DirtyDT

I makes a big difference to my FZ. Mine is a Givi. It stops a lot of helmet buffering - oh er misses.

PM sent Kev.

OK you two, naughty step, now!!

Yep, clean it thoroughly. Lets hope this has done it.

What's metadata?

Me for one. Muscle bike looks over race rep is my kind of style.

Yes. Take the cable off the carb end and, twisting the throttle, see how easy the cable is sliding. Take off the carb and putting your finger in one end Lift the slide and see how that is operating.

I'll always have time for that. Seems I am building myself a reputation for being a little tough on forum misdemeanours, I can live with that. If people can't read or understand the word "workshop" then I am possibly doing them a favour keeping them away from riding on the roads. Some days it seems like we should just have one section called "Everything" and that would save all the messing. It wouldn't be tidy though!

86?

Air filter for cleanliness and fuel filter (in the petcock) for blockages. The airfilter can be knocked to get debris out but if it is rank then needs changing. There is normally a bowl on the bottom of the fuel tap that can be unscrewed and cleared of junk. Often there is a thin wire gauze in there that gets blocked with crud. Make sure that fuel flows out the bottom of the fuel tap in on and reserve positions. With the carb you are looking at taking the bowl off the bottom and seeing what it looks like. Clear any crud and flakes. Remove the floats making sure you remember which way up they go and remove all the jets giving them a good clean. Get to halfords and get some carb cleaner (this also doubles as easy start) or if you cant pop the carb in an old saucepan and give it a 15 minute simmer in water. Try and remove the bowl gasket first as I guess you dont have a spare. You need to check the passageways in the carb and jets. Dont prod them with wire. When reassembling make sure you set the float height and set the carb back to factory settings. I know you have a bike manual. If you get carb cleaner read the guidelines on the tin, it is nasty stuff. If sprayed into the rear of the carb when trying to start it it does ignite. Good luck.

They had a matt one in the shop when i brought the FZ. Very nice but the price compared to the FZ meant I took it off my list.

I bet popping to the toilet was interesting.

I always break in new gloves by wearing them while watching the tv. It's a top tip.

Less shotgun and more structure Andrew. You need to tick things off the list and work down it.

I love boxes of bits being delivered.

Natures way of cleaning bikes, nothing wrong with that!

So you have some advice, let us know what you have tried, and what happened and we can add more.

Before you go down that route, take the air filter pipe off the back of the carb, with a clean, dry plug, try and start it while spraying a little WD40 or Plusgas into the back of the carb. Do this with half throttle and no choke.

Obvious questions first; Are the cups seated fully in? Are you sure you got the right bearings for your bike? Is the bottom bearing fully on the bottom of the yolk stem?

The DT should be half of that. Most are about £70 to £120 and do the swing arm free if the same colour and at the same time.

I think CWS (the wheel rebuilders) do powdercoating, never used them so not a recommendation but I think they are around brum. There is a guy in south Derbyshire who has a good reputation on the RD forum if that isnt too far?

You could take the bars off the bike, clamp them in a vice and connect that to the engine again. You need leverage and the clutch plates could be seized too. At the moment you need to get the barrel off so if it is too much grief to mess with the clutch then I would concentrate on getting the barrel off by the heat and plusgas method. This will allow you to jiggle piston as you try and engage gear. Whatever you do, I think that the engine will need to be split to change the bearings and seals if you intend to ride it. They are never going to be worth the money spent on them. This doesn't stop me but will stop a lot of other people working on them. To strip and rebuild the engine you are looking at around £300 in parts (in the UK), that would include bearings, seals, gaskets, clutch, rebore and piston kit, crank rebuild and oil. Add £150 for wheel, steering and swingarm bearings, seals etc. £100 for tyres and tubes. £60 for chain and sprockets. £20 for a battery. £50 for new cables. That is £680 however you have a bike that will still look cosmetically challenged and that assumes that nothing else needs to be replaced. Even the basic, rub down and spray will come in at £100 but if need/want to have the tank rechromed it would be closer to £500. If you need to have the wheels rechromed or stainless rebuild, that is another £400. If the seat is knackered you can buy pattern ones for under £150 delivered and should just leave the exhaust. Mine is basically shot and I haven't found a decent one anywhere on the world - believe me I have been looking. When I get to that stage I have almost decided to get a stainless one hand built, probably another £400. These are my estimates based on my bike, yours may be in a lot better condition. To do mine up to how I want it will be around £2500, it will never be worth anywhere near that in my lifetime or possibly ever. Bikes are my hobby, not my business. All that said, you could get a few basics done for a few hundred pounds and run it how it is. It may be the time to throw a few pictures up of it.

Cheapest and easiest first so, as mentioned, plug, cap and HT wire trim first.

You mean "what is a sympathetic, stunning looking woman doing with a bloke like me?". I put it down to wit. I often hear people at work saying "....that bloke is full of wit" well it sounds something like that. I was looking at TDR's but they just don't come up for sale often in anywhere near the condition I would buy one in. There is more chance of Foamy pulling than a good one coming up for sale at a decent price that isn't the other side of the country. Anyway, back to RD. Too dark on the evenings to do much at the moment. I already said the same key fits all of the locks but tried the key in the steering lock last night and it fits and works fine. Checked the engine oil, right amount and crystal clear so new. Checked the 2 stroke oil, full and a clear red. Looked under the seat and there is a Newtronics box there so the bike must be converted to pointless ignition. Started first kick. The battery needs charging a bit but everything seems to work. Looks like a recent chain and sprocket set too. I just hope nothing comes back to bite me as things seem a little too good for what I paid for it

Oh, like a filofax but electrical. I dont understand all this technology anymore, I cant be arsed to set the timers etc on the cooker, bluray thingie or anything else anymore so I have turned into my grandad. I dont actually have any bluray discs but it plays those new fangled DVD thingies too. The world hasn't been the same since they changed the gas lights to those new electrickery ones.