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Honda CBR600 Head race bearings

E2W — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 08:44:00 GMT

Steering head bearings are one of these items that you don’t notice there worn out until someone who doesn’t ride your bike points it out to you. Due to the bearings gradually wearing out over time most riders are blissfully unaware that the handling of the bike has deteriated and it’s only at service time that it gets picked up. This Honda CBR600Fi with over 60,000k’s on the clock was a perfect example. The rider asked me to check her bike over before heading interstate and with the front wheel jacked up in the air and moving the handlebars from side to side it was very obvious that this bike needed new headraces. The notchy unsmooth feel was a dead give away. The best option was to fit an aftermarket taper roller set and it wasn’t long before the forks were whipped out and the old ball bearings were being removed from the frame and the triple clamp. All up it takes about two hours to complete from start to finish but it’s one of those jobs that when the customer rides away from the shop they notice the difference straight away. If you feel your bike isn’t handling too well give it the headrace test. Put the bike on its main, stand jack the front wheel off the ground and turn the bars from side to side. You’ll know instantly if there worn out or not.

Honda DN01 First service

E2W — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 08:32:00 GMT

The first Honda DN01 to come through the shop. These really are a unique bike. The looks alone are a head turner. I purposely parked the DN01 in the shop window and people who normally wouldn’t look in would stop and stare. But it’s not only the looks that are different. The DN01 is fully automatic and has no clutch. Honda have taken the hydrostatic drive unit found in some of there ATV and transplanted it into the DN01. The hydrostatic unit is bullet proof and in all the time I worked at Honda I can only ever recall 1 or 2 units having to be replaced. Not a bad record for the amount of ATV’s Honda churn out in to the market each year and the fact most ATV users aren’t the best people in the world for sticking to maintenance schedules either. Doing the first service on the DN01 requires the valve clearances to be checked and that was when I found something else unique about the bike. The spark plugs are NGK SIMR8A9. I’ve never seen this spark plug before and according to the manual you don’t set the gap on the electrode like normal plugs you just put them in and wait until the electrode burns away. Once you can get a 1mm feeler gauge in between the electrode and the tip of the plug it’s time to fit some new ones. The only thing I didn’t like about the DN01 was the two stage fuel tank. To get the rocker cover off the rear cylinder requires the first tank to be moved out the way. This wouldn’t have been so bad to do if the owner hadn’t decided to fill the bike up before bringing it in for the service. Note to owners of DN01’s – when you take them for a service let the fuel level run low. Once the service was done it was time for a test ride. This thing really impressed me. The auto transmission was super smooth, and I mean super smooth. The combination of the hydrostatic unit and shaft final drive really works well. I was very impressed. The handling was nice too. Seeing it’s a weighty bike it carried it very well and the seating position was nice for cruising along. In all honesty I think I could see myself owning one of these. There was just something about it that I really liked.

Kawasaki ZX636 and the black smoke!

E2W — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 07:22:00 GMT

The Kawasaki ZX636 that was in the shop today was very sick indeed. It was the first time this bike had been to Everything 2 Wheels so I didn’t know any of the bikes previous history in its 30,000 kilometer life. But just by looking at the exhaust and all the black soot around the end of it I knew something was very wrong. Speaking to the owner he claimed that the bike had been into a Kawasaki dealer to look at the running issue and was told “they all do that mate”. It had also had a few services by the same dealer and no one had picked up any problems with the running. I put the bike on the bench and started it up. Within 5 seconds my eyes were starting to hurt from the fumes and the black smoke pouring out the back of the bike confirmed something was very wrong. First up was to check the bikes FI system and accessing the computers memory fired off a ‘63’ failure code. Unfortunately ’63’ only relates to the bikes exhaust control valve and this is down to the bike having an aftermarket exhaust fitted. It’s pretty standard for Kawasaki’s to have this code stored in their memory with an aftermarket pipe fitted and this was not related to the bikes running issue. So the search for the problem went on and it wasn’t long before the fuel tank was up and the air box was removed. I already had half an idea that either the fuel pressure regulator was faulty or a manifold pressure sensor pipe had either rubbed through or split. It wasn’t long before Id found the answer. The manifold presure sensor pipe. The strange thing was that one of the pipes hadn’t split or rubbed through but was totally disconnected and swinging in fresh air making the bike run very rich. These pipes are a real tight fit and don’t just come undone on their own so how it came undone………????? With the pipe now reconnected I put in a new set of spark plugs to replace the fowled ones that I’d removed and reassembled the bike. Starting the bike up there was a very different smoother sound and after a quick test ride I was happy that the problem was fixed. The thing that puzzles me about this bike is how it could have gone into a dealer 2 or 3 times and had services done to it yet no one picked up on the running issue or even question why so much black smoke was coming out of the exhaust?

