Another Sylvie Modification

As many of you know, I am very proud of my beautiful Suzuki SV650. I have done a lot of work on her, made a few modifications slowing turning her into a very capable touring bike. I love the pull from the now unrestricted engine and find that she is powerful enough to really put the miles in, even when fully loaded with panniers and tank bag.

The most recent modification are a combination of practical and cosmetic and for this, I have a friend in a motorcycle forum to thank. The modification is such a simple and elegant piece of engineering because it is simply the adjuster plates that hold the rear wheel.

Old above and new below

The old plates are made from mild steel, they bend when the wheel nut is tightened and on one occasion, twisted around the swing arm and scratched the aluminium rather badly. The new units are made from high grade stainless steel which is much harder and holds the wheel in perfect alignment. The small markers cut into the new plates make putting the wheel in straight, a very easy job and once tightened they look lovely.

So, I hear you ask, what is that strange arm coming off the the plate on the left? Well my dear friends, that is a mount for an oil feed pipe. This puts the nozzle from my fabulous Tutoro in just the perfect place to ensure that the chain is well lubricated.

Oil Feed pipe from my Tutoro Oiler

So folks, if any of you ride a Pointy SV, then get yourself over to the SV forum and find a chap called Bibio, he is the one who made these fabulous plates and his prices are more than reasonable.

A very clean Sylvie back wheel

My final words on this are a little thank you to Bibio, he did the research and development himself and put his own money into this before he offered to sell the parts. He also has other items for sale that make working on your SV a whole lot easier.

So well done Bibio and thank you for your effort.

Death Metal

A Night in Weston Super Mare

What can I say? This was a local gig in a snooker club, with local bands, most of whom do not look old enough to drink alcohol or even reach high enough to even see over a snooker table let alone play on it. DJ Ghost told me about the gig and asked me if I wanted to go along with him. “Why not?” I thought, “it is at least a night out!” I was not expecting a lot to be honest.

I was wrong.

Very, very wrong…

We found the venue, the Green Baize in the centre of Weston and noticed that there were the usual sort of metal fans hanging about outside having a smoke. From inside came the delicious sound of Iron Man by Black Sabbath, gently muffled by closed doors and a large stairway. We climbed the stairs, the music getting louder, the atmosphere getting darker!

Inside, it was pretty bleak, a dark cavernous room, a small stage and what looked like a feeble PA system. A few bearded twenty somethings wandered around looking cool, t-shirts emblazoned with the names of much loved heavy metal bands. I was warming to the venue, right up until the first band hit the stage and then I fell in love with the place.

The first band, Theories of Revolution, were a group of young lads all of whom looked like fairly typical metal head types, straggly beards, faded t-shirts and yet rather more pairs of glasses than you usually see head banging. They played the sort of rousing metal that makes men with very large and much sharper swords, charge naked (except for a covering of blue war paint!) into battle screaming obscenities! They did a couple of covers with the skill you expect from a regularly gigging pub band, but then announced that they had not played a gig together for well over a year. A band with no practice should not sound that good. A thirty minute set just did not feel long enough.

Theories of Revolution

The second band were frankly amazing, they blasted a pure brutal death metal, played with the smothering intensity of a land slide. I was happily buried by Gelgothen and knew by half way through the first song that I really liked this band. The humour of the band was clearly coming through, they loved making the music almost as much as the crowd loved hearing it. However the two second song had me in fits, the introduction to the song lasted longer than the song itself and yes, they were good, reminding me of Napalm Death at their most fun brutality.

