What did you do to your bike today?

Well i was going to fit new brake pads front & rear but the weather had better ideas, that and in all honesty i didn't want to mess with it after only just getting it back after it went in the shop to have a new starter motor fitted, turns out Suzuki GSF/GSX1250's are known to randomly eat their starter motors, it can happen at any mileage regardless of age & the symptoms are just like a failing battery until all of a sudden the starter motor either starts making an awful screeching noise or locks up. mine started screeching, so £260 later & one shiney new starter motor supplied & fitted & all is good again.
 
So the other day I replaced the holed ignition pickup cover with a gash one from ebay, repaired the broken lug on the light cluster (not just using epoxy, I also used metal pins to reinforce it), refilled her with fresh new oil, installed the replacement foot hanger, bodged the headlights on, started her up and took her for a ride. She goes and stops in a straight line, no odd noises or wobbles. Goes round corners. Runs. Electrics works. So that's all good! Time to get her back to her full glory!

Today I replaced the indicators at the rear, wired the new ones at the front and ordered a fairing kit from China, along with an iridium double bubble screen. I also got some spray paint to paint the stator, sprocket, clutch and stator pickup covers (after I've removed the gouges from the clutch cover!). I also replaced the bar end weights.

List of things left to do:
Fit new fairings/screen
Repair (body filler ftw) and repaint mirrors
Drain oil so I can remove, repair and repaint the engine covers
Replace exhaust band
Remove can and sand/polish out some light scratches
Remove paint transfer from frame (some light cutting compound will do this a treat)
Remake radiator grill protector/mesh
Remove a snapped bolt from where a crash bung very much didn't do its job (lol)

I'll not be refitting crash bungs. I also *should* replace the brake lever (the end blob is worn away a bit) but can't decide whether to get an original (well, pattern) one for £16 or go for some bling aftermarket clutch and brake levers.

Got to wait aaaaaages for the fairing gear to arrive though :/ But heading in the right direction.
 
Picked up the RS 660 today, and by the time I got home it was absolutely filthy and caked in mud, so..

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Then, as one does, rolled it into the front room and started pulling it apart..

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Ditched the ridiculously hooge number plate holder for a tail tidy, fitted a new seat cowl and ditched the rear pegs (and fitted some paddock bobbins)..

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Then got rid of the silly large and non adjustable levers..

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Will fit the rim tape and tank protection tomorrow and hope for dry weather :D
 
Started both bikes for about 10 minutes and then removed the batteries to put them to charge, as I haven't used them for one month and will not be using for another month.
 
So - some progress. Had some bits and bobs turn up. Gaskets for the clutch and stator covers, oil filter, iridium screen, bar weights, fairing bolt kit and new indicators. Bar ends fitted, along with the indicators. Broken bolt that held the crash bung in has also been extracted. Paint transfer from the fairing to the frame has been removed with a light cutting compound and looks a lot better. Dent *should* be hidden by the fairing. If not, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I filled, repaired, sanded and then painted the mirrors, and the clutch, stator, timing and sprocket covers. They've come up a treat, especially as how they looked post crash! I also did some work on the exhaust. Both end bands looked the same, you can see basically the before and after. Pleased with that too. Just still the waiting game now for the fairings to arrive!!!

Some pics:

Covers ready to go back on:
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Off the bike:
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Pre-repair:
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Ground away exhaust end band:
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Much better!:
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Mirrors mid repair:
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Aaaand all painted and lovely:
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New bits: Screen, gaskets, filter and bolt kit:
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More new bits: Indicators and Bar weights:
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And a new foot peg hanger. Was expensive:
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Started her (Kawasaki GTR1400) up and went for a ride to the petrol station and back, first time she's been started since 24th September.

Despite charging regularly over the winter, the battery was gubbed, so she got a new battery too. Tyres had only lost 2psi each.

I haven't really missed not riding over the past 6 months. In fact, I'm 90% certain I'll sell her very soon and hang up my lid forever. But I'm going to ride her to work tomorrow, Thursday and Friday to see how I feel/get on.
 
Insured them (S1000RR and MT-09). BeMoto's main underwriter has exited the motorcycle insurance industry, meaning my renewal nearly doubled to £840. Which is a shame as BeMoto have always given decent service. I hope they survive and don't become just another broker, as they're just not competitive now (for me at least).

Best I could get was £650 from Bennets. So that's a £100+ price hike for the third year in a row. I bet I don't do 650 miles this year!
 
Tank off, carbs off, top off, clearances checked, top back on, investigating carbs over the weekend, running rich as a rich thing.

Good news is the clearances were fine and the carb looks like it's been apart fairly recently as the screws have been replaced.
 
As is customary (for me) on Mother's Day to make a home made batch of chilli and drop it over to her. Even though weather isn't great fancied digging the GS out as the riding experience on that is the same rain or shine!

Had a decent ride there and back only to be greeted with this, just as I turned into the road towards my house.

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Green stuff oozing out of the puncture wound not doing it's job, stuff must've gone off. Oh well, another job to add to the list.
 
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