The Big Red Bus

[KungFooBob]

I bought a cheap DA polisher!

It's now quite shiney (and maybe a little less pink).

[Taipan]

I bought a cheap DA polisher!

It's now quite shiney (and maybe a little less pink).

What polisher did you get? I can't make my mind up whether to get one or not. I promised myself I won't buy anymore things as I have a loft full of expensive, but unused "must haves"!

[weeksy]

I bought a cheap DA polisher!

It's now quite shiney (and maybe a little less pink).

What polisher did you get? I can't make my mind up whether to get one or not. I promised myself I won't buy anymore things as I have a loft full of expensive, but unused "must haves"!

Or you could ask me and I'll send you mine.

[Taipan]

Thanks Mate but my Father-I-law tells me he has one, assuming he can find it?

I was putting the Easter decorations in the treasure trove of a loft and I spied a big old polisher and once again I have no idea where it came from!?!?

[MingtheMerciless]

I bought a cheap DA polisher!

It's now quite shiney (and maybe a little less pink).

Shiny bike!!! However it’s taken four posts for someone to pick you up on the weeds in your block paving. Standards are slipping

[KungFooBob]

I bought this one.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8647300

It's about the cheapest speed adjustable DA one you can buy, I wouldn't trust myself with a non-DA one, I'd burn the paint!

[KungFooBob]

Calliper bolts!

Out with the old, un with the shiny and new...





I suppose I should do the bleed nipple and mount bolts next.

[Skub]

Tidy.

That's the trouble with new bits,they lead to the desire to replace other less new bits!

[KungFooBob]

I wish I was a bit more knowledgeable in the world of bolts.

I know buying a ready made kit for a specific motorcycle is going to cost more than buy the bolts themselves. I've probably paid £6 for 50p worth of bolts and a tube of copper slip.

[Skub]

The small fasteners are handy enough to replace,just pull out the stock bolts,measure the length and diameter,it's only when you need 10mm or above then the pitch can vary and you need to be more careful. Even then it's usually either 1.25 or 1.5 and they are visibly different threads.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I wish I was a bit more knowledgeable in the world of bolts.

I know buying a ready made kit for a specific motorcycle is going to cost more than buy the bolts themselves. I've probably paid £6 for 50p worth of bolts and a tube of copper slip.

You need to find a local aladdin's cave of bolts. Knowing what you need is only half the story....I know exactly what I need most of the time, but buying just 2 bolts is always a pain in the arse.

There is a great shop near Oxford that just has shelves and shelves of bolts, I know another in Portsmouth. Neither are much use to you!

[KungFooBob]

Satnag time!





Official RAM mount that's specific BMW bake res fitment!

[KungFooBob]

The panniers had a different key to the other locks on the bike. Not really a big problem, but then I read that you can re-key the locks. So after a few youtube videos I gave it a try.

The most difficult bit is getting the locks out of the panniers. You have to lift the last pin in the lock to release them.



I dunno if I was lucky, I've no idea how many different pins there are, but I managed to re-arange the existing pins so that they fit the ignition key, there was only one that couldn't be moved to another position and work, so I just left it out.



Quite a pleasing little job, even if getting the locks out was an utter utter bastard.

[KungFooBob]

Long time no post.

Recently the Bus has received a set of R&G heated grips. I had a pair before I fitted to a Varadero, IMHO they're better value than anything Oxford offer, the controller just isn't as fancy.

I cut the old throttle side grip off as it start to rip as I pulled it off (fnar). A few gentle taps with the big mallet got the R&G grip on. It's interference fit, no glue used and it's 100% sold at full heat.

The original clutch side grip is mounted on a plastic tube that is held on to the bar with two screws. Undo the screws and it just slides off.
The R&G grip slides straight on to the bar, was a teeny bit loose, but some spray on impact adhesive sorted that out (after I'd remembered to let it go tacky first, oops).

The R&G controller is mounted to the top yoke using a stick back pad, Weeksy would have a fit.

The kit comes with some push in plastic bar end filler plugs, these were a bit loose, so I wrapped them in leccy tape to pad them out a bit and they've stayed put for the last 200 miles!

The R&Gs get so much warmer than the Oxford Touring grips the shop fitted to my old NCX and warmer than the official Triumph ones on the old Tiger XC.

They're wired direct to the battery for now, if I can be arsed I'll build a relay switched loom for the grips and the satnag. I did one for the Varadero and it was piece of piss and I'm crap at sparks.

The patch I made for the exhaust has blown off, somewhere between my house and Bridlington, it lasted a few hundred miles.

I've been using the Bus to commute this week and the MPG certainly takes a hit with the exhaust blowing, I guess it's throwing the lambda reading out. On the plus side I'm now using the stupid indicators like a natural, they're sooo easy.

[Dodgy69]

Had my grips on yesterday, wouldn't have a bike without these days.

[weeksy]

Had my grips on yesterday, wouldn't have a bike without these days.

I've got the latest gen Oxfords, they're ridiculously hot. Like 'can't use the hottest setting' type hot.... it was 10 deg last week and i had them on 1/5

[KungFooBob]

With the GSXR being so shiny, the KRS is now 'winter hack', to be used on those lovely crisp winter days where it's sunny and dry, but fucking freezing. I looked at retro fitting the proper BMW heated grips, but even 2nd hand the parts are stupid money.

I actually quite enjoy riding it. Its planted. It's fast. It's comfy. It almost handles. If I could only have one bike, I'd be happy if it was a ropey old £1800 BMW

[Mr. Dazzle]

I'll give ya £500 for it. I won't even set it on fire.

[KungFooBob]

When the famously brittle tank fuel pipe connectors go, it'll set itself on fire.

[Mr. Dazzle]

My other Trumpet had those. I suppose it's technically an old Trumpet now, being from 1997.