Me in the U(c)K

[Posh Tourer :P]

Sorry to hear about your hassles mate. You shoulda bought a BMW, hear they're supposed to be reliable.

So I hear..... They also tend to cost more than £750...... and the ones that dont, arent really that reliable-looking

I would have if I could afford it..... I was planning on getting this one running well, giving it a good wash and selling it at a profit....... We'll see how that goes... It really is a bit small to tour on, so i'll probably still sell it eventually..... Just heard that I have a job for the next six months, so maybe I'll keep this for a bit longer.....

[James Deuce]

So I hear..... They also tend to cost more than £750...... and the ones that dont, arent really that reliable-looking

I would have if I could afford it..... I was planning on getting this one running well, giving it a good wash and selling it at a profit....... We'll see how that goes... It really is a bit small to tour on, so i'll probably still sell it eventually..... Just heard that I have a job for the next six months, so maybe I'll keep this for a bit longer.....

Job!!

x=job
y=UK
z=beer

x+y=z!

Be vewy, vewy, careful

[Sniper]

Haha, funny

[Milky]

The dreaded Honda cam chain - 2 on a V twin,as it wears the cam timing will advance - until the inlet valves hit the piston,3 valve heads,and um,2 are inlet....bugger.

That really seems strange... Methought that the camchain would have to slip teeth to get the valves to touch the piston. Maybe they run very low clearance when at TDC?

Good to hear you got a job Maarten. Is it that one setting up at carshows?
I did an oil/brake fluid/plugs/timing etc on the BM and it is running much better now. In many ways it is a step backwards from the ZXR, but then again, it is much more useful in others. It is growing on me, and the more I ride it the more it seems like a step sideways

[Motu]

That really seems strange... Methought that the camchain would have to slip teeth to get the valves to touch the piston. Maybe they run very low clearance when at TDC?

They have a very close clearance,with a long chain the wear is so great that it advances the cam quite a bit.I've seen it so bad on Lada's that when you adjust the cam chain with the engine running the valves start hitting pistons with a hell of a lot of noise,scary shit - ''ah...I was just doing an adjustment on your car,and it...um,blew up?''...'yeah,right'

[vifferman]

They have a very close clearance,with a long chain the wear is so great that it advances the cam quite a bit.

Yeah, wot he said.
And Honda are shit at making camchains and/or tensioners. They suck! They friggin suck, I tellsya!!

My first Honda's camchain had so much 'fling' it had eaten a big piece out of the castings on the inside of the engine.
Second Honda was unusual - no camchain rattle at all! Brilliant!
(But being a two-smoke, it did have some piston slap... )

Third and fourth Hondas rattled.

Fifth one whined. No camchain rattles though but however. No camchains...

The VTR ate some vlaves (mmmm.... tasty...) as well as some valves before I bought it. So, I fitted A.P.E. manual tensioners, and found that if they were overtightened it actually made a significant and noticeable difference to the way the engine ran, as the camchain guide effectively rotated the cams backward slightly from where they should have been.
But at least it didn't rattle. Much.

Seventh Honda has a cakemixer where the engine normally resides...

[Milky]

The beast itself...

[moko]

Those Hondas are known for being pretty-well bullet-proof as a rule PT.
Get yourself down to the South-West if you`re on your O.E. rather than have a reason for staying in "Norfuck",all kinds of bike stuff going down,Paignton bike night every week,Poole Harbour likewise(both a serious blast),Plymouth mega-ride e.t.c.
Try posting on www.realclassic.co.uk ,bunch of old farts but good guys and I`m sure you`ll find someone to meet up with,you`ll get loads of advice about your mechanical woes for sure.While you`re here mate,anything I can do,anytime just shout.

[Posh Tourer :P]

Job!!

x=job
y=UK
z=beer

x+y=z!

Be vewy, vewy, careful

Lol done that already.....

Working (x) for the guy where I am staying at the moment (y), and we got into z (plus wine and port) after having dinner....

I didnt walk a very straight line back to my tent after that one

[Posh Tourer :P]

Good to hear you got a job Maarten. Is it that one setting up at carshows?

Correct...

I did an oil/brake fluid/plugs/timing etc on the BM and it is running much better now. In many ways it is a step backwards from the ZXR, but then again, it is much more useful in others. It is growing on me, and the more I ride it the more it seems like a step sideways

Good good. I knew it needed some attention, but it wasnt so bad that I was ready to bother. You'll want to touch it up every 3 months if you start getting picky.....

