Reply With QuoteKeeps the other two warm :)
Besides, one of the joys of strokers is buying the “total engine rebuild” lottery ticket every time you twist the throttle.
In all seriousness, overall the youth giving properties of a 2 stroke powerband is worth it imho.
They all do that sir ‘)Originally Posted by Gyp
Keeps the other two warm :)
Besides, one of the joys of strokers is buying the “total engine rebuild” lottery ticket every time you twist the throttle.
In all seriousness, overall the youth giving properties of a 2 stroke powerband is worth it imho.
. And the smell of two stroke on all of your clothes!
Plake you are so right , on my red Kr1s I was only doing about 60 when it lunched the mains , threw bits up the transfer ports , squashed and squeezed them in the cylinders scoring the bores , trashed the pistons and spat the rest out the zorst!
Ps all of this in about 350 yds , and it only coughed and sputtered then startEd vibrating big style.
Did a quick plug check tonight ,everything OK. But I certainly wouldn't run it more than 25 miles in Wednesday’s heat. Everything was super hot , gearbox, barrels heads. I think its better suited for sub 20 deg C days. One nice touch the big K did was to recognise the fragility of spark plugs on strokers. So they have fitted a lovely plug holder with three fresh plugs just behind the battery.
Steve
Last edited by higham5; 14th August 2020 at 21:22.
Classic parking manoeuvre ;)
Had a derestricted DT125R which melted everything into everything at 40mph in Rotherhithe. Still one of the funnest bikes I have ever owned...miraculously my stage 3 tuned RD350 was faultless...until I totalled it.
Putting new plugs into an enfeebled stroker is also one of life’s simple pleasures. Kudos to Kwaks for intelligent design.
With hindsight, the fact that I never seized a 2-stroke, despite owning, amongst others, a GT250, tuned 250LC, RGV and a TDR is pretty miraculous
Thank you!
Just fuelling up on coffee and then off. I'm quite excited.
Have fun today Celia, hopefully you’ll love it.
If you do then the direct access and a Guzzi v7 sounds like he best idea.
Life’s too short to spend any more time than you have to on a 125!
I was thinking what a shame it is that the weather has turned, but then I recall doing my part 1 test back way back when in freezing fog where I was given time and the end of each part of the test to break the ice off of my gloves.
Tell that to the learners of today...
My wife did her CBT on a freezing February day in Preston; she never rode again!
I did my test in December 1980 around Halifax bus station in the good old days. No CBT, no direct access etc.
Well it was all direct access really; pass your test on a 250 and then ride anything that you could afford to get insurance on at 17!
Ah the halcyon days...
Mine was December 1982, so I had to do the 2 part test - passed part 1 on my Bantam, despite the ice. I had to kickstart it when I stalled, but did it by standing up on the pegs so not getting a foot down penalty. The examiner said is wasn't a recommended technique but as there was nothing against it in the rules he didn't penalise me.
I then passed the part 2 on a Superdream.
Immediately stepped up to a 400 having passed my test then, with the introduction of the 125cc restrictions in 1983, stepped back down in cc but definitely up in performance to a 250LC as you could get them for peanuts then.
I did my apprenticeship at a small Suzuki main agent in Liverpool, back in 1978-80.
The Suzuki CCI system was well intended, but owners occasionally forgot to top up the tank, or used any grade of oil they had to hand at the time.
We would always recommend that for summer use, the owner also added a shot of quality 2T oil to the tank at around 80:1 in addition to the auto injection.
It gives a baseline of lubrication which is supplemented by the throttle related pump injection, and will greatly reduce the risk of seizures.
GT380 in particular use to nip up the centre pot in hot weather - this minor tweak eliminates the problem, and with modern synthetic 2T oil you will not have smoke issues.
Last edited by W124; 15th August 2020 at 09:50.
I`ll just leave this here.......
That’s proper motorcycling, that is.
Verv hope you have a fun day today. Getting drenched in a rainstorm on your CBT is also proper motorcycling ;)
No transfer port visible; four stroke, disc valve two stroke or is the port on the other side of (what was once) the piston?I`ll just leave this here.......
Unlikely a 4 stroke as there's no oil control ring
I used to have a box load of pistons like that under my bench.
