£4000 all rounder - commuting/touring/weekend blasts

Yeah they were pretty bad tbh. I've removed all the seals and given the calipers a good scrubbing, will go over them again with brake cleaner tomorrow, got some muc-off stuff.

What's best to clean off the small remaining bits of crud on the pistons? They're a million times cleaner than they were now, just need a finishing clean.

Also, anywhere that sells red-rubber grease on the high street?

f I can find the correct one from powerhouse I'll order a brake seal kit, but I'm gonna try my local honda bike dealer tomorrow anyway in case they keep the seals in stock as I'll pick up a set of OEM brake pads from them.
 
I use a very fine wire wool,it gets all the encrusted rust off/dust debris

don't know on the high street for rubber grease,could try local car spares shop,i got mine off ebay

also used a tiny electricians flat bladed screwdriver to scrape any corrosion out of the grooves that the seal and dust seal sits in,but careful not to scratch or gouge the caliper

I got some cheap seals off ebay aswell,something like £17 for both sets,sintered pads are better and last way longer than organic,i stopped using organic years ago
 
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I think the Honda OEM pads are now all sintered, so should be ok for that. I reckon those were the original pads!

No seals in yet but they're looking better after not much work.



Need to get the pistons a bit shinier though, dust debris/corrosion should come off.
 
If you're still thinking about another bikes, don't get hung up on CCs/power. The throttle works both ways. Back in the day I started out on a CBR600F2 and quickly moved up to an FZR1000Exup. I got in far less scares on the Exup, purely because I wasn't wringing it's neck everywhere. There's a lot to be said for rideability when you're learning the ropes.

I own a VTEC VFR800 (only VTECs have ABS) and having owned lots of Honda's, it's not very "Honda"! By that I mean build quality is OK, but it's a real pain to work on, the fairing is a 3D puzzle, all the major fateners are going to corrode and sieze, you're going to have to change the rectifier, possibly multiple times, very likely the stator, and both camchain tensioners are going to fail on you, probably repeatedly- it's not a matter of if, but when. And the front tensioner is a minor pain to get to. It's all easily do-able DIY, but it's going to cost you and it's not a very "Honda" experience.

As for ABS/TC watering down the experience, after 22 years of riding, in my opinion water away! Sure, it won't stop you crashing, but I've had my share of falls, and I reckon in two or three where my fate was dictated to me by other road users and conditions, ABS would have given me a fighting chance. And as much as we hate to admit it, we all make mistakes and ride like knobs in inappropriate situations. The mistake is to rely on them as a catch-all safety net.

And as for electronics removing skill, nonsense. On all my ABS/TC equipped bikes it's patently clear when the systems are kicking in- the skill to avoid them activating is remains the same, only the consequences change, i.e. a pulsing through the lever or a reduction in power, rather than sliding down the road on your behind.
 
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Yeah maybe,I've yet to experience abs/tc,I just have in my mind that you could push beyond the limit that they kick in safely
 
Now I've sorted the brakes I'll be keeping the CB400, but my next bike will be something with 100-150bhp. Having experienced 145bhp, it was brilliant fun :D

I am finding myself on the throttle stop on the 400 a lot of the time now, a sure sign of needing more power :D
 
wazza300 said:
Yeah maybe,I've yet to experience abs/tc,I just have in my mind that you could push beyond the limit that they kick in safely
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ABS doesn't really work like that- it doesn't give any extra brake performance, it just stops the wheel from locking, nothing more, nothing less, it's pretty much foolproof- Once you exceed the limit of grip the system redirects brake pressure, so you can't lock the wheel, unless you're leant right over, and modern systems can even cope with that (and stop the bike sitting up on the brakes).

Early TC systems were crude, whack the throttle open in a corner and you'd get power... slide... cut power... rear rebounds.... power.... slide.... repeat Not much fun. The S1000RR is a relevation though. I was worried that it'd make it more difficult to ride a non-TC equipped but, but it's the opposite, it means you can find the limit of grip, feel the power retard gently enough to not upset the chassis, then feed in progressively as grip recovers. When it happens, you learn how it feels in a controlled situation. The bike knows exactly how far over you're leaning, and it's so finely tuned that even an average rider like me can tweak the TC settings and feel the difference- "-1" means the rear can hang out by 1 inch, "-2" feels like 2 inches and so on (it's probably only millimeters). It's very impressive, and if anything gives confidence on a non-TC equipped bike because you're already used to the sensation of progressively losing traction.

Last weekend I was hooning through a left-right, squirted a little to hard out of the left, braked hard and backed the bike in beautifully into the right hander. I felt like Ben Bostrom, but the bike made it so easy.
 
Missed this thread! This will sound predictable, but I don't actually recommend the GS too often.....however in this case it's the perfect bike for your requirements. it really is a fantastic allrounder - I use mine for commuting (including winter) touring one and two up around europe and of course sunny blasts around the dales.

