Thursday, 14 May 2015
A Master of Management in the family
Eamonn graduated last week with a Master of Management from the University of Sydney. I was 43 before I had a Masters degree. We live in compressed timelines I think.
Friday, 1 May 2015
Another graduate in the family
Ben graduated from Sydney University with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Exercise and Sport Science) in April. Another day for proud parents.
Tuesday, 13 January 2015
Kawasaki KZ250C - a few fixings
I have been looking at a Kawasaki KZ250C single with some electrical problems recently and thought I'd just write down what I did in case I forget and in case its useful to someone else. I could find very little on the web about this model so this might help others.
The KZ250C looks like this:
It had been bought recently for AUD$2000 and had obviously had some restoration work done to it by the previous owner(s) - mostly appearance related though.
Some details about this bike:
1. The seat had been remodelled to extend towards the rear and cover where there might usually be a carrier. This made it a bit harder to identify because there were 3 different models of this bike available in Australia each with different seats and the seat that this one had wasn't like any of them.
2. Its a 1980 model (made October 1980) with VIN #: KZ250C-003349 and Engine #: ODE 022539.
3. Chain and sprockets need replacing - front 15t, rear 37t and a 100 link chain of size 520H.
4. Battery needed replacing - YB10L-A2 12v 11Ah. The battery dimensions are 133x85x145 high - multimeter test showed only about 10.5V.
5. Paper air cleaner and air box - all original and clean and fitted ok. The paper filter was dirty and I would have ordinarily replaced this as a matter of course but was unable to buy a genuine new one, so just cleaned the old one. Kawasaki part number 110105022. I got a lot of advice and support from BikeBiz Kawasaki Granville - they couldn't get many parts but pointed me toward where I might (eBay mostly). I was able to get the battery, front sprocket and oil filter from BikeBiz.
6. Screws/bolts throughout the bike were all the original Phillips head style made of 1980 cheese. As a result, they had all pretty much had their heads stripped and needed replacing. I replaced quite a few of these as I went along - excellent and cheap service from Nepean Boltmaster.
7. The inlet rubber manifold connecting the carby to the cylinder was a bit perished and probably needs replacement but I was unable to buy a new one. Kawasaki part number 160651028.
8. The petrol hose was perished and as a result, the fuel filter was full of rubber dust and pieces. Lucky it had a filter at all because its not a standard fitment. Fitted new 4.8mm petrol hose and fuel filter - both from SupaCheap Auto Accessories.
9. The engine contained 3 litres of engine oil (very black) I found upon draining - it is only supposed to have 1.4 litres max. Oil change 25621km with 1.4 litres of Castrol Activ 4T and Kawasaki oil filter part #: 16099-004. Once I got it going, I changed it again (1.1 litres - no oil filter change) at 25719km - the oil was already very black.
10. The most significant point however about the bike was that it had broken down on the ride home after purchase with some serious heat being felt through the ignition key (enough to cause a finger blister). There was no spark and the starter motor did not work at all ie. there was no power to the starter.
Investigation showed that there had been quite a bit of non-factory electrical work added to the bike including:
- driving lights mounted on the crash bars - 2 x 35W
- an ammeter mounted on the handlebars
- an immobiliser switch mounted under the left hand side cover - this had been wired to bypass the main 20A fuse (interestingly) and there was much melted wire nearby in the battery box.
- the extra wire used to wire in all these bits was 20A cable which is much thicker than the factory wiring used predominantly on the bike.
To fix:
The usual tool suspects were needed including:
- multimeter
- a test circuit (I just made this from a 9V battery, bulb and wires - this is to check where wires are coming from and going to)
- various bits of the right sized wire and male/female connectors
- impact driver - removes any of the shredded Phillips Head screws - as the photo above shows, even the ones in the RHS switch block were destroyed.
What I did:
Overall the approach was:
1. Remove all the non-standard wiring and accessories
2. Start at the battery and work out along the wiring loom to the ignition coil and starter motor to make sure that power is getting to where it should go.
Process:
1. Remove accessory driving lights and associated wiring.
2. Remove the ammeter (it's internals were melted anyway) and associated wiring
3. Remove the immobiliser switch and associated wiring
4. Remove the non-standard ignition coil and replace it with the original - this had been replaced as a first attempt to cure the no-start problem
5. Replace the battery - the original showed 2 cells half full and 10.5V. I filled cells with distilled water, charged for required time, and it showed 12.76V but was back to 10.5V 30 minutes later. Discarded battery and got a new one from BikeBiz Granville - YB10L-A2 12v 11Ah.
6. Test the voltage across the terminals of the starter solenoid after the new battery was installed - should have been about 12.7V but was zero - ordered a new one on eBay from Brooks Barn Parts for about AUD$38 delivered from the UK. It took about 10 days to arrive.
7. Install solenoid - being non-genuine, it doesn't quite fit - have to cut the rubber holder it came with in order to make it fit the existing steel casing under the left side cover.
