Is motorcycling allowed?

[Spokey]

I have been lucky enough that the Boss sent us home for Ramadan, so day one of being home and the FZR called…….This old girl is 29 this year and still runs strongly. We left home for the Hartenbos, Oudtshoorn George circuit. The Robinson Pass is very bumpy, suited more to the ADV bikes. First pic is top of the pass. Second pic is on the turn off to Volmoed from the R328. That stretch saw a quick 120 plus perhaps another speed limit to get the cobwebs out. Love this bike. When the ZRX is back from the spray shop I will send this ones bodywork and wheels in. 

[Spokey]

I am going to head to Cape Town tomorrow if anyone is around for a coffee. Target is Flying Brick and the KTM dealership.

[IceCreamMan]

55 minutes ago, Spokey said:

I have been lucky enough that the Boss sent us home for Ramadan, so day one of being home and the FZR called…….This old girl is 29 this year and still runs strongly. We left home for the Hartenbos, Oudtshoorn George circuit. The Robinson Pass is very bumpy, suited more to the ADV bikes. First pic is top of the pass. Second pic is on the turn off to Volmoed from the R328. That stretch saw a quick 120 plus perhaps another speed limit to get the cobwebs out. Love this bike. When the ZRX is back from the spray shop I will send this ones bodywork and wheels in. 

My RF turns 30 on June 6 this year. I am still in awe of just how reliable the bike is and how well it fuels and runs. It’s an incredible testament to Japanese manufacturing in the 90s even though the RF was “built to a price” model. The workmanship and quality of components is better imho than my 2022 RC390 which is built in India. The RC has some fancy suspension bits but also some very agricultural parts which you don’t realise until looking up very close. 

[Hairy]

3 hours ago, Spokey said:

Man, you made me laugh, my wife and dogs say that to me often!………just kidding. The RC8 is at Fire it Up in Josie. I have bought two bikes from them and both had serious problems. The ZRX1200 they sorted, the 1098 not. The Duke cost me a quite a bit of beer money. I do still have it, I do not ride it as often as I should. It really is a wonderful bike but I need to adjust the suspension to be a little more street friendly. After all, I can’t use the Outeniqua Pass as my race track all the time. The 999 is also in Josie, I feel a trip to the Highveldt in my near future!

Take caution .... I was at Fire It Up recently testing a bike and I was told they are not buying in any bikes as they are going through a change of ownership / being purchased.

So you do not know what will come from this transfer, especially if you have had issues with bikes you purchased from them before.

[Hairy]

3 hours ago, Spokey said:

I am going to head to Cape Town tomorrow if anyone is around for a coffee. Target is Flying Brick and the KTM dealership.

What time roughly ... I have a meeting out in Kalkbay at 11am tomorrow, this will take about two hours and then head back home again .. may just be around the same time as you....

Will send you a direct message with my cell no.

[Hairy]

Giving the bike a quick wash and it looks like some chop has gone and jabbed the side of my tank with a key, or something like a key.

What the actual flunk!

Arrow = paint chipped out

Dots = scratches

Not the best pics.

[Hairy]

See, Harleys are so tough they can even ride when on fire
 

 

[Hairy]

New stop on my ride out from Stellies ... I like that I can park by the front door and leave my back and kit on it while I get what I am looking for.

Looks sketchy from the roadside, but really friendly staff.

By the way, sparkling water works really well to get smashed bugs and poop of your helmet visor.

[IceCreamMan]

14 hours ago, Hairy said:

See, Harleys are so tough they can even ride when on fire
 

 

Wonder why the stand does not retract. 

[Headshot]

My DR Big restoration has moved on a teeny bit with the servicing of the front caliper. I managed to get replacement seals from Suzuki South but ran into an issue with a very stuck piston. After much prizing out of old outer seal, spraying of a variety of toxic substances and the reconnection of the master cylinder and bleeding of the system, it came out quite easily. The caliper is now clean and has fresh pads and rubber. Its also been pained silver since the pic was taken. 

The air filter on the bike had been cobbled together out of new paper and the old top and bottom caps glued together with way too much epoxy -  it didn't fit properly as you van imagine but luckily I was able to find an original Suzuki replacement. 

I also drained the oil and fitted a new filter and cleaned the gauze trap underneath. The oil filter housing had destroyed threads - hamfisted mechanics using big tools? It had also had gasket compound smeared all over the ancient looking O-ring, some of which had found its way into the filter... After a thorough clean and a new O-ring from Suzuki I refitted the cover using longer socket head bolts - an old trick I discovered with a mtb stem bolt that stripped - and it has worked perfectly - so far. The drained oil looked relatively good and I did not see any metal fragments in it...

