The Bar

Took the FZ to the dyno today to see if any mods i have done were any good. best run was 60.09hp which is 5hp over stock. Without changing the carbs thats as much as the racers get, so i'm well chuffed interesting that the operator said I could go down a jet size or try and weaken the lower end. the bottom graph is the fuelling and the median line is what we're aiming for. theres a couple of flat lines there where it so rich the dyno can't measure it. I also have a dip in the 5.5k rpm which is about 10 hp worth there. which is where it is rich. the rev counter reads 500 rpm under but as the main gains are around 9 - 9.5 I suppose its not much poin…

Riding again for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team will be Katsuyuki Nakasuga, the defending champion and current holder of four consecutive titles in the pinnacle JSB1000 class of the All Japan Road Race Championship, and MotoGP regular Pol Espargaró, who put Yamaha in pole position last year with an incredible flying lap, despite it being his first time to race at Suzuka and aboard the YZF-R1. The two star riders that helped bring Yamaha its stunning Suzuka 8 Hours win last year will be joined by Alex Lowes, who rides for Yamaha in its return to the World Superbike Championship this year. The team manager will be Wataru Yoshikawa, the current manager of Yamaha's All Japan …

Hey peeps!. Not been online much recently, inbetween buying cars in from Japan, rebuilding my boat and galavanting around the world with work it seems that FUCR has been left in the corner of the garage now surrounded by DT125LC bits, f*ck knows where the XJ Turbo has gone and the DT50 hasn't been seen for months. Currently i'm out in Cyprus, and tbh it gets boring here, you can either become a gym monster or a beer monster, pumping iron isnt my thing and there's only so many times you can wake up in the middle of nowhere naked in a pool of your own bodily fluids before you start to question your direction in life, so whilst most people bring a book/kind…

Did anybody see Twist the Throttle on the freeview channel? It was on Quest Freeview channel 37 over the weekend and documented how the motorbike manufactures started from scratch. Very, very interesting.

So bikes working and I'm free Sundays so nothing better than either riding of cleaning my bike, but I'm looking for the best way to clean her, I don't have access to hose so looking for a spray on cleaner that doesn't need rinsed off , Any recommendations on a cleaner or tips and techniques

On my 2013 xvs1300 tonight, at traffic lights and bike just stopped. Tried to start but won't turn over or bump start. checked the following:- fuel, OK. Kill switch, run. Neutral, yes. Side stand, up. Battery, fully charged. and it's a bloody heavy thing to push. any ideas why it won't turn over or start? regards Alan Update any ideas. went out to bike after about 3hrs and it started on problem, as if nothing was wrong. Totally confused. has anybody got any ideas as to why the bike stopped, electrics all OK. Then started after about 3hrs?

I took it off as it was getting a bitty rusty, have been a total wingnut and forgot how it went on exactly... Firstly the left base of the stand, when riding - springs up and hits the underneath of the chain (shown in picture 2 below). When going over a bump in the road in bounces around underneath me. It feels as though it should have a washer or a very thin spacer on the axle as it wobbles from side to side a bit and this could be causing the base to hit the chain...? Also it doesn't feel like it snaps shut and if it did it would completely jam into the chain. May I need a new spring?) Could someone please mail me a picture of theirs so I can match it? This is what…

Hey, really struggling with my center stand as it is grinding against the chain whilst i ride. Has anyone got a picture of thiers I can relate to? cheers, Louis

Hey people recently bought a dtr 125.. Top speed stops at 50? Man who had it before said he bought it boggy and his local shop said the jet was to high and power value had been tweeked! The bike is fully restricted, with dep pipe on.. Do you think it's possible they put the wrong jet size in? Loses power on high revs? Does anyone know the standard jet size for a 1990 dtr 125? Many thanks brad

Afternoon As you can see I'm new to this forum and also to geared bikes. I have an annoying rattle on my bike and was wondering if anyone knows what it could be. When I'm in a low gear i.e pulling away or slowing down and changing down the gears an annoying rattle starts, but when I start to pick up speed again the rattle stops. When I am going slow the rattle stops when the clutch is in and the revs are off. Any ideas? Thanks D

My Dragstar 400 rear brake lever is very high and awkward to use from the footpeg, can it be adjust and would footplates help solve the problem.?? If footplates are the way to go where is the best value place?

How do I upload photos on here?? I managed to upload one earlier up to 540kb I think but now it's saying I can only upload 240kb? I've got the photos as small as I can get them..

Hello. yep bought my first bike(xvs 125 Dragstar), I can't put in to words the excitement felt, couldn't sleep for nearly 2 days and certainly could pay attention at work, which when your a butcher this sort of stuff isn't very helpful. so, I have long ol' of stuff I need/want todo. I'm asking advice on: *where do i get a workshop manual from? *how do I replace snapped off mirrors *best fixes for massive dents on the nice curvy petrol tank *ive got a 15-20mm hole in the exhaust what's best to bang in there? *if I put after market slip on mufflers (12" cafe style shorties) will I need to Danny about with the fuel air mix. …

Hi, I'm trying to remove the starter on my FJ1200 and need some advice. I have the Haynes book and it says to remove seat, tank, and side fairings which I have. Removed the 2 bolts holding starter but it will not come out as it is blocked by frame. Thought I would check here b4 I disassemble any more. Any suggestions as what to do? Thanks in advance, Scott.

Oh God !! Spotted this on another site and had to stick it up ,it's classic ! Don't you just hate that skid demon !!

A few months ago my mate decided he fancied a big ride for the year of his 60 birthday so I said I would go with him - if we stayed in B&B's. We are just back from an 8 day 2200 mile trip round the uk, doing all the usual biking things. Up to John o Groats, down to Land's End - a truly dreadful place. We rode from middle England via A68 to Peebles then north to Thurso. Single track roads down mid Scotland, Loch Ness to Fort William, Lake District and Wales (just a bit), then 'Atlantic Highway' (who thought that name up) to south. From Penzance along south coast to Hove and then back to Norfolk. I thought my buttocks may have got used to it by the end,…

So, my Xvs 125 came with a smashed up choke switch and a missing cable, aren't I lucky. I've eventually found replacements, but I was wondering would a car style choke (twist and lock type) work? I've got a bit of flat space to put one in if it does work, plus it's a step forward to decluttering the handle bars.

Hi everyone, Last time I asked you for advice on how to ride on UK roads like a gentleman, which was really helpful. I've now been doing it for a while now and your tips were spot on. Now I'm afraid it's time to sell my noble steed and upgrade to something heavier. This bike has been a family member for the last 7 years, so I'd rather sell it privately rather than part exchange. The legal aspect of it seems pretty easy - a few signatures and a tear-away slip on the registration document, but I'm unsure how to handle the actual sale process. Suppose I put up an ad, a prospect buyer shows up and we have a little chat - is it customary to then allow a test rid…

Ok I have a 98 Virgo and I am worndering if I can put a bigger tank on top and get rid of my lower fuel tank… and if so what other bikes tank will bolt up

So finally got my bike on the road and love it, now I need saddlebags, though have seen the support bar, so a 2 stage question, firstly , Is the support bar absolutely necessary, as I hear you have to reposition the indicators, and secondly, anybody know a place to get reasonably cheap leather look saddlebags that will be suitable for an XV125.