Suzuki AN650 Burgman 24k service

E2W — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:41:00 GMT

In previous posts I’ve made it pretty clear that I could own a Honda sports bike if I was about to go out and buy a new bike. Either a Honda CBR600RR or the new 2009 Honda CBR1000RR would do nicely. So it may surprise you to learn the next on the list would be a Suzuki Burgman 650. Going back a few years ago when I worked at Suzuki Australia I was asked to ride a Burgman to evaluate an odd engine noise that the one on the demo fleet was making. I was only supposed to ride it for a week or so. 10 months later I finally got around to giving it back to the fleet manager and that was only because the registration had run out and it was time to move the scooter off the fleet. The Burgman really is an alternative to a car. They have ample power, are very comfortable to ride, have masses of storage space and can handle anything from a small city commute to a round Australia tour. The real fun part about this scooter is the “power” button on the handle bars. The transmission on the Burgman has 3 modes. Auto, manual and “power”. Auto is your standard ride mode. Manual lets you toggle the gears up and down by use of two buttons on the left hand switch block. But “power” mode is full auto balls out as fast off the line as it can go mode. Race boys in V8’s get hosed from the lights no worries by the Burgman in “power” mode and even top of the line sports bikes get the fright of their life when the Burgman fills their mirrors up to around the 100 kilometers per hour mark. If you’re ever next to a Burgman at the traffic lights be careful. Unless you’re very sharp on the clutch this scooter could leave you looking very embarrassed indeed.

Honda VTR1000F Firestorm 48K service

E2W — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:18:00 GMT

With 50,000k's on the clock this Honda VTR1000F was in desperate need of a service. There were lots of items on this bike that were in a state of neglected or simply worn out. The oil and filter were due a change, the brake fluid was black and well and truly in need of replacement, the clutch fluid was the same, the air filter was filthy, the rear brake shoes were down to the metal, the tyres were bald and somehow the bush in the clutch lever had managed to fall out? After a chat with the owner he decided that the only option was to do everything and bring this bike back to its former condition again. Everything was done oil, filter, air filter, brake fluid, clutch fluid, coolant, spark plugs, valve clearances, carbs balanced, brake pads and tyres. If anything was in need of attention this bike got it. One of the biggest dramas was getting the pin out of the rear caliper. Who ever put the last pair of rear brake pads in hadn't lubed the pins that the brake caliper moves on and the result was an hours worth of my time squirting WD40 onto the caliper bracket and moving the pin backwards and forward until it decided it was going to come out. To finish the service off a set of Michelin Road 2 tyres were fitted. It was a massive amount of work that we did to this bike but it was definitely worth while. I'm sure the owner will notice a masive change in how this bike goes and stops as he rides away from the shop.

Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade 1st service

E2W — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:32:00 GMT

The Honda CBR600RR has been dethroned as my favorite bike of all time. And replacing it is the Honda CBR1000RR. I never really liked the previous model of CBR1000RR. With me not being the tallest person in the world I always felt over stretched and as if I was lying on top of the bike. With the latest version of the Fireblade the seating position is a lot more compact which actually made me feel more like I was riding a 600 rather than a 1000cc bike. But open the throttle and you definitely get reminded that this is no 600cc bike. This thing was a rocket. The only thing that spoils this bike is the ADR compliant rear mud guard. It really does look crap and like it was an after thought once the bike had left the factory. But not to worry, as part of the first service on this bike a Valtermoto fender eliminator was being fitted. There a little bit fiddly to fit but once on they make the rear end of the bike look sweet. A point of interest with regards to the service on the Honda is the oil that is recommended. Looking at the workshop manual Honda say the new Fireblade runs a 10/30 oil and not the more common 10/40 or 20/50 that most bikes shops stock. To play it safe I shipped in some Genuine Honda HP4 10/30 oil instead of using the Motul 10/40 that I run in the shop. The after service road test was fantastic and I instantly liked this bike from the first moment I sat on it. I see the tax department is still running the 50% small business investment allowance for small businesses who want to invest in a new vehicle. 50% back of $18,000 at the end of the tax year............perhaps it's time I bought myself a new bike?????