Most had holes in the crown lol
No verv update.
Do we need to send out a search party?
Excellent.Successful but achy, apparently
When you've been riding for a while it's easy to forget how much concentration and effort it takes to ride and maneuver a bike when you start out.
Hello folks!
I didnt update thread yesterday as I couldn't hold phone for that long without my hands falling off.
Cbt was 8-6 and my god by the end I was beaten. Shoulders hurt, hands cramped and major cramps in hamstring and right foot when driving home. I passed through. Just, as it took me 15 odd attempts to do a u turn in a road and only just scraped that by the instructor. By the time I'd finished I was sweating and had total cotton mouth. Really put me off. And was very tempted to ditch bike in the road, quit, and demand a taxi !
Loved riding country roads at 50, but being such a car driver its so hard to stay on the passenger side as I'm used to tracking to the left of white lines.
My handling at slow speeds is poo as I tend to go for front brake which was my failing at u turns but I can't get my brain round the need to open throttle and let it sweep round at some haste. It felt like I was going yo topple so front break on foot down every time which frustrated me enormously.
I did master gears tho but I'm far better with 2345 than 12.
My nerves surprised me as I have no worries at all slinging a car about but I suppose thats 25 years of experience. Instructor suggested kalms and a couple of road rider days out before DA.
He said ive got it, but need to get over the nerves and then I'd be fine.
What I've taken away from it is this -
I'm not ready for immediate direct access. But I'll do my theory next week anyway.
I need to master low gear slow speed stuff. Particularly the U turn and dropping down gears at junctions and roundabouts.
Non cancelling indicators do my absolute baps in as I found that indicate, slow on front brake (hard not to default to back because as a push bike rider you get it in your head that if you use front only you're going over the bars) shoulder check drop gears get on right side manoeuvre go back up gears already filled my brain with OMFG and I nearly always forgot to cancel.
If I wasn't stubborn I think the cbt may have put me off but I think the pressure of someone in the ear didn't help.
I'm going to get a cheap 125 to practice and putter on over winter and then reassess DA when I'm more confident. My throttle handling and clutch control needs work and I feel quite nervy about it all at the moment but I still want to carry on.
Well done - first hurdle!
But, I reckon you would have easily transitioned to DA, as the bikes are far easier to ride. Engine more linear, a proper clutch (not a ‘switch’ like on a 125), and a bike with a bit of weight that allows you to move around without unsettling the bike.
good luck with it all, though.
Well done for hanging in there, Celia, and FWIW U-turns can be a real challenge for many (even at DAS level). A few comments, if I may...
1) Some time practicing on a 125 will do you a power of good, and those nerves you felt yesterday will soon dissipate as the mileage gets racked up.
2) Believe it or not, most people find riding a large bike a lot easier than a 125. They're more stable, better balanced, a fair bit smoother and actually inspire confidence (so no need to be scared at the thought).
3) Riding through the winter (which I do myself) can be tough at times. When the weather turns try to bear that in mind, as for the other three quarters of the year it's all a lot more enjoyable.
Anyway, good luck going forward, and try to get some practice in whilst the sun's shining and before it gets too cold.
If it hadn't been for Covid, I would have gone straight from CBT to DAS but I've ended up with the mighty YBR125 for the last month. I've enjoyed riding it and it's definitely helped translate 35 years of driving 'roadcraft' to riding, although I've cycled my whole life too.
I have been specifically advised not to practice the Mod1 manouevres on the 125 as they are so different on a big bike. I don't know if there's anything in this.
I've found two things that help me with cancelling indicators:
- when I'm driving, even though the car self-cancels, I mentally cancel the signal as I leave roundabouts or complete junctions
- when I approach the first junction after I've made a turn I just check again that I've cancelled the signal.
I still don't get it right 100% of the time but that's why I'm still practicing. Annoyingly I used to have an old Citroen without self-cancelling indicators and never had a problem with that.
I'm glad the CBT hasn't put you off completely. Once you've been out on the 125 a few times, I reckon you'll be back on track wanting to get onto bigger bikes.
its been that long since i did my test (30 yrs iirc) im not sure how they do it these days , which ever way you want to get on the bike you will be taking your test on asap and stick with it (i know people used to use restricted big bikes in the past- if you can still do this then do it )
cancelling indicators just ends up being muscle memory over time ,until then just make a checklist in your head and get used to doing it everytime you turn.
