Snakebite68

Welcome in!

All my problems seem to be stupid stuff, like failing an MOT for a left grip that twists a bit on the outer end (but can't slip off because of huge bar weights) and dodgy bearings lol. The only time the Thunderace hasn't started, it was because I failed to turn the fuel tap back on!

I should just point out that at best, I'm an amateur mechanic. Things I say should be taken with a pinch of common sense! I just work through stuff in a progression (usually cheap to expensive! lol).

Now I've had a good look at it... Just... No...

Cheers, I've stuck in a join request!

So, what's the facebook address?

Tis a strange ad indeed! I hate it when they flick from one clip to another, you can't get a decent look at the bike they're actually trying to sell you! lol

Is this a test for what happened to me? Couldn't post, text box collapsed and unusable..! <--- Hence me changing my profile! lol (I'll change it back tomorrow, way too late now, should be asleep!) But I discovered a problem, if there's an issue with the forum like this, there's no way to contact Admins... When you use the 'Contact Us' option at the bottom of the page, it too has a text box (which was unusable). There's no actual e-mail address listed that you can use in a browser. I might suggest that this is changed. I had no idea whether it was a problem with the Forum or my computer!

Nice! 👏

Hmmmm... Since you mention the petrol station, might be time to take the tank off and empty it to check the internal condition. Check your inline fuel filter. I'm assuming it's fuel injected? I don't know much about injectors, but make sure they're all working properly and not blocked... Although, now I've said that, I'm looking back to the whole 'sidestand' issue... You've changed the switch and wires, but, did you take a good luck at the part of the harness it plugs into? I'm wondering if it's been arcing as it shorts out and maybe damaged the harness further up?

Well, luckily, it's a 125 or my idea probably wouldn't have had a chance of working... Turn the power on but don't start the engine, then give the bike a damn good shake/bounce anything you can do, if it does it then, it's a loose 'something'. Does it happen on all 4 indicators? Or just some of them?

Is there a specific place here to request technological help? I may be getting on a bit, but I'm pretty good with technology, but things like getting my Cardo, Gopro, Rider 550 & phone all working together is a little beyond me. Is there anyone (preferably in West Yorkshire) that is a wiz with these things?

Good... I dislike when a 'whatever' gives up 'whatever'! Particularly bikers! lol

My dad was a despatch rider during the 2nd World War. I have a couple of photos of him with his bike (I'd like to identify the bike one day and maybe get one (probably can't afford it)). So I heard a few of his war stories centered around his riding. Which always stayed with me... Then, years later, I came across the Yamaha TY80 https://www.classicsuperbikes.co.uk/catalogue/Bikes-for-sale/Yamaha-TY80.html This is the first bike I ever rode, back in... Errr... Let's say late 70s... Possibly early 80s... Probably... My little cousin had it, being slightly older, I was allowed to take him down to the beach with it and a spare can of petrol and we'd rag up and down the beach for a few hours! Great fun! Heading forward, I was poor, very, very poor... So a motor vehicle of any type was out of the question. Which led to some questionable decisions which eventually got me done for no licence/no insurance lol. I should point out that 'we' used to ride around normally, unlike the un-licenced idiots these days! and we'd actually BOUGHT the bikes we were riding, not stolen them!!! In the end, the only reason I actually got caught was because I passed a gap between two buildings along the seafront and got surprised by a heavy gust of wind, and drifted 3 feet across the road, right in-front of a very bored copper who pulled me for 'driving erratically'... Meh... Life happened and the cashflow didn't improve terribly financially. I rode a bicycle well into my 30s as an everyday thing and to get to work, eventually got a car. But always dreamed about bikes. I was one of those teens with the long hair, ripped jeans, offensive t-shirt and 4th hand TT Leathers biker jacket (with tassels!). I was a bikerless biker. 2 years ago, I'm turning 50 and in a better financial position, and thought 'It's either now or never'! Did my DA and bought myself a Thunderace! So what about everyone else? What was it that got you into bikes???

I was going to suggest getting someone experienced to try a bit of clutch-less shifting to see how it took it... If you like 'tinkering', before you replace the casing, you might consider trying to bore it out and sleeve it! Kind of a more permanent version of the tin can shimming you've done so far. Even if it ultimately doesn't work and you replace the casing, it will be a good learning exercise...

