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  1. Slowboy

    Slowboy

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  2. Xactly

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  3. Andy m

    Andy m

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  4. Trev

    Trev

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Showing content with the highest reputation since 22/04/24 in Posts

  1. Gentlemen i think that i will follow the recommendation of the dealer although i am not convised of the outcome and that the most of you suggest and it seems logical to do. I bought this bike new for not to have any kind of trouble and you understand that this was kind of dissapointment for me. Except this the bike runs great and it suits my needs perfectly for a daily commuter and a Sunday ride at the beach with my wife, you know Greece in summer time has great places to go and get wet !! So today a big YES i would have bought it again if i had to make a choice for a new bike. As said above t
    9 points
  2. That’s on my mind too. I’ve already started to get rid of things that I rarely use. It is a sad process, each item has a story to tell, but only to me, to others it is just junk. I still use hand tools that I bought when I was sixteen, usually from shops in Sheffield, that felt like Aladdins cave to me, like Marples chisels, Moore and Wright micrometers and even a rare Joseph Rogers penknife. My lathe is an old but cherished Myford ML7, still in perfect working order. It is small for heavy jobs, a modelmakers machine really. I can’t bear the thought of such things going to landfill or to peopl
    8 points
  3. The ridiculous price for servicing is the main reason I don't change bike. I can do the valves, change the coolant, air filter and oil and filter in less than 3 hours. The oil and filters around £55, halfords silicate free coolant about £15. I don't enjoy spannering but hey-ho if I want to ride I don't have a choice.
    7 points
  4. I would agree strongly. My skeleton objects to any other position than lying down, standing or sitting. I constructed and installed a bike lift even before returning to biking. The table is completely flush with the garage floor until I want to raise it. The detachable front wheel clamp simply bolts to the table with 4 x M16 screws, so I just drive the bike into the clamp, and get off, no centre or sidestand required. The table rises hydraulically to a maximum of 1.5 m on a telescopic, heavy-wall square 120mm x 120mm tube that prevents rotation or any other movement. In any position the t
    7 points
  5. No one can know until it is either taken apart or fails completely. They certainly believe it's worth a look and that they can probably claim it back from Honda or they wouldn't offer. How can it turn out? 1. They fix it. 2. The new one is exactly the same, works but is a bit noisy. Run if for a year then sell it back to the same dealer. They lose all claims that there is any reason to reduce the value. 3. They stuff up the repair, it fails a week later. Their fault, they fix it or replace it. I don't trust dealers mechanics to put air in tyres pro
    7 points
  6. The valve clearance checking and adjustment in itself is straightforward but it's easier to swing the radiator out of the way. I changed the coolant at the same time when I did mine. The only real PITA in terms of access is the air filter. The amount quoted is not out of order, provided they actually do everything they should. A dealer would do the job more quickly than me because they work on these bikes often. I didn't keep mine long enough to do the work automatically like I have done with the bikes I liked and kept. Even so the hourly rate and hours needed by the workshop will cost,
    5 points
  7. Best tool I ever bought Andy. Makes working on the bikes so much easier. Mines a 15 year old ARE hydraulic one. Its been worth its weight in aching joints.
    4 points
  8. I guess that main dealers have a fixed price for a service or each job. I bought by NC new a couple of years ago and the first service was at a main dealer. I think the charge was around £200 for what I consider to be a minimalist job. Dealers are not a charity but there is a limit to what we are prepared to pay. I do all of my own servicing. Most of the servicing jobs on an NC are not too difficult although they may take you a little time especially if you have to remove panels, etc. Plenty of information 0n how to do these jobs on the Internet. Try a search on youtube.
    4 points
  9. Ouch. Mine is fast approaching, I am going to take it to my independent garage and will see what the quote is.
    4 points
