Winter update #1

Yes, WINTER has hit Norway.

This morning I was met by a horrible sight

I put my bike away three weeks ago. She got a quick wash, and nothing more. She is stored in a dry and ventilated, albeit a bit cold, place. The room is big, and there is room for me to work on her there, but I think I will bring an oven and some more light...

Night frost hit us about three weeks ago, and there was a lot of rain. Driving was not really appealing, so I decided to put her in storrage.

Two days after, I got a lovely present from my mothers friend:

It is a Halvarssons Shadow Leather jacket, and it is quite nice. I haven't had the opportunity to test her yet, but it is a near perfect fit, and a present. He bought it for himself after his own jacket got torn this summer, but realized that it was too big after riding with it a couple of times.

Very lovely present, and completely unexpected =) - Thank you very much!



And what are my plans for the winter-season?
Well.. The season is long here in Norway.. I seldom get the bike out before April first. Damn snow!

However! I do plan to fiddle around a bit with my XJ!

Preliminary winter Todo-List:

* Fix blinker issue
* Buy and install new battery
* Fix more rotten hoses
* Buy and mount  top box break light
* Buy a loud-ass horn
* Change oil
* Change oil filter
* Clean properly
* Buy new helmet
* Buy new trousers

87762km

Hello North America!

I just pulled some stats on this petty little blog of mine, and of the 217 unique visitors I have had since august, Canadians and Americans seems to have found me!

Not to many visitors, but feel free to leave a comment on how the heck you found this blog =)

And hello to the UK, the German and the Finnish visitor!

87750km

As I rode home from work the other day I realized something: 

I frigging love riding a motorbike!

I love the driving experience, the ability to ride in the buss lane, the lane splitting and the fact that traffic isn't really a problem. I love the fact that I don't have to take the subway or the bus.

I love driving in the baking sun, wearing all black. I love driving in the pouring rain, my visor clogging up with rain, my gear all wet. I love being cold, wet but happy.

I love driving in the rain, the sun, the sleet and the wind. I love taking my bike out in spring, I love tinkering with it all through winter, I love laying plans for the bike in the autumn, I love the mending, the cleaning and the maintenance..

I love riding alone, with my friends or with random strangers I meet along the road. I love the camaraderie, the feeling of riding as one of many, or by my self.

I love the curvy roads, the long stretches of open road and highway. I love the small, picturesque country roads and the four lane motorway.

I love stopping for petrol, I love cleaning the bike. I love removing flies from my visor and dirt from my face.

I love accelerating, breaking and pulling out from stop lights. I love how the road maintenance crews in Norway leave dirt and gravel in the road. I love potholes, car drivers who fail to see me and roadworks that block my path.

I love revving the engine as I go through tunnels. I love firing her up in the parking lot. I love the sound her engine makes and rattling of the bike.

I love the contact with the surroundings, the smells of nature and traffic and the feeling you get when you hit the perfect curve.

I love the sensation of riding.

I love the smell of gasoline in the morning.. It smells of freedom.

87707km

Okay, autumn is here for sure!

Leaves on the road, rain, rain, rain, rain and rain, 2,5c in the morning and even more leaves on the road.
Riding to work today was a mixed experience. While it was very cold, the sun was up on a very clear blue sky.

I think the driving season is comming to an end this year!

Driving as a granny pays off: 0,5L/10KM. Not to bad...

87590km

The accident week!

Luckily not my accidents! However; two of my friends and fellow bike riders got hit by cars within a week. Both are fine, luckily, and neither of them to blame.

One of them got rear ended while accelerating out from a crossing, just getting the green light. His bike isn't to badly beaten: Busted engine guard and some covers cracked and scratched. The bike is okay. My friend is okay.

The other one you all know. It is my friend who just got a "new" CBR. He got hit by a car that was changing lanes with its driver not looking before turning. He got hit rather badly on the side and his bike suffered a bit of damage: Busted fairings, busted foot-peg, busted engine covers, bent handlebar, busted driving gear and so forth.
Good luck with the insurance companies both of you!

