Muscle bikes - which one?
Discussion
Speed addicted said:
That does look good, is it the twin exhaust one?
Yeah, k3 version. Low mileage with stacks of history and absolutely immaculate. Obviously been a pampered garage queen until now. Let's hope that she doesn't throw a tantrum when she realises she is expected to do a year round commute.LeftmostAardvark said:
Speed addicted said:
That does look good, is it the twin exhaust one?
Yeah, k3 version. Low mileage with stacks of history and absolutely immaculate. Obviously been a pampered garage queen until now. Let's hope that she doesn't throw a tantrum when she realises she is expected to do a year round commute.
A few tips from 90k on mine (& 55k ish on Mrs Hooli's pair).
Make sure the rear shocks are clean before adjusting the preload, else the dirt gets under a seal & makes them leak. Fork compression adjusters (at the bottom) seize up too, so I'd pack them with grease/ACF50/Lark's vomit before you let it see salt.
Suzuki never put enough grease on steering bearings, so that's worth redoing. K3 onwards have taper rollers so survive a few miles anyway (it's normally the bottom one that rusts). Worth checking the fork oil too, people never do & they handle much better with decent stuff in.
Under the LH side cover is a big white multiplug (links the main loom to the ECU lead), cover it in WD40 as damp they're is a common cause of rough running, same with the clutch switch.
If the fuel pump is a loud whine, it'll be the teabag filter under the pump. You'll see it as soon as you lift the pump off it's mounts inside the tank. Just wash it clean.
Sprocket carrier bearings never seem to last longer than one C&S set, so I just change them at the same time these days.
Oil coolers tend to crack on the lower corners about 50k, 'they all do that sir'.
K3s tend to run rich & those cans weigh a ton. If you fancy noise stick Beowolfs or something on & get a PC3 with custom map. It'll pay for itself in petrol on a daily. Mine (PC3, dyno & Akra) does 48mpg on a run & over 53mpg if I stick to speed limits. Just changing from a downloaded map to a custom one gained 2-3mpg! and more bottom end response.
ETA: If you're bored, download the factory manual ( or I can email a copy) then set up both TPS's. Makes them even more silky smooth.
Enjoy it, mine is one of those bikes I'll never sell as nowt else around seems as good as a daily to me.
Thanks - all really useful. A pipe and a PC (and a decent dyno tune) are top of the list and I've just ordered some acf50, which I'll be spraying liberally at the weekend. Looks like it'll be bloody cold in the next few days, so I don't think heated grips will be far behind either (and a fly screen).
If you're doing the grips have a look at Datatool ones, I've fitted them to my CB1300.
The control is on the left grip and it's a simple two wire connection to the battery as it senses the HF when the bike is on and switches off without it.
Of course I'm a fair weather biker so mine are mainly to keep my race gloved hands warm on less sunny days.
The control is on the left grip and it's a simple two wire connection to the battery as it senses the HF when the bike is on and switches off without it.
Of course I'm a fair weather biker so mine are mainly to keep my race gloved hands warm on less sunny days.
I'd never really thought much about heated grips till I bought my CB13 a few years ago and they were already fitted.
It was a warm sunny Edinburgh day when I took my new bike home but I hit rain at Penrith and it rained all the way to Portsmouth. Despite wearing Gore Tex clothing I had summer gloves on.
Thanks to the heated grips my soaking wet hands were toasty all the way home! I did have funny coloured hands for a while afterward though...
Wouldn't consider not having them now.
It was a warm sunny Edinburgh day when I took my new bike home but I hit rain at Penrith and it rained all the way to Portsmouth. Despite wearing Gore Tex clothing I had summer gloves on.
Thanks to the heated grips my soaking wet hands were toasty all the way home! I did have funny coloured hands for a while afterward though...
Wouldn't consider not having them now.
y2blade said:
Is a Muscle bike the best option for all year round commuting use? you are going to get cyclist penis syndrome 
Dare I ask what that is?I find mine is great for use as a daily. Power, comfort & upright position means you can get a move on, see when filtering & my wrists don't ache from low speed riding.
Heated grips & ugly bark busters mean I read all year in summer gloves, no screen on mine as I prefer it without & your neck soon gets used to it.
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