I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

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riceburner
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by riceburner »

Seals arrived on Saturday, so it's back in one piece, and I tested it up the drive a few times.

Damn fuel pump is still whining! Seriously annoying, I was hoping it was just the filter being clogged.

Will need to get in there again and see whats up.

Also think I ought to tighten up the end floats and recheck the valves, both heads were very tappety.

Gearbox was also a lot clunkier than I remember!

Otherwise it was mostly ok. I have a mid-height seat now, but I may still see if I can find a "Tall" seat in the near future. I don't suppose there's any UK Rockster riders who want a slightly lower seat?
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by riceburner »

https://www.motorworks.co.uk/vlive/Shop ... Q=TAT50461

OUCH!! seriously hope I don't have to replace the pump!!

Going to go back in tomorrow and see if it's just a lose connection or something equally simple.... fingers crossed.
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by Tigcraft »

That pump is strong money looking at your link! It’s done a fair bit of mileage really. Are they sealed units and non serviceable? Trouble is can you wait till a better priced pump turns up? That pump must be on other non bmw bikes and it might be worth googling the part numbers.
As for the seat I might be interested but if you read other posts on here you’d have spotted what I put.
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by riceburner »

Tig, sorry I missed your comment about the seat. I'm in Aylesbury and unfortunately I've already swapped the low seat for a medium one the weekend. My bad, I must have skimmed your post, not what I normally do.

According to that Motorworks link, the pump assembly is prone to self-destruction if disassembled.
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by Tigcraft »

I’ve had a similar conversation about seats before. Are all the part numbers the same regarding the seats or are the part numbers just for the moulded bases? On another note, I’m actually based in the same village as Motoworks Meltham so quite a long way from you.
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by riceburner »

What seat do you have, and what are you looking for?
I read somewhere that the numbers on the seats don't correspond to the BMW fiche, I think they are just production numbers from the sub-contractor company who made them.
AFAIK the pans are all the same, but with more or less padding.

I guess you can save a little money on postage if you're in the same village!
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by Tigcraft »

Not sure what I have that’s the thing. It ain’t the short one as I’ve a 29 inside leg and always on somewhere between balls to toes on my feet. Can’t check either this minute as setting off on hols.
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by riceburner »

When you get a chance, take a photo of the bike from the side, that shows the bike in profile.
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by riceburner »

Damn, this thing is becoming a bit of a money pit/restoration job.

Rear caliper slide pins are rusted solid: that'll be a replacement caliper potentially?

Front calipers are doing the standard Tokico thing and I've ripped 3 weather seals out today. Going to get some Brembo calipers soon.

Also discovered that the fork seals need doing.....

It's going to need new tyres soon too, the BT23s fitted are worn something awful. (fully legal and with plenty of life left, but the wear profile is terrible and pushes the bike all over the road).
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by riceburner »

Update for those vaguely interested:

Fuel pump is replace and it's running MUCH better! :D ( ).

I also managed to play with the leaves in the ignition barrel and I now have 1 key for the entire bike :) When I bought it, I received 1 key for the ignition, and 2 keys for everything else (including 2 panniers). Obviously I bought 2 spare keys for the ignition, but then learnt from Motorworks that it IS possible to pop the ignition barrel out IF you have the right key. So - I now have 2 keys for the entire bike, and 3 keys and a barrel that aren't on anything. :D (One of the panniers came with a broken latch so I used that barrel as the spare).

As above - I've made the Tokicos 'usable' (although there's still a huge amount of take up whenever you need brakes).

Next job will be brakes: Brembo calipers, new parallel lines (braided, natch), and a replacement rear caliper.

I'm also still in the market for a Tall seat is anyone wants a 'high' (the middle of the 3), and I'm going to get a 365mm Paralever arm ASAP to improve the handling and ride.

Spending so far: about £215. (not including tax and insurance)
Spending to come: approx £1000. :-k
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by Tigcraft »

Well I’m glad it’s finally going in the right direction for you. Tell me more in detail regarding replacing the fuel pump? Was it a pig to do?
Re-brakes, I’m not a lover of Brembos as I think they aren’t as good a people make out. Can you ‘tune’ those tokicos and make them as nice as when they came new from the factory?
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by Tigcraft »

In fact ignore that early part of my last post!! Didn’t know you already posted pump info!!
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by riceburner »

Tigcraft wrote:Well I’m glad it’s finally going in the right direction for you. Tell me more in detail regarding replacing the fuel pump? Was it a pig to do?
Re-brakes, I’m not a lover of Brembos as I think they aren’t as good a people make out. Can you ‘tune’ those tokicos and make them as nice as when they came new from the factory?
Unfortunately not. I've been playing with Tokicos for nearly 20 years (had them on my ZXR400 as well) and while they're fine for dry weather use, they simply can't handle poor weather.

