Well, it's been a while...again!
Since the foot v klr battle, the foot is still licking it's wounds, bruising gone but still pretty delicate, so I haven't tried kicking mr KLR again. I did try bump starting it, but our garden is not really long enough to get any speed up, so it was pretty unsuccessful, consisting of a locked wheel and small skid from a fair amount of energy input!!
So the biggest news has to be the purchase of ANOTHER KLR^))!!!!
This one was for sale on E Bay, and I won it for £640. So off I went on the train a couple of weeks ago, with leathers, helmet and wad of notes, and sure enough, it was a good un! I rode it back with no problems, only bug bear was, rear brake, well, it didn't really have one, that's now been rectified, and the previous owner has for some reason detatched the fan relay, and fitted a manual switch on the side of the headlight cowl. I am going to re-wire this back to standard asap, can't be doing with messing about switching the fan on and off.
Also, it has some strange device to by-pass the thermostat, which I will also get rid of. Still say the Japanese spend a lot of time and money designing stuff, and the average bloke doesn't know better than them.
I have robbed the evil KLR of its rear number plate setup, as this one had a poor setup, and look much nicer now. That'll teach it to be a bit more well mannered!!
Also possible good news on the ride around the UK. Shell may be sponsoring me, they are considering it now. I will call it the 200 in 10, as I aim to visit 200 towns in 10 days.
Right, off now for more coffee and inspiration to get cracking on teh bike...bloody freezing out there..!!
Wednesday 1 February 2012
Sunday 15 January 2012
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly!!
Well, it's been an "Interesting" weekend with the KLR. Firstly, I decided it was time to see if this monster would come to life, so first thing was to check out the fuel tank and tap. The tank is fine, the tap is not fine. I took it off and re-sealed it to the tank, but sadly, the tap leaks badly around the actual tap mechanism, so I'll have to get a new one.
Anyway, that wasn't going to stop me kicking this thing into life, so, put the tank and seat on, and attached the fuel line. Put a gallon of fresh fuel in. Had already charged the battery, so on it went. The moment of truth!!
Fuel on, Ignition on, Kill switch on.....Kick...kick...kick...kick!! Pant pant...Kick etc. No joy. Well, this was Saturday, and I had other stuff to do, so not too despondent, I packed the bike away and pondered what could be amiss.
Today, Sunday, I woke and decided to 1. check for sparks, and 2 does the plug smell of fuel..
Ok, check for spark with plug out, no sparks.Hmm...ah ha!! HT lead looks a bit loose, yes, it had fallen out of the coil!! So, back in it went. Sniff the plug..yep, fuel smell. So, hopefully, the HT lead was the culprit.
So, back on went the fuel tank and seat. Ignition on, fuel on, kill switch on...Kick, kick kick OUCH!! JESUS CHRIST, MY FOOT!! Well, it would seen that it was trying to fire, but I got the kicking badly wrong, and so I now have a very badly bruised foot and sprained ankle! After all the love I've given the KLR, this is how it repays me!!
So, The Good is that it is trying to fire.
The Bad is that it didn't run.
And The Ugly is my poor lower leg!!
I am now too sore to walk much, let alone kick the bugger! I have been You Tubing lots of kick starting techniques though, and I'm confident that next time it will be easier, We will see! It did bang a couple of times though, so ultimately, I am pretty happy about the situation, but I HAVE to perfect the starting technique!!
If I don't, then my trip around UK mainland could be the longest on record!!!
Next update will be when I'm all better, and the bugger will be under my power!!!
Link to watch my feeble attempt at starting the beast!!
http://youtu.be/47NeHeHKfVs Just highlight it and right click on open link for a laugh!
Anyway, that wasn't going to stop me kicking this thing into life, so, put the tank and seat on, and attached the fuel line. Put a gallon of fresh fuel in. Had already charged the battery, so on it went. The moment of truth!!
Fuel on, Ignition on, Kill switch on.....Kick...kick...kick...kick!! Pant pant...Kick etc. No joy. Well, this was Saturday, and I had other stuff to do, so not too despondent, I packed the bike away and pondered what could be amiss.