Actually I ALMOST had an accident myself! I was driving home from work, when a huge lorry in front of me decided to break hard in a tunnel. I had good clearance to it, but I fully lock-braked and stopped hard.

It then proceeded to begin backing in the tunnel!

There are several things wrong with this: First of all, in Norway it is against the law to stop in a tunnel. Secondly, it is illegal for a lorry to back without a spotter.

I started honking my horn, heavily, but to no avail. I had to back my bike as fast as I could, but this was on a down-slope, meaning I had to back uphill. Luckily, the cars behind me started honking as well and the lorry driver stopped backing the moment he hit my tire. After getting around the lorry I began shouting at the idiot. He replied with his middle finger. Idiot...

Car drivers of the world:

PAY ATTENTION!

Todo:

• Buy a loud ass horn! (Will  this from Biltema do? (105db))

87401km

It is getting colder!

Autumn seems to be comming. I had to find both my jacket-lining and my trouser-lining the other day! Temperatures below 7c is cold in the morning. Especially when the heated grips I bought at Motorport seems to be malfunctioning:

At times it seems to be working just fine, but suddenly it drops the effect down to the 30% mark, at which point it doesn't seem to do much heating. I need to find out why it does this =(

It seems that the bike uses a lot of gas in the higher revs! I tested with a full tank of gas, and driving in av very non-economical way. I got about 0,8/10km.. Which is a lot... Just tanked her now, and I will see what milage I get while driving like a granny =)

87254km

Finally got the locks changed on my givi!

All in all it took about 20 minutes, including 10-15 minutes of fidling with thin one old lock that was stuck!

Three boxes, one key!

Pictures to follow!

87101km

The epic, heroic, astronomic, colossal, considerable, enormous, gigantic, ginormous, jumbo, mammoth, massive, mega, monster, monumental, prodigious, sizeable, tremendous, vast, very big, very large and whopping tale of the non-working indicators.

Or not..

Are you ready for the tale of the epic, heroic, astronomic, colossal, considerable, enormous, gigantic, ginormous, humongous, jumbo, mammoth, massive, mega, monster, monumental, prodigious, sizeable, tremendous, vast, very big, very large and whopping fail that is me?

Sure?

I. Used. The. Wrong. Bulbs.

And while most of you probably sit like this now, let me explain myself! Please?

Pretty please? With sugar on top?

I cannot dig myself out of this hole of fail, but I must try!

I got a new relay through ebay a few days/weeks back, and changed it, without much luck. I just didn't think about me changing the bulbs a few days before. You know, the ordinary 12v21W bulbs... The ones I bought at Biltema, rather cheaply.. (15,- NOK apiece, $2) That weren't 12v21w but 24v21w?

Who knew that 12v systems required 12v bulbs? I DID!!! Who knew that you had to read the big lettering on the package to see that it was 12v and not 24v? I DID!!!

Who is going to be ridiculed for this for a long time?

I am...

*sigh*

87098km

My friend just got a new motorbike!

After crashing his XJ600s in Holland last year, and spending to much money on trying to get her back into shape, he finally crumbled and bought this CBR1000F. I got to see it today, and it looks GREAT. It is an 91', but with only 45000km on the clock.

And the exiting news? While riding with him today, I finally solved the mystery of the faulty turn signals =)

87005km

Tackeling rotten hoses.

What they do, and why they are there, I do not know. The almighty haynes manual didn't have the answer, but they are rotten and leaking where I assume they should be whole, so off with them!

They seem to be a part of the carb-assy, but I'm not sure what they do.

However: they look to be in bad condition, and I will have none of that! And it seems I can make my own version of the hose with some leftover hose I bought for my Shadow.

 

Small and rotting! And not looking very nice!

New one made, and ready to be fittet!

And what do you know! A little bigger, but sturdier! And the bike runs ever smoother now than it did before! I changed both sides, now I just need to figure out what the heck those buggers actually DO!

87004km

Time to change sparkplugs!

I noticed that one of my sparkplugs weren't properly fitted , so instead of just tightening it, I took it out to have a look at it!

What a filthy little bugger!