8. The 2 central wires of the solenoid are also a different colour to the genuine item and, because there had been so much non-genuine wiring that had to be removed, it took a while to work out how to connect it up properly. I had also bought a Genuine Service Manual for the KZ from ebay for USD$28 which had a colour wiring diagram which helped enormously in working out which wires go where. Basically, the Green/Blue wire from the solenoid joins to the Black wire from the large wiring loom returning from the RHS handlebar switch block. Interestingly, the returning Black wire has a female connector as does the Green/Blue wire from the solenoid so I changed the solenoid one to a male plug. Also, the Yellow/Red wire from the solenoid joins to the Yellow/Red wire from the loom which goes to the Voltage rectifier under the RHS side cover.
9. Still no go - so I removed, disassembled, cleaned and reinstalled the ignition switch (especially the dirt off the points contacts), the RHS switch block (kill switch, starter button, headlight on/off) and the battery earth contact. Still nothing.
10. Due to the changed wiring - especially the non-genuine wiring bypassing the main 20A fuse - it was hard to work out how the White/Red wires of the fuse were to be wired back in again. It took a bit of work and some on-going deciphering of the wiring diagram in the Service Manual but it turned out that the White/Red wires from the Voltage Regulator and the fuse were now presenting as separate wires with male and female ends instead of, as the wiring diagram shows, the 2 wires coming together in a double female joining to a single male plug wire coming from the positive side (ie. the battery side) of the solenoid. I had to remake the female double plug connection and create a new short wire from the +ve terminal of the solenoid with a male plug to join it to and hey presto - everything works!
See the photo and diagram below to illustrate points 8-10 above:
Bits acquired for the KZ:
- Service Manuals - I bought 2 hardcopies of these on eBay (1 from the US and 1 from NZ) - they were slightly different at around $55 each = $110. These were essential to working with the bike. They are really indispensable when working with old bikes. Unfortunately I couldn't find a PDF version of the service manuals for the KZ250C (ie. the single cylinder version). There is one for download for the twin cylinder version but it is a very different motor obviously.
- Starter solenoid - from the UK via eBay - $38
- Oil filter - $11.00 - from BikeBiz Kawasaki Granville
- Castrol Activ 4T oil - 4 litres - $39.95 - from SuperCheap Auto Accessories
- Battery - $50.00 - from BikeBiz Kawasaki Granville
- Front sprocket - 15T - $16.00 - from BikeBiz Kawasaki Granville
- Needs a new 37T rear sprocket and 100 link 520H chain - yet to source these - the chain will be no problem but the rear sprocket might have to be made - probably from The ChainGang as I have bought stuff from them before and they are excellent.
- Electrical tape - $11.69
- Fuel hose - 4.8mm - $15.70 - I could only buy a minimum of a metre even though I only needed about 20cm
- Fuel filter - $8.45
- Split pins - $5.99 - to replace rear axle nut split pin (pkt of 8)
- Circlip pins - $5.99 - to replace brake cable end pins (pkt of 8).
End product and back on the road - great fun:
The KZ250C looks like this:
It had been bought recently for AUD$2000 and had obviously had some restoration work done to it by the previous owner(s) - mostly appearance related though.
Some details about this bike:
1. The seat had been remodelled to extend towards the rear and cover where there might usually be a carrier. This made it a bit harder to identify because there were 3 different models of this bike available in Australia each with different seats and the seat that this one had wasn't like any of them.
2. Its a 1980 model (made October 1980) with VIN #: KZ250C-003349 and Engine #: ODE 022539.
3. Chain and sprockets need replacing - front 15t, rear 37t and a 100 link chain of size 520H.
4. Battery needed replacing - YB10L-A2 12v 11Ah. The battery dimensions are 133x85x145 high - multimeter test showed only about 10.5V.
5. Paper air cleaner and air box - all original and clean and fitted ok. The paper filter was dirty and I would have ordinarily replaced this as a matter of course but was unable to buy a genuine new one, so just cleaned the old one. Kawasaki part number 110105022. I got a lot of advice and support from BikeBiz Kawasaki Granville - they couldn't get many parts but pointed me toward where I might (eBay mostly). I was able to get the battery, front sprocket and oil filter from BikeBiz.
6. Screws/bolts throughout the bike were all the original Phillips head style made of 1980 cheese. As a result, they had all pretty much had their heads stripped and needed replacing. I replaced quite a few of these as I went along - excellent and cheap service from Nepean Boltmaster.
7. The inlet rubber manifold connecting the carby to the cylinder was a bit perished and probably needs replacement but I was unable to buy a new one. Kawasaki part number 160651028.
8. The petrol hose was perished and as a result, the fuel filter was full of rubber dust and pieces. Lucky it had a filter at all because its not a standard fitment. Fitted new 4.8mm petrol hose and fuel filter - both from SupaCheap Auto Accessories.
9. The engine contained 3 litres of engine oil (very black) I found upon draining - it is only supposed to have 1.4 litres max. Oil change 25621km with 1.4 litres of Castrol Activ 4T and Kawasaki oil filter part #: 16099-004. Once I got it going, I changed it again (1.1 litres - no oil filter change) at 25719km - the oil was already very black.
