Thanks Sandi. Yes, I’m getting out a bit more, but so far have kept it local. I’m really missing being able to go on longer rides, but hopefully that’ll come in due course.
Picked up my T100 today from his annual visit to Stewart, who does my servicing. This year I also opted for: Avon Spirits to replace the stock Phantoms, as they were six years old and almost toast; Hagon progressive springs in the front and Nitros on the back, again replacing stock; EBC HH pads all round; and a chain/sprocket upgrade to a more beefy size as I was almost out of adjustment at a mere 7k miles! It's a different bike!! With one extra tooth at the back it picks up marginally quicker now and the handling is utterly transformed. It drops straight into corners now and the front actually feels connected to the same chassis as the back. OK, it's no Stripple RS, but it is much more fun to ride and I managed to make my 45 minute ride home last six hours. If any of you think all these posts suggesting you junk the stock Phantoms and shocks straight away are exaggerating, as I did, think again...
Amen Brother! When you say you upgraded the chain and sprockets (apart from the rear sprocket tooth count change) was this simply to better quality chain and sprockets (in which case what did you go for?) or did you increase the size of the chain i.e. from 520 to 525? Enjoy your new ride.
Stewart js an even bigger character in real life. His website does give you a pretty good insight though. If you like non-PC 80's comedy and don't mind being called Dear Boy by a grizzled mechanic of the old school, who chain smokes roll ups and likes putting the world to rights, he's well worth a visit. Just don't expect to get away in less than an hour... I really look forward to my annual visit, even if he does tell me off for not riding my bike enough. And he upgraded the chain to the next thickness, whatever that was. Can't honestly remember what it was to start with I'm afraid. It certainly looks a bit more chunky and is apparently one sixteenth thicker than stock. The adjuster plate is still way further out than I thought it would be, even with one more tooth on the rear sprocket, so hopefully more heft will equal less stretch.
Having decided I’ll be keeping the Tiger after our little NC500 adventure, I decided to sort a Scottoiler for it. Having to get a vac tapping meaning tank and airbox coming off, I also opted to fit new iridium plugs and replace the air filter. I know the bike was serviced before I collected it just over a month ago, but I’m sure that would just have been an oil/oil filter change and check on levels. So, that all happened, including fitting of the Scottoiler yesterday evening/this morning.
There’s a conveniently capped vac connection on the throttle body assembly that I used for the push on elbow and threaded the small vacuum pipe towards the battery area. Fitted the reservoir in the shock absorber well by screwing in to the ECU holder (removed the ECU first) cutting the tips of the screws off flush and then taping over on the inside of the holder. To be double sure of no scratch risk to the ECU. and then because I’m a bit of an OCD freak. Sleeved the clear tube in black nylon, routed it over the top of the chain guard and to the underside of the swing arm. That held in place by a P clip screwed in to the (drilled and tapped M4) underside of the swing arm and connected to a similar 2x D&T diagonally opposite fixing for the Scorpion Dual Feeder to drop the oil on to the rear sprocket (not as good IMHO as the Dual Injector type they used to do and I have on my Fireblade). All looks rather neat, if I say so myself
I had a little overnight break (was originally going to be two, but the weather on Thursday was absolutely horrible and I lost the will to ride in it.....). Yesterday the weather was gorgeous, so I spent all day out on some cracking roads in Wales - had breakfast at the Honey Cafe in Bronllys, then went a massively convoluted way to Llandovery for a toastie at the Owl’s Nest mid - afternoon. There were some really cracking roads to the campsite from Llandovery (about a 40 mile ride if you don’t miss a turn…longer if you take the wrong turning down a narrow steep lane which is then closed and have to execute the sketchiest u turn of your life ) to a really friendly welcome - I had cheated and booked a “cabin” for £30 rather than be bothered with a tent for a night when chances are it would be wet (I know, soft). I hadn’t been here before - it was brilliant; they offer free lifts into the village to shop or go to the pub, have a van where they cook food to order and the facilities are really basic but really clean. There were a fair few people there yesterday (I was an early arrival - it filled up after I took my pics!), all men apart from one couple where the lady had ridden pillion on a '23 plate Hayabusa (braver woman than I!!), but it had a nice atmosphere. The weather up until yesterday evening was meant to be showery, clearing by 0900 - however I woke up to rain, looked at the weather and it was just going to get worse for the day, so I abandoned my 240 mile day I had planned as it was mostly in the direction of the worst of the weather and decided to leave before it got even more miserable. I still had a nice ride home in the rain, but did the 3 hours or so in my full waterproofs, only stopping for some fuel in Sennybridge trying to outrun it . It did, of course, stop raining about 5 miles from home .
Not to sound too harsh but, interesting that you put what looks like copaslip on your plugs before using a Teng torque wrench..... do you wish to expand?
Not at all - I’ve always put copper slip on plugs and torqued (in this case 12Nm) with a wrench. Is that incorrect?
T120 Black wheels with Dunlop Roadsmart IV tires, 110/80R18 & 160/60R17. Tubeless with Outex kit. Double front disks coming but have to wait till riding season is over.
First run on the Dunlop Roadsmart IV:s. Still rubbing in them though. I had no major problems with the Sportcomps except tramlining that really scared me a couple of first rides on the bike. That tendency is totally gone with the Dunlops. Turn in feels also sharper, more willing to turn. Maybe i lost a little agility to turn going to 110/80 & 160/60 instead of 100/90 & 150/70 but that balance between handling and looks weighted to looks. Also feels the front feels more soft or maybe compliant would be a better word, probably due to the Dunlop front being radial and thus having softer sidewalls. So satisfied with the change.