So! Agian I went to MC-artikler to stock up on things, and came home with these:

The plugs are from the store (76,- NOK ($12), the little metal piece next to them is a small spark plug gap adjuster I got from my dad a couple of months back. I will finally have use for it =)

The plugs are an exact match to the ones I have already, but it is always good to check is the gap is correctly adjusted!
The almighty Haynes manual calls for a gap between 0.7 and 0.8, and all plugs were delivered to spec. A nice gesture from NGK, as I have used other brands before that I had to hammer into having the correct gap.

The book also claims that the Carbon Fouling on the plugs are sooty deposits leadning to misfire and weak sparks. Caused by an over-rich fuel/air miture, faulty choke (hope not!!!) or blocked air filter.
For those who remember back to my earliest entries, one of the first things I did was to replace an etremely clogged and dirty air filter. Let us hope all is well now!

Out with the old ones, and in with the new!

And what a HUGE difference!

The old ones look really dirty and worse for wear. I do not think fuel mixture has been ideal!  I really do hope that it has been rectified by replacing the air filter, but I think next season that the bike needs an adjustment of the carbs!

What a Motley Crew!

The bike starts easier with the new spark plugs, and it runs smoother. I did, however, discover some rotten hoses that need replacing rather quickly.

To-do:

• Change locks in Givi bags
• Fix indicators
• Fix rotten hoses

86943km

Huge difference!

The new seals aren't leaking, and there is actually oil present in the forks =)

The change from 5w oil to 15w oil made the forks stiffer, and improved on handling quite a bit.
The mechanic also changed the front wheel bearings, which removed a little vibration and some noice.

All in all it cost 2935,- NOK ($474), but worth it!

To-do:

• Change fork seals and oil
• Fix indicators
• Buy and mount new top box with break light
• Change locks in Givi bags

Also took a trip to the cabin in sweden. It is a 320KM round trip. She is great on longer hauls, and I had no need for a break to rest my back. Millage was approx 0,5l/10km.
 
I was greeted at the cabin by someone special, who saw me comming on the bike and said "Daddy? UUUUUP!!!" - I guess someone enjoys sitting on daddy's bike =)
 

86920km

Time to get the seals changed!

Off to the repairshop today, to change oil and seals. Hope this will improve handling and breaking!


To-Do

• Change fork seals and oil
• Fix indicators
• Buy and mount new top box with break light
• Change locks in Givi bags
• Tighten Givi rack
• Mount Autocom

86912km

How about mounting an autocom?

I have an Autocom Super pro avi I took off my previous bike. I use it for recieving calls and listening to music. I have ordered a second helmet kit from MC-Oslo aswell, since my wife wants to ride with me =)

I had one little problem, though: Where to mount it? The box isn't that big, but there are several wires to be led everywhere. I need to connect it to power, and there are also wires to connect to the helmets, a bluetooth dongle and an auxillary wire for my mp3-player.

The Bluetooth-dongle has a long wire for easy mounting. The same applies to the aux-cable. They are both about 1,5m.

I searched the bike for a decent placement, and for a while I considered the inside of the front fairings. After a little consideration, I decided against it, as it would be very explosed to the elements. I did, however, find a suitable place for it: The little storrage compartment in the back of the bike!

The compartment is almost perfect; not to much water and fairly easy to access it when I need it. Not to logical how to lay the cables, but I found a solution.

First, I mounted the box in the back using adhesive velcro bought from Biltema. They are for outdoor use, so they should stick.

I also bought some cable threaders with rubber covering and bolt holes. These items set me back 67,- NOK ($11)

The threaders are perfect for this job! All the cables I need fit through.

It made the mounting process very easy and it looks nice.

However! There seems to be a problem with the sound. When I turn on the heated grips, the autocom restarts. It is also rather unstable on the bluetooth connection. Could this be because they are connected to the same powerloop?

I have some investigating to do!

86820km

Time to tackle the rattle of the rack!

I got a tube of grease (26,90 NOK ($4,50)) from biltema and got to work!

MMMMM! Nothing like a little grease for the bolts!

I went over the rack, and thightened all the bolts, but the rattling persisted. After a little sound hunting, I found the reason!