10. The most significant point however about the bike was that it had broken down on the ride home after purchase with some serious heat being felt through the ignition key (enough to cause a finger blister). There was no spark and the starter motor did not work at all ie. there was no power to the starter.
 |
| Typical of the state of most of the Phillips head screws on the bike. |
 |
| RHS switchblock with starter button and destroyed screws - I had to use the impact driver to get them out and, as a temporary solution, hacksawed a slot for a blade screwdriver to be used. |
 |
| New petrol hose and fuel filter installed |
 |
| Low mileage |
Investigation showed that there had been quite a bit of non-factory electrical work added to the bike including:
- driving lights mounted on the crash bars - 2 x 35W
- an ammeter mounted on the handlebars
- an immobiliser switch mounted under the left hand side cover - this had been wired to bypass the main 20A fuse (interestingly) and there was much melted wire nearby in the battery box.
- the extra wire used to wire in all these bits was 20A cable which is much thicker than the factory wiring used predominantly on the bike.
To fix:
The usual tool suspects were needed including:
- multimeter
- a test circuit (I just made this from a 9V battery, bulb and wires - this is to check where wires are coming from and going to)
- various bits of the right sized wire and male/female connectors
- impact driver - removes any of the shredded Phillips Head screws - as the photo above shows, even the ones in the RHS switch block were destroyed.
What I did:
Overall the approach was:
1. Remove all the non-standard wiring and accessories
2. Start at the battery and work out along the wiring loom to the ignition coil and starter motor to make sure that power is getting to where it should go.
Process:
1. Remove accessory driving lights and associated wiring.
2. Remove the ammeter (it's internals were melted anyway) and associated wiring
3. Remove the immobiliser switch and associated wiring
4. Remove the non-standard ignition coil and replace it with the original - this had been replaced as a first attempt to cure the no-start problem
5. Replace the battery - the original showed 2 cells half full and 10.5V. I filled cells with distilled water, charged for required time, and it showed 12.76V but was back to 10.5V 30 minutes later. Discarded battery and got a new one from BikeBiz Granville - YB10L-A2 12v 11Ah.
6. Test the voltage across the terminals of the starter solenoid after the new battery was installed - should have been about 12.7V but was zero - ordered a new one on eBay from Brooks Barn Parts for about AUD$38 delivered from the UK. It took about 10 days to arrive.
7. Install solenoid - being non-genuine, it doesn't quite fit - have to cut the rubber holder it came with in order to make it fit the existing steel casing under the left side cover.
8. The 2 central wires of the solenoid are also a different colour to the genuine item and, because there had been so much non-genuine wiring that had to be removed, it took a while to work out how to connect it up properly. I had also bought a Genuine Service Manual for the KZ from ebay for USD$28 which had a colour wiring diagram which helped enormously in working out which wires go where. Basically, the Green/Blue wire from the solenoid joins to the Black wire from the large wiring loom returning from the RHS handlebar switch block. Interestingly, the returning Black wire has a female connector as does the Green/Blue wire from the solenoid so I changed the solenoid one to a male plug. Also, the Yellow/Red wire from the solenoid joins to the Yellow/Red wire from the loom which goes to the Voltage rectifier under the RHS side cover.
9. Still no go - so I removed, disassembled, cleaned and reinstalled the ignition switch (especially the dirt off the points contacts), the RHS switch block (kill switch, starter button, headlight on/off) and the battery earth contact. Still nothing.
10. Due to the changed wiring - especially the non-genuine wiring bypassing the main 20A fuse - it was hard to work out how the White/Red wires of the fuse were to be wired back in again. It took a bit of work and some on-going deciphering of the wiring diagram in the Service Manual but it turned out that the White/Red wires from the Voltage Regulator and the fuse were now presenting as separate wires with male and female ends instead of, as the wiring diagram shows, the 2 wires coming together in a double female joining to a single male plug wire coming from the positive side (ie. the battery side) of the solenoid. I had to remake the female double plug connection and create a new short wire from the +ve terminal of the solenoid with a male plug to join it to and hey presto - everything works!
See the photo and diagram below to illustrate points 8-10 above:
 |
| Showing the completed wiring under the LHS side cover |
 |
| An extract from the Service Manual Wiring Diagram showing the relevant bits that needed changing - compare to the real photo of the wiring above. |
Bits acquired for the KZ:
- Service Manuals - I bought 2 hardcopies of these on eBay (1 from the US and 1 from NZ) - they were slightly different at around $55 each = $110. These were essential to working with the bike. They are really indispensable when working with old bikes. Unfortunately I couldn't find a PDF version of the service manuals for the KZ250C (ie. the single cylinder version). There is one for download for the twin cylinder version but it is a very different motor obviously.
- Starter solenoid - from the UK via eBay - $38
- Oil filter - $11.00 - from BikeBiz Kawasaki Granville
- Castrol Activ 4T oil - 4 litres - $39.95 - from SuperCheap Auto Accessories
- Battery - $50.00 - from BikeBiz Kawasaki Granville
- Front sprocket - 15T - $16.00 - from BikeBiz Kawasaki Granville
- Needs a new 37T rear sprocket and 100 link 520H chain - yet to source these - the chain will be no problem but the rear sprocket might have to be made - probably from The ChainGang as I have bought stuff from them before and they are excellent.