Havent you sold the ZXR yet?

The beemer does take quite a bit of getting used to, but I think it'll teach you a lot more than the ZXR will about riding well. It is in some ways less forgiving (throttle in corners), and in some ways more so (road surfaces). If you concentrate, you can get plenty of feedback from the Metzlers, and you can really push it, without having to do insanely fast speeds or (very) high lean angles.

Tho Walter did say i was about to drag the pot on the right......

Of course, it'll also carry a lot more stuff, more comfortably..... I was surprised how well it handled in the twisties on the Tokaanu rally - loaded up heavily, it still flicked around and scraped the sidestand confidently....

[Posh Tourer :P]

Those Hondas are known for being pretty-well bullet-proof as a rule PT.
Get yourself down to the South-West if you`re on your O.E. rather than have a reason for staying in "Norfuck",all kinds of bike stuff going down,Paignton bike night every week,Poole Harbour likewise(both a serious blast),Plymouth mega-ride e.t.c.
Try posting on www.realclassic.co.uk ,bunch of old farts but good guys and I`m sure you`ll find someone to meet up with,you`ll get loads of advice about your mechanical woes for sure.While you`re here mate,anything I can do,anytime just shout.

Well, bullet-proof as they might be, the guys at the Honda garage reckon its done a big end bearing....... If you can help to get it back on the road for less than £450, that'd be awesome..... My current plan is to wreck it and sell the bits to needy couriers.....

In the meantime, I've bought myself an XJ600 Diversion (with a few miles on it) to get me and my gear around the place.

I was down South-East, and visited Southampton on my way to 'Norfuck'. However, this job gets me all over the place anyways. I don't mind Norwich, but the roads around are dead boring - flat and straight.

Havent had time to get myself on realclassic yet. Been looking in MCN tho - they have a list of bike meets all over the place.

[Posh Tourer :P]

Ok, I have updated my gmail account with all the pics in it to make it a bit easier for you all to see it...... They now have thumbnails

There's pics of the diversion, Top Farm, me working in KB t-shirt etc etc.

https://gmail.google.com

pm me for a password and username if you want to have a look. Someone's been screwing about with it.....

[Milky]

Good good. I knew it needed some attention, but it wasnt so bad that I was ready to bother. You'll want to touch it up every 3 months if you start getting picky.....

It NEEDED attention. As in wouldnt idle unless you set the idle speed to 1800 rpm because it was missing so much.

Havent you sold the ZXR yet?

Good things take time, and it is a good thing. Dave it taking a long break from work, and has pledged that it is on the top of his list. Or was when I last talked to him...

The beemer does take quite a bit of getting used to, but I think it'll teach you a lot more than the ZXR will about riding well. It is in some ways less forgiving (throttle in corners), and in some ways more so (road surfaces). If you concentrate, you can get plenty of feedback from the Metzlers, and you can really push it, without having to do insanely fast speeds or (very) high lean angles.

The throttle in corners almost got me when I was going round a roundabout and had to stop when someone pulled out. It tightens the corner up considerably if you snap off the throttle... I am not too keen on the lack of solidity from the frame/tyres, but I guess I will get used to it after a while - Hell I thought the CB125 was a safe enough bike once The lack of lightness in the front end when accellerating out of corners feels bizarre at the moment. It just speeds up without that slingshot feeling you get from the 400 (or any chain drive bike I guess...)
I agree that it will teach me more about riding well - In no way is it as capable on seal as the ZXR, and I feel it will take more rider... nous? to get it to perform in a similar way. Eventually I will take it on some rides to learn it better, but at the moment it is serving as transport into the FSAE garage - Tamaki campus - on monday nights, and some thursdays to fencing when I cant be bothered bicycling. Some would say it is almost retired...

[Posh Tourer :P]

It NEEDED attention. As in wouldnt idle unless you set the idle speed to 1800 rpm because it was missing so much.

What have you been doing to the poor wee beastie???

Good things take time, and it is a good thing. Dave it taking a long break from work, and has pledged that it is on the top of his list. Or was when I last talked to him....

Yup....

