And need a website?
With most of the public now looking for services online, before any other medium, a business website is pretty much mandatory. Where else could you advertise your services and products so cheaply? After all, once the website is up and running, internet hosting fees are negligible.
As a bike nut, copywriter and now delving into web design, I'm offering to put your business on the map for under $500, including domain name and hosting!
Broken bike? Won't start? Give me a shout, let's get it on...
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Suzuki GS400 - Possible Cafe Racer?
One Rolling Chassis, One Blank Canvas.
With an issue (read hatred) of cutting up a perfectly good frame, I've always steered clear of "chops". Built your own frame? Brilliant, love it, but a classic bike that's been ruined, or butchered, isn't my cup of char. Standard sells, and motorbikes should be cherished - but hey, that's just me.
But, when all that's left of the bike is the frame, forks and wheels I figure there's a certain amount of leeway available. So the latest addition to the garage is a bare bones, back-to-basics '79 GS400 (with no engine). Hence the blank canvas.
Are you seeing the potential?
Yeah she's rough, but doesn't that make it all the more worthwhile? Next stage is to edit the photo into a drawing, and start sketching the shape of the tank and seat hump. An engine wouldn't go amiss either.
Perfect! Time to pick up a pencil and start designing the parts that need to be bashed out of steel.
With an issue (read hatred) of cutting up a perfectly good frame, I've always steered clear of "chops". Built your own frame? Brilliant, love it, but a classic bike that's been ruined, or butchered, isn't my cup of char. Standard sells, and motorbikes should be cherished - but hey, that's just me.
But, when all that's left of the bike is the frame, forks and wheels I figure there's a certain amount of leeway available. So the latest addition to the garage is a bare bones, back-to-basics '79 GS400 (with no engine). Hence the blank canvas.
Are you seeing the potential?
Yeah she's rough, but doesn't that make it all the more worthwhile? Next stage is to edit the photo into a drawing, and start sketching the shape of the tank and seat hump. An engine wouldn't go amiss either.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Some Restorers "Fix Up"... Others Do This.
It ain't about the money.
A successful restoration can be best described as wasting hundreds of hours, spending thousands of pounds, and finally ending up with something that's worth a fraction of what it should be.
But we all need a hobby, and the enjoyment you get from repairing and restoring machinery can only be understood once you've actually tackled it. The day it all comes together more than makes up for the cold, angry nights in the garage where you wished you'd never started.
Excuse the repeat of a couple of these photos, I thought this restoration was worthy of a little more publicity. It's the last of the Model 30's, a 1958 600cc twin (actually registered in '59), and is now pretty much perfect. (It's a real shame I don't have access to the before pics, because it was a nail!) Anyway, to the bike.
Restored by Allen Vaughan, with a little help from me, the complete job took about a year or two. The results speak for themselves, enjoy the pics.
A successful restoration can be best described as wasting hundreds of hours, spending thousands of pounds, and finally ending up with something that's worth a fraction of what it should be.
But we all need a hobby, and the enjoyment you get from repairing and restoring machinery can only be understood once you've actually tackled it. The day it all comes together more than makes up for the cold, angry nights in the garage where you wished you'd never started.
Excuse the repeat of a couple of these photos, I thought this restoration was worthy of a little more publicity. It's the last of the Model 30's, a 1958 600cc twin (actually registered in '59), and is now pretty much perfect. (It's a real shame I don't have access to the before pics, because it was a nail!) Anyway, to the bike.
Restored by Allen Vaughan, with a little help from me, the complete job took about a year or two. The results speak for themselves, enjoy the pics.
AJS Model 30
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Suspension Upgrades: Does A Six-Year Old Bike Still Cut It?
Can your bike's suspension be upgraded to match the latest technology?
This isn't about using professional racers to test on a short circuit track because that would mean nothing to the average road rider - like me. I want to hear in layman's terms if spending $500 - $1000 on your standard bike's suspension is a waste of money, or the best thing you could've done to improve it. We're the ones out there buying and riding the bikes, and most of us on the public roads only; so, can a basic upgrade to your favourite toy make it a match for the latest kit?
Let's find out.