- Electrical tape - $11.69
- Fuel hose - 4.8mm - $15.70 - I could only buy a minimum of a metre even though I only needed about 20cm
- Fuel filter - $8.45
- Split pins - $5.99 - to replace rear axle nut split pin (pkt of 8)
- Circlip pins - $5.99 - to replace brake cable end pins (pkt of 8).
End product and back on the road - great fun:
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Change of Chain/Sprockets on Triumph Tiger 800
After 50124km, the chain has been a bit chattery over the last 2000km so it was time for a change of chain and sprockets. I've never had a chain last this long before. Anyway, I've detailed the process of removal and replacement below - it takes a leisurely 2 hours on your own.
I bought a sprocket/chain replacement kit as a genuine part from Triumph at BikeBiz Granville for $288.04. This was considerably cheaper than buying individual non-genuine parts of the same quality. The kit includes:
Tool list:
I bought a sprocket/chain replacement kit as a genuine part from Triumph at BikeBiz Granville for $288.04. This was considerably cheaper than buying individual non-genuine parts of the same quality. The kit includes:
- 16T front sprocket
- 50T rear sprocket
- 122 link RK525X-Ring chain
- New lock washer for front sprocket.
Tool list:
- 36mm socket - for front sprocket removal
- large flat blade screw driver
- hammer and flat piece of 1/8" metal about 30mm long and 25mm wide - to open/close lock washer
- 8mm socket and 8mm ring spanner - to remove front sprocket cover and gear lever
- 27mm socket - for rear axle nut
- 13mm and 12mm open end spanners - for chain adjuster bolt/nut
- 3mm and 5mm Allen keys - for removal of chain guard
- Chain tool.
Some of these tools are shown here:
1. Put the bike on the centre stand.
2. Remove front sprocket cover - 2 x 8mm bolts after removing the gear change rod bolt and leaning it to one side.
3. Lever up the lock washer side securing the sprocket nut with the flat blade screw driver.
4. If you are doing this job by yourself, sit on the bike and fit the 36mm socket to the front sprocket nut in your left hand. Put your foot on the rear brake and loosen the sprocket nut - this way the chain takes the strain rather than putting it in gear and straining the gearbox.
5. Leaving the loosened nut and front sprocket in place, get your chain tool out and break the chain at the rear sprocket and remove the chain. Roll it out around the front sprocket and pull it out the back. Remove the chain guard. Remove the front sprocket and lock washer.
The wear in the chain compared to the new one is evident in the sideways play - see below. By the way, if you don't have a good quality chain tool for a 525 chain, its worth the money to buy one - about $100. I've had one for years and used it on many bikes.
6. Undo the 32mm rear axle nut and remove the rear axle and wheel.
7. Lay the wheel disc-side down on a towel. Remove the 6 x 14mm nuts holding the rear sprocket in place. Clean up the rim/wheel/hub/nuts etc and put the new sprocket on and tighten the 6 nuts back up. I always do them up across diagonals - eg. do all nuts up to finger tight, then tighten nuts in the following order - 1, 4, 5, 2, 3, and 6. This ensures no warping of the sprocket. There wasn't a lot of wear on the old sprocket surprisingly but it was differently shaped - see below.
8. Fit the rear wheel back onto the bike - you'll need to loosen the chain adjusters as the old chain would have stretched quite a bit. For reference, my new chain adjustment with the new chain/sprockets in place had 6 dots showing on the chain adjusters.
9. Roll the new chain around both sprockets and sit the two ends next to each other on the top of the rear sprocket. Insert the new chain link joiner after inserting 2 of the included rubber O-rings onto the link. After inserting, fit 2 more O-rings and the flat plate finger tight. Use your chain tool to press the plate onto the chain compressing the rubber O-rings and allowing about 1mm of the chain link studs to show through the plate. Change fittings on the chain tool and then splay the ends of the chain link studs to keep the plate in place. Don't go overboard splaying the ends though, otherwise the link might become stiff - if you are using a good chain tool, it won't let you over splay the link.
10. Sit back on the bike and put on the rear brake while you tighten the front sprocket nut. Then use a flat bit of metal and a very gentle tap of the hammer to bend the lock washer over on side of the nut. There is probably a genuine Triumph tool to do this but this works ok.
11. Adjust chain to factory spec - 30mm slack.
12. Reassemble front sprocket cover, gear linkage and chain guard - done.
2. Remove front sprocket cover - 2 x 8mm bolts after removing the gear change rod bolt and leaning it to one side.
3. Lever up the lock washer side securing the sprocket nut with the flat blade screw driver.
 |
| You can see the lock washer secures the nut by being bent over it. Its fairly soft and easily bent off the nut though. |
4. If you are doing this job by yourself, sit on the bike and fit the 36mm socket to the front sprocket nut in your left hand. Put your foot on the rear brake and loosen the sprocket nut - this way the chain takes the strain rather than putting it in gear and straining the gearbox.