We’ll done Celia, first hurdle passed!
Anyone else notice that the ‘reaction test’ on the PC was difficult, in that if you were an experienced car-driver - you tended to notice ‘problems’ long before the computer programme thought you should?
Designed for non-driver/riders, I think.
I noticed that on my mock hazard perception tests on the app I've been using. Some i got 0 stars out of 5 because I'd seen it and clicked before it thought I should. It showed my flag a split second before the dvla flags started. Annoying.
That’s the one - I couldn’t remember what it was called exactly.
A cautionary word about this - on the practice app you can click more than 5 times and will still score as long as it's not regarded as excessive (so six or seven clicks will have no adverse effect). On the test I found that the system failed me on each question for which I clicked more than 5 times. It took me three or four questions to realise what was going on, by which time I was in a bit of trouble (so be warned).
Ahh ill have to click a bit more then. I'd been doing one click to show id seen it and that was it so maybe a couple more as it develops is the way to go.
Trying to be careful with my phrasing...
I think there's an issue of the ratio of rider mass to motorcycle mass.
When I was 17, I was probably about 40kg lighter than I am now, so the impact of my movement now is far greater than it once was. It used to be I moved about and the bike kept the line; now when I make the slightest movement I change lanes.
My lad has had his YBR for 5 years, and his 4 years of beer and chips at university has resulted in his bike getting slower and twitchier.
Sounds like you did pretty well really. It's getting to that point when gearchanging, braking etc becomes natural without having to concentrate on it, same as in cars. Once you have driven for a while you don't think about what you're doing hardly at all. Practice on a small bike is a good idea, but beware of overconfidence edging in as you get more experience.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
I've been doing this one.
Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk
Here you goI've been doing this one.
Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk(oh, and practice theory test)
Ah perfect! Thanks T
Was at Festival Italia at Brands Hatch this morning, with a number of members of the Ducati Owners Club.
It was much quieter than usual - probably a combination of the Covid effect and the weather forecast.
Well done Verv, for the theory test I've installed an app called 'Driving Thoery Test 4 in 1 Kit' by a company called Focus Media.
You can practice various sections and the hazard perception is so close, I can remember a couple of the clips being on my failed test.
Fish
Love the Cagiva's !Was at Festival Italia at Brands Hatch this morning, with a number of members of the Ducati Owners Club.
It was much quieter than usual - probably a combination of the Covid effect and the weather forecast.
Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk
Well after a rather long wait for the registration to go through, finally collected my first bike in 4 years.
The ride home was rather boring as it was mostly highway.
I have noticed a few things however,;
The acceleration is somewhat savage
I didn't exactly think through where I was going to mount my TomTom Rider (the clip ons don't really have any space to mount one)
After a long ride the vibrations in the bar were getting to me a bit
So, overall pretty pleased, but now need to think of an appropriate solution to the few issues I have noticed.
(I'm thinking maybe get wider cup ons, ideally weighted)
Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using TZ-UK mobile app
The Elefant is a dream bike for me. Lovely!Was at Festival Italia at Brands Hatch this morning, with a number of members of the Ducati Owners Club.
It was much quieter than usual - probably a combination of the Covid effect and the weather forecast.
Last edited by j0hnbarker; 17th August 2020 at 08:56.
I finally managed to get a stripped stud out of the cylinder block.
Blood, sweat, tears, Plus-Gas, hammer, punches, angle grinder, blowtorch and finally the purchase of a stud extractor.
Sod you BMW and your thread lock.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Behold, my chariot until the spring/summer next year as I need to build confidence for the DA.
The supreme power of 11 horses and a top speed of less than 60mph with a seat wide enough for comfy bum.
(Suzuki van-van)
That looks like a hoot!Behold, my chariot until the spring/summer next year as I need to build confidence for the DA.
The supreme power of 11 horses and a top speed of less than 60mph with a seat wide enough for comfy bum.
(Suzuki van-van)
That's a great choice!
Agreed, good choice. You can do a bit of off road riding too!
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