Just a garage (incl motorbike content)

Not exactly concours, but so much better.

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More 'gixxer' progress, spoiler alert it contains mainly cleaning. That trade size WD40 is getting dangerously low. Pulled my back out undoing the front sprocket, was quite comical with the bike sliding along the floor on the paddock stand but the end result was the drive chain a lot more respectable.

Took the front fairing off to clean behind the clocks and also rewired the indicators. Chock blocks just aren't acceptable.

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Cleaned under the airbox and top of the engine, new tank pad and also replaced the clutch switch I snapped when refitting the lever.

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Also fitted a neater exhaust hanger to replace the old integrated pillion peg one and that's it. Now that the bike's a lot nicer to work on I'll be giving it a small service before insurance and hopefully going for a ride.

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And what a garage!

Great job on neatening up the gixxer. Needed a bit of TLC.

Fingers crossed you'll be out on it in the warm weather before too long.

Let me know if you fancy a ride now you're local.

It's only got 16k on the clocks, so after cleaning feels worthwhile compared to buying something cleaner with more miles for the same money. Might take you up on that once I've explored the local area.

House looks great. Garage and wokshop even better. And then a Gixxer Project! Perfect! Love that era of GSXR and bikes take up way less room than cars do.
Going to be following as this setup is something that I'm looking for in an upcoming relocation back to the NE of England.

Thanks a lot Ricky, after years of saving makes it all worth it. I thought long and hard about what kind of project I wanted, having a car (that would fit inside) means no room for motorbikes or even a workbench, so that was that. At least with a few bikes I still have room for smaller projects like engine rebuilds and can swan around inside wearing my dressing gown sipping tea. That's obviously important too. I've given the go ahead on the epoxy floor so that will be installed in the next few weeks hopefully.

Yes that would be my problem. Aside from pedal bikes, I've always been a car person first and foremost. Motorbikes have always seemed a natural progression as it combines the two but the safety aspect has always put me off. I have been thinking that I might ease my way into it with something like a classic trials bike with which I can tinker, and ride off-road with only myself to worry about.

That cleaning job 👌

Thanks. It's very satisfying seeing it come back to life.

This weekend the cleaning continues... mainly concentrating on the front end and grotty brakes. A common 'upgrade' is to swap the finicky 6 pot calipers for 4 pots, but wanted to clean/free everything up to give myself the best fighting chance. Long term plan is a front end swap with new forks and calipers, eventually.

Some rodney-plonker stripped one of the axle pinch bolts so that had to be addressed. After the last few weeks it feels like progress, the bike certainly looks a lot better. Next it's new oil, filter, plugs, air filter and some coolant then riding gingerly on the 15 year old tyres. Next month I'll fit some new Bridgestone S22 rubber :D

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Just couldn't resist it, had to go for a ride. Not just any ride, but my first ever on the bike. A few thoughts...

1) It's quick for an old girl. Took it easy on 15 year old tyres but it really pulls past 7k. Only had the nerve to take it to 10k for a nervous shakedown after all the work done but very happy

2) It's light. Feels nimble and much more responsive than my newer RSV. Really impressed and so much fun on these Bedfordshire b roads

3) The brakes are more of a concept than a practical way of stopping. Just what I imagined 6 pots would be like so will think about rebuilding vs replacing

Overall though very pleased with the first test ride and looking forward to many more

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Looks ace. Love the big old humps over the rear seat on this gen gixxer.

It's quite the marmite look isn't it. Personally I like the GP style but agreed it's certainly aged disgracefully.

Who would have thought having a windscreen you can see through would be so useful? The opaque black monstrosity will soon be on eBay. Also tidied up the butchered rear undertray, after trawling online seems uncut ones are like hens teeth but it's a definite improvement.

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I suppose that the rear undertray is a common victim of the rear-everything-delete movement, to get maximum aeroz?

Seems that the first upgrade on any bike is tail tidy and remove anything unnecessary.

I’m not one for keeping anything stock or original unless it’s a showpiece for exhibition - I’d sooner make (preferably reversible) changes. With that in mind are you sure you won’t keep the other windscreen in a parts box just in case?

A larger clear windscreen is definitely better in every way. Even I keep the top few inches clear of stickers on mine!

Are you keeping it bone stock, then? You’re not upgrading to LED indicators or any other farkles?

Don't mean to typecast but I think of all the super bikes of the time a certain rider bought 'gixxers' and fitted a myriad of anodised parts, stubby levers and hacked things off.

I think your analogy about not being too precious, making choice upgrades that can be returned to stock is a good one. Could keep the screen just in case but sure it'll get at least £20 which id prefer to make the new one cheaper. The bike's definitely not staying stock though, I bought it to tinker and although prices for 90s sports bikes are rising I'll try and not let that deter me. Rough plan of action is clean, tyres, brakes, suspension then power.

Yes I suppose you’re right. And no matter what, it’s your bike now so you can do as you like!

I was appreciating the aesthetic of the sports bikes in a local used bike place a year or two ago. At the time the guy said they are really hard to sell. Apparently they only sell between March and June, and then sit there for a whole year before anyone will buy one again. He said a naked would sell all day long as they are much more fashionable.

Amazing how much the market has changed, that even these are becoming a commodity again.

I'm probably not the right person to ask but have always liked/had bikes with full fairings and clip-ons. As horsepower has gone north of 150 I can understand why new sales have declined, but for my type of Sunday best and track day riding 2nd hand purchases made a lot of sense. And were cheap.

It's a shame 2nd hand sports bikes are getting more expensive, watching SRAD parts on eBay they used to be dirt cheap but are starting to creep up.

Yes, I’d kind of assumed (two years ago) that the status quo would remain and I could get a ‘cheap’ SRAD or similar when the time was right, for track days. Looks like that time has been and gone!

I love the over the top styling, and would love a track weapon. Excited to see what you do with/to this one.

Seems like all the things I lusted after as a teen (90's hot hatches/Ducati 916/Fox eye 'blades/Mid-school BMXes/90's mountain bikes) are all going up in value. Such is life.

True. I initially thought this was the lockdown effect but now wouldn't be surprised if it's just the passing of enough time to increase prices. That prompted me to pounce on the SRAD despite it being a bit tight financially at the time.

Managed to take the bike past 10,000 revs but not quite to the redline, still getting used to the madness of inline 4's again. Anywhere north of 7,000 is just insane on the road but guess that's why we like sports bikes. Pulls extremely well and can't get my head around it being a 20 year old bike. I did notice some lurching and chattering when using the front brake, but after investigating one of the semi-floating disc bobbins/ circlips looks shagged so will replace and service the others.

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