5. Leaving the loosened nut and front sprocket in place, get your chain tool out and break the chain at the rear sprocket and remove the chain. Roll it out around the front sprocket and pull it out the back. Remove the chain guard. Remove the front sprocket and lock washer.
 |
| The gap between the teeth was significantly worn compared to the new front sprocket teeth gaps. |
The wear in the chain compared to the new one is evident in the sideways play - see below. By the way, if you don't have a good quality chain tool for a 525 chain, its worth the money to buy one - about $100. I've had one for years and used it on many bikes.
 |
| New chain (bottom) has way less sideways movement compared to the old one (top). |
 |
| Chain tool - breaks and makes chains from 420 to 530 size. |
6. Undo the 32mm rear axle nut and remove the rear axle and wheel.
7. Lay the wheel disc-side down on a towel. Remove the 6 x 14mm nuts holding the rear sprocket in place. Clean up the rim/wheel/hub/nuts etc and put the new sprocket on and tighten the 6 nuts back up. I always do them up across diagonals - eg. do all nuts up to finger tight, then tighten nuts in the following order - 1, 4, 5, 2, 3, and 6. This ensures no warping of the sprocket. There wasn't a lot of wear on the old sprocket surprisingly but it was differently shaped - see below.
8. Fit the rear wheel back onto the bike - you'll need to loosen the chain adjusters as the old chain would have stretched quite a bit. For reference, my new chain adjustment with the new chain/sprockets in place had 6 dots showing on the chain adjusters.
9. Roll the new chain around both sprockets and sit the two ends next to each other on the top of the rear sprocket. Insert the new chain link joiner after inserting 2 of the included rubber O-rings onto the link. After inserting, fit 2 more O-rings and the flat plate finger tight. Use your chain tool to press the plate onto the chain compressing the rubber O-rings and allowing about 1mm of the chain link studs to show through the plate. Change fittings on the chain tool and then splay the ends of the chain link studs to keep the plate in place. Don't go overboard splaying the ends though, otherwise the link might become stiff - if you are using a good chain tool, it won't let you over splay the link.
 |
| Splayed chain link stud ends. |
11. Adjust chain to factory spec - 30mm slack.
12. Reassemble front sprocket cover, gear linkage and chain guard - done.
Saturday, 26 April 2014
Triumph 800 - Travel and Gear Review
A week's trip to the Gold Coast and Beaudesert to catch up with family and friends and test some of the gear fitted - Michelin Anakee III tyres, SW-Motech chain guard, BMW Ralleye III pants.
Odo start: 41245
Odo finish: 41919
Total: 674km
Depart: 7.00am
Arrive: 4.30pm
Breakfast stop at Singleton 9.30am
"Somewhere to Meet" cafe. Coffee is excellent as is the raisin toast.
Petrol
Muswellbrook BP10.39am
41495km
252km
Premium 95
12.22 l @ 164.4c/l = $20.05
Km/l = 20.6
Lunch at Uralla 1.40pm 241km
Petrol
Armidale 2.35pm
41763km
268km
Premium 95
12.01 l @ 171.9c/l = $20.64
Km/l = 22.3
Overnight at Nymboida Coaching Station overlooking the river. 2 double beds with spa bath $140. Excellent dinner and Grafton Bitter to wash it down.
Arrive 4.35pm
Odo=41919km
Trip=155km
Odo start: 41919
Odo finish: 42186
Total: 267km
Depart: 7.00am
Arrive: 12.30pm
Breakfast stop at Grafton 7.30am
Coffee in town centre was excellent as was the raisin toast.
Petrol
Grafton Caltex 8.00am
41961km
198km
Premium 98
9.38 l @ 170.9c/l = $16.03
Km/l = 21.1
Early lunch at Uki Cafe 10.40am - well worth a stop - an absolute gourmet experience.
2 nights at Kingscliff.
Arrive 12.30pm
Odo=42186km
Trip=225km
Overall Home to Kingscliff = 941km
Odo start: 42186
Odo finish: 42283
Total: 97km
Depart: 11.30am
Arrive: 1.30pm
Petrol
Nerang BP 12.00pm
42227km
265km
Premium 98
12.93 l @ 174.9c/l = $22.61
Km/l = 20.5
Morning tea at the Outpost Cafe at Canungra - lots of bikers stopping here.
Arrive Beaudesert 1.30pm.
Odo = 42283
Trip = 55.8
Odo start: 42295
Trip = 68.5
Odo finish: 42393
Total: 98km
Depart: 11.00am
Arrive: 12.30pm
Odo = 42393
Trip = 166.1
Odo start: 42393
Odo finish: 43095
Total: 702km
Depart: 6.25am
Arrive: 4.45pm
Petrol
Murwillumbah Mobil 7am
42417km
190km
Unleaded 91
8.73 l @ 170.9c/l = $14.92
Km/l = 21.8
Breakfast stop at Woodburn 8.20am - next door to a German Bakery cafe - the raisin toast was the best so far.