This isn't about using professional racers to test on a short circuit track because that would mean nothing to the average road rider - like me. I want to hear in layman's terms if spending $500 - $1000 on your standard bike's suspension is a waste of money, or the best thing you could've done to improve it. We're the ones out there buying and riding the bikes, and most of us on the public roads only; so, can a basic upgrade to your favourite toy make it a match for the latest kit?
Let's find out.
- The bike: 2006 GSXR1000K6
- The roads: A mix of fast, bumpy sweepers and the tightest of hairpins.
- The question: Can the oldie hold its own against a newbie?
 |
| 2006 GSXR1000 K6 |
Pointless?
Not for the majority of riders who have to battle on with their existing bikes because a new bike is out of their price range. And maybe the riders who think that the suspension must be effective just because it's fitted with Up Side Down forks and a monoshock.
I wanted to know for sure if what I'd heard is true. That spending money on suspension is the best use of readies that a person can throw at their bike.
Or should you just get a race can? At least it'll sound fast when everyone's on your ass trying to overtake you!
Or should you just get a race can? At least it'll sound fast when everyone's on your ass trying to overtake you!
150BHP? That's about 100 more than you need for the road!
That's what I was told by Peter Clements of ProMechA. And I know he's right, strictly speaking, but when did that ever matter?
But to be fair, this guy is very switched on and tells it like it is. When you can get hold of him on the phone, you're in for a great conversation. I had an idea on what the GSXR needed - I just needed to relay it to Peter. It's simple, I wanted the bike to be plush on bumpy roads (after all, it's quite stiff as standard), but have the ability to handle high speeds too but, on top of all that, be capable of destroying anyone else on a track day (should I partake in one)!
Should be easy, just a bit of spring manipulation - or so I thought.
"You can't have it all," says Peter. "What are you going to be using it for? Track days, or the road?"
"Hmm, road work I guess."
"OK, well I can't give you a sports-tourer and a race bike all in one. You need to choose what sort of bike you want."
And that's when it hit home. There is no best of both worlds, no adaptive suspension that works for every road or track. And that's the first thing you need to understand.
I've watched videos, read everything i can find on the internet and bought books on the subject of tuning suspension, but until you realise there isn't a perfect fix for every road surface or track, you're bollocksed.
And don't forget, your suspension needs to be serviced too.
Oil deteriorates with use, gets contaminated with metal (from the springs/sliding surfaces) and needs to be flushed out and renewed at regular intervals.
If, like my GSXR, your bike is well overdue for fresh oil, have the shock and forks serviced before adjusting any of the preloads or clickers. Any adjustments made before this will just not be as effective and will probably put you off the learning process.
It may be daunting to start playing around with the settings initially, but once you get into the spirit of adjusting things, it starts to become clearer and, the more you play, the more you learn. Just remember to write down your original settings so you can always go back to your start point if need be.
OK, forks and shock serviced, correct weight springs fitted. What now?
Peter has a stack of information on his website covering a good variety of bikes. For me he advised a complete service and re-valve (compression/rebound pistons and shims), a linear rate spring and an anti-squat valve for the shock, and a service and re-valve on the forks retaining original springs (standard being near enough for my weight).
Although you can strip the forks yourself at home, would you know how much porting or changes in shim arrangement are required? A suspension pro will have a fair idea on what works for the chosen conditions which is going to save you time and money in the long run. These are the guys that have put in the hard hours already.
Anyway, let's get on with it. First run out, and I had a play with the rear shock. Leaving the forks at Peter's recommended starting point, I adjusted the sag on the rear and then played with the compression and rebound adjusters. This also involved a quick run with them fully unscrewed, which was against Peter's advice I might add, just to feel the difference.
It wallowed and weaved its way all over the shop so probably not the best testing method, but then it's good to feel the difference:) I'm now at a base/standard setting and it's working quite well.
With only a few weeks on it, the "ripping" effect I had on the rear tyre is starting to clear up with the shock working correctly, but there is evidence of a rebound issue (uneven tread wear pattern). Hopefully fine tuning will cure this, but my idea of fast road work probably isn't the same as a genuine fast rider's - which is what it's valved for. Oops.
