KirriePete

Just the usual advice of working from one end of the system to the other in a methodical manner, of course picking the right end to start at is the tricky bit. The little SR125 I've just rebuilt for the daughter-in-law had this problem, so I started at the motor end and worked backward (shorting terminals, applying voltage directly etc.) to find ..... a corroded connector in the handlebar switch! If I'd started at the top it would have been sorted in 5 minutes instead of the 1½ hours of fiddling with wiring diagrams .... aaarrrggghhh!!! Best of luck.

Wot he said - generally 2 bolts holding the caliper on the fork leg. Once it's off it's usually quite obvious how the pads are held in, most commonly by a pin or two running through the caliper body, this may be screwed in or locked by some other means (tabs, circlips, etc.) While you're in there it's a good idea to check the sliding pins out and give them a cleanup and a dab of hi-temp grease (copperslip or hi-temp silicone, whichever you can get easiest). Also have a look at the state of the piston - it's sure to have picked up some crud and would benefit from a wee clean, nothing too harsh though, just a bit of wire wool to take the worst off. You're welcome.

What it says on the tin! Meet at Scotriders on Dock Street (Linky Thing) from 11:30 for a 1pm start. Santa suits and tinsel not compulsory, but always good for a photo in the local rag..... See you there? Oh yeah, all the pennies raised go to the Glenlaw House respite centre.

Not too sure what you're on about, to be honest. Do you mean there's a couple of inches movement in the rear wheel before you start to feel the engine "pushing back"? If so, that's perfectly normal, you should be able to turn the engine by hand from the rear wheel and only start to feel resistance once you get onto the compression stroke. The couple of inches at the back wheel equates to the piston moving around at bottom dead centre (and a bit of transmission take-up, but that's minimal). I think that's what you mean, but if it ain't, please give a more detailed description and I'll spout some more bolleaux. You're welcome

Vielen Dank, mein freund. Ich hatte über die verrückten Deutschen vergessen. Ich bin ein dummkopf! Ausverkauft!

Wot it says up there, really. '91 SR125 3MW, managed to get the cap open using screwdrivers and spoons and stuff, but the lock is a rivetted jobby so I resorted to drilling it all to buggery. Now I can open it with anything but it doesn't look pretty and any chav scum can piss in the tank when it's parked up, which wouldn't endear me to the prospective daughter-in-law (it's her bike). I've wandered round the interwebs looking for a replacement, but nothing has leapt out at me so far, not even on the devil's own auction site... So .... anyone got one of these (with key) lying in their shed? I have a reasonable amount of portraits of Her Majesty that can be traded for the right article. Thanks...

33 year old XS500? I'd say they're looking remarkably good for the age, but (you knew there'd be a "but" in there, didn't you?) once the surface hardening has gone it's rapidly downhill. So .... if you've got a new set of cams lying around, pop 'em in. I'd also take a good long look at the rocker faces while you're in there, wear on the lobes is usually mirrored here and will knacker your new cams in double quick time. Then get your old cams reprofiled and resurfaced, ready to swap out in another 30-odd years..... You're welcome.

Any decent over-the-counter chain lube will do the job (don't forget to clean the chain first or you'll just be creating a nice grinding paste) - OR Get a Scottoiler - Clicky Linky Thing - OR If you don't want to spend silly money - get a Loobman - Clicky Linky Thing 2 - OR Get a shaft drive bike...... HTH

Any reasonable quality 10W/40 motorcycle oil will do the trick. Don't use car oils (wet clutches and friction modifiers don't mix - trust me on this!), but don't go silly and get the latest super-duper racing synthetic stuff, you don't need it. I've been using Halford's own brand Motorcycle semi-skimmed for years without any problems in all kinds of bikes. So that's my recommendation. You're welcome.

