5999 replies to this topic

[fixitsan]

Haha..... I know...

 

I think BMW did a brilliant thing when they made the first GS, except that they started with the wrong bike......if only they had begun with an XT500 instead

[fixitsan]

The thermostat o-ring seal arrived this morning so I fitted it just now.......the old one was as flat as a flattened o-ring can be, hence the leak.

 

I investigated the auxilliary air valve operation, and interestingly it shuts off hard when you accelerate very gently, I suspect because it draws quite a bit of air at that time.

 

I've disabled it (blocked the pipe)

 

I know it won't harm the catalysts because on overrun there is no fuel going into the engine anyway (unlike carbs) because of overrun fuel cutoff schemes, but I won't be able to test ride it for a couple of days, hopefully it will be smoother at small throttle openings.

[fixitsan]

My replacement relay arm arrived from France. it's near mint and after packing the bearings with grease I perved over the satisfying way a hard bush mates well with the roller bearings for a while.....

 

The front bush was well and truly stuck in the frame, but I have some hardened drifts which i was able to use to catch an inner edge through the right side mounting hole, enough to tap out the bushing

 

The replacement arm cost me £45.....best £45 i've spent because i wouldn't fancy trying to refurbish the old arm....the dogbone bushing had battered itself through the bearing and into the alloy ! The front bearing had only about 20% of the original needle rollers left.

 

 

[dablik]

Jesus i guess the previous owner got bloody lucky, sorted now 

[jono49]

That relay arm has not been pre-loved before you got it!!!

[fixitsan]

There was about half an inch of vertical rear wheel movement before the shock engaged after being unloaded.....I thought it handled a bit funny !

The bike was a trade in to a BMW dealer against an F800, apparently by a recently retired riding instructor, I think in the Notts area.

[NickIAM]

Finally got out for a ride. About 100 mile round trip with two stops and two coffees. This winter sun is dangerous though...

The return trip was all southbound, riding straight into it. Everything was black silhouettes. My eyes felt like they were watering...

Tomorrow may pop you toolstation for some tinted window film to stick to the top of the visor. Never seen it done but a search online shows I'm not the first.

I know I'll only need a tiny bit, but the £7.00 price should be worth it:

http://www.toolstati...rt.html?p=72571

[fixitsan]

Nice fix. I thought of doing something similar once but the next helmet i bought had a built in drop down sun visor.

Good to hear someone got out for a blast while i was stuck in work ☺

[jono49]

Why not buy a tinted visor?

[fixitsan]

Why not buy a tinted visor?

Good idea....even a tinted pinlock insert ?

[Bjørge]

Nice fix. I thought of doing something similar once but the next helmet i bought had a built in drop down sun visor.
 

 

My Shoei has a drop down sun visor - I cut half of it off and painted it to make an efficient sun shade. Dark acrylic doesn't solve the problem with bright light hiding what happens in the darker areas, it just removes the pain.

Helmets should have solid shades, not dark sun visors.

[fixitsan]

 

My Shoei has a drop down sun visor - I cut half of it off and painted it to make an efficient sun shade. Dark acrylic doesn't solve the problem with bright light hiding what happens in the darker areas, it just removes the pain.

Helmets should have solid shades, not dark sun visors.

 

 

I agree with you to a degree about the dangers of a darkened visor in some circumstances, but I find it's easy to lower the internal sun visor just a small amount on the Shoei GT-Air. I had a Caberg V2R previously and you could do the same with that too

[NickIAM]

Why not buy a tinted visor?

I have one - took it off a few months back when doing a night ride and haven't put it back on yet (I assumed wouldn't need it again until the summer)...

But, the issue was the top (inch or so)... Car drivers have clear screens (as we know) but all of them dropped the little sun visor over their heads to stop the glare. I could do this by holding my hand up just above my eyes; hence the idea: an all over tinted visor for bright/summer days, but at other times a tinted strip along the top of a clear visor.

It seemed so obvious at the time (when I could barely see) that I was struggling to understand why this isn't built into all visors (there may be an excellent reason). I really don't need a great and un-tainted view of the sky over my head, the sun and clouds. And besides, this stuff can still be seen through easily enough.