The worst worn motorcycle tyre I've ever seen!

E2W — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:22:00 GMT

This has to be the worst worn motorcycle tyre that I've ever seen. When the owner of this Honda ST1100 turned up at the shop I couldn't believe my eyes as to the condition of his tyres. The front tyre had become so worn out that the steel belting of the carcass had started to fray and actually cut the palm of my hand open as I removed the wheel from the bike due to the sharp fragments that were now sticking out of the tyre. The tread was gone and the profile of the tyre was so distorted even pushing the bike around the shop was a handfull. I'm surprised this tyre stayed air tight while in such a bad state. The rider doesn't know how lucky he is to have not crashed riding with tyres in such a poor condition. Insane stuff!

Vacuumate throttle body balancer

E2W — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:00:00 GMT

As anyone who comes to Everything 2 Wheels for their motorcycle servicing knows were always looking for ways to improve the quality of the service you receive. And to keep the quality of the workmanship second to none I like to invest in the best tools and equipment that money can buy. One of the latest additions to my tool box is a Vacuumate carburetor and throttle body balancer. Vacuumate really are the best of the best when it comes to workshop equipment and this digital balancer ensures that your throttle bodies will be tuned with the precision that only an electronic balancer can give. At just under a $1000 for the unit there not cheap but I was more than willing to pay for such a quality item because the end result is a better quality of service to our customer's motorcycles.

Suzuki C46 FI failure code

E2W — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:56:00 GMT

The dreaded Suzuki C46 FI failure code. It's strange, I hadn't seen a Suzuki with this FI failure code in a long time and then I see two in one week. The first one was on a GSXR750 and the second was on a GSXR600. There are two options to fix this problem. The first option is to replace the exhaust valve control unit which is pretty good a stopping working (and usually just as the bike has gone out of its warranty period) or the second option is to replace the exhaust system with an aftermarket item which does away with the need for the control unit. Either way it's not a cheap fix. The control unit costs $800+ or a replacement exhaust system can cost anything up to around $2000. The owner of the 750 wanted to keep the bike standard and went for the option of replacing the control unit. The owner of the 600 upon hearing the cost of fixing the issue decided he could live with a red flashing warning light on his dash.

Suzuki SV650 ABS

E2W — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:35:00 GMT

The Suzuki SV650 is now available fitted with ABS. And the one here today was in for its first 1000k service. While this bike was on the bench with its oil draining out of the engine I was walking around it just checking over a few things. As part of this check I had a squeeze of the brake levers and I have to say they felt really spongy compared to a non-ABS bike. I think it's just down to the fact that the brakes have a huge ABS brake modulator full of valves that operate them that give the brakes such a soggy feeling. On saying this once on the road the brakes felt ok and did a pretty good job of pulling the bike up. I'm still sitting on the fence about bikes with ABS and I'm not too sure if I'd be paying the extra $1000+ that it costs for the up spec ABS models of bike in the market place. But again it's a device that would only have to work once to have paid for itself.

Honda VFR800 24k service

E2W — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:58:00 GMT

It's been a while since we've had a VFR800 come through the shop. The one that was here this week was a 2000 model in need of a 24,000k service. As I started pulling this one apart I got a memory jog of what a pain in the *** it is to get the fuel tanks off Honda's that came out around this period. And the fuel tank had to come off in order to check the valve clearances. It could have been so easy for Honda to have fitted quick release fuel line clips but instead there was this whole procedure where you had to drain the fuel take before undoing the fuel line banjo bolt. In most cases you still managed to get yourself, the bike, the workbench and the floor covered in petrol when you popped off the return line no matter how best you tried not too. There was never an easy or clean way to take the tank off one of these. The rest of the service was pretty straight forward, valve clearances check, throttle bodies balanced, oil and filter changed plus the usual lubing of all the cables and levers. The service gave this bike the ‘new bike' feeling again.

