One scruffy but sound 1992 Kawasaki GPZ500S is now in the garage. Needs a battery and it's on SORN, no MoT but only 400 miles since the last pass (at 29k) with no advisories and it came from a guy I know and trust with the assurance that if it had a major problem he'd take it back, so I was quite happy to pay £330 for it. Two nearly new tyres on it as well and he was a bit naughty by riding it over to me after putting it on charge so I know it sounds ok, though the battery lost it's charge almost straight away, not surprising as it had been garaged for a year.
So, new battery, Mot, oil and filter change and I should be up and running again. I posted a few weeks back that I was thinking of getting a 125, but researching the standard of the Chinese stuff put me right off and the price of second hand Japs is too high, not to mention that most of them seem to have been thrashed or crashed. And let's face it, you can't beat a bit of power.
|
|
Outstanding. Well done and I hope you enjoy it. I would.
|
|
Thanks Mark. Six years since I've ridden a bike, so I approach my return with a mixture of excitement and terror.
|
Well at least you're back on a bike that'll feel reasonably familiar rather than some of the more beserker machines around these days.
I briefly got on my sisters for a go. That won't be happening again anytime soon.
Great time of year to return to a bike though ! Wet leaves, wind, rain and cold. Well done on that one.
Have you still got all the gear?
Quite jealous.
|
>>
>> Great time of year to return to a bike though ! Wet leaves, wind, rain
>> and cold. Well done on that one.
>>
>> Have you still got all the gear?
>>
>> Quite jealous.
>>
I've still got all the gear, helmet, two piece leathers and a waterproof jacket (not that the bike is going to see wet weather, I'm a sunny Sunday cowboy now). I could do with another pair of gloves as my old pair have been used for various messy DiY tasks and show it. Aldi seem a good bet for bike gear these days, they often have a range in stock.
Don't be jealous, jump on board and get one yourself.
|
|
That was a cracking bike in its time - Kawasaki have a good build quality. Parts easily found. Oil Change and genuine filter change now - and get a smart charger from Lidl on Monday.
|
|
That Kwacker was a good bike, in its day, was on sale for quite a few years. I like the price even more.
|
Enjoy your bike. Good move.
If you haven't got one already, try an Aldi or Lidl battery charger to see is some cheap smart charging will rescue your bike battery. I also rate Lidl motorbike gloves and boots.
If you haven't biked for a while, consider a Bikesafe course. In leafy North Yorkshire (where have I heard that before?) it cost me £10 for a 2-hour classroom session, and later, a 3-hour one-to-one ride with a police biker, a week or two ago.
|
I've never taken my bike test, although I ran one for years in Brazil back in the late 80s / early 90s. I want to say it was a 250 or 300 something tralie type thing. Took a 3 week trip up a fair stretch of the banks of the Amazon with some American and Brazilian friends one spring on a Honda something big and offroady. Think it was about an 850 from memory. Sorry but I'm not very good with bike identification. They didn't seem very difficult to ride is all I'm proffering really. Fairly logical controls and while this may be naive, the amount of time I've spent in my life riding offroad pushbikes seemed to be relevant to the techniques needed to do it with an engine.
I keep threatening to try to take one of those quick pass courses because I spend far too much time commuting into London by car and it occurs to me that a big comfy bike might provide a pleasing and more efficient alternative.
Inertia is the main stumbling block to be truthful.
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Sun 7 Oct 12 at 18:24
|
Wouldn't waste my time with Aldi's gloves, they're not much cop, though some of the other stuff like knee-warmers are all right. What Hawkeye said about the chargers though, very good bit of kit.Take a trip down to M&P at Swansea, very good selection and reasonable prices.
And welcome back to the madhouse!
Last edited by: Harleyman on Sun 7 Oct 12 at 18:36
|
|
I was looking at a 125 cc a few weeks ago in Harrogate.Good price and can be driven on a car licence according to the chap in the shop.You have to take a day course.I used to have a CZ long time ago.I love to have a proper motorbike for use in the summer.Neighbour across the road has one for fun fast job he rides it ones a forthnight for about twenty minutes.(I've been timing him) What's the point.>:)
|
|
I bought myself a pair of Knox Handroid gloves. Not cheap but have scaphoid protection - old not bold me.
|
Humph,
I've glossed over this a few times, but you refer to bikes and Brazil;
I worked in Sao Paulo from approx 92 - 98 and drove a variety of bikes, the most significant of which was a green Super Tenere.
In between I worked in Murcuri (Bahia, in the Rain Forest) where I also drove a dirt bike, but was a Kawasaki something or other (KZ300 perhaps?).
Additionally I was in Rio until 2001 and drove a Blazer/ Xantia/ Omega and rode a Kawasaki 500 dirt bike.
Now from 1985 to 1995 there just weren't that many gringos around, how did we not bump into each other? Or did we, and you're shy?
Mark.
|
>> Or did we, and you're shy?
Do you remember the party where you had a little too much tequila...and woke up in some bloke's room...and he was wearing size 12 stiletto's.....????
That's why he hot footed it back to Blighty.
|
No I don't think so Mark. I was mainly based much further south near Porto Allegre although we did get up to Rio for weekends quite often. I do remember a Vietnam war veteran called fat Phil with one leg and a Panama hat who used to drink pints of Chivas Regal but I don't recall a Welsh bloke who drank pints of vodka and orange !
There were indeed some interesting europeans around at the time though including a surprisingly charming and erudite French guy who owned a ranch, a shoe factory, a brothel and a powerboat racing team. Had a penchant too far for brown suede though. Even his wallpaper was brown suede. Odd hair too. Bit like Jason King.
Many of those of the then older generation who claimed Brazilian nationality had remarkably northern european and in particular German surnames and indeed prefered that language to Brazilian Portugese. They used to claim Dutch grandparents but it was definitely German they were speaking.
One learned eventually not to question it. Clearly it was something they didn't like to dwell on.
|
|
Sometime Humph, when we're in the same place, let’s have a pint and reminisce over a couple of shared pints. You never know....
|
.Humph...masquerading as Big Ron !
Another one safely back in the fold, Robin. Take care out there and enjoy it all again.
Was in Aldi yesterday and they had clever dick chargers in. I've got one and a LIDL one.
Both work fine...one on the Jowett and the other on a spare battery for now. Bike batteries aren't a fortune.
Ted
Last edited by: Ted on Sun 7 Oct 12 at 22:42
|
>>
>> Bike batteries aren't a fortune.
>>
>> Ted
>>
Ordered one on ebay, £25.50 delivered.
It ran all right and ticked over ok, drain old fuel or use one of those cleaning additives?
|
>>
>> It ran all right and ticked over ok, drain old fuel or use one of
>> those cleaning additives?
>>
Drain it; and if it's not too much of a PITA, take the tank off and give it a good swill round to get rid of any lumps of rust and crap. Remove and clean the tank strainer while you're at it.
|
Good choice. SWMBO had one as her first bike, and I used to enjoy riding it.
She used to commute on it daily and it never let her down. Cost buttons to own and run.
|
|
It's run to your house so it should be ok - but I would drain it and refill. Unleaded seems to go off very quickly, at least it hadn't become jelly like , like in my old CB650 project bike which meant draining the carbs....enjoy the winter tinker. Hours of fun. Radio, brew, deck chair in the garage (remember to leave some spanners on the floor for authenticity)+
|
I'm a biker again - No FM2R