  10. Battery changed without any drama's. Happy Gringo
    4 points
  11. All this talk of Optimate overlooks that they are not necessarily the same thing; there are several models and iterations. Mine is an Optimate 4 (but not the current (ahem) one) and is quite old (bought in 2013 when I bought a BMW F800 with Canbus electrics) but it can charge Canbus and non-Canbus systems but has to be changed between the two by some arcane process that I can't remember now. IIRC not all Optimates maintain the battery as well as charge them and attempt recovery. I have always charged mine over the winter layup about once per month. At least that way I can establish
    4 points
  12. Same as Rocker I've used a couple of Optimate's for years. It's worth noting that they are not plug in and forget. Depending on result of the charge indicated by the LED's the instructions state to disconnect for 12 hours and start the process over again. Case in point, my 2016 CB500F on original battery got a bit low over winter, after charging on the optimate LED 6 was flashing, normally would be static when fully charged, disconnected for at least 12 hours and started again, this time LED 6 was static and battery all good.
    4 points
  13. As a teenager I was finishing a painstaking re-assembly of a Villiers 2T two-stroke twin and was about to mount the cylinders when I dropped a circlip into the crankcase. Horror! Take it all to bits again! Crikey! (or similar) My dad said “ the crank cheeks in a two stroke have to be a close fit in the crankcase to force the necessary gas flow. Turn the engine by hand until the crank cheek appears in the cylinder hole beside the conrod, and put a glob of stiff grease on the cheek. Then slowly turn the engine 360 deg until the crank cheek reappears, the circlip will be stuck in the grease
    4 points
  14. I'm quite lucky really. I bought a bench years ago. It was then transferred to my sons garage/workshop which is, pretty much, fully equipped. No way I can work on the bike(s) without a bench these days.
    3 points
  15. My Optimate 2 started red lighting on me. started doing all the checks and was confused, all OK. Then the connecting plug fell off. May not be your battery.
    3 points
  16. After breaking a few clips that are actually part of the side panels on mine she will be dealer serviced - the cost of the side panels and rewrapping them will far outweigh the cost of the service. A metal knee and arthiritis in the other means that getting down to even adjust the chain is downright painful, so an hour or two messing about, taking panels off, adjusting bits and building her back up would probably have me throwing the bike in the local canal. Strangely enough swapping out brake discs or changing the oil on the Landy are theraputic - done either lying down or standi
    3 points
  17. I have a few bikes on optimates, and the cheapo old Oxford equivalents, and have had one of two batteries go dud over the years. The last couple of years I've had the optimates on old fashioned plug in timer sockets (mainly as I had some lying about and the bikes are at my lockup where I'm paying 45p per kW) and have had no issues. Probably coincidental but I now use most of mine with timers. Another +1 for Tanya batteries, I've also used Motobat and found those ok but quite expensive. My older Enfield 500 ran a lithium battery just fine and I'll swap any 'keeper' tomorrow when
    3 points
  18. From a main dealer, yep that’ll be the ballpark. Even with an independent you’ll be north of £500. 16,000 miles is the valve clearance check.
    3 points
  19. Valve clearance check due at this mileage. I’d need to check the manual to find out what else is required. Thats a steep price though imho. Valve clearances are screw and lock nut adjustable, rather than shims, so if you’re okay on the tools, a relatively straight forward job to do. Might be worth shopping around for a few other quotes. Good luck.
    3 points
  20. Bit late now but google just found an article on best fuel to put in yr petrol tank before you lay up yr wheels for the winter: "It’s worth remembering that E10 is not the only option. E5 is likely to remain on UK forecourts for another five years, but even better for owners of historic cars could be investigating ethanol-free fuels. At the time of writing, there is no requirement for ethanol to be included in super unleaded (97/99) grade petrol, so if you’re driving a cherished older vehicle (or putting one into long term car storage), consider a switch to the UK’s only ethanol-free fuel
    3 points
