for a sliver of metal from the brake mount, look online to see how much a new one would be, kneel and injure oneself on the sliver of metal while looking for a bolt, cry quietly into a brew, fit brake pads and caliper, torque everything, collapse in a sweaty heap.
This lunchtime - refit sprocket cover.
Now all I need to do is worry about have I tightened everything up. No wait, oh no, have I overtightened anything?
18/04/2024 16:50:51 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
He's obviously far to busy counting his fingers and toes, which isn't easy when you use them for counting.
18/04/2024 16:02:50 UTC
nab301 said :-
Ren , 3 evenings spent doing one evenings work.... ? You're obviously related to the works foreman!
Nigel
18/04/2024 15:57:32 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Oh, and I've spent the last 3 evenings fitting a new rear tyre, a new chain and sprocket set and new rear pads. I'm covered in oil and road grime, the house looks like the worst dodgy backstreet mechanic's shop and I've used muscles I didn't know I had. I am pleased to say I still have all my fingers and toes, so far.
17/04/2024 20:07:28 UTC
Random Link - Northern Ireland Thumper Club Rally