The main issue is that the caliper cylinders are too large (or the pistons too small) - meaning that there is a visibly larger gap between the piston and the caliper on Tokicos than on anything else. The larger gap means it's easier for gunk and corrosion to penetrate into the cylinder and get behind the weather seals which in turn leads to the piston being jammed and not returning properly after braking pressure is removed.

Well - that's my opinion/experience anyway. ;)

I could look for Nissins - but Brembos were a factory fit onto many of the R259 series bikes (non-ABS R1150GS for example) so they're a simple swap - even the banjo bolt threads are the same (M10x1).
Last edited by riceburner on Sat May 25, 2019 1:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by Tigcraft »

That’s well explained! I can see where your coming from.
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by riceburner »

Progress continues, if often in fits and starts.

Ordered some 2nd hand bits from Motorworks:
Calipers all round (all Brembo)
365mm Paralever arm
Fork stanchion

First job, clean up the Paralever arm:
Image
Image
After a good flapping. :D

I've painted it with Hycote Matt Black Exhaust Paint (all I had to hand), and it's currently sitting on the Aga 'curing'. ;) (has been all night, should be good to go in a few days).

Fork leg:

The fork stanchion that I HAVE (LHS) is pitted on the area the seal travels over, so was weeping quite badly - hence the replacement.
The replacement however, is not exactly in the first flush of youth....

Image
Image
You'll have to zoom in on these to see it clearly - but there's a pit, JUST above the level of the breather hole (so - JUST under the level where the seal travels.). I put the 'new' stanchion in anyway, which will hopefully be an improvement while the 'bad' stanchion goes off for re-chroming. (I'm going to get two stanchions re-chromed, one at a time, so I can keep using the bike).



Image
They always look so forlorn without a front wheel..... Like a scolded Labrador! :(

As always: the depradations of previous owners/keepers/"maintainers" continue to betray and confound me.....
Image
That WAS the bolt holding the LHS stanchion into the top yoke.... it's now bin fodder. Thankfully the 'new' stanchion came complete with a DECENT nut! I had to bang an imperial socket onto the bloody thing to get it to turn, it's supposed to be a 14mm. Thankfully it worked like a charm. I just hope the other one is in better condition, I haven't dared look yet. :cry:


Additional damage to the chrome on the removed stanchion:
Image
Again - you'll have to zoom in to see it. I think someone attempted to change the seal with the stanchion in situ.... :(




Today's job WAS going to be to swap the new (Brembo) calipers onto the bike, despite the fact that my new hoses haven't turned up yet (I was hoping to save time by running the bike with the original hoses for a bit until the new ones arrived).

However - yet again someone's "maintenance" efforts have dropped the fallen tree of ham-fistedness across my pathway of enlightened mechanicing:
Image
Image
(again - zoom required).
WHO DOES THIS??? What kind of "mechanic" destroys the inner faces of BANJO BOLTS like this??? I can't even tell if they're Allen bolts or Torx!! One of them 'just' accepts a 6mm Allen, the other appears to need a 40mm Torx. WTAF?? :smt011

So - because ANY working on these bolts is going to render them utterly unusable, I'm going to wait for my new shiny Goodridge items to arrive*.







* Another irritation - the provider has taken my money, but not sent ANY receipt or postage notification, so I'm going to be phoning them on Monday to ensure the order has actually been processed! GAH!! :smt013
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by Tigcraft »

Blimey there’s some money being spent here but what the hell! It’s nice when a plan comes together. I’ve a neighbour who owns a fixtures and fittings company who just makes me up a stainless selection box every so often although I’m just generalising and I know those are fluid bolts on your callipers.
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by riceburner »

So far it's cost just over a grand, but that does include a FULL service, the fuel pump, new coil-caps, 3 calipers, new hoses and a few other smaller items.

If I'd bought a bike in MUCH better condition, I'd probably still be spending at least half of what I'm spending on this one - there's things I would always want to change (eg the hoses and calipers) because they are (imho) manufacturing design and implementations that are flawed from the outset.
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by riceburner »

Had an hour this evening , and the gaiters turned up. :)

facing up
Image

They go on pretty easily tbh.
Image

Not too ugly
Image


The amount of movement each stanchion has within the top yoke is surprising.
Image

I'd rather put jubilee clips on, but this will do for now.
Image




Also bled up the brakes... because they were soft as warm dog poo.


Useful little cover plate here - allows you to top up the reservoir while bleeding, leaving the cover off without spraying fluid everywhere.
Image

Bloody annoying nipple on the ABS u-joint (stupid design!!)
Image


Also chucked on the new Paralever arm
Not much of a difference in length
Image

But heres the effect....
Image
Last edited by riceburner on Tue Jun 18, 2019 8:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by riceburner »

Still looks good in the evening sun.

Image
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Re: I'm Baaaaaaa-aack!

Post by Tigcraft »

Gaiters look well
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