Pitpro 140 Big Foot Pit bike

E2W — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:35:00 GMT

As most of my customers know I'm not a fan of some of the junk motorcycles and scooters that are getting churned out of China at the moment. The lack of build quality is appalling on some brands. But after a recent ride on a Pitpro I can definitely say that Pitpro is not one of these cheap quality Chinese brands. I recently bought a Pitpro 140 Big Foot to go riding with my 6 year old of a weekend. Now she's not the fastest rider in the world so I didn't need some kind of rocket, latest high tech, all singing all dancing dirt bike to keep up with her and the Pitpro seemed to fit the bill. The price was right and I thought the little 140 engine would be under powered enough to safely plod along behind her Yamaha Peewee. And here was the first under estimation of the Pitpro. Kick starting this bike in the shop for the very first time gave me the shock of my life. I was expecting a sound along the lines of a Honda CT110. WRONG! This thing absolutely barked from it's Pro Circuit looking muffler and the note it gave made it sound like it had a fare bit of grunt. The next day and we were at the track. I normaly start my daughter off and let her do a few laps just to let her get her bearings. She only got half way around the track before she gave me the "come on dad" wave to let me know she was ok. I jumped on the Pitpro and I was away after her. HOLY CRAP! For a 140cc engine this thing really got up and went. First gear wheelies were easy. Second gear wheelies were easy with a bit of clutch and third and fourth gear wheelies just require you to sit towards the back of the seat and tug on the bars with a dab of the clutch. I couldn't believe how fast this thing went. The brakes and the handling were pretty good too and as a value for money package the Pitpro was worth every cent. This bike was one of the most fun bikes I've ridden in a long time.

Checkout the website for more info: www.pitpro.com.au

Honda CBF250 valve clearances

E2W — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:33:00 GMT

I'm not too sure what it is about the Honda CBF250 but they seem to loose their valve clearances really quickly between services. The past few that have come through the shop have all required shims to be replaced to get the valve clearances back within spec. And on the CBF250 they need checking every 12,000k's. The Honda CBF250 that was here today was the worst example that I've seen. In all fairness this bike had not been maintained properly right through it's 21,000 kilometer life and this has played a major factor as to why this bike had issues. The owner was complaining of the bike being hard to start and after a quick chat about the bikes lack of proper maintenance I already had an idea what was wrong. Once the bike was here I went to work on it and it wasn't long before the problem was identified. No valve clearance at all on the exhaust valves. After removing the cams and re-shimming the valves it was put back together. It actually took two attempts to get the valve clearances back into spec and a jump of 10 shim sizes to get the gap correct. A jump of 10 shim sizes is unheard of and its understandable why this one wouldn't start due to the cam holding the exhaust valves open. If you're the owner of a CBF250 and it's due a service I recommend you remind your mechanic that the valves may be in need of some attention. This reminder may be the difference between a bike that goes and a bike that doesn't.

October's bike of the month - Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade

E2W — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:48:00 GMT

I've been thinking of starting a "bike of the month" section featuring some of the exceptional examples of customer's bikes that come through the shop. And to kick it off Octobers bike of the month is this 2006 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. This is one of the cleanest Fireblade's I've ever seen. For a bike that's over 3 years old it's incredible that there isn't a spec of dirt on it. This Fireblade has some really nice touches to. Everything from a carbon fiber front and rear guards, billet clutch and brake levers, aftermarket pipe and some other cool parts that make this one stand out example.

Michelin Pilot Power promotion is in full flight

E2W — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:05:00 GMT

The Michelin Pilot Power promotion where you could end up winning the bike of your dreams is in full flight. All you have to do is come in to Everything Two Wheels, buy a matching pair of Michelin Pilot Powers and you automatically go into the draw to win the bike of your dreams. Last months sales of Michelin Pilot Powers have been phenomenal and I'm nearly out of stock of the batch I bought for the promo. Have no fears though a new shipment is on its way. Prices are as follows:

120/70/17 Front $220

180/55/17 Rear $307

190/50/17 Rear $311