DirtyDT

Well done Bippo.

Contact Paul Dawkins off this site to see what he might be able to do to help. You can get details of previous registrations from the VIN - use search on the site. You can contact Yamaha UK and talk to their customer service and they will be able to verbally age the bike and say what market (Country) it is from over the phone. If the bike has not been registered in the UK you need to hope that it is a European import or you will need to pay import duty on it. This should do for a start.

Normal 95 for me, including the SV. Tried the "premium", couldn't tell the difference to be honest. I guess it's like saying "what blend of whiskey do you like the most"? when you really want a single malt. They are so blended with other rubbish I don't think it makes a difference. If you had an old 4 stroke with non hardened tappets, it may be worth it.

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Isn't it what Spanish people do over nibbles?......................................................Tapas-talk!!

Looking like a very good project. I like pictures.

True Ken. I use IP Board communities app for the iphone but I don't think it is downloadable anymore.

I have sent a message to Alex and I am sure he will reply as soon as possible.

Different colours = different grades. Info here but use fleabay when you buy. LINKY

Scotchbrite pads are good to rub things down with too. Not the washing up type. Check out flebay for auto paint scotchbrite. I also use tack cloths for wiping down before paint. Not too expensive. Fleabay again.

Got the tyre done today. When Tim the tyre guy took off the tyre, instead of rim tape, there was just some cut gaffa tape behind the nipples!! Re inflated the tube and there seemed to be a problem with the valve as the tube inflated slowly but OK. I think the valve must let go yesterday. New rim tape and tube in so hopefully it will stay dry tomorrow for a 21 mile each way commute on it. Bring on the summer.

They like cheap manufacturing costs. You could ask; why do they make cross head screws out of metal as soft as cheese while you're at it.

Popped in to MTS today to get the TS wheel re-tubed - here is my review. I have used this guy quite a few times. Excellent service and reasonably priced. What impresses me is that he checks everything as he goes and works very clean, fastidious some would say. Knowledgeable on tyres - I think he is an ex racer - and will happily advise.. Standard stuff; he can normally get any tyre he doesn't have in stock in within 24 hours and carries a good stock of tyres in various sizes anyway. Fits loose and on the bike and often a free coffee gets thrown in too. Takes cash, debt and credit cards (credit cards only have a small premium payment for handing). He does MOT's brakes and chains but I have never used any of those services. He does get very busy at times and I have never been there when I was the only customer. Burger van nearby. I would recommend him. Worth a call if you are local. His website is here LINKY

Yep. Here is the stainless rim and stainless spokes after a simple wipe.

Not sure to be honest. It will only ever be as good as its worst part. Paint and a few nos parts are certain. I can get a new pattern seat for it and the hardest parts are the tank and exhaust. There is a tank on fleabag USA selling as new but it seems to have already been sealed. Can't find a decent exhaust for sale at the moment and the one on it needs a repair. I was toying with seeing what the cost would be to fabricate a new one or see if a yb100/125 one fitted. I will clean up the wheels but I am leaning to getting them redone in stainless.

Hammerite over the cleaned parts, tis great stuff. A new rim and spokes would be about £200 to £250 a wheel in stainless, plus the tyre. One of my rears is off at the moment, once I have collected it from the tyre place I will pop up a picture.

Started to put a few reference pictures up on my project gallery LINKY

Same as Drewpy said. Washing up liquid in the water for the wet and dry. Never sprayed over chrome but normally just Hammerite smooth straight to metal spray.

Love the urban colours on the 'blades. Great bikes too!

I doubt it. Often inhibitor switches in the kickstand or clutch fail and the bike won't start but if it starts on the kick then this won't be the case. The same as the kill switch with earths out the coil. It is somewhere between the starter motor and the mechanism that turns the engine over.

I haven't had a drink since the first night of Squires last year, so about 7 Months. I could have done with a burger van in the lay-by though - cholesterol is one of my five a day!!

Not off work but I did some CAD work at home this morning so I was going in late. It was the tube that was fitted when I had the wheels rebuilt and that was just before Squires last year. Less than 300 miles on the tyre. When I got hme I tried a footpump on it and it was holding air so I guess it may be the valve on the tube. I will keep a close eye on what everything looks like when the tube gets replaced tomorrow. Getting new rim tape as well so I will see if there are any spoke nipples that look dodgy in the rim.

Rims/spokes Once they have corroded then the cheap option is paint the spokes. Chrome rims can be re-chromed providing they are still serviceable, round and not too battered. The best way is to get them re rimmed and spoked. I tend to go for stainless (for both) as this keeps its colour and shine for a long while. Caliper Autosol if not too bad or rubbed down and painted. Swingarm Off the bike strip and repaint. Using an anticorosion spray prolongs their looks (ATF or the likes). Never use a wire brush or wire wool on Aluminum. You will end up with small particles of steel wire embedded in the softer ali and this rusts leaving a horrible mottled effect. As much as a pain, it is always better to take the parts off and do them properly.

Hi Lee, I know that insurance is a complicated business but it may help some if you could give a brief overview of some of the types of policies you do and any benefits. For example; do you do multiple bike policies? Do your classic policies come with extras like recovery (just been recovered on one of my bikes)? do you do insurance on frame numbers for all of us working on imported, non UK registered, bikes? Information like that would be of interest to me, at least.

Excellent. Will do. Good to have you aboard.