What have you done with your bike today?

[Steve T]

TY

[Ridaz]

 
Fell off twice again.... this time the video footage will follow 

[Ridaz]

Footage by Roadocket of this parish


The stunts were all my own (Blue TTR)

[Mr Nick]

I bought myself a vernier micrometer last week as the rear disc on the KTM was looking a bit worn: I suspect the original owner liked using it as it needed rear pads at 7,500 miles when I bought it. The tale of the tape showed that the disc was just below the 4.5mm minimum wear level so I found an EBC setup on ebay of disc & pads for £93, and that arrived today:


Should be an easy swap as Austrian fastenings are made from metallic elements, rather than dairy.

[Brockett]

Good find.
I have to replace the front disc on the VX as it's a gnats bits under the 5mm limit and that's does not take account od the slightly grooved surface. EBC wanted £126 for the rotor last time I looked.
I must do another search.

[Mr Nick]

Job done.
All in, that was about 40 minutes, although 15 of those was trying to find where I'd put my big bottle of threadlock when I tidied up the garage last month, which I've still not been able to lay my hands on.

Old v's new:


There's only 0.25mm per side comes off before they're scrap: that rankles with the Scotsman in me - there's still 90% of the metal there so how can that need changed...?

Pads have 10k on them & I'd happily put them back in if it wasn't for the little bit of surface grooving where they've worn to the disc shape:


All back together - I'll eventually find the threadlock & do the bolts in situ - there's a note on the garage whiteboard reminding me, but they're all tightened up in case I forget and take her out.

[Brockett]

Oh! and the price with VAT for VX800 discs are £152 front and £110 for the rear. Could it be that being secured with only 5 bolts instead of the usual 6 they are "special". 

[Mr Nick]

EBC wanted £126 for the rotor last time I looked.

The crowd I used go by the name biker-fix on ebay and they have EBC disc & pads for the VX 90-95 for £148:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FITS-Suzuki-VX-800-L-M-N-P-R-90-95-EBC-Front-Disc-Brake-Rotor-Pads-/181517197478?hash=item2a4344a0a6

[Brockett]

 

[650XT Pete]

@ Brockett, Rear disk. Sports bike shop  £83.86 free post.

[Brockett]

Next problem. The exhausts on the VX are two one piece units with a which link under the engine. The metal is thick and the chrome is fine in some places but as expected the insides , facing the engine and mostly unseen are pitted as identified by a rash of small rusty spots.
£1200 for replacements. so that's not going to happen. To keep costs down:-
Option 1 clean off as much rust as I can and re-install with frequent cleaning
Option 2 rough off the top chrome surface and paint with VHT.
You views /  experience would be appreciated.

[Rusty Nuts]

If the rusty areas are never seen, I'd be tempted to wire brush the loose rust off and daub the spots with Kurust.

[Rixington43]

Painted my exhaust pipes with VHT cylinder black as far back as the stub pipes by my pegs, lasted about as long as it took me to reset the idle speed. Not sure if the paint I had was not up to snuff or if the fact the Strom system is Stainless played a part but it all flaked off before I even left for my first ride as the pipes just get too damned hot. I'd side with Rusty and just use a dab of Kurust to seal the worst bits.

[Brockett]

I have been coating them with Hammerite rust remover gell and it is doing a good job but the rusty spots are indicative of the perforated chrome. The down pipe metal is very thick and it's a solid construction so unlikey to become perforated any time soon. I was thinking of only painting up to the Silencer body as per Rixington43s efforts.

[Mr Nick]

Most issues with painting over chrome is not getting enough of a key into the surface: its purpose in life is to be very hard wearing and shiny, so it will have to be well sanded and don't go finer than about 320.

[Brockett]

Re. the VX 800. Three days of brushing on rust remover has brought the exhaust pipes up quite well, but it has revealed the poor state of the chrome. Painting will have to wait untill I build a spray booth that I can heat to 64f or the paint won't work. I have installed them as is to keep the build going. I jabbed the starter and it fired up. First time I've had it running. I noticed the rear plug was sooty and the front plug about right. A Youtube video about changing the VX plugs showed the same. Hmmm !
I am now considering getting a Gunson Colortune to check the fuel air mixture. The only thing that puts me off is their use of the American spelling of Colour.   

[Mr Nick]

I found a Colortune when I was tidying out the garage: can't remember if I kept it or tossed it as I'd not used it in probably 30 years. Next time I'm out there, I'll take a look & if it's still there then you can have it.

I was out tonight applying threadlock to the disc bolts when I spotted something that I hadn't been aware of:


I've been fairly diligent in doing the axle nut up to the right torque, but that looks to me like it's been overtightened at some point (maybe not me - I've only had the nut off half a dozen times or so). Luckily it's not too scary - £52 at Eurotek got me an axle with that block, the other side block, and nut, so not Suzuki prices (wrong side of £130 for axle & nut on a Glee...).

The nut being alloy, I'm a little surprised that it's cracked the block before stripping the threads: the nut is only £7 and would have been preferable, but you don't always get to choose. A minor thing I've noticed is that the axle seems to be in the wrong way around compared to others I've seen: don't think that would have made a difference & caused this, but it'll go back in the other way round just in case.

On a plus side, I also measured the front discs and they're both at 4.95mm so plenty meat left on those (5mm new, 4.5mm min).

[SimStrom]

^^^ That's what happens when you cheap out on KTM's 

[Rusty Nuts]

There's no apostrophe in KTMs.

[SimStrom]

Or quality parts