Gelgothen

Band number three were Made to Waste, a biblical apocalyptic terror given the form of a death metal band, clearly well rehearsed, using the stage with the casual elegance of a band who know that they own the crowd. This was precision metal artillery, a furious nuclear assault of the most brutal death metal that was showcased that night. Claiming that the pit was enthusiastic is understatement indeed, the pit infront of the stage was mesmerising with the friendly beatings they were giving each other. Yet as soon as the song ends, the hulks that were battering the shit out of each other embrace each other with warmth of the death metal brotherhood. It would be fair to say that this band with their cheeky smiles and ferocious sound wiped the floor with us as we were watching and we loved them for doing it to us. This is a band that deserves the recognition of a big record label and a world tour, they exude the air of a band that have been gigging for more years than they could possibly have been alive. At one point during the start to a particularly brutal song, the lead singer broke a string on his guitar. Stopping the show immediately he showed us with pride the damage done and asked us to cheer until the guitarist from another band lent him another guitar. We cheered because he asked us and we were his to command.

Made to Waste

Made to Waste

While Made to Waste were playing, I was misfortunate enough to see the saddest sight of the evening, which as a lesbian woman I have thought about a lot because I do not want to come across as unkind or militant. So let’s not beat about the bush (trust me, I have tried that and the result is not fun!), young women in the metal scene; stop trying to excite male members of the pit by making them think that just maybe, they can participate in a three way with you and your pretty female friend! Flashing your knickers while your friend grinds away at your nether regions really does nothing for your dignity. So stop it!

Made to Waste

Throne of Demise hit the stage while I was chatting with friends. However, I am not sure if that was their name to be honest, at the start of the gig they claimed to now be called the Mother Fuckers! With a sound that reminded me in parts of Pantera or even Slayer, they stormed across the stage with enthusiastic brutality, mixing classic death metal growls with clean vocals. However, following a band like Made to Waste would be a challenge even for Slayer or Pantera, so a band that sounded similar was going to struggle.

Throne of Demise

Between the bands a couple of local DJ’s filled the quiet with some classic old school metal, the beer flowed and the atmosphere never swayed from loving good nature. I have been a metal head since my teens and I have never taken for granted that loving embrace of comradeship shared between drunken death metal fans. It is one of the most brutal forms of music, with a lyrical content that can shock and horrify, but at it’s heart is a feeling that just maybe, things can be good if you just tried being nice to other people and listen to brutal 

Death fucking Metal

Both Ghost and I had a wicked time, I started from a point of view that was expecting a few kids squawking out badly played Nirvana covers. But we were knocked sideways when professional, well rehearsed and extremely brutal metal bands floored us with a display of aural violence that I have not seen since Extreme Noise Terror in London, back in the nineties. If you get the chance to see any of these bands then do so, you will not be disappointed. 

Gelgothen

Get your filthy hands off my Biking

24^th of June 2012, MAG action day.

Disney never made a film about these two!

If you are reading this, but are not a biker then you may be wondering why Bikers are making so much fuss at the moment about proposed legislation coming direct from Unelected Bureaucrats working in the offices of power with in the EU. More directly, you may be wondering why a load of bikers held up the traffic today in the middle of the day while wearing very large yellow t-shirts shouting about the EU?

Well, there is a very good reason, or to be brutally honest a whole pile of reason, but here is a brief synopsis taken from MAG themselves on why they are very concerned about this new legislation.

o                 It aims to restrict the possibility of carrying out modifications to motorcycle power-trains (from the airbox down to and including the radius of the rear tyre) - your campaigning efforts so far have helped to roll-back some aspects of this threat but we are still faced with proposals to make it far more difficult to work on future bikes and to add cost and complexity to bike ownership.

o                 It aims to prevent engine re-mapping

o                 It admits that there is no evidence to say there is a problem caused by modifications, or what size that 'problem' may be.

o                 It aims to make 'Advanced Braking Systems' compulsory on every machine from 125cc up, adding hugely to the purchase price of cheap commuters.

o                 It aims to limit the availability of aftermarket parts that may alter performance

o                 Much of the technical substance of exactly what is included may not be written until after the regulation has become law, instead the Commission will use 'Delegated Acts' to make changes and it is unclear how effectively these will be scrutinised.