NB. This could be a helmet style issue, I suppose. My shoei is perhaps a sportier helmet than I need, and may be designed for leaning forward and looking through the top of the visor rather than sitting up looking through the bottom/middle.

I'll try it and see what happens.

[dablik]

A few bands of insulating tape on the top of  your visor will do the job just as well, cheaper than 7 squiddlies..

[Bjørge]

 

I agree with you to a degree about the dangers of a darkened visor in some circumstances, but I find it's easy to lower the internal sun visor just a small amount on the Shoei GT-Air. I had a Caberg V2R previously and you could do the same with that too

 

Exactly - but it's better when it blocks it all ! So - instead of needing an accurate adjustment I cut the thing off at the point where it just restricted my view. 

My girlfriend has a Caberg, did the same to her helmet and she's overly happy as well. 

 

I have one - took it off a few months back when doing a night ride and haven't put it back on yet (I assumed wouldn't need it again until the summer)...

But, the issue was the top (inch or so)... Car drivers have clear screens (as we know) but all of them dropped the little sun visor over their heads to stop the glare. I could do this by holding my hand up just above my eyes; hence the idea: an all over tinted visor for bright/summer days, but at other times a tinted strip along the top of a clear visor.

It seemed so obvious at the time (when I could barely see) that I was struggling to understand why this isn't built into all visors (there may be an excellent reason). I really don't need a great and un-tainted view of the sky over my head, the sun and clouds. And besides, this stuff can still be seen through easily enough.

NB. This could be a helmet style issue, I suppose. My shoei is perhaps a sportier helmet than I need, and may be designed for leaning forward and looking through the top of the visor rather than sitting up looking through the bottom/middle.

I'll try it and see what happens.

 

As if I wrote it myself ! Thinking after using my hand as a shade....

 

They have simply got this visor/sun protection wrong. Isn't that strange ? It's supposed to be a market competition that would provide us with good, cheapest possible stuff - some times it may also lead to a trend where every manufacturer reproduces the same flawed design.....and if you or I tried to compete with an improved solution, we would be quickly put out of business by those with financial muscles....

A few bands of insulating tape on the top of  your visor will do the job just as well, cheaper than 7 squiddlies..

 

yeah, but som much more elegant to spray paint the visor from inside....noone could tell it's not factory made   er...well...part from that factories haven't figured it out yet 

[fixitsan]

Postman delivered my order of Deoxit, so I've been able to treat all the front and under-tank electrical connectors, reassemble and test ride.

 

It's just 1 degree celsius though...... forecast to be a bit warmer (and/or wetter) at the weekend so I'll get a good ride in hopefully. If I stay in the house I'll end up having to tidy up the biking gear cupboard.....yuck

[NickIAM]

Insulation tape would work - and I even found some stickers too:

http://vi.raptor.eba...t=1452205113564

http://m.ebay.co.uk/...324?_mwBanner=1

But none of these would go with my more-expensive-than-golddust shoei, and I like the idea of being able to see through, just in case.

And would appear to be a potential new design though, for visors. Graded from tinted to clear, top to bottom.

[steve27bha]

....
And would appear to be a potential new design though, for visors. Graded from tinted to clear, top to bottom.

Nothing new in that idea:-

http://www.racevisor...v-gradient-tint

IIRC I had one supplied with my Multitec. Other visor designs are produced.

 

There is a legal requirement for at least 50% light transmission, ie a max reduction of 50%. However, Mr Plod doesn't seem interested, unless it contributes to an accident (eg worn at night). I believe that is measured at any point, not a grand average over the full visor area.

Edited by steve27bha, 08 January 2016 - 05:09 pm.

[NickIAM]

That's it... - why didn't Helmet City offer me that when we bought the helmet? (rhetorical question)

Anyway, £7.00 still better than £65; wow.

[fixitsan]

Fitted a nice BawBags sticker to the front screen, while waiting for the warm air and rain to clear the snow and ice from the street......which of course it hasn't done...... so I tidied up the under-stair cupboard, making my biking gear easier to access in the process