Have you considered a trike conversion?

Hmmm, well I had considered the insulation problems (not melting the seat/fairings/rider), and even the weight distribution problems. But I didn't think about the performance problem... Yeah, I've seen a few bikes with cans on the bottom of the bike, venting out either side of the rear wheel! BMW are doing that, if they hid it behind the bottom fairing a bit more, that would REALLY clean up the lines!

Another piece of Thread Necromancy, sorry... But I would really like an answer to this question, IS there any hard luggage out there for Thunderaces?

I'm relatively sure this is the place to post this, but I'm sure someone can move it if it isn't..! This is probably a very 'n00b' question, but: I've always wondered, under tail exhausts just (to me) look so cool! Neater, less visible, streamlining and hopefully cool... So... Why aren't more bikes built with them??? There's obviously at least one major downside to them, or I couldn't see why more bikes aren't built with them. So what is it? What makes them un popular to manufacturers?

Did you get this issue sorted? The exup was for low rev power, it shouldn't cause this.

Now that's cool, I'd love to do that! I was a little worried when you said YZF though, my first thought was an R1! lol

In the same vein as your tank issue, I just recently I had a bit of tentative exploration under my Thunderaces tank. Sorted everything out that I wanted to do and put it all back together, started it up, everything runs fine... Our lass comes out and says 'Is it working now? Let's go to Squires...'. So, off we pop. Need some fuel so head there first. Been on the road now for like 5mins and I can feel... Something... Like the engine is missing or something... Just occasionally. By now, we're down two steep hills and nearly into town, and I'm riding with my head to one side listening. This is before I got my valves gapped, so it wasn't running perfectly anyway, so I thought, maybe I'd just heard that slightly rough running... We're now through town and turning off past a commercial area to go get fuel and the bike definitely coughs a few times pulling away from the lights! Hmmm... Not good! By the time we're on the road leading to Sainsburys petrol station, it's missing a LOT! And I give up and pull over. Only for the engine to instantly die!!! %)£*(%"!!! Restart it, it fires right up... Then dies! And again... And.. Nope, that's it, nothing... In a mild panic, I come across the only explanation I can think of, I've kinked the fuel line when I put the tank back on, but, there's no way to get to it, unless... In the commercial area, there's a Halfords, I'm on pretty good terms with them, I wonder if they'll loan me some tools? Worth a try..! So I'm waiting for the guy to grab me the couple of tools I require to get the tank off when it hits me!!! I have a tap on the bottom of the tank... I... Didn't... Turn... It... Back... ON!!! Anyway, 3mins later the bike is fired up and I'm sheepishly explaining what I'd done to the guy that loaned me the tools!!! You feel SUCH an ass sometimes! lol

Yeah... Don't buy plugs off Amazon... If they look like a great deal, be suspicious..! I'd be looking at what the actual difference is between those two plugs. It may be that you just bought dodgy fake plugs, but it may be that the other plug is higher rated, which leads you to the question: WHY did someone put uprated plugs in the bike? Better spark? To solve a problem? What I'm saying is: Just because the issue appears to be 'fixed', don't stop looking for the problem!

Yeah, I used to drink Snakebites too, however the nickname is because of the half dozen faded scars on my left hand from a 14' Burmese Python... 🐍

So I'm curious... How many people in here have (or had) a Thunderace? How was it? What problems did you find? What issues do they have? What did you do to upgrade it? What would you have liked to do to upgrade it? And so on... I've uprated my drive chain and sprockets (I was eating my standard ones for some reason (I'm not a speed freak, honest!)). I've been wondering about getting some uprated spark coils. Whilst not in terrible condition, my fairings are looking their age. I've been looking at the Chinese aftermarket fairing kits. Anyone ever got one? Any good? Our lass keeps sliding down her seat when I'm braking, and attempting to break my nuts! I bought one of those triboseat covers (I call it her 'stickybum'), it helps, but not enough to save my nuts all the time. I've been entertaining the idea of making myself some custom seats. But, I'm having trouble finding seat material I like. The original Thunderace covers are just plain smooth vinyl and are pretty slippy but modern seat materials are (I don't know how to describe it), more material like... Any ideas where to get it from? Basically, this thread is a 'talk about Thunderaces' thread! Let's go!!!