Just a quick update.
I took my new VFR for an MOT yesterday, the first time I had ridden it. I went over a bump and the front end moved backwards and forwards. I thought the head bearings must be shot. The MOT confirmed it. The most immediate concern was cracking to the front tyre valve. I had a new tyre fitted yesterday, so that’s done. The head bearings are indeed knackered and the rear sprocket is worn. I’ve ordered a chain and sprocket set and a head bearing and seal set. I’ll fit them on Sunday and that’s my bike sorted for another year.
I think I’ll give it a decent service as well. I’ve already changed the air filter and oil and filter, but given the state of the air filter, I think I’d better do everything else as well. Flush the radiator, the back brake, the clutch fluid, change the spark plugs and the petrol filter. I could do with stripping, cleaning and rejetting the carbs. I might just get a standard endcan instead. The hi-level looks cooler but it’s causing it to run poorly and it sounds too loud. I think I’ll swap it over tomorrow and see how it runs. Maybe sell the sports endcan with the other VFR.
I’ve swapped all the bits I like from my old VFR to the new one. Air filter, tank, nose cone (for the cracked fairing), mirrors. The only thing I’ve not swapped that is definitely better is the braided front brakes and new back tyre. It seems like a lot of faff for the brake lines and it would be £50 to get them to swap my tyres. I might do the brake lines. Both bikes have braided lines, but the old bike has two lines running directly from the master cylinder, the new one has one line that splits into two further down. It does the job, but there is a much better feel on the old one. I could take the lines and brakes off without too much hassle. Then it’s just a matter of bleeding them again. I think I’ll do that.
Thinking about it, I can’t swap the tyre, I’ve already listed the old VFR for sale and made a point of mentioning the new back tyre. I’ve had a few inquiries about the bike and I’m fairly confident it’s going to sell. Then I’ll list the full stainless exhaust system. I’ve listed my Xbox and game and I’ll put the rower up shortly.
The old tyre that’s on the back of the new VFR should last another year. So this time next week the old VFR should be sold, the new one fixed and good to go, which just leaves me with the Harley to play with.
When I took the tyre off the front wheel of the Sportster it was a sorry state. Loads of rust inside, and where I’d sandpapered all the rust off the outside of the rims it had big black patches on the chrome. I chanced my arm and sprayed them aluminium coloured. It doesn’t bear close scrutiny, but it is tons better. While I had to go to the newly discovered motorbike tyre shop, I took the opportunity to have the Harley tyres and tubes fitted. I air gapped my fork oil, fitted my front and rear wheels and fitted the chain today.
It’s starting to have jobs actually completed.
The picture shows the headlight dangling. I thought that would be an easy job, just pop the wires out of the back of the casing, pop them into the hole of the new light casing, crack on. Ha! Not in Harley Davidson land. The hole at the back is too small to remove the connector blocks. I think you have to pull all the wires out of the connector blocks, pull the individual wires from the headlight, into the new headlight, then refit them into the connector blocks. Who designs that? The blocks are, apparently, designed to disassemble, but that’s a lot of wires, with a huge risk of it going horribly wrong. What I’m going to do for now is sand all the fake chrome (and real rust) off, then spray it black. As with the wheels, it will do for now. I read that once you’ve rebuilt the barrels you have to run them in for 1,500 miles (before you can rev over 3,000rpm) then do an oil and filter change to get all the crap out. 1,500 miles should take me a while. Once I know it’s all good, and I’m keeping it, then I’ll invest the £1,000 to have the hubs sprayed and have stainless steel spokes and rims fitted. If I get that far then I may as well do another total strip and have the frame and mudguards powder coated, and the engine and tank sprayed. There’s a famous thought experiment ship, where over the years every plank gets replaced. Is it the same ship? Same with the Harley. I bought it as a cheap project. To get it back to a pristine machine it’s going to cost way more than buying a minter outright. The fun is in the doing though. If I don’t enjoy riding it, I can sell it without the final huge outlay to make it pretty.
So, that’s where I’m up to with the bikes. Very nearly sorted with the VFRs, still waiting on my barrels/ rings to rebuild the Harley, but getting other jobs on it boxed off one by one.
Now I’m changing my emphasis. VFR this Sunday (my day off) then Harley every weekend thereafter, but during the week I now have to run. It’s 10 weeks on Sunday until the Frankfurt marathon and I’m woefully unprepared. No more motorbike jobs before work, now it’s up, into my kit, and out for a run.
Later,
Buck.
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