Only 11.5 volts at any engine speed? Slightly flat battery, but that's to be expected. Rectum-frier 101: Alternator puts out AC volts (constantly switching between + and - on any single output) Battery only eats DC volts (always + one way) Rectum-frier is a series of diodes (electric pixie one way streets) that force the AC to become DC and thus charge the battery. It also regulates the 60-90 volts (or more) output of the alternator down to 14.5 volts (or thereabouts) so the battery doesn't explode and blow yer arse off! If you've got a spare rectum-frier then it's a simple swap out to check - of course both units could be fecked, but then you can resort to checking the manual for the tests - usually a sequence of resistance checks against the pins. You're welcome.

Brace yourself for the inevitable "Flying Banana" comments .... looks like a nice job. Alternator - sure it's not a dead rectum-frier? Are you getting the requisite number (RTFM for the right numbers) of electrical volt pixies from the alternator outputs? Not too well up on FZ's, but presumably there's a continuity check you can do on the alternator outputs to show if a coil has broken down/shorted out. If it does turn out to be the alt, then West Country Windings have a good reputation - worth a shout. You're welcome.

Dragging it back on topic - it's not as if this guy is the first: Stumpy Seajay woz there in '04! If simple safety precautions like "Don't stick delicate pinkies near a moving buzz-saw" are too much for you, then: a. Get a shaftie (don't poke your finger in the bevel box while it's running to check oil level) OR 2. Get an MZ and just pack the rubber gaiters with grease OR iii. Get a car OR x. Do what a lot of the local Power Rangers do - hand the bike (and your wallet) over to a local dealer for every damn thing. Sheesh!

You know the saying "A picture paints a thousand words" - got any photos?

I've been a fan of the Morgan Carbtune for years - Clicky Linky Thing - bit pricier than the dials you've found at about $95 (inc shipping to the States), but very robust and easy to work with. Have a review from Rider magazine. You're welcome PS - Even though I'm riding singles just now, you can't have mine - the wife reckons I'll need something with a few more cylinders next year when she resumes pillion duties ......

Original Citroen Berlingo (van with windows), HDi version gives good enough performance & mpg and is Group 5 for insurance. Seats five real-sized people and carries all their luggage, or drop the back seats down and you've got a full-on van capable of swallowing whole motorbikes - recovered my NX650 Dominator in one when the CDI packed up (only had to take the mirrors off to get it in). Out for a day at the races and it starts raining? Pop open the boot lid and you can sit on the boot floor with a vast canopy over your head (if you're 6ft or less you can stand under it). Street cred? Who gives a shit when you're in probably the most versatile vehicle on the road. Yeah, I've taken 2 of them to 100,000 miles with no problems (and no backache).

Update as of this afternoon: IT'S ALIVE!!!!! Battery in, fresh unleaded into the carb and a screwdriver across the starter solenoid. 5 seconds of cranking and a healthy wee roar from the (completely buggered) exhaust. Runs up and down the gearbox sweetly, so the mill looks OK. Things left to do: Replace the rear mudguard/light unit - the electrics on the current one look like they've been left at the bottom of the Dead Sea for 20 years! Ebay is your friend. New 'zorst on the way via ..... you guessed it .... ebay. Choke not staying on - is there a secret or do I need to replace the wee rubber thingy? Chain & sprockets are buggered (thought that a soak in paraffin would cure it - I was wrong) - replacements on the way from WEMoto. Why is it not cranking on the button? Must get Hyenas manual back from Number 1 Son so I can check the wiring .... That's all folks!

I'll have to go along with what everyone else has said - supersports machines aren't really a good choice for someone with the ink still drying on their DAS licence. In 33 years of riding I've been up to the giddy heights of litre machinery and worked my way back down to my current weapon of choice (Wee Arfur the XBR500): Yeah the Power Rangers leave it for dead on the long straights, but there ain't many of them round here and a low, light, 500 single can puncture a lot of egos round the twisties. Also bear in mind (as others have said) that insurance costs are affected by repairs prices - I've known a couple of locals who've had their 'plastic fantastic' machines written off by dropping at walking speed - bikes are perfectly rideable, but the cost of replacing the panels takes it over the write-off line! That's why naked bikes are cheaper to insure than crotch rockets, even when the performance is similar ..... Hmm, there's a sweet looking XJR13 near me for sale, and the wife did say she'd like to return to pillion duties, and Wee Arfur's not really good for 2-up stuff ......! PS - More training is good - get onto your local plod about BikeSafe for a starter (it's free), then look into IAM/RoSPA and the like.

