DirtyDT

Andrew. If you are sure it it the bearings, I would buy some new ones and some grease and do it once, properly. You can normally change just the balls without a full strip down but you need to make sure the cups are OK. You can't replace the cups without a proper strip. The cups, if you leave them in place, need to be cleaned of grease and grit etc with a rag.

Basically what DT50 said. Nothing requiring brute strength but the loose bearings go everywhere. If you get the front wheel off the floor, hold the bottom of the forks and push/pull these, you should be able to feel some movement if the bearings have gone. You don't need to get genuine bearings if you are going to change then, most are 6mm 1/4 inch (you need to check) and you can get these from fleabay. You will need some grease though.

Hi and welcome to the forum.

To check the tyre seating, look at the distance between the rim and a reference mark around the tyre. The distance should be the same. Hard to tell given the state of the roads. I would say you have loose bearings. They are a pain to do, i've just replaced some in one of my bikes. It could be bearings but I am sticking with the thoughts that it is something to do with changing the tyre. Have you warped the rim changing the tyre?

My thinking is, if the front wheel has been off to change the tyre, then check it has been reassembled correctly first before looking further afield. It could be any of the things mentioned above in all posts but could even be the balancing of the tyre or the tyre not seating correctly on the rim.

I would start with things that may have dislodged when the wheel was off Andrew. Check the brakes, calipers etc first. Is the new tyre hitting the front guard? Is the front spindle tight and all of the axle spacers assembled correctly? Is the speedo drive located in the slot (Not sure if this is applicable TBH).

Well the question is; Is it worth having classic insurance given the restrictions against the benefits? I think I know the answer but wondered what people thought. I am not talking huge money here and, given the ratio of a premium to payout, If I wrote the RD off without causing damage to anything else it would take 40 years of future claims free policies for the insurance company to break even. Presently I have the FZ on one policy (with Swintons) and a RD400 and TS250 on a classic multibike policy with Lee at Bikesure. It's the classic policy that is up for renewal but I have SORN'ed the TS and going to get the RD only insured this year - probably! I haven't heard from Bikesure yet but I got a "please come back" letter from Carole Nash so I gave them a call earlier to gauge what I should be looking at, premium wise. They quoted me on a classic policy for the RD only. The number did make me laugh. I told the guy that I would not bother calling them anymore. I went on to moneysupermarket site and popped in the details (I am guessing for a non classic policy). I got 22 quotes, all under what Nash's was asking and the cheapest less than half of Nash's quote. I will wait to see what Lee can sort for this year before I do anything but back to the original question; Is it worth having classic insurance given the restrictions against the benefits?

You know it makes sense, Rodney!

You need to be systematic with these things. A shotgun approach (tinkering with everything in the hope you get it right) rarely works. First things first. Clean the carb. Check the jet sizes and float height. Reset all to standard settings and jets. Get 2 new spark plugs of the right specification. Adding a big one exhaust and a different air filter will affect the bike and normally I would say you need to jet up (bigger pilot/main jets) but until you have a proper place to start you won't know. As Airhead says, can you do a compression test or not? Does the use water? Why are you pre-mixing oil?

Easy fella, I am a Hammers fan too! Even lived off High Street North at one point as well as Manor Park and Stratford.

I am glad you are loving the bike riding. There is a wide mix of ages on this forum; some young; some old and ; some that just look old.

........ Or taking up space in one of the new mortuary cabinets I have just said could be ordered at work.

I really wouldn't feel happy advising anything but a good original.

If the one fitted worked and fitted well then I would suggest that this would be the easiest option. There are 3 main things to think about if looking for a different caliper: 1) the fixing hole bolt distance needs to match the mounting holes 2) the way the disk fits into the slot between the brake pads 3) the way the caliper pistons squeeze the brake disk. Don't forget that all non standard parts fitted need to be disclosed to your insurance company. Edit sorry..... 4) the amount of "grip" the caliper can provide.

I would not use that, nor attempt to fix it. The metal in the caliper is probably contaminated with brake fluid and, although the liquid metal is very good, It may burst loose under pressure. It is in the pressured part of the system once the brake is applied. It may shear off altogether. It looks like someone tightened the bleed nipple too much and it cracked the casting. My advice is not to ride with it like that nor attempt to fix it.

This is the bar. Workshop questions should be either in the workshop section or the specific style of bike sections. Before I lock this post, brakes are key to keeping you alive. If they fail, you can die. A person I work with had a knock on the door from 2 police officers a couple of months ago. A bike they had PX'ed had a brake failure with the new owner and the new owner died in an accident. Don't mess with "gluing" brake parts together. Please repost this in the workshop section because the advice you get could save your life. Topic locked.

My thoughts are that this is a workshop question and should be in the workshop section. Topic locked.

I am on mandatory training for a hour and a half. Afterwards I will know; Don't run towards a fire Don't stick my hand in a sharps container I need to wash my hands after I have been to the loo A box doesn't need to be big to be heavy Don't over reach And I am a valued member of the team. Oh.......... Happy days!

The last time I tried to take a tyre off was over 25 years ago, it hurt and I still have the a scars. It isn't something I would even contemplate now.

As above really but Tyres Keep an eye on your bulbs to make sure they work. Keep an eye on your oil. keep an eye on tyre wear and condition. Service the bike so you know when all was done. They are very hardy bikes generally and can take a lot of abuse.

That is just, plain, wrong!

I went to monsters of rock many years ago and saw groups of guys with full leathers and motorcycle boots on getting out of cars.

Cat litter is good for the spills. I don't have a cat nor any cat litter but will pick up a value bag next time I remember. Newspaper doesn't seem as absorbent as I remember. I don't know why but it seems to spread the oil a lot more. I was going to use one of my old shirts on my spill but bri-nylon isn't very good either.

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Turning the parking lights on when locking the bike is common. Don't cover the bike as soon as you get home. Lock it up but leave it to cool. It won't melt the cover nor build up excess condensation then and rot the chrome. Personally, I find a nice patina of grime protects the bike better than any polish.