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Well, here we are again, its come round fast this year (I must be getting old!)
To catch up; the exhaust strap on the GPZ broke off again, I held it together with 2 jubilee clips, which lastest two days, then a coat hanger which lasted long enough until I could get down to see J & B Classics in Salfords who fabricated a new hanger for me on the spot! Excellent workmanship for fantastic value. Its still a semi temporary repair - held on with my original jubliee clips but as there is now no blowing I'm happy it will last till well into next year.
Clutch and starter are both working well, thank goodness. The rectifier I won on ebay has arrived for the ZZR, so just need to find time to fit that and then a new battery and that one is back to working although I still need to replace the hugger following that massive puncture which ripped it to shreds, and send the LH silencer off to Motad to be reskinned.
It's mainly be a rush to get Christmas all wrapped up, didn't seem to be any time to plan this year, got a bit depressed over it all really, but we got there in the end.
I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a lovely holiday!
Pride goes before a fall, ups must have their downs etc etc... and yes it does seem to be the case. Took the GPZ out on Sunday to Guildford with Mikey and on the way home, giving it a bit of throttle at the lights I lost most of my drive thrust. The clutch which has from time to time reminded me that its getting old, went completely. We got home, although I had no real power to get off from a standstill and I couldn't get it above 50... and even getting there was a feat!
I've taken the VTR to work every day this week. Thursday British Gas were due to come and do a full property check so I booked the day off. Having won some clutch plates on e-bay and ordered the springs, I was going to have a go myself as I simply cannot afford to pay anyone to do it right now.
Springs didn't arrive, so I figured changing the plates alone HAD to have some effect so set about the task. It was a chilly day but I arranged the bikes and tools so I could work inside the garage. I drained the oil - I intended to put the same oil back in as it had only been in the bike for 30 miles! - into a clean pan. I faffed about for ages trying to get the bottom end of the clutch cable off, in the end I spotted the bolt holding the entire bracket to the bike so just undid that - much easier! Bolts from the Clutch cover thankfully came out cleanly (the are of the famous Kwak variety that like to snap off when stuck too hard), loosening the cover was a longer job as it was stuck fast. In the end I used my valve clearance measuring thingys like a knife and sliced round it until it was free.
Once the cover was off it all looked straight forward. I already had my new plates soaking in the oil pan. I got the spring bolts out fine, the springs looked pretty good to me. I removed the plates although I couldn't see any major signs of wear. Using the old plates as a model I fit the new friction plates interspersed with the steel plates, replaced the pressure plate and hand turned the spring bolts ready for tightening. I fetched the torque wrench and set it to 6.5.... started tightening and the feeling had of something being wrong was proved right as the bolt snapped and the spring and washer shot across the garage.
I hadn't looked at the torque
wrench properly. It didn't do such low settings... I had set it to 65lbs/ft. 
Not to be deterred I made a quick phone call and reassured that 4 bolts should hold it, put it all back together. Scraping the old gasket from the cover took forever, so rather than sit in the cold garage I took it to the kitchen and soaked it in hot water (the gaskets are paper) to help remove it. It still took the best part of 40 mins at least. Properly dried and cleaned I replaced the cover with the new gasket and refit the cable and refilled the oil.
The bike started happily but although I could get it into gear it was troublesome to get it out of gear and if I pulled the lever in too far I had a horrid clattering noise. Took it for a test run (after spending about an hour fiddling trying to get the cable adjustment just right to minimise the clattering and allow for a return to neutral) only to find..... Nothing. No change. Whatsoever.
Disappointed, I had no choice but
to give it up for the night. 
Friday I ordered the springs, again (this time from Cradley) and the replacement bolt. They arrived this morning, prompt as always. I drained the sump again into a clean pan, removed the cover and set about drilling the bolt out. Although this is only the second time I've done this I seem to be quite good at it... my usual lack of patience (that which usually gets me into the trouble in the first place) seems to be replaced by the knowledge that if I don't want to bodge it even further I must be eternally patient. Once I had a drill battery that had some charge in it the job went a little quicker... Once out, I fit the new springs - which did feel much springier for want of a better description! Putting it back together and refilling the oil I had a pretty good feeling about the whole thing.
Once started the clutch worked fine, no clattering, no disengaging problems. Went for a celebratory breakfast in Dorking then off to Fins to say thanks for all the telephone support from Andy and Fin on Thursday and Friday (rang in anticipation of having another go today). All in all a good days work. More lessons learned... don't bother with a torque wrench... no seriously, learn your tools! (and have the right ones!)
With a bit of luck...(and a
following wind) everything else will stay working for a while. 
Success!!! At last, things are on the up.
Okay, well lets backtrack a little; went to work on Thursday, took the car, which was the first time I've driven for..... oh about 8 or 9 months. It felt very very strange, very uncontrolled. I didn't like it at all. Determined not to take the car Friday, the only real option as Mikey was by now bedridden with my flu/virus and wasn't able to bump start me was to take the VTR. I did pop the battery back into the ZZR and tried that, but the battery is as dead as a dodo.
Weather wasn't very nice Friday so it was a careful ride there and back, but still much better than driving. Checked with KZBitz about the possibility of a starter motor for the GPZ, and joy joys they had one and could get it out to me that day for £30. Bargain! Ordered the relevant gasket from Cradley and spoke to Fins about the possibility of having it swapped on Saturday. Everything was looking good.
Arrived at Fins today at just the right time and Lloyd did a lightening quick swap of the starter motor, as the LH engine casing had to come off it made sense to do an oil & filter change at the same time as it was just over 4000 miles since the last. I was holding my breath as he tried the starter, just in case I was wrong and it was something else, but no, it started immediately... the Brat is back in business!
To celebrate I washed both the VTR (how mucky!?) and the GPZ (didn't know the wheels were that colour?). Just have to get a new battery for the ZZR and all 3 bikes are working again. I need a new rear tyre for the GPZ but that will have to wait till next month now.
Copyright © 2003 by Girlie_Biker/Girlie-Biker. All rights reserved.
Revised: 07 Jul 2012 11:45:21
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