Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

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No open rafters but I'll try the jam method... Sportsbikeshop handily sent me a 10% off voucher so I've bought front discs and pads. I'll also talk to the shop and see what they'll charge to fit them at the same time as the tyre.

Some lovely engineering going on there. Nice to see it so clean.

Rode out to Willow Springs last night, mix of back road and dirt. Note to self - don’t fit lower gearing before street miles and forget earplugs....

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This would be a pig to register/get insured/not get pulled over every 5 minutes by ANPR po po right?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2008-TRIUMPH-DAYTONA-675-TRIPLE-MOTOR-CYCLE-BLUE-12-000-MILES-THEFT-RECOVERED/323772259038?hash=item4b62549ade:g:RoYAAOSwXQpcwY39

HA! Already looked into that one. It's been up for yonks on eBay and Gumtree. It's not the same bike. They sent me pics of the actual one. It's battered to shit.

Sweet. That's a relief

I missed a GSR600 with 5k miles on it and scorpion exhausts for £1900 yesterday which is a bargain. Still no idea what to get but I know how the GSR rides and its cheap and comfy so tempted to get another.
There's fuck all in the middleweight sub £3k market that I actually want to own.

What are you on about?

Obviously the only true candidate!

Saying that, the GSR was shockingly fun. With the right pipes they scream.

Yo I missed that one

Well kept, loads of stamps, looks garaged, under £3k, good for two up, add a fly screen, wham bam thank you for all the fish.

Ask if it's had it's reg/rectifier replaced, and its 12k service.

Such a shame that it was Cat N. Why would you even claim for a ding on the tank and then not repair it?
But yeah I could be interested in it. Might lowball offer and go from there

then not repair it

Not sure. I think some people are just really paranoid or scared of Insurance companies. Seems like a legit drop though.

I’m pretty sure my bike has been written off (non-original fairings) and/or stolen at some point but insurance hasn’t been an issue.

How many miles is getting to be a lot of miles?
I've been driving loads longer than riding and about 100k miles is getting high but bikes seem more fragile. My last bike had 7k when I bought it and it was mint. Current bike had 19, now has 23 and its falling apart

I was looking for something with less but I guess 22k on the triumph with service history and looked after/garaged means its still minty.

I think there is always more "light" damage than meet the eye (or camera in this instance).

On the face of it, it is just the tank but then the headlight/headlight bracket/ rear peg/engine cases might have light scrapes or be slightly bent.
When you take it to the garage, they tally up all those parts and it becomes Cat N as the bike is still straight but needs expensive cosmetic parts (at dealership RRP, not eBay used prices).

Case in hand, my XSR700 is Cat N and although it has been repaired, I still find some bits that annoy me like the headlight bracket is slightly bent so the powdercoating has flaked and it is starting to rust. A new headlight bracket from Yamaha is £185, which seems steep. A used one from eBay is £90, which also seems steep!
The headlight ring has been replaced but I noticed that the bucket is cracked underneath. Can't be seen really but still damaged. Here's another £90.
Front mudguard is quite scuffed and has been sharpied - it is usable but if you replace it, a new one is £120.

And so on, you get the gist...

Not the most helpful answer, but it depends on the bike.

You hear stories about larger engined bikes that have done 200k.

For me condition is king. After about 25-30k* I'd assume a fair bit needs replacing so you need to work out what that value is and how that stacks up against just spending a bit more on a newer bike.

Ie Budget discs aren't crazy expensive, but it'll still be £200-400 for a new set. Add brake pads, cables, maybe one caliper because the bolts are ceased, tyres, wheel bearings, maybe a new radiator if the old ones battered maybe new shocks or a shock rebuild, plus any major service items and it all starts adding up. Motorbike parts seem disproportionately more expensive than bicycle bits, so a "re-fresh" and some DIY servicing could hit £1k pretty swiftly.

Not saying you'd need necessarily all of the above just because it's done 25k, but it might.

But yeah, basically if everything is maintained and doesn't need replacing, then 22k on a Triumph or a (modern) HD will be nothing.

*obvs bike dependant

One of the bolts on my sprocket side cover has the head stripped off. Not the end of the world as there are plenty of bolts, but I would like to sort it.

I stripped it off when trying to un-do it, so it's obviously ceased to some extent. However, I didn't notice at the time, so didn't spray any WD40 /etc. down around the bolts.

Came across these and wondered if it could work:

https://www.reconelectrical.co.uk/BOAGBSET4M-Micro-Grabit-Kit-4-Piece-Bolt-Screw-Extractor

Is there anything anyone would recommend doing before hand? WD40 around it, while on the side stand to help unstick it? Boiling water on the alu casing and an ice cube on the bolt?

Can't really think of anything else.

There's a fair bit of exposed bolt left so I'm cautious about my next move.

Cheers.

Hmm presumably it's an allen bolt? I personally haven't had much luck in the past with bolt extractors unless drilling a big hole, which I know is nerve wracking. If it's a 'normal' bolt head I've had some lucky escapes with Irwin Bolt Grip sockets. Is there space to saw a slit and undo with a flathead in a ratchet & copious WD40? Or hammering in a slightly larger (imperial?) allen key?

Possibly PlusGas or some other 'proper' penetrating oil rather than WD40 for something like this?
Has the entire bolt head come off? If so, soak the other bolt heads with Plusgas before removing them and the cover, and see if there is a decent length of bolt sticking out - if there is, you might be able to file / grind flats on it and turn it with mole grips.
If not, at least grind the end of the stump square, and centre punch before drilling - start with a pilot hole, not just the 'drill' end of the extractor, that way you can check you're central (enough) to avoid damaging the thread. TBH I've not had much success with bolt extractors and small bolts ...

Definitely a better penetrating oil (Aerokroil / PB Blaster) in conjunction with heat. An electric heat gun for a minute or two, spray, leave for a bit and repeat. Can you get a set of small channel locks on the bolt head? Might work and worth trying first. Otherwise dremel a slot in it and hit it with a flat blade screwdriver on an impact driver. Heat / Impact driver combo is killer for seized threads.

Sorry photos would have helped - it's just a bit of a mission to get to.

The whole top part of the bolt has sheared off. A bit like:

But with more of the shoulder(?) showing a la the red line... probably 5-10mm proud.

This is (sort of) what it would normally look like:

Side rant - why the fuck do people change the stock sprocket covers on Triumph air-cooled twins? That was the closest image to a stock one, being a hacked up stock cover.

Every one looks like shit as well as being functionly inferior.

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If you have enough material, I'd vice grip that with a set of Irwin's like @jambon said, but normally I whack or or use jarring motions to mimic an impact wrench.

Other option is also what jambon said and cut a slot into it and use a bit with socket wrench.

If it doesn't work, I'd use an extractor as a last resort, but that all depends on how hard of a metal the bolts are. Suzuki bolts are softer than french cheese, so it wasn't difficult enough.

I have no idea why people modify bikes in stupid ways. It's a topic that will never be truly answered. I've yet to buy a totally clean bike. They've all been fettled with one way or the other. Electrics are a particular bugbear of mine.

Oh fucking hell yes. This is the land of chopped and botched electrics. There's nothing worse than pulling the tank off and finding a load of wire vomit, coated in autozone connectors and electrical tape. The bodges would make Lucas blush.

Going from a 50 to a 55 profile tyre but looks a lot pointier than I imagined, interested in the difference.

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Sweeter steering, bit more weight on the front. It’s like raising the rear ride height ever so slightly.