o                 The European Ombudsman has found the Commission has a case to answer that the legislation has been drafted in breach of European Treaties (which requires evidence to justify a new law)

o                 Other procedures seem to be at odds with democratic accountability

Taken directly from the MAG Website,

 http://www.mag-uk.org/en/campaignsdetail/a6989

Strong stuff, but what does any of it mean? Basically if you buy a bike and then intend to modify it in anyway. Tough, you wont be able to. No funky tyres, no race exhausts and no way you are going to be allowed to take out that wimpy cam shaft and put a nice race one in that de-tuned GSXR engine you bunged in your heavily chopped Streetfighter frame. Add to that they want you to fit ABS to every bike on the market, even if it is a super cheap training bike. Let’s be honest, ABS is an option and not every one likes it. Personally, I had ABS on the Honda I rode a while back and to be frank the brakes on that lacked feel because they were just horrible. The brakes on my SV are simple “twin piston in a floating calliper” units and they are both strong and effective. In use they have loads of feel and can stop very well. ABS would be an option, but would it be nice? Also how much would it cost? 

So in protests against this draconian “thou shalt do as thou is told” laws, we all got together and had a bit of a shout on the motorway. Those present in the Van were Biker Rock Radio Boss, Steve and his Biker Rock crew of DJ Ghost and Prof Plums. On the bikes were a rather broken Jayne (still suffering with a poorly shoulder) riding a shiny and clean Sylvie and Carol with Alex on Noreen.

On our arrival at Taunton Dean services, our immediate priority was to get the music blasting and get some good biker tunes rousing the crowd of gathering bikers. I am pretty sure that no one expected a PA to turn up or for great music to be present and the guys from MAG quickly came over and said hello. A quick exchange of T-shirts and we were ready to roll.

The Biker Rock Radio Roadshow in action.

The Rozzers come for Jayne and Alex.

At exactly one PM, the convoy started and three hundred bikes rolled out onto the north bound and hit forty miles per hour. It was a magnificent sight and once again I was able to ride with Carol on a huge mass protest ride. On the south bound side of the motorway, another large group of bikers were heading the other direction and nationwide, bikers everywhere had gathered into groups to do exactly the same thing. This truly was an epic protest.

Best parts of the day had to be the smiles and waves of support we got from car drivers, crowds who gathered on bridges and kids watching. But then there is something impressive about three hundred bikes thundering by.

Other sights worthy of note were the birds of prey we saw hunting in the verges between carriage ways or on the sides. I counted several buzzards and had one fly right past me, as we cruised along, clutching it's lunch of a vole in it’s beak.

The ride was a lot of fun, but it had a serious point. That point was this, to those unelected people making decisions for “my benefit”, when you know nothing about me, get your filthy hands off my hobby!

 

A party at Gordano Services after the protest ride.

It is not just two wheels being threatened.

Prof Plums showing off his Woofers

It's a dirty job, but...

So then fellow bikers, how often do you check your chain and give it a good going over with the oil? 

Yes, motorcycle chains, damn dirty things covered in the sort of filth that should be kept well below counter if you ask me! But does it have to be this way, does a chain have to be loaded with grease that holds grit and turns into a grinding paste? 

Up until recently I was using a spray can of chain grease to keep Sylvie's chain alive, through harsh winter commuting and pouring spring rain. After a very cold winter ride in freshly fallen snow (not an experience I ever wish to repeat, I can tell you) I was too cold to sort out her chain before putting her back in the garage, so when I got to her the following morning, rust had set in and as that winter progressed, despite regular maintenance, that chain slowly chewed itself to bits. However with sixteen thousand miles on it, I can say with a small degree of confidence that it did petty well. But that chain grease, is it actually any good?

So when I fitted a new chain a while back along with a Tutoro automatic chain oiler to keep it healthy. Well, maybe not fully automatic, but for fifteen quid you can't go wrong. One hundred miles to a tube of oil and an always smooth and clean chain. There is a little fling on the rear wheel, but not more than the chain grease. However, as the oil is flung off, new oil is dripped on to replace it, can you say the same for the can of grease sat in the garage?

