tiistai 21. heinäkuuta 2009

Long time no written...

The driving season is far and it has been 4 months gap on blog updates.

In a nutshell: the bike worked fine after maintenance work. I was too eager to start driving, that the only thing I did was to oil chains. It was quite neatly done with a toothbrush.

After that... driving, driving and driving :) What a pleasure it is! (Except for the first drive in the beginning of May - freezing, I was totally frozen!)

Well, I need to mention, that the speedometer stopped working for some reason. That needs fixing at some point - the problem is, that the middle footrest should be used here. And I don't have the strength nor technique to do that. Good thing here is, that I never speed! How could that happen, when speedometer shows 0 km/hour all the time???

The reason that trickered me to write to the blog after a long while is the insurance company. Yes, they kindly remembered me with the insurance bill. This is the first (full) insurance bill with motorbike insurance. Now I did expect a big bill, since everybody told in advance, that it is expensive. BUT THIS EXPENSIVE?!! It was a good thing I was sitting down when opening the invoice... My god! How dear they??? Maybe I need to buy more expensive motorbike to maintain some proportions with the insurance bills. At least I need to drive more... a whole lot more! Or maybe I just concentrate on maintenance work and forget driving... ;)

lauantai 7. helmikuuta 2009

In Oily Garage...

The plan for this evening at garage was:
1) put new air filter in place
2) change oils
3) change oil filter.
(and put o-ring, which is located at bottom of gas shut-off, in right place...

The air filter was now so easy... It took only about 10 minutes to release gas tank, open air filter lid and put new one in. And of course put everything back again. Now the air filter is reusable, so next time only cleaning is needed. (O-ring was fixed also...)

Then new thing - oil changing. Excitment in the air... how does this go?! This is the best part, don't know exaclty how to do something and have to learn while doing - great! The oil insert and oil filter was located last time, so no time wasted here anymore.

Once again, things are just so stuck... Oil insert didn't even promise to open for first try. Hahaa - secret weapon, Mr. CRC came to rescue. And oil insert opened kindly. Wow... oil, oil and once again oil. Everything in oil... Plääh - what a mess!

The oil filter was next to be released. <*CRC*> It released kinldy after couple of tries. <*/CRC*> More oil... Now I had not only my hands and shirt in oil, but also my phone started to feel quite sticky. Well... I had help line open whole time... and took pictures and MMS them to get more help. So phone is actually one very important tool when doing motorbike maintenance work! Almost as important as CRC... And when talking about tools... next time I'll take also my make-up mirror with me. It would have been extremely handy. Now I had to crawl under motorbike to be able to see something.

Bad oil gone, used oil filter gone. Time to take new fresh ones in. New oil filter required some oil inside it before attaching it. And of course threads needed cleaning from old oil. Nicely it attached! And so did oil insert. Last phase to go - new oil in. Oil tank capacity is 2200 cm3, so I poured abt 2 litres oil in.

One mystery raised again... how on earth do people check the oil eye??? When motorcycle is straight and leans on you, it is quite impossible to bend down enough to see the oil eye... Well, maybe the "middle footrest" could be used here. But I will use make-up mirror next time! This time I used phone and took picture...

Once again, very nice evening at the garage!

What is left to prepare for new driving season? Changing gasoline filter and oil chains. Then that's it. Oh - one thing related to clothing. The leather suit needs greasing. Things are slowly coming to an end ... or better said, to a beginning.


New, reusable, air filter in place.


Hmmm... let's see does this become a whole motorbike before driving season... AND... does it still work!!!?
From Mopo


Tool set has increased... significantly!
From Mopo



Oil, oil, please come out...
From Mopo



Here is the way to come out, sesame open!
From Mopo



Looking good :) Bad oil out and new air filter about to go in place...
From Mopo


Old oil filter was here, and new one will be...
From Mopo


...and here it is! Also oil insert back in place.
From Mopo


The oil eye... New oil in :) DONE!
From Mopo

sunnuntai 18. tammikuuta 2009

The Completion

Now I have it all.

The only thing that was missing - the boots!

tiistai 6. tammikuuta 2009

WOOOHOOOOOO!!!!

After the deep frustration last time, now I was better prepared when entering the garage again. I had got Le Manual (yes, it was in french...) and found both air filter and oil filter from there. Also I got a hot tip about the air filter. I'm starting to think that the man behind my whole motorbike hobby thing is irreplaceable. Thanks - again!!!

Also new filters are now ordered and oil is bought :) Sounds almost too good.

Then to the garage... First I checked that the oil filter is where the manual claimed it to be. Yep - there it was!



This time the plan included only detaching air filter. Last time it was totally lost. But now... air filter - come out, come out, where ever you are!!!

The hot tip and Le Manual both claimed that it would be under the gas tank! Wow, that I didn't think last time. Now I had also seen the picture, so it somehow makes it easier to look for it...

First obstacle in the way of releasing gas tank was the "thing" that locks up saddle. Of course, CRC was needed. That, by the way, seems to be very precious liquid!!! I can not survive without it. Already addicted to CRC!

But that was the easiest part. Then some trouble came on the way. Serious trouble. (Beer break and smoke break would have been more than convinient here). After couple... of phone calls I knew how to go forward. First the gasoline shut-off was shut off :) and next fuel tube was released, but the tank didn't fit to come out. The gasoline shut-off was seriously in the way... Damn!

Some more phone calls and quick peak to manual (and memories from cafe break conversation from work) helped and gasoline shut-off was history. Then the last obstacle, one more screw which attached the tank was in the way. Some more CRC and TADAAAAAA!!!! Tank was released!

Oh, it really felt like opening christmas present as a child. So eager, ripping off the wrappings. I ripped off the gas tank... and THERE IT WAS!!! THE AIR FILTER!!!! Sooo excellent! (Almost as good feeling as getting o... into orbit ;)

Happy again. But how much cursing and frustration in required! Maybe that's why it feels so good.

Gas tank... get ready to be taken off:



1st obstacle:


2nd obstacle... it took almost an hour to figure out how to overcome this. (Pitiful... it was so easy!)


3rd obstacle


Well well, what do we have here!?!


Hello air filter!


Oh what a beauty, so missed and wanted ;)