The previous owner has mounted a 12v outlet in one of the side covers. I never payed it much attention while removing said covers, but it was loose, and barely hanging on. After a little bit of tightning, the sound was gone :)

Note the nice, purple colour too.

There is a crack in the side cove, so I bought some more stuff, this time at Clas Ohlson - Some fiberglass and lamination epoxy for 119,- NOK ($20)

I went over the bike and tightened up a lot of screws. Also figured out the problem with wobbling speedo gauge. Tighten, tighten and tighten the wire =)

All in all, a good session with the bike, it runs a lot smoother now, with less vibrations and not so many weird noises!

86751km

Time to go shopping!

Off to biltema I went, and this is what I got:

New fuses!

(49,90 NOK ($8))

New fuse holder!

(29,90 NOK ($5))

Some cable shoes!

(39,90 NOK ($6,50))

Took out the old fuse box, and cut the wires, making sure that I didn't get any of them mixed up.

What is left now is some clean up work, to make it look better, and to attach things properly.

My handywork isn't pretty, but I got the job done. Note the busted relay, taped together on the left hand side!

Any ideas on waterproofing and securing the area around the fuses a bit better? The old fuse box had a lid, and that was probably for a reason. Anyone?

The hotgrips work perfectly now, and I can enjoy warm hands during our wonderful Oslo summer.... (11c and rain this morning =( )

According to the xjbikes forum, this, along with thin oil in the forks is a common problem on this bike... Well, not anymore!

Time for a brand new To-do:

• Change fork seals and oil
• Fix indicators
• Buy and mount new top box with break light
• Change locks in Givi bags
• Tighten Givi rack
•  Mount Autocom

86751km

Disaster!

I tried the hotgrips for a couple of days now, and I could not get them above 40% without them turning off or going back to 30% on their own accord. This confused me, as they worked fine when I dry fitted them.

What now? Cut off? Bring back to store? Buy new? Check wires? And....
....

....

What is that smell? Is it burning plastic? Something smells... And it is comming from underneat my seat!!!
Time to fetch this:

I never found anything actually burning, but what the hell made that smell?

After further examination, I found the culprit! And boy did it scare me! I read stories of this on the xjbikes forum, but I thought I was good, since it seemed to be okay for 16 years...

Is that hole supposed to be there?

(Sorry! No pictures of the actual removal process. I was in a panic...)

And what is this?

 Evidence of past failures?

The main fuse was held in place by this... And no glass fuse in the original fuse box.

And by the looks of the rest of the fuse box, I was mistaken in thinking the fuse box was alright, and that it did not suffer from the apparent weakness of all the other boxes on this model =(

Just look at this:

 Melted plastic NOT FTW!

 The holder for the main fuse (left) was completely gone, and replaced by the above fuse holder. The fuse for the lighting system is second, and was melted completely through. It was a wonder the fuse didn't blow. The holders for the fuse was just melted off. And it appears that the original holders are made of chinese garbage metal and left over wires from pre Edisonian era...

The other two fuse holders were on the verge of dying too. Time to go SHOPPING!

Off to Biltema and Clas Ohlson for som shopping!

LordKat Eats - Norwegian edition!

I follow a guy online, who calls himself LordKat. A brilliant and very funny fellow who makes funn videos.

I sendt him a huge box of Norwegian treats to try, and here is the result:

Watch the video here!

What has this got to do with bikes, heated grips and riding? Nothing!
But it is funny :p

Remember to buy his tshirts!

86704km

Bought heated grips from Motorport. I had some on my shadow, and I want the same on this bike.
The previous one was for custom bikes, this is a bit different!


I got the Oxford hotgrips for 595,- ($99). It was 695, but the nice guy gave me a better price.

The control unit is a bit strange. It has the option of 30%, 40%, 70% and 100% effect. My old one was analog in the controls. The control unit is for mounting on a flat surface or on the left hand side controls.
I tested them directly on to the battery before fitting, and they worked!

Time to mount! =)

Removing the old grips was easy! I used my trusty leatherman wave and cut them off. I cleaned off the surface underneat, and dry fitted both grips.

The cables were stripped onto existing cables, and the grips were super-glued on. They were a perfect fit, and are comfortable to hold.