The forks are still harsh on most of the low-speed local roads, but then it always was. However, the faster you're prepared to push, the better it gets - is this a good thing? Probably. If the bike is safer and more capable at speed, when there's more chance of mistakes, less time to react and the unknown is lurking around every bend, this can only be a good thing.
This is a learning curve.
What I thought I wanted, and asked for, probably isn't what I actually needed. Having ridden a mate's 2006 CBR600RR, I knew how plush a sportbike's suspension could be on slow, bumpy roads. But until I actually tried pushing down on the front end of the CBR at standstill, I'd never have realised how soft they were as standard! It's like a trail bike, due to its progressive springs, where the GSXR is rock solid all the way through.
No wonder you meet the nicest people on a Honda.
I wanted something to soak up the slow, bumpy roads and then perform well at high speed, but it's impossible - you have to decide where your trade-off is.
Forget the bragging rights, ask yourself this question:
How often do you exploit the top speed of your bike?
Honestly? Not very often.
As a quick comparison, I took the DRZ out for a quick spin in some notoriously tight, uneven bends. The supermoto flies round bumpy, 60-80km/h corners without a flinch whereas the Gixer, although holding its own while you bounce out of the seat, makes you work harder for it.
Conclusion
I can see why the softer, streetfighter-styled factory bikes are so popular nowadays. Easily as fast in the real world, but with the added comfort to protect you from all the jarring and hits you take from the average, poor road surface.
I guess I ended up with a fast road bike that spends most of its life at slow speeds. In respect of whether this bike can hold its own against a new one, no problem at all, but is that due to the rider, the components, or the fact that superbikes haven't really moved that far forward in the last six years?
A smidgen of all those I guess, but I will say this for the GSXR, now when you crack it open to make rapid progress, the world underneath it just smoothes right on out.
ProMechA
If you're looking to upgrade the bouncy bits on your bike, give Peter a call on 03 9574 1164 and let him explain what does what, and why. He'll tell you exactly what's needed to turn your bike into the bike you actually want - and that's far more important than turning it into something you don't need!
That's what I was told by Peter Clements of ProMechA. And I know he's right, strictly speaking, but when did that ever matter?
But to be fair, this guy is very switched on and tells it like it is. When you can get hold of him on the phone, you're in for a great conversation. I had an idea on what the GSXR needed - I just needed to relay it to Peter. It's simple, I wanted the bike to be plush on bumpy roads (after all, it's quite stiff as standard), but have the ability to handle high speeds too but, on top of all that, be capable of destroying anyone else on a track day (should I partake in one)!
Should be easy, just a bit of spring manipulation - or so I thought.
"You can't have it all," says Peter. "What are you going to be using it for? Track days, or the road?"
"Hmm, road work I guess."
"OK, well I can't give you a sports-tourer and a race bike all in one. You need to choose what sort of bike you want."
And that's when it hit home. There is no best of both worlds, no adaptive suspension that works for every road or track. And that's the first thing you need to understand.
I've watched videos, read everything i can find on the internet and bought books on the subject of tuning suspension, but until you realise there isn't a perfect fix for every road surface or track, you're bollocksed.
 |
| 20km/h? You can do better than that! |
And don't forget, your suspension needs to be serviced too.
Oil deteriorates with use, gets contaminated with metal (from the springs/sliding surfaces) and needs to be flushed out and renewed at regular intervals.
If, like my GSXR, your bike is well overdue for fresh oil, have the shock and forks serviced before adjusting any of the preloads or clickers. Any adjustments made before this will just not be as effective and will probably put you off the learning process.
It may be daunting to start playing around with the settings initially, but once you get into the spirit of adjusting things, it starts to become clearer and, the more you play, the more you learn. Just remember to write down your original settings so you can always go back to your start point if need be.
OK, forks and shock serviced, correct weight springs fitted. What now?
Peter has a stack of information on his website covering a good variety of bikes. For me he advised a complete service and re-valve (compression/rebound pistons and shims), a linear rate spring and an anti-squat valve for the shock, and a service and re-valve on the forks retaining original springs (standard being near enough for my weight).