The only issue is that get the 1200 you'd need to up your budget to about £4.5 - 5K.

Example: http://www.rite-bike.co.uk/used-BMW-R1200 GS-Bradford-West-Yorkshire-644665

There are plenty of really good 1150's in your budget though, which probably have a better build quality just not quite as dynamic.

BMW have been putting ABS on bikes a lot longer than most, so most examples will have it.
 
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Sagalout said:
Missed this thread! This will sound predictable, but I don't actually recommend the GS too often.....however in this case it's the perfect bike for your requirements. it really is a fantastic allrounder - I use mine for commuting (including winter) touring one and two up around europe and of course sunny blasts around the dales.

The only issue is that get the 1200 you'd need to up your budget to about £4.5 - 5K.

Example: http://www.rite-bike.co.uk/used-BMW-R1200 GS-Bradford-West-Yorkshire-644665

There are plenty of really good 1150's in your budget though, which probably have a better build quality just not quite as dynamic.

BMW have been putting ABS on bikes a lot longer than most, so most examples will have it.
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Ahh, the GS :D

I've purposely not test ridden a GS, purely because I know they're great bikes - but I'm not a fan of the stereotype of a GS rider, and I'm not old enough for one, nor do I have a beard!

I know if I was to test ride one I'd probably like it, but I'm just not a fan of the looks or the 'club' that, like it or not, you get put into as a GS rider. it's that 'charlie and ewan wannabe/polite vest wearing" stereo type that the worst GS riders have given the rest that puts me off.
 
Hah, fair enough, but even Baron Von Grumble loves his GS ;)

I'm not of a fan of the full ADV look and tend to wear just leather jacket and jeans....but I'm old enough (and have a beard!) not to care what others think. All groups have their stereotypes, but the GS is definitely the best bike I've owned. Until I bought this I used to change bikes every year looking for that perfect allrounder.

IMG_4105 by Dave Wrightson, on Flickr
 
how long you owned it saga? and whats the fuel consumption like? that would be my main concern for an everyday runabout/workhorse
 
Give it another 5-10 years and I'll probably ripe for a GS, but I'm not quite there yet :D I'm still early 30's... just :o so not ready for the pipe and slippers yet :p

But yeah they are very, very good bikes - hence why I've avoided test riding one!!
 
Sagalout said:
Hah, fair enough, but even Baron Von Grumble loves his GS
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Perhaps, but then he's also got a superduke 1290, panigale 899 and probably others. He used it to cover lots of countries on a euro trip and to commute sometimes, but I doubt it comes out at the weekend for a fun blast. Depends what your priorities are if you can only have a single bike.
 
Hehe, funny how localised bike stereotypes can be. Was over in Sicily a few weeks ago and nearly everyone has a GS, young and old, and they all ride them like proper loons (in shorts and T-shirts usually).

When my VFR800 gives up I might get a cheap GS to partner the S1000RR. I like boxers, my R1100S was one of the best all-round bikes I've owned.
 
Monkey Puzzle said:
Perhaps, but then he's also got a superduke 1290, panigale 899 and probably others. He used it to cover lots of countries on a euro trip and to commute sometimes, but I doubt it comes out at the weekend for a fun blast. Depends what your priorities are if you can only have a single bike.
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He's got the GS, his fireblade track bike, the KTM 1290 superduke, GSXR1000 and an old late 70's BMW. So yeah, plenty of choice over what to take out on a weekend. I bet the GS doesn't get much look in at the weekend unless it's raining.
 
CGrieves said:
Hehe, funny how localised bike stereotypes can be. Was over in Sicily a few weeks ago and nearly everyone has a GS, young and old, and they all ride them like proper loons (in shorts and T-shirts usually).

When my VFR800 gives up I might get a cheap GS to partner the S1000RR. I like boxers, my R1100S was one of the best all-round bikes I've owned.
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It's not just GS's, I've never been a sportbike power ranger type guy either! My type of bikes are naked, adventure sports, and retro. Give me a garage with a Ducati multistrada, a streetfighter 1098s/Tuono V4 factory and a BMW R-Nine T/Ducati Sport classic and I'd be in heaven :D
 
wazza300 said:
how long you owned it saga? and whats the fuel consumption like? that would be my main concern for an everyday runabout/workhorse
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Three and a half years now. Not long by most standards, but before that I never owned a bike longer than 18 months! I get 45-55mpg, current sat on 49 average over the last 2000 miles.

BVG uses his GS for commuting, but also said on the S1000XR review that whilst he loved it, he wouldn't replace his GS with it.

The secret to them is the power of a 600, the torque of a litre sports bike but at half the revs, perfect ergonomics and suspension which is designed for our roads
 
Oh, and in that time not one single thing has gone wrong. The closest was on a service last year when BMW said they were replacing the centre stand as it had unacceptable corrosion (I never even noticed!)
 
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