The control unit is a bit harder. The mounting plate is designed for mounting on the left hand side controlers. I have no screws there..

Nowhere to mount =(

Now,what to do? I have no flat surface fit for the unit. The solution was careful mounting on the right hand side.

A tight fit!

There was just enough room and clearance to mount the unit. Only problem now, is operating the buttons with the left hand.

I also needed to mount the unit that dristibute and control power, and hook the grips up to power.

The unit fitted perfectly underneat the seat!

More superglue!

I didn't want the grips hooked up directly to the battery, because there are a lot of kids in the area, and they fiddle with my buttons! I don't want a drained battery if someone turn on my grips.

I needed ingnition power, and decided to hook into the lightsystem. It is both controled by a button, and by the ignition.

I tested, and they work perfectly! No more cold hands during rainy days and Norwegian "summer" =)

86677km

Ordering new keys for the givis!

I tried getting new keys for my givi. It isn'tpossible.

Apparently I need new cylinders, as givi doesn't make spare keys.

mcartikler wanted 650,- NOK for ($108) three locks, which I find a bit stiff...
I found them online for 210,- NOK ($35)  with shipping from the UK, so again I'll play the waiting game. (and it sucks... I'll rather play hungry, hungry hippos)

Edit:

The locks are here now! (August 4th)

To-Do:

• Change fork seals and oil
• Install heated grips
• Order keys for givi boxes
• Fix indicators

86677km

The indicators need fixing!

Whenever I try to use them, they only light up in the back and do nothing else. The old relay blinks a little when I smack it, but it is split and busted.


I assumed that it was a busted relay or similar. I bought a new relay at http://www.mcartikler.no/ for 39,- NOK ($6,5), but to no avail. It does nothing.

I needed a different one, and wemoto had in stock just what I needed! I thought.....

...I was wrong...

I called yamaha, and they told me that a new relay could be ordered for 902,- NOK ($150). Apparently there is a special relay for this bike =(

Luckily, I found someone on €bay willing to sell me a relay for 200,- NOK ($33). Now I must play the waiting game...

To-Do

• Change bulbs in instrument panel
• Change clutch wire
• Change fork seals and oil
• Install heated grips
• Change airfilter
• Order keys for givi boxes
• Fix indicators

86420km

Woho!

Thanks to the guys at http://xjbikes.com/ I figured out the dim light problem. Apparently the panel is prone to dust attacks, as it has no proper seal.

I removed the panel AGAIN, and I cleaned the inside! HUGE difference! I can tell if the lights are on!

Time to tackle the indicators!

86352km

Bah!

I apparently did not change all the bulbs, the clock is in the dark.

I bought four new bulbs, and changed the bulbs behind the neutral/head beam/oil, but no difference. Still VERY dim light.
Any ideas?

At least the clock is illuminated, but not running correctly. Taking the main fuse (when I found it) at midnight did not help, the clock resets to 01:00 =/

86344km

Changing the bulbs!

The instrument panel has no lights, except for the few faint at the bottom (oil/high beam/neutral). According to Haynes, it is a fairly easy fix.

I bought four new bulbs (12v21w) for 78,- NOK ($13)

Also bought this, an Osram night breaker headlight bulb for 149,- NOK ($24). The light I have now is yellow, and not very bright!

The change went well, and the difference is enormous! I have light in the panel, and I can see the road in the dark.
The bulbs that were blown in the panel were black, broken and full of dust / dirt. The entire inside was filthy!
Methinks a cleanup is in order.

And I looked at the clock while the panel was off, and it is the controll unit for the buttons that is busted =(

86021km

Going to Fredrikstad

This is the first "long" trip on the bike (long is wrong, but longer than there and back again to work)

Route is here.
Not more than 100 kilometers, but loaded up with borrowed givi luggage and a tank bag, I am set for a weeks worth of training =)

The trip went well, and the bike behaved, but the fork seals NEED CHANGING!

She (what should I name her?) was very nice in higher speeds, and very stable. I am starting to really like this bike =)

I want this:

85950km

The changing of the clutchwire and the airfilter.