  21. might have done, the optimate is a trickle charger. The tracker would certainly have impacted the chargers effectiveness. You need a certain voltage and current “pressure” from the charger to effectively maintain the charge. Ma not have been charging effectively, see above. I do the same, and it seems to work well for me, Just my experience and thoughts.
    3 points
  22. Plus one to that, and to @Andy m 's contribution. It looks to me to be a win/win for you if you take their advice on the fix. If you don't, it might not be so good later.
    3 points
  23. If it was my bike I would let them get on with it. If they mess it up they will need to re do it at their cost, and deciding not to do it means they may use that against you later (as commented above) I remember both of my NCs were not quiet, but I ride a Himalayan now so it's all relative!
    3 points
  24. Yes, I've got a load of good stuff garnered over a lifetime of amateur spannering and also plumbing, decorating, gardening, beer and wine making, IT stuff, photography etc . Trouble is my descendants are not interested and my wife sees it as junk mostly. It's not helped by her divesting herself of similar re her own interests. We were going to move 2-3 years ago but changed our mind - got rid of a load of stuff, a lot of which of course I then needed....🧐
    2 points
  25. I should have bought a bike lift years ago - I wish I had. For me, given the likely small number of years left to do any spannering it's not worth it now and potentially it's just more stuff my wife or family would have to dispose of when I'm dust. A good mate of mine had one. We used it to change the gearbox on my R1100RS a few years ago, a job that I would not have attempted without a lift, though I did the rear pivot bearings easily enough with the bike on its mainstand. I was a bit bendier then. He got rid of it in the end because of the space it took up.
    2 points
  26. I've since put the old battery on the Optimate and there have been no further issues. Old battery holding its charge too. Happy I've replaced it though even if it's just for peace of mind.
    2 points
  27. Got my new battery from Tayna. Have used that company before and they're brilliant. New battery cost £36.35 which included DHL next day delivery. Perfect.
    2 points
  28. My NC has been a bit reluctant to start last couple of times, it was fine after a winter lay up, hooked up to a solar charger. But since I got it motd it's not been hooked up and it's just been sat on the drive so I ordered a new battery from SBS today, best price I could find. I think mine is the original battery, I have had the bike 4 years so I assume it's 7 years old and probably past it's best.
    2 points
  29. There is always the food colouring and water trick. Add food colouring to water. Mix water with petrol at about 10:1 and shake. Leave overnight. Syphon off the coloured bit that is now water, food colouring and ethanol. Not such a hassle to produce a couple of gallons for storing your Brough Superior over the winter, but I couldn't be bothered for every day use. Andy
    2 points
  30. never had any issues with mine when I changed the battery. Apart from the getting the old one out from what I remember. Not hard just a bit fiddly. Not helped by my “extra connections “ 😁
    2 points
  31. Sue and I have been using optimates for years especially when working where our leisure bikes would be left on it for months over the winter. .We have never had a problem when we went to put them back on the road.
    2 points
  32. When I first bought an Optimate, it was sold to me as a "plug in and forget" item which would magically charge, recover and maintain a battery. I'm not overly confident in the maintain part personally. I cant remember which year it was but one year I plugged in a bike for the winter and didnt touch it at all over hibernation. When it came back out several months later, the battery sounded laboured and sounded like it was struggling to start (it did in the end) even though the Optimate showed a green bar on the maintain setting. Being concerned about the state of the battery, I d
    2 points
  33. An M6 x 12mm flange headed bolt according to Google. Andy
    2 points
  34. I love to see him tackle a Tesla battery!
    2 points
  35. You could always restore it. This fellow shows us how, and he does it without fancy tools. The video is worth a watch, even if it isn’t exactly what you had in mind Mr G. https://youtu.be/kNGg0P7B5fI
    2 points
  36. When my OEM battery gives out I was going to replace it like-for-like from a reputable supplier so i'll watch responses here with interest. Doubtless others will have better suggestions inc fitting the latest exotic batts (however whilst saving weight are probably more £ and need different charger, they may also present other probs such as cold weather starting). The step change in the Optimate indicator is weird. Trickle charging can mask underlying batt prob ie bike starts on the button when leaving yr garage but 2h and 100mi away bike fails to start at a petrol station. I'd