The throttle in corners almost got me when I was going round a roundabout and had to stop when someone pulled out. It tightens the corner up considerably if you snap off the throttle... I am not too keen on the lack of solidity from the frame/tyres, but I guess I will get used to it after a while - Hell I thought the CB125 was a safe enough bike once The lack of lightness in the front end when accellerating out of corners feels bizarre at the moment. It just speeds up without that slingshot feeling you get from the 400 (or any chain drive bike I guess...)
I agree that it will teach me more about riding well - In no way is it as capable on seal as the ZXR, and I feel it will take more rider... nous? to get it to perform in a similar way. Eventually I will take it on some rides to learn it better, but at the moment it is serving as transport into the FSAE garage - Tamaki campus - on monday nights, and some thursdays to fencing when I cant be bothered bicycling. Some would say it is almost retired...

Ack...:S sell that ZXR and give it some regular work. It likes being regular, just like humans do.....

[Posh Tourer :P]

Well, I suppose it is time to get around to emailing everyone with the
obligatory 'wot I dun on my holidays' speil.

So, we'd better start at the beginning... We flew out of Auckland
heading for LA, in what I thought would be a non-stop flight, like it said
on my ticket. However, once we got in the air, we discovered that we were
heading for Tahiti for a "short stop". Five hours later we touched down at
the airport, 8pm local time, in misty drizzle. We got off the plane and
walked across the tarmac to the airport, and filed up to go through customs
checks to the transit lounge. It was still about 25° and it felt like 100%
humidity, and we sat there working up a nice sweat for an hour before we got

back on the plane to LA. Due to some unfortunate loitering for just a second

too long after going through customs, my hand luggage was checked, and they
stole my tweezers out of my medical kit...The rest of the flight to LA was
fairly uneventful, apart from the rubbery, over-sugared, luke-warm
(including the "salads") "food". I chatted for a while to the stereotypical
large american man next to me, who turned out to be not nearly so
stereotypical in the way he talked, being (thankfully) fairly quiet and
reserved.

Getting off at LA was a shock though. The airport has got to be one of the
worst places to spend a day that I have ever seen. A grey concrete
characterless, colourless monolith with no redeeming features whatsoever.
The weather was nice (16° and fine), but the airport was depressing. There
wasnt much point in me going out anywhere, as the airport is a lot of
money's worth away from anywhere, and free stuff to do is not readily
apparent in LA. So I amused myself by watching the fully armed (pistol in
holster plus rifle on bike) motorcycle cops go about their business, while
listening to the regular announcements from the airport PA - "You are not
required to give money to solicitors. This airport does not endorse their
activities. I repeat, this airport does not endorse their activities" - and
trying to write a diary. I met up with a lady and her young kid who were
taking the same flights as me, and heading home to Bristol after a holiday
in Christchurch. That was good as the little girl was quite happy to chat
and tell me all about her holiday in New Zealand... It helped pass the time
until the check-in desk opened again. Did I mention that the airport is also

almost completely deserted, apart from check in times, when everyone
suddenly appears from nowhere and causes a brief burst of human colour in a
grey bleak building?? Ah well....

So anyway, getting onto Virgin Atlantic was a revolution after Air Tahiti
Nui......The waitresses were nicer, the plane was nicer, there was no-one
sitting right next to me, and the entertainment system was HUGELY better....

Air Tahiti had 4 movies playing for everyone, while Virgin had a selection
of about 20, plus 20 Simpsons episodes, and loads of other stuff, all on
demand... Consequently, I didn't get nearly the amount of sleep that I had
planned on getting...I saw two movies - The Incredibles and Team America World Police - both very good, as well as two Simpsons episodes, and got about 2 hours
sleep...... The food was immeasurably better as well, still not brilliant,
but certainly edible - something which I'd had doubts about on Air Tahiti.

We flew in to England over Scotland and Northern Ireland, and then down to
Heathrow. There were, between clouds, patches of snow on the ground, all the

way down to London. It was very cold when I arrived in Heathrow, but at
least the airport was nicer than LA.... I took the bus to Gatwick to meet my

cousin Kevin. My first introduction to the English public transport system
was a bus delayed by 25 minutes, as they couldnt find a driver to get it to
go anywhere...... Still, we'd left plenty of time for me to meet my cousin,
so I still had to wait around at Gatwick for about half an hour before he
arrived.

