Aurevoir El Tigre, Bonjour Kawasaki.

I had my first ride of the year on Wednesday, taking El Tigre for her mot and then handing her over to her new owner and collecting my Kwacker.
I have to say that she rode brilliantly over to Killie and then over to Sorn, the handling had been transformed by the new rubber and the engine and drive train where a lot smoother due to the service and new c+s kit that I had fitted over the winter.
She passed the mot with no advises, so it was with a bit of a heavy heart that i parted company with the old girl but a new adventure beckoned and after riding back the ZRX I was well pleased with my decision to change, for a start I can get my leg over a lot easier now lol....
The only thing that marred my return journey was the wind!, it was neither a true head or side blow but was strong enough to distort my helmet for a good part of the journey which meant my glasses where squint which I found bloody uncomfortable.
Still first impressions of the ZRX are it's very smooth, build quality is a lot better than the ZR7-S that I had before El Tigre, it's very stable and holds a good line even in extremely windy conditions and it's very bloody quick!!!!
It's also nice to buy a bike that has just had two brand new tyres fitted, which makes a nice change and it also gives me true indication of how it handles as well as giving my pocket a hard earned rest.
Ive spent a few hours today cleaning it mainly the wheels and the swing arm and hopefully tomorrow I will finish the job and she will be ready for action, although I am not planning to leave her standard for to long, ideas are in motion and the creative gears are grinding, all I can say for now is watch this space...........

Fresh start....

Well it's been a while since my last post, but tbh not a lot has happened since my last blog, I took the Tiger out for a quick pre mot spin and to get the fuel injection light knocked out which has been on since I fitted the new battery.

On the Z650 front I have got a trick solo seat and tail piece of the bay of e which I will post a photo of later in the week.

And finally me and my bro have done a deal on the bikes and he is going to have my Tiger and I will be taking Delivery of his ZRX1200, I hadn't planned to change just yet but it's a good deal for both of us and I think he really regrets selling me the Tiger in the first place!, so I know it's going to a good home and he will look after the old girl especially with all the work I have put in over the winter on her and I get to ride a big Kwacker again which is how it all started for me 20 years ago.

El Tigre

Today started off badly But I have managed to get the Tiger finished and ready for its mot, I fitted the new chain, changed the oil an filter put the new battery on and refitted the remaining body work.
It would have gone a bit better if I hadn't had to go home twice because, I forgot the keys and then I forgot the chain link but it's not the bikes fault that I was poorly organised.

I also found the time to take the pistons off the Z650 and i have now been able to pinpoint the starter motor as being the reason why I couldn't turn the engine over backwards god it is tight and squeal's like a greased pig if you put some current too it.

Bits an bob's

Not done much last couple of day's in the garage, been collecting part's like a demented magpie an waiting for them to be delivered or picking them up in person.
I got a couple of back light assembly's including a real nice one for the CB 750, a Lucas copy with built in number plate bracket which I payed top whack for but it really is a quality part not like the cheap shit which seems to be everywhere these days!
Also got one for the Z plus a clutch cable an a genuine workshop manual so I can work out what the crack is with the cam chain tensioner's as the haynes one doesn't show the arrangement for the later models, and as I thought the front blade was fitted wrongly when the head was refitted so that was money well spent.
I went to the local dealer yesterday to get oil an filter for El Tigre and the parts dude (let's name him Dick) produced the wrong filter, told him it was the wrong un but know Mr Dick had the book an this was the right filter and under no circumstances was he supplying me with the wrong one!
Now I haven't looked all that closely for a while but Do have a reputation for having a poor memory so I conceded defeat under the provision that if its wrong I can bring it back but no Dick is adamant that his book is spot on so off I go clutching oil an filter back to the garage and guess what? yep you've got it, its the wrong bloody filter! So I phoned Dick an explained to him that it was the wrong filter and your never going to guess what his reply was, still not got it? Well according to Dick there is now two types of filter but he hadn't got the other one in stock so the one he sold me must be the right one!, not if it's a paper element Dick an not a cartridge one like I said it was.
So Dick I award you with the cock of the week award for being a complete cock!!!!!

Z650 stripdown

The best way to get this cack cleaned off was to strip the head and barrels off, the head has been of and de-coked but i didn't like the fact it wasn't cleaned up at all so it suggested to me it was a bit off a rush job and I figure that i would sooner strip it down now and check it out than when the bike is built.

When I got the barrels off I turned the engine over keeping the cam chain taught both backwards and forwards, when you turn the engine anti-clockwise it makes a strange noise like something is catching in the bottom end, but clockwise it's fine, but better to be safe than sorry I am going to split the crankcases and check the bottom end out.