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What did you do to your bike today?

2M views 22K replies 1K participants last post by  bweighmaster 
#1 · (Edited)
I picked up my painted parts and started assemballin the bike :)
 
#22 ·
Having done almost everything including replacing the waterpump and changing the coolant on my VT1100c I started it last night and found coolant squirting out of the overflow..so today I removed the thermostat, tested it and found it good, so I cleaned it..then I removed the thermostat housing..it was FULL of gunk..so much so that in the half hour I tested the coolant last night the coolant had turned brown...A good scrape out of the worst, then a scrub with vinegar then adding some strong bleach to make it fizz and another scrub with a toothbrush..put all the bits back together and it all works like a charm..

I look like a hobo after all that dirty work..but I feel like a king..

John.
Sounds very unpleasant man, at least it wasn't anything serious.

Eh, went for a brief ride today on some tight twisties. Had some goofy kid in a lowered Integra tailgate me through a hospital zone (30kph), tried to initiate some waves to various HD weekend riders, no responses though. Actually, no one out today waved, be it Metric or crotch rocket, people seem a bit more friendly on the week days.
 
#25 ·
Took bike on charity poker run 160 km .. 100 mile.....ride raised some money for the veterans in hospital here in London.

Then gave it a wash when I got home
 
#26 ·
Today, nothing. I was working on my motor scooter. Spring maintenance. :D But yesterday, I was working on my Shadow for the same reason.

Even though it seems to have been well taken care of, I don't have any written maintenance records from the previous owner. This bothered me a bit so I decided to get everything back to good and start my own maintenance records from zero.

I had already cleaned the chain up right nice.

Changed the Oil, Filter, new crush washer on the oil plug. New air filter. Drained the crankcase breather hose. Last week I attached a power outlet to the battery (doubling as a battery tender hookup.)

It took way too long to do the oil change, mostly because the previous owner seems to have screwed the filter in with a jack-hammer. Hand tight, my ass. :mad:
My big mistake: The guy at the dealership showed me the filter wrench they sell and I passed, thinking that the one I hand in the basement would fit (It didn't) or I could pick up a cheap-o at auto-zone (I did, but there wasn't enough space for it and the socket drive it required. Poop.) I ended up piercing the old filter with a screwdriver to remove it. Lost time.

I am going to get the dedicated wrench as soon as I get out to the dealership again. Learned my lesson, I did. :oops: Get the right tools for the right job. It's a lesson I seem to have to learn over and over.

I still have to change the spark plugs (every 4,000 miles? Really?) and eventually tackle my worst fear...a valve lash adjustment. Doing that job just scares me...dunno why. Chicken-**** me. ;)
 
#27 ·
Wash and wax, polished the chrome. Then took the wife out for a ride to lunch. First time on this bike, first time in 15 years as well! We were thinner back then when I had CB750F. Her reaction, we need a bigger bike! Future purchase: VTX1800 or a Valkyrie.
 
#36 ·
Went to SideStrider in Van Nuys and picked up bike( been there for the past week). Rode(drove) about 100 miles with newly mounter Velorex sidecar. Great fun, think I'll do it again tomorrow.
 
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