We went back to a small town by the name of Edenbridge, where Kevin, Helen
and their 3 boys (Nathan, Laurence and Christopher - 5, 8 and 13) are packed

into a small 3 bedroom semi-detached house.... The next morning, it snowed.
We had about an inch or so of settling snow, but it was gone again by
lunchtime.... Thanks England

I stayed in Edenbridge for a couple of weeks, getting my feet on the ground,

and learning to play darts - I even made a debut in the social league as a
reserve, playing against my cousin's team. I bought myself a bike ('87 (?)
Honda Bros 400), and

made a few trips into London, mainly to sort out my bank account, which,
although the system is antiquated, was easier than I expected it to be. I
got a leaflet with my new card, exhorting me to try out their new chip and
pin system, and explaining that you no longer needed to sign for every
purchase, and telling me to be patient as everyone learned how to use the
new pin entry machines :-)

I was considering becoming a London motorcycle courier (£1500 a year TPFT
insurance !!!) when I noticed a job for "Event Operators" in TNT
magazine...One interview later, I had an appointment in Norwich to do an
"assessment day". I took a fairly circuitous route, via stays in Stockbridge

(Winchester) and Maidstone. The last day, Maidstone to Norwich, was wet.
Very wet. It rained for 3 hours, from the time I left Maidstone, to the time

I got to Norwich. As I'd taken the M25 in the first spell of rain for a
while, everything got covered in more dirt and crap than you could imagine.
Grit, salt, dirt, you name it, it got on to my gear..... I checked into the
B&B (booked & paid by work) early and tried to dry out....

The assessment day was pleasant enough, and everyone else (they employ about

40 seasonal workers every year) seemed to be good people. After this I
managed to find a very cheap (£3
a night) campground, just north of Norwich. Top Farm turned out to be my
home for the next wee while, as I hung around waiting to find out if I had
the job. Having got the job, my bike promptly shat itself, and I spent quite

a bit of time working for Clive at Top Farm while waiting for another bike
to come my way. And it did, in the form of an XJ600 Diversion, in
Colchester. Clive, who by this time was very impressed with my work ethic (I

didnt believe what he said - "guys your age in this country wouldnt work
half as hard" - at the time, but more experience leads me to believe that he

was in fact not exaggerating at all.......), and offered to drop me at the
station to catch a train to Colchester. I got there, walked halfway across
town, stopped and asked or directions and realised that I had, luckily, been

going in the right direction. Got to the bike shop and bought the bike, and
rode it home, via some interesting B-roads.

Work again put me up in a hotel for the first week of training, and along
with the rest of the London based guys, we hatched a cunning plan. Which
ended up roughly in the lower-middle reaches of cunning, as we found a flat,

in pretty poor condition, and about 10 miles from work. Not having a lot of
choice, we took it, and it has turned out better than expected..... I even
managed to get a double bed and a single room.....

Work, although I havent really done anything big yet, seems to be good - the

company looks after you (see hotels etc) and the guys there are really
helpful. Hence I'm about to put a new engine in my Bros at work, in the
warehouse There are some pictures that probably explain better than I
could what we do, so I'll leave it to them.

Oh and if you have looked at my gmail account, you are probably wondering
who the girl is.... While I was staying at Top Farm, although out for the
day, she turned up with a tent. Clive, being the wonderful man that he is,
told her all about this other really nice guy who was tenting too. The
result was, when I got back and off my bike I was bombarded by questions
from someone I didnt know about what I'd been doing for the day....
Nevertheless, she seemed like a nice enough girl, so I accepted her
invitation to head into Norwich for the evening. We went to The Castle - a
well set up pub with a separate dance-club out the back called the Barn. It
also happened to be a gay pub - not that she realised that of course - but
it made for an interesting night. We met a couple at the pool table and
headed off with them to The Loft - a gay club in the main party street.
Regardless of the orientation of the club, I had a great night.... Everyone
was much more relaxed and friendly than in most clubs, and they'd come up
and chat to you at random times for no real reason. Of course there were
some there, straight and gay, male and female, who were on the pull, but it
didn't matter, and it didn't seem to make anyone uptight and nervous about
what they said to who and who looked at them in what way.... So, thats that
story - I wouldnt have gone on about it, but I felt it needed
emphasising just how different it was to anywhere else I've been...