[Hairy]

36 minutes ago, Headshot said:

My DR Big restoration has moved on a teeny bit with the servicing of the front caliper. I managed to get replacement seals from Suzuki South but ran into an issue with a very stuck piston. After much prizing out of old outer seal, spraying of a variety of toxic substances and the reconnection of the master cylinder and bleeding of the system, it came out quite easily. The caliper is now clean and has fresh pads and rubber. Its also been pained silver since the pic was taken. 

The air filter on the bike had been cobbled together out of new paper and the old top and bottom caps glued together with way too much epoxy -  it didn't fit properly as you van imagine but luckily I was able to find an original Suzuki replacement. 

I also drained the oil and fitted a new filter and cleaned the gauze trap underneath. The oil filter housing had destroyed threads - hamfisted mechanics using big tools? It had also had gasket compound smeared all over the ancient looking O-ring, some of which had found its way into the filter... After a thorough clean and a new O-ring from Suzuki I refitted the cover using longer socket head bolts - an old trick I discovered with a mtb stem bolt that stripped - and it has worked perfectly - so far. The drained oil looked relatively good and I did not see any metal fragments in it...

How far off do you think you are before she is rolling down the road?

[Headshot]

2 minutes ago, Hairy said:

How far off do you think you are before she is rolling down the road?

Not entirely sure - I am hoping for the end of the year at the latest, but a lot depends on finances and how long it actually takes to reassemble/get running. I need to get quotes for repainting side covers, front fender/nose and the enormous fuel tank(s). Hairy you referred me to someone a while back - can you recall who it was and their number?

[IceCreamMan]

52 minutes ago, Headshot said:

My DR Big restoration has moved on a teeny bit with the servicing of the front caliper. I managed to get replacement seals from Suzuki South but ran into an issue with a very stuck piston. After much prizing out of old outer seal, spraying of a variety of toxic substances and the reconnection of the master cylinder and bleeding of the system, it came out quite easily. The caliper is now clean and has fresh pads and rubber. Its also been pained silver since the pic was taken. 

The air filter on the bike had been cobbled together out of new paper and the old top and bottom caps glued together with way too much epoxy -  it didn't fit properly as you van imagine but luckily I was able to find an original Suzuki replacement. 

I also drained the oil and fitted a new filter and cleaned the gauze trap underneath. The oil filter housing had destroyed threads - hamfisted mechanics using big tools? It had also had gasket compound smeared all over the ancient looking O-ring, some of which had found its way into the filter... After a thorough clean and a new O-ring from Suzuki I refitted the cover using longer socket head bolts - an old trick I discovered with a mtb stem bolt that stripped - and it has worked perfectly - so far. The drained oil looked relatively good and I did not see any metal fragments in it...

Love home maintenance and repairs. Belong to an RF Facebook group and it’s all old toppies and me. I learn so much from them. 
 

And I also belong to a duke/Rc 125/200/390 page. Full of young folks like me and I get a lekker gevoel when some of the youngsters do their own ****. Most don’t though. Working on engines is a dying art. 
 

I was speaking to my lighty the other day. He needed something from my tool box and I said wait I will get it. Then he says why am I so protective over my tool box and why don’t I trust him? Well, I tell him. My tool box has 41 years of history and tools that I have collected over the years. I only buy top class **** and some of the stuff I can trace back to my 50 cc days. So we go through it and I tell him one day you going to inherit these tools and tool box. He says cool dad. And I could see in his eyes he was genuinely impressed. Not like a teenagers roll of the eyes cool.

 

[Hairy]

23 minutes ago, Headshot said:

Not entirely sure - I am hoping for the end of the year at the latest, but a lot depends on finances and how long it actually takes to reassemble/get running. I need to get quotes for repainting side covers, front fender/nose and the enormous fuel tank(s). Hairy you referred me to someone a while back - can you recall who it was and their number?

Autocraft https://www.facebook.com/AutocraftbodyworksCPT/

or even @BogusOne for bikes.

[Hairy]

1 minute ago, Hairy said:

Autocraft https://www.facebook.com/AutocraftbodyworksCPT/

or even @BogusOne for bikes.

screen grab from googlemaps

[Spokey]

The baby Honda (‘75 400F) has not been run in 18 months. I had installed new front brake pads with a new calliper from David Silver in UK. On tightening it all up the wheel was immovable. I have managed to shave off some of the after market pads, that was a lesson in face masks and glasses! Anyways, wheel turns, brakes bled,  fresh fuel and oil, ready for a spin………waiting for a rain free day and dry roads!