    2 points
  37. You can get a “Streetbox” kit, with a remote preload adjuster for an early NC for just over £800 iirc. Obviously it’s less without the remote adjuster. They’re built to order I believe, so you might have a few weeks wait for delivery. There’s a very good review / thread on here from Viator, who fitted the same to his 2021 NC? Well worth a read if you’re thinking about it. On this thread there’s a link to a YouTube review from Chris Moss who recommended the upgrade.
    2 points
  38. Mine is a manual and sounds exactly the same pulling the clutch in quietens it a little but you don't have that option on the Dct. I very wise and experienced biker/ mechanic ( who very sadly is no longer with us) said the NC sounds like two skeletons making love in a biscuit tin. I find it quite embarrassing when I'm around other bikes and have to start it up because of the rattling engine but Hey! That's the NC.
    2 points
  39. If you were to postpone and something happened to the bike mechanically it could then get difficult for you perhaps, as you'd refused to have the recommended work carried out. If you have some confidence in the dealers mechanics then it seems sensible to let them do the work, provided it has no cost to you. Be sure to feedback to them immediately if, after the work, the bike is no better.
    2 points
  40. 1 point
  41. Without watching the vid I'm guessing he's referring to the sprocket carrier bearing (3rd bearing) which is a different size to the wheel bearings and I don't think is a standard size bearing, I think All Balls have them in their bearings kit other than that Honda OE part. Or if in the UK try wemoto. https://www.wemoto.com/bike/honda/nc/750/2015/15253/rear-wheel-bearing-kit-by-slinky-glide
    1 point
  42. It gets even sillier with more than one bike on the same policy. Whatever I put down - they ask - the odds are that I'll do more miles than stated on one and less on the other. It knocks the golden mileage band argument on the head if I ride the total specified mileage... Crazy - I just say the same every year.
    1 point
  43. No sewer-ant actually knows my bikes odometer readings, they don't ask. With the exception of the new one they couldn't tell if I did 5000 last year and 2 this year or vice-versa. Don't assume low miles helps though. There seems to be a sweet spot at 2-3000 a year where they think you get enough practice but don't ride in every rush hour. I would never "remember" to tell them if I was getting close, honesty does not pay. Andy
    1 point
  44. I found you got to get the right tension on the mirror lock nuts ..still you get there in the end . Very interesting what you did being honest with Bennets and mileage estimate.What if for some reason you hardly used the bike and after 5 months and it only had 300 miles on the clock.Would we be able to downgrade the mileage estimate !!!!!
    1 point
  45. Yes, i will do that. In Greece on 5th of May for this year it's Easter. So many departments will be on holidays i think that there will be a delay. But sure i will report whenever i have news.
    1 point
  46. Had exactly the same scenario on my Enfield. My old optimate was charging and went green overnight and the bike started in the morning (it had struggled the day before) so I left it on charge and went out. The same afternoon the charger showed red. The bike started, I switched it off and pressed the button again, this time the starter solenoid just rattled and wouldn’t latch. The battery was trouted. One new battery later and it was fine. 5 years is a decent life for a battery, especially if it spends long periods not being used, charger or not.
    1 point
  47. Almost immediately the Rebound was not clicking on the shock. Hyperpro's advice was to open the Rebound all the way, ride (carefully) for two miles, then adjust. This worked each time, but only for one adjustment. In the end I was just opening it fully then bouncing the rear up and down to get it to click and only on the increase adjustment. Over about four months the ride began to feel progressively harsh till it was like the suspension had been replaced with a bag of wet sand. The ride has become really harsh. High speed (c.60-70mph)bumps feel like you're losing vertebrae (which
    1 point
  48. 1 point
  49. May be worth changing again in 1-2k miles as way of a flush.
    1 point
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