As I need the bike for a trip in the beginning of July, I need to change the clutchwire ASAP. My old Shadow had a hydraulic clutch, so this was a new challenge for me!

Time to purchase "The answer to life, the universe and everything" (295,- NOK ($49)):

And, of course; A new clutch wire. - I found one in mcartikler.no that fits, for 198,- NOK ($33). Also bought a new airfilter airfilter for 206,- NOK ($34).

Changing the airfilter was easy. Remove the side cover, un-strap the tool box (NEEDS CLEANING!), remove another cover, throw out old filter.
It was a notable difference with new and old filter. She pulls much more air now! (sorry, no pictures, didn't think about it)

Here is the old clutch wire:

It hardly moves at all:

BIG difference with the new wire, bike is possible to drive! =)

TO-DO list:

• Change bulbs in instrument panel

• Change clutch wire
• Change fork seals and oil
• Install heated grips
• Change airfilter
• Order keys for givi boxes
• Fix indicators
• Buy and mount new top box with break light
• Fix everything else
• Clean tool box

85880km

I got the bike home, and got a chance to look over her properly. I checked the air pressure, and there wasn't much air in the tyres. It is supposed to be 36psi in front, 42 in the back but it was 16 and 22 (!!!) She needs air.
After filling the tyres, she rode quite a bit better. Can't belive I didn't check the pressure while riding her the first time! (Can't belive the seller didn't checked it either...)

There seems to be a lot of small things wrong with the bike.

• No light in the instrument panel
• Wobbling speedo gauge
• Not able to set clock
• EXTREMELY hard clutch
• Broken seals in the forks, and hardly any oil
• A lot of loose screws and things not tightened
• OOOLD airfilter (Almost black and full of leaves)
• Scratches, bumps and bruises
• Rotten grips
• Rotten fuse box
• Rattling Givi rack
• Broken keys for box
• Dirt everywhere!
• Very faint light in High beam/neutral/oil bulbs
• Indicators not working

TO-DO list:

• Change bulb in instrument panel
• Change clutch wire
• Change fork seals and oil
• Install heated grips
• Change airfilter
• Order keys for givi boxes
• Fix indicators
• Buy and mount new top box with break light
• Fix everything else

85720km

Welcome!

After riding to a couple of years on my Shadow VT700c, I started to long for a bigger bike, with better riding comfort and room for a passenger.

I searched the web, but with a very limited budget my choices were few. Having a kid who just turned one, and needing a bigger flat, my wife didn't really want me to spend anymore than what I got for my Shadow.

 This is my Shadow next to my old scooter =)

I put my Shadow up for sale, and had a few calls. One guy wanted me to meet him in Trondheim, 500 km away. He just wanted to look at the bike, and wasn't even sure if he wanted to buy it... Needless to say, I turnd his offer down. :p

Luckily the first viewer wanted the bike, and gave me less than my askingprice, but more than I vould have been happy with!

Money in hand, and budget figured out, I started looking. The obvious choice was touring bikes, but finding cheap ones was a bit hard. One of my friends wanted me to look at old beemers, but those where usually outside my budget...

After a lot of searching, I came across a 1994 Yamaha XJ900f. The last model year before diversion took over. And if you read the title of this blog, you would probably guess what kind of bike I ended up with =)

I went to try it out, but I wasn't really overwhelmed with happiness as I tried the bike out. It was VERY cheap at 27.000 NOK ($4400 (Yes, yes, I know.. Cheap by Norwegian standards)) , but I was uncertain.
The bike had been standing for a year, and the clutch wire was completely stuck. Driving the bike was HARD, and I felt that the poor bike had been ignored. Air pressure, bulbs, wires and covers were not working, dirty or not correct.

I talked to the seller, and decided to think about it for the night. I called the seller and tried to haggle, but the price was set, as it was low already. However I got a bagster tank cover in the bikes colours and two GIVI E45 top boxes. The keys for the Givis where broken, but working, and only one of the boxes could be fitted to the bike due to a defective lock... I accepted.

I got my friend down from Oslo, to drive it home for me as I had my car. (He himself drives a XJ900s diversion.) He took it home for me, and this is where the story begins =)