Cynic

Sounds like it, needs fixing quick too as the output shaft bearing in the motor requires a TOTAL strip to change. An over tight chain will wreck it quick as you like, a couple of runs if your unlucky.

You have NO idea, try a full power TZR125 and say that. Or better yet a de restricted Aprilla they knock out over 20horses and weight the same as a politicians promise..

There are some bent 08 ones on the bay for best offer the buy it nows 50, might get them cheap if its costing you in fares it could be an option maybee. What would a new 'shuttle' cost?

I can imagine, swearing, pulling faces, teasing. Once they realise they can be splated if you get a good run downhill They should back off.

Thats the trouble i've spent half the week getting my head round not being either wet or fcold on the way to work, at 2.30 in the morning its generally one or the other.

They must be kamikaze bugs.

Ahem minor confession for the benefit of others. Took the long way home today. As i finish at 1, sun's out so go find some warm tarmac, well suffice to say i was enjoying myself. I was going fast enough to make the race can seem quiet Went tonking round a loverly 3 figure bend then when the bypass runs out its back to bumpy country stuff but y'know the bloods up. Flick left, then right bike kicking over the bumps. Heading for the roundabout i learn't to knee down on so a personal favorite, grabbed a handfull....... of fcuk all. Pumped em up with a squeeze and got through a bloody site faster than i planned to. Thankfully the roundabout is biiiig and reasonably clear of traffic so i just went straight on. Its got me in the past, cos my GSX is old skool with 1980's tech the forks are a bit limp , but i've got 4pots from a GSXR clamping the disc's on adapters so when you ride it like your not supposed to (big hint) the flex on the wheel pushes the pads back and the first time you squeeze the lever, nothing or at least not what your expecting. It doesent affect modern bikes cos their front ends are a lot stiffer than old clunkers like mine but if you lob big brakes on old forks bare it in mind, like i will............

Best of it is if they REALLY fuck up and resign, they only give up their cabinet post so they still have a 100tho a year job if you include 'perks' cos they stay a member of parliment. I sometimes wonder if they just start believing their own bullshit after a while, i for one will vote for the other guy. Trouble is even after the next election they will just spend 4 years blaming the last lot. The thing that worries me is that if things keep on the way they are going then minorities and the press will run everything, if they don't already. At some point the system will collapse cos it will be spun so far up its own arse it won't know up from down.

Mods like that are totaly unpredictable and require good mechanical knowledge, a good understanding of how the components work and spare cash for the components that either don't fit or break whilst you are moding them. You will have to consider steering lock, how to fit your instruments/headlight is there enough clearance around the tank (the USD forks will be A LOT thicker) and the ride height relative to the rear of the bike. Thats just for starters, Your disk WONT fit, your wheel MIGHT the caliper and its mounts will differ. Short answer is that this type of mod is NEVER easy or cheap without experience. If you are hell bent on this kind of mod at least look at a YZ as a donor as there is a far greater chance of the bits being somewhere near.

I can remember a couple of lads who had these used a couple of car choke cables (ask your Dad) and the pulley unit of a 350 to make a (sort of ) manual ypvs for only a few quid. Dont see why you couldn't do it today. Well a lot less than the powervalve kit was anyway and you had to produce your full licence to get it. She will also respond to the usuall tuning stuff like a decent pipe, or knock the washer out of yours (if its still there). You will need to up the main jet for that tho. And finaly yes you can set it where you like but be careful of the seals they usually leak once you start manually opening the valve.

Your probably right. Although i did chuck mine out. They got smashed up so often off road i took em off. Then a smart arsed MOT man years back said if the fittings are there they need to be so i cut off the brackets, not had a problem since. They were never really any good, i don't miss them but i can see why you would want to try LED lamps, but got to be honest i havent a clue how effective it would be as they are very sensitive. Be quite easy to blow them i would have thought. Sorry cant help more.

Throw the bloody things in the bin and use your arm. Far more reliable and TBH noticed by the tin boxes more, even at night too so long as your gloves have a bit of hi vis on em.

