Buying an 1100

[damo the onion]

So the Stevenage terror is slowing down is he Or is just that the roads in N.Herts are so crap you NEED a big trailie to keep making reasonable ... ahem... "progress" without the bars constantly twitching and potential highsides on every decent bend due to the shite and diesel on the roads

Actually I think I have DemonBikers addie somwhere so may be able to mail him direct.

BTW in case you have forgotten - I used the same handle on Visordown

Hello chap
I had forgotten as it turns out, an awful lot of water has flowed since the heady daze of VD.
Not longer in stevenage (but not a billion miles away in the country) and I got to say the gsxr was great but I needed to change and got a bargain from a chap i know in hertford. Well it turned out miles better than i thought it would AND it gave me chance to do something I love... spannering. Thats the beauty for me really, not much will stop an 1100GS, but it will also respond well to being played with

As for slowing down, yes and no. Yes the top end is now max only 125 due to airdrag instead of 150+ on the gxsr. And No it just means I go round corners with so much more confidence in all weathers. The GS seems almost totally unaffected by all the nasties that the gxsr used to get upset about ( the "oh-my-god-i'm-about-to-die" kind of upset ) For the job I need it for it's perfect.

Demon is back down here now (he went back to scotland for a while) and has been hooked since he rode mine sometime ago. He's been a regular visitor to sawbo for some weeks now Trouble is he cant spend 4K+ on one so it has to wait until we find one at the right price. However they can still be save-able even if in quite a bad way..... Hence asking 'bout your mates one if you decide not to go for it i'm sure he'd like to hear about the bike...

Go well chappie, if you see a bright red GS with the Teddy on the beak that'll be me say hello 'cos my memory is shot and I wont remember until nudged!

BARRY? many thanks, mail me with spec and price matey I'll wave it under Demon's nose...

[email protected]

 

[Steptoe]

Two things, (dont hate me but).

Final drives are bulletproof (as are the rear wheel bearings) unless its raced AND rallyed on the dakar 25 times. If you feel play in the rear wheel when doing a conventional "bearing check" (wiggling the rear wheel) it will be the shaft pivot bearings which are dead easy to change and cheap too...

No oil in the forks at all. Paralever/Telelever (always get them the wrong way round) front end remember? so 'nowt in the forks but fresh air. the seal is only to keep road crap out. .

Final drives aren't bullet proof - the large crownwheel output bearing does fail fairly regularly .

There is oil in the forks - 470cc worth in each leg, and the seals do leak.

 

[riverking]

The fork seals only leak if not properly bedded in - let them leak at first (they all do that), after about 10,000 miles or the leaking of 460 - 480cc's they will bed in & leak no more.

 

[Grazoid]

Heheheheheheheheheheheeeee

Just had the first dry evening up here to test ride it ... got confident with it and then it raines...still handled the same. Just tested the ABS thanks to a drunk walking out the bushes straight into my path...awesome. Think this means a purchase. Haven'r grinned so much on a first ride of a bike since I took a Bandit for a test ride in March 1998. Funnily enough I bought one the same day...

 

[Grazoid]

Final drives aren't bullet proof - the large crownwheel output bearing does fail fairly regularly .

There is oil in the forks - 470cc worth in each leg, and the seals do leak.

Front end was rebuilt earlier this year so no issues there, but what are the symptoms of the crownwheel output bearing going or gone ?

 

[damo the onion]

Final drives aren't bullet proof - the large crownwheel output bearing does fail fairly regularly .

There is oil in the forks - 470cc worth in each leg, and the seals do leak.

whats the oil in the forks for then? lubrication? Is'nt all the damping done by the chuffing great coilover and the massive lump of bifurcated pig iron under the tank?

I can only replay what i was told by two different mechanics when quibbling the rear wheel wobble.. " its your pivot bearings pal, we do about 1 rear wheel bearing every two years and the final drives only fall out if you: a) are australian and b) are "laning it hard" every day of every weekend for about six months."

I should learn not to try and help.

 

[Steptoe]

whats the oil in the forks for then? lubrication? Is'nt all the damping done by the chuffing great coilover and the massive lump of bifurcated pig iron under the tank?

I can only replay what i was told by two different mechanics when quibbling the rear wheel wobble.. " its your pivot bearings pal, we do about 1 rear wheel bearing every two years and the final drives only fall out if you: a) are australian and b) are "laning it hard" every day of every weekend for about six months."

I should learn not to try and help.

Try emptying your forks of oil and then tell me it doesn't effect the handling -

The paralever pivot bearings are adjustable.And very common to get play in them.

I replace a rear bevel bearing, on average once a month. Perhaps the mechanics you spoke to are main dealer guys, who only see low mileage newish bikes - But the flying dutchmans rear bevel bearing collapsed at 4K miles while on a tour around Norway, and i changed "unhinged" ADV bearing at just over 20K , and they weren't abused bikes - It's more common than you think -

Only here to help

 

[Possu]

Steptoe,

What's the cost if the crown wheel bearings go in the FD - parts & labour, assuming you're given the FD & not the whole bike?

 

[Steptoe]

Steptoe,

What's the cost if the crown wheel bearings go in the FD - parts & labour, assuming you're given the FD & not the whole bike?

About £70 parts and labour

 

[Grazoid]

Hmmm....

Noticed a slight bit of oil on two bolts at the base of what I think maybe the clutch casing. This also appears to be misting over top of the sump.

Could this be the result of oil seeping along the threads ?

Or would I be looking at a clutch seal replacement ?

And how much would that cost ?

Apart from that ... what a bike ! Was completely bowled over by how well it performed , even loaded with luggage. Have done motorways, fast a-roads, the A507 from Baldock to Buntingford with luggage and some Essex back lanes on the way to and from a rally at Mersea Island, and so far after 280 miles only had to top up the tank once. At one point I was out pulling my GF on her XJR1200 into a headwind!

So please don't tell me it will be a lemon because of the oil weep...

 

[Gecko]

It will be a lemon because of the oil weep

 

[Grazoid]

It will be a lemon because of the oil weep

Sigh...really .... time to haggle

 

[Dick Dastardly]

The indicator buttons are supposed to be like that

 

[Denis]

To Barry Craig,
Can you give me a ring / text on 087 2248303 (RoI) with your contact number / details of your 1100. Denis