Sylvie proudly shows off her Tutoro

So that was that. Well until I was so impressed that I contacted Tutoro and gave them a lovely letter saying that I was greatly impressed with their product and was going to share the word among our friends, which sure enough, I did.

A while later Tutoro got in touch again and asked us if we would be interested in being involved in the testing of their brand new automatic oiler? To do so would mean bolting a new and shiny oiler onto my bike and running it around for a couple of weeks and then say what we thought of it. Now let's be honest here, if a chance like this lands in your lap, you are not going to turn it down are you? Being involved in the development of a new product is not only exciting, but is a real honour. So we signed the forms, agreed to keep it secret (which is why you are only hearing about it now, some months after the event) and waited for the new gadget to arrive. 

Then Sylvie was involved a little accident and she had to be sent away for a while to be repaired and I was left riding a Honda CBF600, a bike that at the time I hated, but have recently been remembering fondly. Sylvie was returned eventually, but with several faults that meant that she had to be returned. In the mean time, no Automatic chain oiler for her and the prying eyes of mechanics. 

So we fitted the device to Carol's ZRX1100, also known as Noreen to our regular readers (hello, we love you regular readers, you are awesome!) and then went for a ride. We did have to turn the flow up a little more than some of the others had used in the tests, but it performed very well. When the test stage ended, Tutoro asked that we send the unit back and after a couple of weeks they sent it back to us and kindly said that we could keep it! So it went right back on Noreen. 

Fitting the Auto Oiler to Noreen.

You can see the size of the reservoir here, before it is hidden by the heel plate.

So with that done and dusted we went out riding and my manual unit continued to work perfectly, providing that I remembered to turn it on or turn it off when we stopped anywhere. You know that saying of "bikes do not leak oil, they mark territory!" Well, if you forget to turn off you manual oiler and let's say leave it over night in the garage, the next morning you are faced with a little puddle of incontinence! Territory very well marked... Now this is a very minor issue and to be honest, I only did it once or twice, but it always performed very well. Then one day, the valve started to leak a tiny amount of oil. 

Now an oil leak like this means that the valve would get a bit oily and this would transfer to your gloves when you switched it on. Turns out that it is very simple to fix, you just put a dab of grease on the threads and that seals it back up again. I found this out by writing to the always lovely Tutoro and asking them how to sort it out. 

They then asked me a strange question. Did I still live at the same address? 

A couple of days later while relaxing in the bath (with a poorly shoulder again, but that is another story) the Postman (yes, it was a bloke) rang the bell. Cue me running to the front door, wrapped in a towel with wet hair and a cheeky smile where upon I am presented with a large box, stamped Tutoro! 

Inside was a little note, we are off on our hols, please fit this one to your bike and let us know what you think! Luckily modesty prevailed and I managed to get dressed before rushing down to the garage and sizing up where I wanted it to go. Luckily everything was easy to get to and fitting the new version of the auto oiler was so easy that I think I could do it blindfold! 

With Noreen, we placed the oiler in the space behind the pilots heel plate, but on Sylvie, there was no room there for that. However, I have had a hugger fitted to her and just there on the swinging arm is a now redundant threaded hole. The perfect place to mount my new auto, out of the way and in a place that will stay a little warm even on the coldest winter days, right behind the engine. Chain oil does not enjoy being cold and gets a little thick, this placement was just perfect.

Tutoro Oiler in place on Sylvie.

The run of the oil delivery tube to the nozzle is hidden just out of sight on the bottom of the swinging arm and is so well thought out as to be prefect.

The tube is colourless, the green is the chain oil.

So with that in place it was time for a test ride... Only with a damaged shoulder, the furthest I was riding was the sea front for Bike Night. Oh well, never mind.