Petrol
Coffs Harbour 10.40am
42694km
277km
Premium 91
12.45 l @ 151.5c/l = $18.86
Km/l = 22.2
Petrol
Port Macquarie 1.07pm
42861km
157km
Premium 98
6.59 l @ 174.9c/l = $11.53
Km/l = 23.8
Petrol
Hexham 3.55pm
43063km
212km
Premium 98
10.17 l @ 177.9c/l = $18.10
Km/l = 20.8
Overnight at Belmont North.
Arrive 4.45pm
Odo=43095km
Trip=31.8km
Odo start: 43095
Odo finish: 43311
Trip = 248.5km
Total: 216km
Depart: 10.40am
Arrive: 3.45pm
Total trip = 2066km
Thursday 17th April
Home to Nymboida Coaching StationOdo start: 41245
Odo finish: 41919
Total: 674km
Depart: 7.00am
Arrive: 4.30pm
Breakfast stop at Singleton 9.30am
"Somewhere to Meet" cafe. Coffee is excellent as is the raisin toast.
Petrol
Muswellbrook BP10.39am
41495km
252km
Premium 95
12.22 l @ 164.4c/l = $20.05
Km/l = 20.6
Lunch at Uralla 1.40pm 241km
Petrol
Armidale 2.35pm
41763km
268km
Premium 95
12.01 l @ 171.9c/l = $20.64
Km/l = 22.3
Overnight at Nymboida Coaching Station overlooking the river. 2 double beds with spa bath $140. Excellent dinner and Grafton Bitter to wash it down.
Arrive 4.35pm
Odo=41919km
Trip=155km
Friday 18th April
Nymboida Coaching Station to KingscliffOdo start: 41919
Odo finish: 42186
Total: 267km
Depart: 7.00am
Arrive: 12.30pm
Breakfast stop at Grafton 7.30am
Coffee in town centre was excellent as was the raisin toast.
Petrol
Grafton Caltex 8.00am
41961km
198km
Premium 98
9.38 l @ 170.9c/l = $16.03
Km/l = 21.1
Early lunch at Uki Cafe 10.40am - well worth a stop - an absolute gourmet experience.
2 nights at Kingscliff.
Arrive 12.30pm
Odo=42186km
Trip=225km
Overall Home to Kingscliff = 941km
Sunday 20th April
Kingscliff to BeaudesertOdo start: 42186
Odo finish: 42283
Total: 97km
Depart: 11.30am
Arrive: 1.30pm
Petrol
Nerang BP 12.00pm
42227km
265km
Premium 98
12.93 l @ 174.9c/l = $22.61
Km/l = 20.5
Morning tea at the Outpost Cafe at Canungra - lots of bikers stopping here.
Arrive Beaudesert 1.30pm.
Odo = 42283
Trip = 55.8
Wednesday 23rd April
Beaudesert to Hopkins CreekOdo start: 42295
Trip = 68.5
Odo finish: 42393
Total: 98km
Depart: 11.00am
Arrive: 12.30pm
Odo = 42393
Trip = 166.1
Thursday 24th April
Hopkins Creek to Belmont NorthOdo start: 42393
Odo finish: 43095
Total: 702km
Depart: 6.25am
Arrive: 4.45pm
Petrol
Murwillumbah Mobil 7am
42417km
190km
Unleaded 91
8.73 l @ 170.9c/l = $14.92
Km/l = 21.8
Breakfast stop at Woodburn 8.20am - next door to a German Bakery cafe - the raisin toast was the best so far.
Petrol
Coffs Harbour 10.40am
42694km
277km
Premium 91
12.45 l @ 151.5c/l = $18.86
Km/l = 22.2
Petrol
Port Macquarie 1.07pm
42861km
157km
Premium 98
6.59 l @ 174.9c/l = $11.53
Km/l = 23.8
Petrol
Hexham 3.55pm
43063km
212km
Premium 98
10.17 l @ 177.9c/l = $18.10
Km/l = 20.8
Overnight at Belmont North.
Arrive 4.45pm
Odo=43095km
Trip=31.8km
Friday 25th April
Belmont North to home via Redfern in Sydney for lunch at Pitt St Diner - another detour well worth the effort.Odo start: 43095
Odo finish: 43311
Trip = 248.5km
Total: 216km
Depart: 10.40am
Arrive: 3.45pm
Total trip = 2066km
Gear Reviews
Michelin Anakee III tyres
I fitted the Anakee III's about 4000km ago and this is their first touring test two-up with gear. They track well and were fantastic through the windy roads to Nymboida and in the Gold Coast hinterland. No wear detectable so far, but I won't be buying them again because they are so noisy. They really howl loudly - we turned heads passing through some towns with just the noise we were making.
SW-Motech Chain Guard
What do you say about a chain guard? Well it doesn't rattle like the original plastic one and being a bit longer, it stops the chain throwing off stuff onto the panniers and pillion. Tick - worth the price.
BMW Ralleye III pants
I bought these for the Adelaide trip last year so they're about 20,000km old now.
They feel good sitting on the bike but doing anything else, I find them a real pain. Walking to a cafe or out to a lookout is uncomfortable.
I also find them way too hot with the Goretex lining in place so I mostly ride without them in place. Which is fine, except that it is no quick task to fit the lining on the side of the road when it starts to rain - meantime I'm getting wet which makes it harder to slide your legs back into the pants.
