What have you done with your V-Strom today?

[Juvecu]

Rode out to Bikers Worlds in Coleshill, met up with jstrom there. He got some Anakees 2 tyres fitted and then we swapped the lower, rear engine bolts. My short bolt for his long one as I had bought his old bash plate from him and needed the bolt to fit it. Rode home, took the front wheel off, went to the local ProTyre and had a new tyre fitted. Got back home, forks off, old oil out and new oil in. Uses a few millilitres short of a litre of oil if you use a 170mm air gap as I do. Forks back on, made them stick out the top by 10mm, been meaning to do that for ages and always put it off. Front wheel back on and new front brake hoses on too. Bled them, which was a bastard of a job, so I ended up using a huge syringe to suck the air out from the bleed nipple on each caliper and that worked really well. Handle is tied to the bar for the night to get rid if the last air. Brakes feels loads better, ran it up and down the short road I live in and managed to lock up the front. I was braking very hard, controlled, at low speed, but didn't expect to lock it up, must be the new front tyre and the paving stones here :eusa-whistle: The short is the brakes are now feeling very good after the recent upgrades: CBR600 calipers, EBC HH pads and new hoses. Also fitted the bash plate and the bike now looks more complete.

I picked up my Rental Raptor ATV handle bars at Bikers World, couldn't fit them because I couldn't find the original, shorter, handle bar clamp bolts so that I could remove the risers I have. Spent the better part of 30 minutes searching my whole garage and I couldn't find them anywhere. I'll have to get new ones, but I 'cleverly' didn't remember to measure the ones in there to know what to get.

BTW, I got 24151 miles out of the previous front Anakee 2, you can't ask for more than that from a tyre In retrospect, if I changed it when I started feeling it was a bit worn and losing grip, then I would have changed it around 20K which is still very good for a front tyre. I now have a V rated one on instead of an H because that's all they could get. The H rated ones are on a 6 week lead time so if you are going to change, ask them to check for V stock if they can't get H.

[Ubique]

Cleaned off some light rust pitting on my front forks this morning using a scourer soaked in oil. Was they were clean, wiped off the excess oil and applied some ACF 50 using a microfibre cloth.

Also did the indicator mod too with the silver foil. Can't really gauge I they are much brighter as its very sunny down here today in Hampshire!

[Juvecu]

After getting back from IKEA the weather was so good today that I went for the first ride out of the year with the good lady on the back. The new front brakes setup is luuuurvely and the fork oil change has the front feeling much better too. New front tyre is noticeable as well, though I can't tell the difference the forks drop has made yet. Now to go assemble some IKEA stuff

[mr_diver]

swore at the strom allot this morning- FI fault and didn't idle well.  
Ignition on and of a few times and it cleared-
brakes sorted on the CX500- so Suzi's staying at home and Betsey's coming to work with me just incase.

[Ptarmigan]

Mrs has taken daughter and friends to Crufts, so got the whole day to meself.    

Checked brakes
Checked tyre pressures
Checked Coolant

Then first ride of the year, just to warm the engine oil up....fine sunny morning, managed a steady 30 miles before 10am!

Oops, bike too hot to work on so had to sit in the sun and wait, with a coffee and bacon butty to keep me company.

Then down to business....
New oil & air filters fitted (K&Ns)
Managed to dish the compression washer putting the sump plug back in :icon-redface: and of course, it was the one thing that I'd forgot to get a new one of.   will pick one up tomorrow.
Set front & rear pre-load back to standard (hadn't changed them since I bought it)

Then spent a while cleaning some of the bits normally behind the bashplate.

Remembered to empty the dishwasher tonight too....got caught last week, didn't get the bashplate out in time!

[Gassoon]

Hope you remembered the rinse-aid for a brighter finish!

[macvisual]

Fitted rear Renthal (43 tooth) sprocket to DL1000.

When it fitted the TRE module a few days ago I've now noticed when in top gear (6th) it no longer shows 'O/D' on the display.

[Juvecu]

TRE fools the bike into thinking it is in 4th all the time so the overdrive light won't show because it never sees it is in 6th any more.

[indiana]

Howled it down the M5 on my way back from work

[Penfold]

Took it for the 1st service then had a nice swift ride back to work. Good service from Alford Bros in Folkestone again  

[Juvecu]

Realised last night that dropping the forks that 10mm made a major difference, I never thought it would be that significant. On the motorway the bike seems a bit more sensitive to minuscule steering inputs like when the wind gusts against you and there is a bit of a change in the pressure you have on the bars. It's nothing disturbing, just something to get used to now. In town and on back roads there is definitely a quicker response to steering input. I had fitted a new front tyre at the same time and I think this is amplifying the quick steering feeling. I quite like the change and I think I'll leave it like that

[Strommer]

Watched oil piss down the left side as the front breather hose blew off again....  what is going on....!!!!!!!!  It was tightly on with a cable tie this time...

[Bikerd]

I fitted longer dog bones to lower the bike a bit, as my short legs didn't reach the floor that good. Dropped the forks 15mm through the yokes. Only problems is that the side stand doesn't lean the bike over as far as the bike is closer to the floor. Fitted a centre stand, that was fun...... Adjusted the screen to the top "secret" mount and had a little ride in the dark, seems less buffeting that where screen was previously.

[Strommer]

Fitted an SW Motech centre stand so I can do chain and sprockets on Sunday (weather permitting).

[snickp]

Finally got around to replacing the fuse on the Datatool alarm and resetting the tamper switch, so I can get it out of service mode..

If it wasn't for the insurance benefits I probably would have spent the whole day stripping the flaming thing out.

[mjc506]

I got the wee airborne today!

One of those accidentally-on-purpose moments...

[Iantson]

Today I made my own shelf and fitted a powerlet  and when I get some lights the switch for the lights will go to the other side. I got a length of aluminium angle 29mm x 53mm from B&Q and about 1 hour to fabricate the shelf.

[robsonthejob]

Worked out why the Givi extra brake light on my newly acquired Vee doesn't work

The previous owner had never connected it and its a total pain trying to get the bolts off the top box plate to get at the wiring point, the nuts are all in the tight space between the top box plate and the original rack. sag........

[PHIL FAT]

not a bloody thing in work all day and the weather was great all day now its dark and I have had lots of beer  I am now  feeling alot better deal at tescos £16 for 20 cans  :text-givemebeer:

[rsnb100]

New Ardcases fitted