So there we go, if you want a chain oiler that is simple to fit, works and works and works with no fuss or plumbing into your bikes important systems, then you wont find anything better than a Tutoro Chain Oiler. Both Noreen and Sylvie wear them now and you know what, I would want it any other way.

In other Sylvie news, her tyres let us down recently when they finally wore out, so it was with a heavy heart and significantly light purse that I headed over to see our friends Steve and Sue at Bridge Motor Services in Weston for some new shoes.

Steve, Sue and Jackie the dog

New tyres are always going to be expensive, but sometimes you can't afford the super technical road and track racing tyres that your heart desires and instead have to make do with the ordinary sports touring tyres that you will actually use. Luckily, they had a lovely pair of Continental Contimotions in stock for me. A quick lift down the shop with my wheels from Steve the boss at Biker Rock Radio and the new shoes were slipped on in a flash. My purse though was not left in the steaming tattered state that it could have been, thanks to both Steve and Sue doing us a big favour.

So I am going to end this post with a list of thanks to those kind people who continue to make my biking experience a damn good one. In no particular order, an absolutely huge round of doughnuts and thanks go out to these people.

Tutoro Chain Oilers

Steve and Sue at Bridge Motor Works

The Reverend Steve of Biker Rock Radio

And all of you who read this stuff. Don't forget, you can leave comments and tell us what you think of our blog.

See you all very soon at Bike Night, every Thursday on Weston Super Mare sea front. 

Full Power, full speed ahead!

Two years ago this week I passed my Motorcycle test, on Henry my plucky little CG125, resulting in my first real ride of Sylvie, my lovely Suzuki SV650 in her restricted form. Two years on and I have been riding around on a restricted bike, been touring with full panniers and have taken many friends for a blast up the road.

So how is it to ride a full power SV650S with a handle bar conversion?

Can I start the engine now please?

There is only one word that fits Sylvie in her unrestricted form, beautiful! I am however once again back on the learning curve and this time it is a little easier. Well it was, then Carol said those word that involve great power... "Have a go on Noreen!" she said...

Right a bit, left a bit... Eek, too much power!

Riding a full power muscle bike is a revelation, but what really shines out is that there is a sense of menace with a bike this powerful, the sort of menace that lurks deep inside, the sort that wants to twist that throttle hard and sprint down the road at super speed... Me naughty? Never!

A perfect track stand, utterly still, the rider in perfect balance with machine!

So with the full power ECU back in place and the 33BHP unit sat in an envelope ready to post off to a person on the SV forum, it was time for a ride. Shame it was so damn cold.

OK, but I am not riding your bike back home!

Yes, good old Sand Bay here in Weston, a place we came when we brought Sylvie to her new home for the very first time, back in the days when a 125cc Bike scared the life out of me.

Through the mists of time, we can see Jayne in 2008!

I can nearly ride a bike me!

Now with us both on full power bikes at last, Carol no longer has to hang around at the back waiting for me to catch up. Although, in all fairness to the fabulous Sylvie, even restricted she was able to make good time on her trips out. So now I have to start learning again how to ride my bike and as a full power bike she is just awesome. So for a training ride with the wife, we headed out to Blagdon to buy some food for Alby the Barnowl. With two frozen chicks strapped to the back of Noreen, we got ready to ride home and then the heavens opened.

Got there safe, time to buy some Alby dinner.

Here comes the rain

Jayne enjoying British spring time

The ride home was awesome and watching Carol disappear into the distance reminds of just how far I have come and how far I still want to achieve. Learning to ride a bike well is not something that can be rushed with a five day training course, it is about learning skills, building experience and getting through the mistakes. Riding well takes practice and it takes training, so if I had to do my time again, I would still do it the same way. If you are about to start riding a bike, do it my way and really enjoy the learning. Every bike I have ridden so far has been an awesome place to be sat, be it Henry the Honda CG125, Agnes the Yamaha XJ400 or My dear Sylvie the Suzuki SV650S. Maybe one day when my skills are a little more refined I can enjoy the experience of taking Noreen the Kawasaki ZRX1100 for a ride, but that wont happen until I am ready and for that there is no rush.