Although you can strip the forks yourself at home, would you know how much porting or changes in shim arrangement are required? A suspension pro will have a fair idea on what works for the chosen conditions which is going to save you time and money in the long run. These are the guys that have put in the hard hours already.
Anyway, let's get on with it. First run out, and I had a play with the rear shock. Leaving the forks at Peter's recommended starting point, I adjusted the sag on the rear and then played with the compression and rebound adjusters. This also involved a quick run with them fully unscrewed, which was against Peter's advice I might add, just to feel the difference.
This caused the Gixer to tie itself in knots coming out of bends hard!
It wallowed and weaved its way all over the shop so probably not the best testing method, but then it's good to feel the difference:) I'm now at a base/standard setting and it's working quite well.
With only a few weeks on it, the "ripping" effect I had on the rear tyre is starting to clear up with the shock working correctly, but there is evidence of a rebound issue (uneven tread wear pattern). Hopefully fine tuning will cure this, but my idea of fast road work probably isn't the same as a genuine fast rider's - which is what it's valved for. Oops.
The forks are still harsh on most of the low-speed local roads, but then it always was. However, the faster you're prepared to push, the better it gets - is this a good thing? Probably. If the bike is safer and more capable at speed, when there's more chance of mistakes, less time to react and the unknown is lurking around every bend, this can only be a good thing.
 |
| Smooth roads, happy days. |
This is a learning curve.
What I thought I wanted, and asked for, probably isn't what I actually needed. Having ridden a mate's 2006 CBR600RR, I knew how plush a sportbike's suspension could be on slow, bumpy roads. But until I actually tried pushing down on the front end of the CBR at standstill, I'd never have realised how soft they were as standard! It's like a trail bike, due to its progressive springs, where the GSXR is rock solid all the way through.
No wonder you meet the nicest people on a Honda.
I wanted something to soak up the slow, bumpy roads and then perform well at high speed, but it's impossible - you have to decide where your trade-off is.
Forget the bragging rights, ask yourself this question:
How often do you exploit the top speed of your bike?
Honestly? Not very often.
As a quick comparison, I took the DRZ out for a quick spin in some notoriously tight, uneven bends. The supermoto flies round bumpy, 60-80km/h corners without a flinch whereas the Gixer, although holding its own while you bounce out of the seat, makes you work harder for it.
Conclusion
I can see why the softer, streetfighter-styled factory bikes are so popular nowadays. Easily as fast in the real world, but with the added comfort to protect you from all the jarring and hits you take from the average, poor road surface.
I guess I ended up with a fast road bike that spends most of its life at slow speeds. In respect of whether this bike can hold its own against a new one, no problem at all, but is that due to the rider, the components, or the fact that superbikes haven't really moved that far forward in the last six years?
A smidgen of all those I guess, but I will say this for the GSXR, now when you crack it open to make rapid progress, the world underneath it just smoothes right on out.
ProMechA
If you're looking to upgrade the bouncy bits on your bike, give Peter a call on 03 9574 1164 and let him explain what does what, and why. He'll tell you exactly what's needed to turn your bike into the bike you actually want - and that's far more important than turning it into something you don't need!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Harley Electrics Causing Grief? Don't Blow a Fuse, Help is at Hand!
Don't you just love the internet?
I was just pointed in the direction of a fantastic help manual/pdf concerning Harley Davidson wiring diagrams - and it deserves a repost.
Rewiring a bike can be a pain in the proverbial, and finding a fault somewhere within even harder at times! So, thanks to John Siebenthale, here's a handy link to his FREE pdf designed to make H-D wiringeasy easier.
http://www.siebenthalercreative.com/pages/how-to/HD-wiring.html
I was just pointed in the direction of a fantastic help manual/pdf concerning Harley Davidson wiring diagrams - and it deserves a repost.
Rewiring a bike can be a pain in the proverbial, and finding a fault somewhere within even harder at times! So, thanks to John Siebenthale, here's a handy link to his FREE pdf designed to make H-D wiring
http://www.siebenthalercreative.com/pages/how-to/HD-wiring.html
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