G650GS - il-ħmar

[Bustaspoke]

give me classic wallowy ujm please!

Once again I find myself recommending the Suzuki SV650,really good record for reliability,cheap to run & the suspension's soft

[Bustaspoke]

What's happening with this bike now that you've bought the 600?

[A_morti]

What's happening with this bike now that you've bought the 600?

It'll be out on its ear pretty soon. If I'm lucky I can get back the 3500€ I bought it for, and only have to eat the 400€ odd I threw at it. The time spent has been sometimes frustrating, but more or less fun, so I don't mind that "loss".

Almost a shame since it's now working really well, but it doesn't make sense to keep the GS together with the fz6 due to local taxes. Tax rates start low and increase over the years with vehicle age until they hit the cap for that vehicle. Bikes first registered (whether manufactured or first imported from elsewhere) in Malta after 01/01/2009 have a higher license rate than bikes first registered before then. The GS is a 2010 so next year the tax hits its maximum of 195€ compared to 79€ for the fz, which is its capped rate. A bike with 250cc or less has tax of 25€ per year capped rate from new, so I reckon a 250 will be perfect as a spare bike and for the wet months, to keep the fz looking lovely.

A 2013-ish CBR 250 (the last model before they went to 286cc) can be had here for about 2,500€. Seems like a decent shout for a 250 that's new enough to have efi and so accept modern fuel, and also carry a box and small passenger on short urban trips in reasonable comfort. Unfortunately bikes like a CRF 250 L and M are out due to the high level exhaust. I'd also be happy with a CBF 250, ybr 250, or A.N.Other along those lines. There's a 250 Inazuma listed at the moment, but it might just be too ugly for me to put in the garage, also a Zeal 250, but as cool as that engine would be, it feels like a timebomb... Anyway, Malta is very small and so it makes most sense to play by ear of what's available at the time.

[A_morti]

I don't know enough about the CBR250 to judge if these are or aren't the exact same model, but either one would probably work for what I want.

2,300€ - black or dark grey wheels suggest 2013-2014ish model year.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... tory_share

2,500€ - says bought new in 2013 but the grey wheels suggest it's an earlier one, maybe 2011 or 2012.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... tory_share

[MyLittleStudPony]

You should get a KTM 390 Adventure because it's what I have.

[A_morti]

@MyLittleStudPony I heard from Adam that they don't like having a box in the back. It's a deal-breaker for me.

Also, I've not seen one over here yet. It's quite possible that the KTM importer decided not to order a container full that he didn't think he could sell. Also, the road tax on a 390 is the same as a 500cc bike, and in that case it may as well be a cb500x, which is more suitable as a two-up urban commuter.

Marginally dull reading on vehicle license pricing at the Transport Malta site here:
https://www.transport.gov.mt/land/vehic ... e-fees-797

[MyLittleStudPony]

I have a Givi Trekker 44 litre box on mine and it's fine.

But I'm only joking really and understand the drivers (I mean what pushes us towards a certain model, not people piloting vehicles!) are different where you are.

[A_morti]

With the fz6 up on blocks until the dealer gets the new TPS in, the mule is now the de facto "reliable workhorse", and has been carrying me to work.

It set me a weird homework today...

The load relay failed, again. That's the one that's meant to turn off a bunch of auxiliary items such as the headlight and horn while the engine cranks but provide power the rest of the time. It wouldn't provide power at all. Ok, failed relay, whatever... But keep in mind I already switched the OEM relay with rusty legs for a Bosch relay somewhere higher up the thread. Also it failed in a way I've not seen before, so maybe someone can explain it.

As I reached in and took the Bosch relay out, it clicked. In/out click/click, quite repeatable. So the signal side works then (right?) But it was not activating the headlight as it clicked so no flow through the load side. Ok, corroded legs again then? No, I popped it out and the legs were shiny. Unclipped the top and still no corrosion at all. Manually pushing the points closed showed continuity across the load side.

So that's a relay with a clicking signal side and a load side that can carry electrons, all with no corrosion, yet it doesn't work. Must be missing power or ground on the load side then, I thought. Need to test that, but let's just try fitting the best of the original relays first, why not eh?It worked with the original relay, then one of the other Bosch relays.

So, what has caused that Bosch relay to fail then? It clicks, can carry at least a signal across the load side, but doesn't work.

[Bustaspoke]

It's a guess,but maybe one of the contacts isn't making a good contact with the female connector? Try & gently wiggle it when it's connected to see if it makes contact.
You've got one of those PITA worn out bikes that develops faults far to often...

[matt]

You don't seem to have much luck with these older bikes.
I'd be counting my losses and chopping them in for that cb500x you had your eye on before if I were you.
Best of luck

[A_morti]

The Donkey ate its third load relief relay this weekend. This time I had noticed the headlight being a bit dimmer than expected, and finally put 2+2 together.

Replacement relay again, and blasted out the headlight dimmer switch with contact cleaner and worked it back and forward a few times. Headlight seems brighter and I am hoping that high resistance in the switch is what's been eating relays.

Put differently - what fault in a circuit would cause 3 relays to die in the same way, where the relay still clicks, but it won't carry current on the load side? I haven't done an autopsy but I assume they get to arcing across the load side points, until they are carbon blacked.

I tried a drag test and wiggling the relay, but no dice so I believe the connection directly at the relay is fine.

[A_morti]

On the plus side, my mate Christoph visited from Germany and donkey gained 3 mulepowers with some new stickers!


Then I took the fz6 while he rode the donkey around Gozo.

[A_morti]

Oh yes and the brake light cracked.
I believe it's where the PO had lost a lens retaining screw and used whatever (slightly thicker) woodscrew was nearest at the time, which stressed the plastic which forms both the boss for the lens screw, and the retainer for the body stud/bolt.
Whatever the cause,as you can see there's a very marginal thickness of plastic to hold the stud in.

[ChrisW]

On the plus side, my mate Christoph visited from Germany and donkey gained 3 mulepowers with some new stickers!

They really do look very cool though.

[A_morti]

The mule is gone! I've swapped it for a 2012 CBR 250.

In monetary values I'm losing, but it's worth it to me to be out of this bike and not have to deal with Joe Public to sell the BMW.

The CBR is a one owner bike with @9000km on the clocks. New tires on, it has lived in a garage and is in decent condition if not as good as the fz6.

250cc bikes have a huge advantage as second bikes... 25€ road tax, where the mule was 175€-odd. Plus it's small light, feels like a Honda. Just my kind of thing. It should be just what I need for running around the island, and letting the fz stay cozy when it's wet out.

I'll post more about the new one once the logbooks are done and it's in my possession.





Anyone got any good suggestions for removing that tank pad?

[Taipan]

Tank pad, wd40 sprayed onto it whilst you get some fishing type wire behind it and work it back and forth, stopping to let the wd40 soak into the glue as you go.

[Taipan]

Oh and grats on the bike deal. Hope it happens as it seem a good way forward.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Just water and the very thin wire/fishing line would be my first go. Maybe a hairdryer too, or wait until June and leave it in the Mediterranean sun.

[mangocrazy]

A hot air gun used judiciously removed the 40 year old dealer sticker on the ducktail of my LC a year or so back (it annoyed me for all of those 40 years), so heat is a favourite I think.

[A_morti]

I have an old hairdryer in the garage, so that sounds good. Same for wd40 (or whatever off brand equivalent the hardware store had).
No fishing wire, but I can imagine the use of it in prying it up gently. I reckon I can find somewhere selling that.