Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

Very nice Mr Mo. Can I have some details please? I like to look at the specs.


Next trip? I've always wanted to see St Petersburg so will look into the practicality of riding to Russia.

Also I know it sounds mad, but the Sahara looks very doable.

It's a Yamaha XSR700. It's 60th anniversary edition, the paint scheme being based on the Yamaha Speedblock design used by Kenny Roberts. The whole bike is part of a current trend in motorcycling called 'yard built'. Basically the bike is designed to be easily modified by the owner. for instance, the rear subframe just unbolts so it's easy to do a single seat conversion.

Nice, and it looks good with luggage.

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[tikay]

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Thought you might like to see this, Red-dog. It's my new bike(kept my old bike as I didn't want to give up riding a sports bike) and it's a delight to ride. So different from my R6 but equally enjoyable.
Enjoyed your trip reports BTW and you're right about leaning it over some more. Most people run out skill/bravery before their bike runs out of grip. Anymore trips planned/talked about?

That's a beaut, Carl.

Love them little toy bikes, me, great for learning on.

[Mohican]

Nice, and it looks good with luggage.

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Zero % chance of me fitting that to my bike, not what I've bought it for. General hooning around the twists with the occasional longer run will do me.
BTW, id imagine a Sahara desert run may involve a bike change although having been told your bike is unsuitable, you'd go do it on it just to prove a point.

[Mohican]

Click to see full-size image.

Thought you might like to see this, Red-dog. It's my new bike(kept my old bike as I didn't want to give up riding a sports bike) and it's a delight to ride. So different from my R6 but equally enjoyable.
Enjoyed your trip reports BTW and you're right about leaning it over some more. Most people run out skill/bravery before their bike runs out of grip. Anymore trips planned/talked about?

That's a beaut, Carl.

Love them little toy bikes, me, great for learning on.

Will not rise to your childish bait Mr Tikay.

[bobAlike]

Are they now known as Red-Dogs dogs and when will the Noble prize be coming?

[RED-DOG]

BTW, id imagine a Sahara desert run may involve a bike change although having been told your bike is unsuitable, you'd go do it on it just to prove a point.

You might be right.

Mind you, if it can handle those cobble streets in Milan, it can handle anything. Each one is as big as a milk crate and there is like a 6" gap between them. it's like riding over an Anderson shelter (You may be too young to remember them) and where one was missing your whole wheel disappeared into the void.

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[RED-DOG]

Today, after I tidy my shed up, I will be attempting to fit a new drive belt to my scooter and replace the OEM variator rollers with Dr Pulley sliders, which apparently can accomplish the seemingly impossible task of giving me lower gearing/more torque at the bottom end and higher gearing at the top end. Hmmm... We shall see.

Potential for me making a tremendous balls up here measures about 9.2 on the failometer.

PS- Have any of you mechanical types out there ever used torque sticks with an impact wrench rather than a standard torque wrench before, and if so, do they work well?

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Try to contain yourselves. I promise to let you know how I get on.

[TightEnd]

thought you might like this

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/gallery/2016/aug/26/pilots-aerial-view-bangladesh-in-pictures?CMP=twt_gu

[RED-DOG]

thought you might like this

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/gallery/2016/aug/26/pilots-aerial-view-bangladesh-in-pictures?CMP=twt_gu

Got to get me some new superlatives, those pics are stunning.

[RED-DOG]

So it took me about an hour to get the tupperware and the outer transmission cover off.

The inner cover was a bit more difficult, 10 bolts, all different sizes and a metal gasket.

Note the use of an upturned shoe box with the biggest bar bolts pushed through the bottom in the right sequence so that I don't put them back in the wrong holes.

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[RED-DOG]

The inner cover was pushed don to a captured bearing and was stuck fast. Fortunately Suzuki have drilled and tapped it so that you can wind a bolt in to push it of.



 

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[RED-DOG]

With the inner cover off I removed the variator and the clutch assembly I didn't have the correct tool recommended by Suzuki so I used a 24mm socket and an impact wrench.

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Haha. I bet people look a this like I look at hand histories.

[RED-DOG]

Next I cleaned everything, fitted a new drive belt and put the new sliders into the variator.

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[RED-DOG]

Then I changed the oil on the final drive because you need the covers off to do it so I thought I might as well, then I reassembled everything and went for a test drive ride.

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[RED-DOG]

It's incredible. This must be the best bang for your buck mod ever.

Loads more oomph at the bottom end and 2000 less RPM at 70mph, which effectively means I can now cruise at 90 if I want to.

Chuffed.