Today, Sunday, I woke and decided to 1. check for sparks, and 2 does the plug smell of fuel..
Ok, check for spark with plug out, no sparks.Hmm...ah ha!! HT lead looks a bit loose, yes, it had fallen out of the coil!! So, back in it went. Sniff the plug..yep, fuel smell. So, hopefully, the HT lead was the culprit.
So, back on went the fuel tank and seat. Ignition on, fuel on, kill switch on...Kick, kick kick OUCH!! JESUS CHRIST, MY FOOT!! Well, it would seen that it was trying to fire, but I got the kicking badly wrong, and so I now have a very badly bruised foot and sprained ankle! After all the love I've given the KLR, this is how it repays me!!
So, The Good is that it is trying to fire.
The Bad is that it didn't run.
And The Ugly is my poor lower leg!!
I am now too sore to walk much, let alone kick the bugger! I have been You Tubing lots of kick starting techniques though, and I'm confident that next time it will be easier, We will see! It did bang a couple of times though, so ultimately, I am pretty happy about the situation, but I HAVE to perfect the starting technique!!
If I don't, then my trip around UK mainland could be the longest on record!!!
Next update will be when I'm all better, and the bugger will be under my power!!!
Link to watch my feeble attempt at starting the beast!!
http://youtu.be/47NeHeHKfVs Just highlight it and right click on open link for a laugh!
Friday 6 January 2012
Back to the grind!
Well, it's been a while!!
Christmas and New Year has come and gone, and I've done little to the bike, but will be putting that right soon.
I filled up with oil a couple of weeks ago, curious to see if there were any leaks, but to date, none at all.
I also filled up the coolant, which was a slow job, also wondering anout leaks, but again, none as yet, so all good there.
I managed to blag a full set of original indicators for £25, and a reflector for £5, but have not fitted them yet. Will have to take the bike to the local welding shop to get the original stand bracket fixed to the frame. I've tried many permutations, all to no avail, too short, too long etc, so original is best, them Japs know what they're doing!
As it's friday, and I have a busy weekend, I won't be doing anything till Monday, but I think I'm gonna get some fuel and give it a try. Can't keep putting it off forever, and if it starts, I'll be overjoyed!
I managed to strip all the old black paint from the 2 replacement side panels, and got some proper plastic primer. Gave one panel a coat, but it's been too cold really to go any further with that. Also got some Kawasaki green paint mixed up, it's good to have a mate who works for a paint firm!
The plan now is when the bike is finished, and as long as it seems to be ok and reliable, I'm going to do a sponsored ride around Britain in aid of Asthma UK, who have given my wife great support. That's for the future anyway, let's get the bugger started first!!
Christmas and New Year has come and gone, and I've done little to the bike, but will be putting that right soon.
I filled up with oil a couple of weeks ago, curious to see if there were any leaks, but to date, none at all.
I also filled up the coolant, which was a slow job, also wondering anout leaks, but again, none as yet, so all good there.
I managed to blag a full set of original indicators for £25, and a reflector for £5, but have not fitted them yet. Will have to take the bike to the local welding shop to get the original stand bracket fixed to the frame. I've tried many permutations, all to no avail, too short, too long etc, so original is best, them Japs know what they're doing!
As it's friday, and I have a busy weekend, I won't be doing anything till Monday, but I think I'm gonna get some fuel and give it a try. Can't keep putting it off forever, and if it starts, I'll be overjoyed!
I managed to strip all the old black paint from the 2 replacement side panels, and got some proper plastic primer. Gave one panel a coat, but it's been too cold really to go any further with that. Also got some Kawasaki green paint mixed up, it's good to have a mate who works for a paint firm!
The plan now is when the bike is finished, and as long as it seems to be ok and reliable, I'm going to do a sponsored ride around Britain in aid of Asthma UK, who have given my wife great support. That's for the future anyway, let's get the bugger started first!!
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