Thank you Carol for all of your patience, training and advice, all of it was greatly appreciated. 

Forking Hey!

Have you ever started a job and then wished that you had not? We have all done it, tidied out the dusty cupboard and found why it is so dusty and in need of tidying! Well think about your bike suspension forks, when was the last time you thought about their insides?

Having owned the gorgeous and glamorous Sylvie since 2008, I thought that it is about time we changed her fork oil and greased up the head bearings. A simple job you would think, not more than two hours if you go slowly. Oh I wish it was so easy...

First things to find were the seized in Allen bolts that hold the front mudguard, with the rear of the threaded aluminium attachment point open to the air, the dry fitted steel bolt did what comes naturally and bonded in place,never to let go again. So armed with numerous drill bits from tiny to slightly less tiny, I attacked the bolt. Only to screw it up and snap off the head before I could drill it out properly. Not a happy teddy!

With the forks out it was time to change the oil and what came out was vile grey sludge, pretending to be oil. Cleaned out and refilled with lovely fresh oil, the forks felt spritely and alive. Then it came to the head bearing and we discovered much to my annoyance that the aluminum lock nuts had been cross threaded and did not want to budge. It took an age to get them off and gave me skinned knuckles, a case of Tourettes and an evil scowl. Once open, the head races were almost dry, so I cleaned them up, checked for damage and was hapy to find that all was well.

Interestingly, my lovely Giant XtC Mountain Bike has a better set of head bearings than this much heavier motorcycle. The Giant has a Woodman Components triple bearing headset, needle rollers in the very bottom race and with two further sets of ball races above. The Suzuki has two simple ball races, I have not seen a set up this crude since working on cheap Raleigh push bikes! Oh by the way, the Giant is still for sale and we are open to offers!

For Sale, the Bike not the Bird!

So with the ball races greased and back together, it was time to refit the dreaded Aluminium locking nuts. Which went on smoothly and easily, proving that if you don't cross thread these things they can be fitted with the correct tool.

With everything back in place it was time to fit the forks which slid home with some encouragement and then the wheel. Sadly, it had got dark by this time and I had discovered that the Magnetic rotor that works the speedo was broken, leaving that repair for another day.

Luckily for me, my Darling Carol was about to video the process for you lucky people.

Please excuse the swearing, cursing and general debauchery of working in the garage!

It is service time again...

It has been a while since we posted, but this sadly is because not much has happened. I am sad to report that Noreen the ZRX is currently languishing in the garage in need of some work, along with Agnes the XJ. Yoshi the DT50 has now gone to Alex, but as is the way with these things, it broke down the day before his CBT. Alex took his CBT on a moped and passed, as we knew he would, but the DT50 is resolutely refusing to run properly.

Then we get to Sylvie, my trusty SV650S, she has had a another hard winter, but you would not know it by looking at her. Last autumn I gave her a good coat of a corrosion preventative spray called ACF50 and this stuff is amazing. I swear that there is less corrosion on her now than there was at the end of last summer! At the start of the spring, I gave Sylvie her first wash of the year and cleaned off a winters worth of commuting filth. Under the grime in shiny glory was my precious Sylvie.

But all was not well, Sylvie's clutch was slightly out of adjustment. So I made a little video.

Well, I say that I made a video, this is of course complete lies, all I did was record some footage on my little camera before the battery ran out! Then I handed the footage over to Carol and let her perform her black magic on the Mac!

While she was doing this, she also decided that it was about time that we released our work on our side project.

PLACES I HAVE BEEN MISERABLE!

Yes, it is our aim to find really stunningly beautiful places and thoroughly un-enjoy them!
Check out the footage...

So this is what we have been up to, don't worry, we have not forgotten you all.

Until next time.
Byeeeeeee
XXX