For $750, I think BMW could do better really.
Friday, 21 March 2014
Triumph Adventure Tail Bag Review
I bought the Triumph Bag about a year back now and wrote about it back then. I have now got rid of it due to broken zips which "...aren't covered by warranty, my friend" according to the bike shop guy.
I had tried a couple of ideas before the Triumph bag including:
I had tried a couple of ideas before the Triumph bag including:
- Modified Ventura rack and Ventura bag
- The Ventura rack was only temporarily fitted on the bike and moved around a bit. I wasn't too fussed about having an upright bar fitted permanently in case it really didn't work.
- The Ventura bag has an odd shape and struggled to fit my usual gear when parked - helmet, jacket and a bit of other gear - rain gear and boots if required.
- The bag isn't waterproof at all.
- Modified Ventura rack and Gearsack bag
- same rack as above
- I had an old Gearsack bag that vaguely fitted the Ventura rack and so put that back on again. The Gearsack bag is a great shape and suits my gear requirements really well. Its also waterproof.
- BMW Duffel Roll
- I said this about the roll after we rode to Adelaide using it last year:
- "...Unfortunately it doesn't quite sit between the panniers across the tailpiece and is a bit lopsided but attaches firmly with the straps. The zip is the main complaint though about the bag - you need to be Hercules to open and close the sucker. I tried graphite, silicon lubricant, and even grease and none of them made any difference. The other problem is that I can't easily fit my helmet inside it due to the shape of the bag. I will need to try something else in future. I have used Gearsack bags up until now but I find I can't buy them anymore. Triumph make a 55l bag but its not waterproof.
- Triumph Adventure Tail Bag after a year of use:
- its a pain not being waterproof
- the waterproof cover works well though you have to stop and put it on when it rains of course
- the bag looks the real deal and fits really well and sits solidly whether turned onto the pillion seat when I ride solo or turned onto the carrier with a pillion on board
- I didn't really like how the claim of being "55 litres" actually includes the two side pockets. These pockets are about 10 litres each which makes the main compartment only about 35 litres. This makes it able to just fit a helmet and jacket when the bike is parked but that's all. This never really suited my gear carrying requirements.
- the final straw though was the zip to the main compartment breaking in two spots - at each of the two corners - see photo below.
As you can see, the teeth have pulled out of the zip so I can't just sew it back up. The whole 1100mm long zip would need replacing and I've put that in the too hard basket. "For want of a zip, the bag was lost..."
So, I'm back to using the Gearsack again though I have modified the attachment points. I have sewn on some snap buckles at each of the 4 corners on the base and attach it in the same way as the Triumph Bag. So far, it seems to be stiff enough to stand up by itself and, as I said above, the shape of the bag works for me.
This is the Gearsack in the solo riding position. I'll see how it goes over the next little while.
Monday, 3 March 2014
Michelin Anakee III tyres
Quick note to say I've replaced the standard Pirelli Scorpions with Michelin Anakee III's today - $475 for the pair fitted at Western Motorcycles, Penrith. 100/90 x 19 and 150/70 x 17.Initial impression is that they are at least as sticky as the Scorpions and certainly don't follow the changing bitumen lines like old tyres tend to do. I will make some notes as we go along and get a few miles on board.
A word about the Scorpions - they were a little disappointing really - they stick well but they squared off badly on the trip back from Perth. We were 2 up with panniers but to get only 5000km from the back tyre was a bit ordinary I think - squared off and only 2mm of tread left in the middle. The front was 15000km old and had about the same amount of tread left.
They also both showed signs of perishing - the bike is kept garaged and undercover at work so its not sun perished.
Anyway, I will have a couple of trips this year and test out the Anakees and report back.
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
Bush fires in Winmalee
Well the return from the Nullabor ended with disastrous bush fires at home. We were in Broken Hill on Thursday October 17 (about 1200km away) when we found out that a fire had started at about 1.30pm from branches falling on power lines near home and within 3 hours had burnt out and destroyed 209 homes and damaged many others including ours.
When we arrived home on Saturday October 19, there still hot winds, no rain, fires burning and our place standing amidst the ruin of what only an uncontrolled bushfire can do. Walking around seeing the destruction only reinforced to me that there is nothing you can do to fight or even prepare for such a calamity. New houses built to new standards and old houses built to old standards - both survived and both were destroyed. It was completely and utterly random. The only thing I can see that might make a difference is if you put out embers and flareups after the fire has passed - this saved some houses, including ours, through the work of family, neighbours and friends and for that, my heartfelt thanks.
When we arrived home on Saturday October 19, there still hot winds, no rain, fires burning and our place standing amidst the ruin of what only an uncontrolled bushfire can do. Walking around seeing the destruction only reinforced to me that there is nothing you can do to fight or even prepare for such a calamity. New houses built to new standards and old houses built to old standards - both survived and both were destroyed. It was completely and utterly random. The only thing I can see that might make a difference is if you put out embers and flareups after the fire has passed - this saved some houses, including ours, through the work of family, neighbours and friends and for that, my heartfelt thanks.
