And today's commuting highlight is...
Discussion
DirtyHarley said:
Joys... the bike has developed a parasitic power drain which is draining the battery enough that it wont start in the mornings.
Initially thought it was just the cold having killed the old battery as it was nearly 5 years old and was getting worn anyhow, but replaced and even the new battery is being drained.
Now the fun part - I part in my garden as I don't have a garage and it is fully night time by the time I get home from work... so pulling fuses and testing for what is causing the draw will have to wait until the weekend at the earliest.... so train it is for me for the rest of the week!
If you need the help of an auto electrician, good mate of mine lives in Strood & is mobile - Caesar Auto Electrical, has a page on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoElectrical/Initially thought it was just the cold having killed the old battery as it was nearly 5 years old and was getting worn anyhow, but replaced and even the new battery is being drained.
Now the fun part - I part in my garden as I don't have a garage and it is fully night time by the time I get home from work... so pulling fuses and testing for what is causing the draw will have to wait until the weekend at the earliest.... so train it is for me for the rest of the week!
Mr Flaky said:
Bloody cold today...time to start putting more layers on!
Talking of the cold, any advice welcome on how I stop my glasses bloody steaming up! Tried all sorts of treatments and sprays but still they steam up! I end up having to have vents open on the helmet and cant wear anything over my mouth or nose as it just makes it worse...so steamed up glasses and a massively cold face from trooping down the M1 with vents open.
If it helps, wearing either my AGV K3 or a Pista GP-R, both are just as bad as each other.
I've tried many many anti fog products and the best ones which work with my glasses are by a company called LifeArt on Amazon, it's a reusable dry cloth.Talking of the cold, any advice welcome on how I stop my glasses bloody steaming up! Tried all sorts of treatments and sprays but still they steam up! I end up having to have vents open on the helmet and cant wear anything over my mouth or nose as it just makes it worse...so steamed up glasses and a massively cold face from trooping down the M1 with vents open.
If it helps, wearing either my AGV K3 or a Pista GP-R, both are just as bad as each other.
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|https://thumbsnap.com/VO6OpmLJ[/url]So turns out my patience for public transport is one day. I was waiting on my preferred bike garage to collect it but they were being vague on when they could do it (garage is near my mums, not where I now live so a bit far for them). Decided to ride it in to the garage myself so I can get it back ASAP. Firstly, riding without a right peg is horrendous, I was trying to keep my foot on the little stump that's still there which resulted in near instant cramp. Clutch lever is practically bent back on itself but was useable. Something not quite right with the steering, might be my imagination or just the lack of the weighted bar end on one side or something more serious altogether (hopefully not). Engine seems to be ok, and dented exhaust doesn't seem to be making a difference. When I first started the bike yesterday engine sounded rough, but maybe the fact it was lying on its side meant the oil was in the wrong place. Fingers crossed now that the repair bill won't be too eye watering and that I'm back on the road soon.
Bumblebee7 said:
So turns out my patience for public transport is one day. I was waiting on my preferred bike garage to collect it but they were being vague on when they could do it (garage is near my mums, not where I now live so a bit far for them). Decided to ride it in to the garage myself so I can get it back ASAP. Firstly, riding without a right peg is horrendous, I was trying to keep my foot on the little stump that's still there which resulted in near instant cramp. Clutch lever is practically bent back on itself but was useable. Something not quite right with the steering, might be my imagination or just the lack of the weighted bar end on one side or something more serious altogether (hopefully not). Engine seems to be ok, and dented exhaust doesn't seem to be making a difference. When I first started the bike yesterday engine sounded rough, but maybe the fact it was lying on its side meant the oil was in the wrong place. Fingers crossed now that the repair bill won't be too eye watering and that I'm back on the road soon.
Yeah its always a bit disconcerting. After my last incident, which ended up with a Nissan Quashquai parked on top of the bike/front wheel/forks, riding it home afterward was a little disconcerting, even with the pegs/levers still attached and functioning.I am back in business! My favourite garage botched it together with some used parts from the bin so I'm up and running again 
Everything that could be bent back into shape has been and now just waiting for the proper replacements to arrive next week to be fitted. Tyres are low on tread as well so getting some Road 5's and my Denali soundbomb fitted at the same time.
Everything that could be bent back into shape has been and now just waiting for the proper replacements to arrive next week to be fitted. Tyres are low on tread as well so getting some Road 5's and my Denali soundbomb fitted at the same time.
I was walking past the London Wall/Moorgate junction this morning and some utter w
kblanket of a biker thought it was big and clever to bounce his engine off the limiter about every 5 seconds as he approached the junction and then filtered his way through it, round a stationary lorry and off up the road.
Well done, you nob. Not only did you look like a complete throbber (you'd be amazed how many people around you were looking and laughing incredulously) but you give the rest of us a bad name too.
kblanket of a biker thought it was big and clever to bounce his engine off the limiter about every 5 seconds as he approached the junction and then filtered his way through it, round a stationary lorry and off up the road.Well done, you nob. Not only did you look like a complete throbber (you'd be amazed how many people around you were looking and laughing incredulously) but you give the rest of us a bad name too.
Cold this morning...and some careless builders left a block of 2x4 with some nails in it in the middle of a side road.. from a distance I thought it was just a leaf then I dithered a split second, road too tight to swerve, didn't fancy an emergency stop, so I hit it and heard it ricochet off a parked car. Front tyre seems to be okay but it could have been worse.
Hopefully back to riding on Monday morning - pulled the electrics apart and all connections OK, fuses were fine, etc. when I plugged all the fuses back in, I heard a subtle 'pop' and the the left indicator dash icon bulb has blown... but the parasitic draw seems to have disappeared! I've not pulled the dash apart as I;m not fussed about the indicator icon since they are self cancelling and I can see when they are flashing - so I suspect it was just a dodgy bulb that was causing it. Guess we I'll see on Monday!
chris4652009 said:
What bike is it ?
it's a 2015 1200 Harley Sportster (yeah yeah, I know!)mickymellon1 said:
This was a feature on my old Aprilia Mille and solved by always hitting the kill switch when I left it, if not, it will be a ball ache to trace
Hadn't thought about that one - might have to give it a go if the issues isn't truely fixed!Sea Demon said:
If you need the help of an auto electrician, good mate of mine lives in Strood & is mobile - Caesar Auto Electrical, has a page on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoElectrical/
Cheers bud, think I;ve nailed it though.Reg Local said:
I’ll be using the bike for my commute right through winter, so I gave it a good coating of ACF50 a few weeks ago, but it now looks stter than a turd in a swamp.
I’m now having a “clean it & reapply or leave it” dilemma.
I'd be in the leave it camp, keeping a bike shiny in this weather is impossible.tter than a turd in a swamp. I’m now having a “clean it & reapply or leave it” dilemma.
If it makes you feel better I use mine all year round and have never washed it in the 2.5 years I've owned it.....
kiethton said:
Reg Local said:
I’ll be using the bike for my commute right through winter, so I gave it a good coating of ACF50 a few weeks ago, but it now looks stter than a turd in a swamp.
I’m now having a “clean it & reapply or leave it” dilemma.
I'd be in the leave it camp, keeping a bike shiny in this weather is impossible.tter than a turd in a swamp. I’m now having a “clean it & reapply or leave it” dilemma.
If it makes you feel better I use mine all year round and have never washed it in the 2.5 years I've owned it.....
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