You're 16, don't know much about bikes, but want a supersport like an R1/R6 or similar? Where do we send the flowers? Seriously, I don't know what the 'learner' laws are like in the States, but over here at 16 you'd be stuck on a 50cc, 30-mph, kerb-crawling deathtrap for a year, then you could reach for the giddy heights of a 14bhp 125 at 17. If I were you, I'd be looking at a cheap'n'cheerful 125 for starters, the SR is as good as any, or a YBR (can you get them Stateside?), or how about an XT for a bit more room? Spend a year pootling about on one of these and you'll have learned some roadcraft, then you may be ready to start working up the capacity ladder. As an example, my son is now 19 and his history (with pics to give you an idea) so far is: 16 - Suzuki TS50X (big bore kit, officer? It came like that, honest, I thought they all did 55-60mph!) 17 - Suzuki EN125 - sweet little machine, good for 75mph with 16 stone me pinning it down. Passed UK test, restricted to 33 bhp for 2 years: Kawasaki KLR250 trailie - laugh a minute machine, but a bit impractical for taking his burd out for runs Currently Suzuki GN400 thumper - will sit at 80mph two-up all day, costs bugger all to run and scares the crap out of cagers with it's more-or-less open pipe! Next February his license goes unrestricted - he's looking at a middleweight CB500 or similar for then. If you want a good read on lots of (mostly older) bikes, try looking here: Clicky Linky Thing You're welcome

Righto, first things first - legal disclaimer: It ain't mine, the prospective daughter-in-law saw this, wanted it and bought it, now she's dropped it in my shed for fettling. Pics: It's a '91 3MW and doesn't appear to need too much doing to it - list as first appraised: Seized front brake Sloppy head bearings No keys No battery Smashed back light Buggered chain guard (some twat with a hacksaw tried to make it look "sporty") Wrong rear brake hub (dunno what it's off, but it ain't an SR!) Seems reasonable, doesn't it? A quick weekend should see it sorted, no? OK - revised list after some fettling: Front brake OK - corrosion thy name is Yamaha calipers... Head bearings, cleaned, repacked & tightened Keys - local locksmith cut one from the number on the barrel - doesn't fit the tank, though .... Battery - got several in the shed, nice little 4AH plugged in Back light, lens replaced, surround ...... I love Araldite! Chain guard - ebay Brake hub - ebay New stuff added to list as of this weekend: No starter motor lead - made one up from an old jump lead No horn - ebay is your friend.... Earth strap disintegrated - remember that jump lead? Plenty left over ... No indicator relay - local car factor, 2-pin, 12V generic jobby Exhaust mount allen bolts rusted to oblivion - plenty M6 threaded bar in the shed, couple of nuts & spring washers - sorted (probably) Questions for the assembled brains: What's the route for the starter motor lead from solenoid to motor? Also, where should the earth strap go? I've nailed it onto the rear engine mount for now, but ...... The only signs of electrical life are a shiny neutral light and a click from the solenoid when I flick the run/stop knob on and off. Can I bypass the starter motor cutoff relay (wiring diagram suggests connecting the 2 R/W leads will do it), without destroying all of Western civilisation? Tank key - should I just drill the lock & forget about it, or is there a secret handshake? Any tricks'n'tips that 'those in the know' could pass on? Seem to recall something about bleeding the oilways after an oil change .... ? Apparently she won't be riding it until Spring - dunno why not, something about cold & wet/snowy (never stopped me) - so I've got plenty time to get it right. Opinions, hints, tips, offers of free parts/beer/rum always welcome.