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| Stormwater pipes melted |
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| Gardens gone |
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| Embers burnt the canvas on my verandah squatters chair but not the verandah |
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| Side fence near the pool |
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| Pergola and fence burnt and melted |
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| Water meter and pressure reduction valve melted. Also melted the washer in the mains water tap. |
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| Front garden |
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| Melted the bottom tank but it still held water |
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| Melted the water pump on the tank as well as the hoses |
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| Bottom shed and all contents - I had a 25 year old oregon beam I was ageing to make a French Door but not any more. |
Stage 3 - Kimba to Home
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| Stage 3 - Kimba to Home |
It was still blowing a gale in Kimba all night and the next morning it blew us all the way to Broken Hill. Wind is such an issue here - it will determine the difference between a quiet, easy stroll along at 125km/h and 19km/l and fighting a hot northerly headwind with a load of wind noise, being smashed by truck windwash and 110km/h at 14km/l.
Thursday 17th October
Kimba to Broken Hill
Odo start: 33269km
Odo finish: 33869km
Total: 600km
Trip = 1.7km
Depart: 6.38am
Arrive: 3.00pm
Petrol
Port Augusta 8.10am
33423km
154km
8.28l @ 154.9c/l = $12.83
Km/l = 18.6
Coffee and petrol and went straight on. Very windy but thankfully mostly tailwind.
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| The Flinders Ranges just out of Port Augusta |
Yunta 11.42am
33619km
219km
11.54l @ 149.9c/l = $17.30
Km/l = 19.0
Stopped in Peterborough for more coffee. Great cafe opposite the town hall. Good riding up through the Flinders Ranges from Port Augusta. Some bad cross winds until Peterborough and then tailwinds again. Yunta has a good BP roadhouse.
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| Great coffee shop in Peterborough |
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| Cafe crockery was cute |
Broken Hill 2.45pm
33868km
223km
12.18l @ 156.9c/l = $19.11
Km/l = 18.1
Big countryside changes - red soil, rocky hillsides.
Arrive Broken Hill at 1.42pm. Staying at Ibis motel $135. Went out to the Living Sculptures 10km out of town. Drink at the Palace Hotel with wall paintings. Got news of fires at home.
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| The mine is close to the town of Broken Hill |
Friday 18th October
Broken Hill to Dubbo
Odo start: 33869km
Odo finish: 34626km
Total: 757km
Depart: 7.42am
Arrive: 4.55pm
Petrol
Wilcannia 9.35am
34070km
203km
13.71l @ 173.0c/l = $23.72
Km/l = 14.8
Brekky at Ibis was included and good with coffee. Strong headwinds all the way and 125km/h and worst fuel use of the whole trip. Great countryside. Wilcannia was genuinely an unpleasant place with a very dangerous feel to it. Filled with petrol and went straight on.
54 km out of Broken Hill turn clock forward 30 minutes.
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| Wilcannia - many bars on many windows |
Emmdale Roadhouse 11.10am
34171km
101km
6.41l @ 171.9c/l = $11.02
Km/l = 15.7
This place is an hour out of Wilcannia and may as well be a world away. Great food and coffee and clean toilets. And convenient for a poor Tiger using lots of fuel in the headwinds. Countryside slowly changing to have some trees now. Lots of feral goats, sheep, kangaroos, crows, eagles, emus etc. Only the goats are not roadkill.
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| Emmdale Roadhouse between Wilcannia and Cobar - worth a stop |
Cobar 1.03pm
34330km
159km
9.83l @ 160.5c/l = $15.82
Km/l = 16.2
Wind easing and turning to crosswind. Cobar is a proper town with a good feel to it.
Nyngan 2.41pm
34462km
132km
8.07l @ 156.9c/l = $12.66
Km/l = 16.4
Stopped here for tea and late lunch. We could see the smoke from the Blue Mountains fires from here.
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| The smoke from the Blue Mountains fires met us at Nyngan - a good 450km from home |
Dubbo 4.45pm
34626km
164km
9.44l @ 154.4c/l = $14.58
Km/l = 18.1
Arrive Dubbo at 4.42pm. Staying at Sundowner Aberdeen motel $99. Dinner at the Two Doors Tapas and Wine bar was excellent.
Saturday 19th October
Dubbo to home
Odo start: 34626km
Odo finish: 34953km
Total: 327km
Depart: 7.00am
Arrive: 11.10am
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| Dubbo sunrise |
Petrol
Mudgee 8.29am
34756km
130km
7.71l @ 157.9c/l = $12.17
Km/l = 16.9
Took backroads out of Dubbo via near Gulgong to get to Mudgee - excellent bike roads with twisty, bumpy, hilly and narrow roads at times to really test things out. Great ride.
Lithgow 9.57am
34894m
128km
6.57l @ 156.5c/l = $10.30
Km/l = 19.5
The smoke from the fires was really thick through here and we were worried that the Great Western Highway would be closed but thankfully we got through to the disaster - I'll write about the fires next.
Arrive home at 11.10am.
Total trip km = 9418km.
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