OOOOOOOH yyeeeeeesssssss there be ladies pointing with the 'nips' in the air......

That statement say's to me buy a Manual, BEFORE you go anyfurther. One of the folks on here may have an electronic one or a link but don't go any further untill you have had a good read so you can understand what you have.

Yep thats the ones. You have to make an honest decision about this, you have to fully strip the motor down. Split the cases then build it back up. You can do the seals on their own (just if you are carefull and patient) without spliting the cases but in the long run you will get a better job if you do, and tbh its not a lot more work once you have stripped the motor that far down. The thing to remember is all the other seals in the motor will be in a similar condition and you can check the main bearings properly too. The other thing to remember with the wonderful design of these motors is the output shaft bearing needs a complete engine strip to change it. None of the work is all that hard if you have a little common sense and a reasonable amount of spanner skills, removing siezed screws etc. Cost of the bits and pieces for mine at least was about £80 and thats everything to do bearings,seals and gaskets. So she will be good as new once i'm done. Its not exactly a how to but if you look at my post DT175 engine rebuild in the offroad/dualsport section that is pretty much what your looking at, the engines really aren't that much different. Bar the gearchange mechanism and the way the clutch is actuated.

Adventure sports, like a Tenere or Varadero I'm in a similar position but don't travel so far on the trip to work and have similar ache and pain issues with my GSX-f. Its what i'm going to do. Unfortunately we've been put on a 40hr week at themo so i'm having to do things steady and fix up my little DT first. Losing 15hrs pay a week ( with the associated shift premium) has tightend the old belt a bit. I posted something similar in a thread called, bike comfort oldfarticitus. Do a search, there were a lot of helpful replies.

Oh i don't know, keep a proper set of receipts for the work and it will help you sell it, nothing like concrete proof that a stroker has a clean bill of health to seal a deal.

There you go i was close. Re-bore and piston with a top gasket set and a new little end bearing and all fixed.

The figure OG has quoted will be allowing for an 'air gap' which will allow room for the oil to move. As when the forks compress the chrome section moves inside the lower part of the leg. Like when you get in the bath. If you filled it to the very top then got in it would go every where. Well the thing with the forks is they are a sealed system so the spare oil cannot escape like the water in your bath and so the forks will stop moving when the oil runs out of room. Hence the air gap. In theory if you fill the forks fully compressed you would be somewhere near but thats hardly accurate.

Then use another service centre cos thats bollox, If you put enough force into the forks to blow seals in good nick on good chrome you will prob knacker the fr wheel.

Sounds like they are locking out then?

Bloody hell people calm down the bike is only 18 months old, i would be surprised if its any more than just worn piston. Ryan whats the bike done around 15thou??

If you mean by movement the con rod moving about a bit left to right then yes thats fine, there should be NO movement up and down. You say the piston is 'fecked', how so? the type of damage might lead us to the reason for the failure.....

When they restored the XT500 in CMM they had it coated with some sort of ceramic. Apparently it will last for ages and keep looking original. I dont think its cheap but looks like that DT could be worth it.

Back again, quick update. Had one of those silly thoughts, y'know the one. 'Well if i'm sorting the motor out nice i really should......' . Its an open ended sentance as it doesent seem to stop. I now have a completely stripped frame in the garage a sw arm with a mutilated (due to being solid) sw arm spindle and the rest of the bike spread around the garage. I started to build the bottom end of the engine back up tonight, same again, crank in the freezer and on orders from the kitchen a heat gun ( i know when i'm beat) and the crank slid in loverly. I have the new seals and bearings in and they feel smoooooooooth. I think those mains have been rough for a long while. I very nearly forgot that bloody o ring on the crank too. There is a company local to me who can sort the barrel for me so that will be away to be fixed up. I'm going to have 8mm studs put in. A common mod on the IT by all accounts, (anybody knows better shout) cos they snap the 6's. I have a few pics of the carnage in the garage so far and i'll lob them up over the weekend.