Categories
Maintenance

Servicing the Honda CBF500

Honda-CBF-500-Service-Balance-Carbs
Balancing Carbs

After buying a second-hand bike it’s always best to give it a thorough service to ensure it’s in tip-top condition and there are no ugly surprises. The seller had informed me this CFB500 was due its yearly service, so I set about completing all the usual chores: new air filter, oil change and new filter, new spark plugs, cleaning brakes, checking clutch/throttle play, checking chain tension, emptying breather tubes and generally greasing everything as needed. I like the Haynes manuals for jobs like this, both as a checklist of jobs and for info on bike specifics.

I also gave the carburettors a balance and doused the bike in ACF50 whilst I had the tank off. Being a twin, balancing the two carbs was a doddle. A quick whizz round the block confirmed everything was running sweet and a well-deserved cuppa was in order.

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Riding

Autumn Ride to North Wales

For this half term holiday, I had the chance to undertake one last ride for the year, out to North Wales to catch up with family whilst having a blast on the bike. I took Friday off work to ride up but didn’t set off until near lunch as I waited for the rain to abate. The roads remained wet for most of the afternoon and the weather was grey. I took things steady, even though there were much fun and technical bends to negotiate. The route was very similar to the one I undertook last time: London, Aylesbury, Buckingham, Brackley, Banbury, Stratford-upon-Avon, Droitwich, Kidderminster, Bridgenorth, Shrewsbury and finishing in Welshpool. Nightfall hit I passed Bridgenorth, whereupon I was glad I had the Fazer with decent headlights and enjoyed the London’s novelty that is the main beam.

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Motorcycles

Honda CBF500 Bargain

This week I picked up this CBF500 bargain for my wife. For sometime now, she’s been hankering for a bike, something simply and low to get back into biking properly after nearly 15 years. A while ago we tried an old Kawasaki ZZR400 but it just wasn’t a good fit for Mary – too wide, too heavy, too tall and too much of stretch to the bars. She just wasn’t comfortable or confident on it, so it didn’t stay long.

A while ago, Mary had a great back-to-biking session at the local training centre 1 Stop Instruction on a lowered CBF500, hence we opted for this bargain. It’s definitely a commuter hack, certainly not pristine, but it’s mechanically sound and should be ideal to regain confidence. It’s a 2006 model, with 44K on clock. Engine is good, forks seals recently done, tyres 1 year old, chain/sprocket have plenty of life, wheel and head race bearing seem goo, no holes in downpipes and it came 6 months MOT left.  It’s been down a couple of times, with some minor dents to tank and crack in front fender, but still a bargain at £900.

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Categories
Maintenance

Motorcycle Maintenance Month

Following the summer, things haven’t been terrible exciting around here. Kids have gone back to school, work has been busy and this month has mostly been spent catching up on essential maintenance chores. The trusty Fazer has done 6000 miles since Feb, so I’ve done the regular oil / filter change, cleaned the K&N air filter, greased, checked everything and gave the bike a good covering of ACF50 ready the winter ahead.

FZS600-Brake-Clean-1

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Maintenance

7 Motorcycle Storage Tips for the Winter Months

When you buy the motorcycle of your dreams, whether it’s a high performance superbike, statement Harley or a lovingly restored Triumph, you’ll naturally want to protect your investment. Of course, not all of us have the luxury of a garage or a dry spot where we can store our bikes throughout the year. But don’t let the threat of rust, dirt, crime and careless drivers keep you awake at night. Instead, as the days start to draw in and the mercury drops, think carefully about your storage options and put the essential preparatory work in place.

Here are a few top tips…

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Categories
Riding

Summer Ride Outs Via Finchingfield

FinchingfieldRideOutAug15-5Not a lot beats a hot August for getting out on the bike and enjoying oneself.  Which is exactly what I’ve been doing this last couple of weekends, lots of exploration on many an Essex ride out, which invariable entails a stop in Finchingfield. This picturesque village is quite the Mecca for bikers at weekends. With so many great country roads leading to and from it (see routes below), it’s no surprise.

Essex ride out - FinchingfieldBosworth’s Tearooms Cafe still rustles up fine food, although did change ownership earlier this year which has led to some menu changes and price increases. Their ice cream kiosk is still very much welcomed on hot days when sweating like a pig in full leathers.

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Categories
Riding

Another Jaunt Across Middle England

Wroxton, Warwarkshire, UK

Just home from another long jaunt across the middle of England, from London to Shrewsbury, and back. Catching up with family for the weekend up in Shrewsbury, Welshpool and surrounding areas. I took a slightly different route from last time, running a little further North.

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Categories
Maintenance

Clutch Cable Swap

I’ve had trouble with my clutch slipping lately, it’s really noticeable when trying to press on or accelerate on an overtake. I’ll give it a twist, the engine rev’s like mad for a couple of seconds, before the clutch finally catches and I shoot off like a rocket!

Clutch Cable SwapOf course I’ve been tweaking the clutch cable adjusters, in case it simply wasn’t engaging enough. Both at the lever and down at the sprocket cover. Next up was this new clutch cable, to eradicate any issues from stretched or sticking wire. It was a quick and simple swap and the Haynes manual was actually rather good for this job. The old cable certainly had a lot of resistance in it, plus a little kinked near the lever.

If this doesn’t resolve it, I’ll be ordering a set of new clutch plates and springs shortly, before heading down to OMC again…

Categories
Riding

Scenic Ride Back From Shrewsbury

Over the weekend I rode up to Shrewsbury on the bike to see family. Heading North I took boring motorways, but on my return South I took a far more enjoyable and scenic route:

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Categories
Riding

IAM Skill For Life Test Passed – Yippee!

IAM-SkillForLife-Pass

I’ve finally done it, I’ve passed my IAM Skill For Life Course, I’m now officially an ‘advanced rider’.

I started the course back in January, when I signed up with the East London Advanced Motorcyclists (ELAM) group. The course is based upon the Motorcycle roadcraft police rider’s handbook, but is presented through a slightly more digestible ‘How to be a better rider’ book (included  with the course). The ELAM group begin the course in a fairly structured manner; starting with a machine control day on an airfield to practice slow manoeuvres, emergency stops and slalom. This is followed by 5 observed ride outs roughly every fortnight, each concentrating on particular areas, e.g. overtaking, bends, motorways, town riding etc. There were also 3 theory night sessions around these rides which covered the ‘system’ – an underlying principle to apply to your riding, various best practices and many legal points.

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