Messages

Hey Big Alan, thanks for that. I have sent him a PM Thanks for that :)

Boomer the wife invariably keeps the rain and road crud off me :)

Thanks for your help everyone. I searched and found the Blue One mentioned but I couldn't download the photos. I shall do as you suggest and PM him. It wasn't just the rain in Scotland, going over Shap was a tad moist. I have to say every time I ride the GTR I never fail to be impressed. Many thanks, I shall update because I think other owners would be interested. Regards, John 

Hi everyone, can I ask your advice please. I ride the bike 2 up the majority of the time, in all weathers all year around with the panniers fitted. Despite having a hugger, when it rains the whole of the back of the bike and the wife on pillion gets covered in road grime. I have looked at the rear fender extenders and I'm sceptical as to their effectiveness. After doing over two hundred miles recently in the torrential rain, I have had enough and I need to address this matter. I'm probably going to make something myself, but if anyone can point me in the direction of something that will do the job I would appreciate it. TIA John

Melvin Hunter of Motorbike-seats.co.uk did my bike's seat. I picked it up last week and rode over 200 miles to Scotland then the 200 miles + return journey. Vast improvement on the standard seat. £275 + £15 next day return postage

Hi Boomer, yes I fitted one, but after it failed, kind of like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. Richard, I hope that your ebay purchase keeps going. I too cant understand why these components fail with such regularity. Keep it shiny side up!! John

Hi Richard, I hope that your reg rectifier is ok. Mine went with about 33k on the clock, I use it in all weathers and didn't have the hugger fitted so the reg/rec regularly got covered in crud. I bought two cheap replacements both failed after very little mileage. I fitted the correct Kawasaki part and everything has been fine 10k on. I spoke to a man about this and he explained that the reg rectifier heats up and cools down many times in its service life and it's possible they overheat. For example my mates VFR 800 had at least 3 genuine articles in it's long life. One possible remedy is to fit a cooling fan from a computer. When mine failed it boiled the battery and the acid leaked over the clutch housing removing the finish. Not a happy bunny. Hope yours is ok.

Hi Jason, was it today that you were picking your bike up? Hope that you're happy with it. You mentioned the traction control in one of your posts, believe me, it is awesome. You  don't notice that it's working, it's that good. Enjoy your new bike!

It's definitely the bike. The brakes on these bikes are superb. I fit EBC HH pads. The front brakes on their own are excellent from any speed, slow or fast solo or with pillion and fully loaded with camping gear. In linked mode the rear is very smooth and provides gentle retardation but in conjunction with the front the stopping power is immense. I spend an hour and a half every two months and remove the brake pads and clean the pistons etc. from front and rear brakes. Just FYI, the GTR is a pleasant gentle comfy bike if you keep the revs under 5k. 5 to 7.5k and its interesting, Keeping it in 2nd gear in the twisties red lining it is just amazing. You totally forget about the size and weight of the bike. It's ridiculously easy to ride very quickly. There's a great video of a group of German guys an GTRs riding the Alps. Cant find it at the moment, I'll post it when I can. 

On this topic, can I say that after doing Applecross pass, Scotland, two up, full of camping gear, my front brake pads were literally down to the metal. I went to a dealer who did the job while I waited. I had done the pads 8k before :( and put copperslip on the bolts holding the calipers in place. The mechanic explained that copper grease should never be put on these bolts, rather a drop of thread lock. Regards, JR

Hi folks, if someone has mentioned the Michelin PR4 GTs please accept my apologies. The GT version has a stiffer carcass apparently. This means the tyre is stiffer. This may not mean much to you slim folks, but I'm no lightweight, nor is my good lady.We ride with a 5 man tent, and a ridiculous amount of gear when we go to rallies. (Ask Knightraider :) )There is a noticeable difference between the PR4s and the GT version. You still get the great grip and good mileage, but the bike feels even more secure. With the 4s I was getting a bit of a squirm from the rear tyre under heavy (and I mean heavy) acceleration and quick changes in direction. The GTs have eradicated this. Bear in mind I'm talking about 1st and 2nd gear romps around the countryside pushing the boundaries of the legal speed limit. If you ride more sedately this will never be an issue. Regards, JR

[The upper Tie-Rod bolt ie the rear most bolt, will not clear the silencer. To remove the shock I removed the lower bolt. It's obviously been well designed so that this can be done in a matter of minutes. Hope this helps someone avoid the hassle I had. Regards JR]

Regarding the removal of the rear shock, I have found a typo in the workshop manual.............. On page 547, section 13 subsection 19 it says
• Remove:
Upper Tie-Rod Nut and Bolt [A]
Lower Shock Absorber Nut and Bolt
The upper Tie-Rod bolt ie the rear most bolt, will not clear the silencer. To remove the shock I removed the lower bolt. It's obviously been well designed so that this can be done in a matter of minutes. Hope this helps someone avoid the hassle I had. Regards JR

Hi PCGuru. Hills bike breakers at Skelmersdale have one to fit your bike, its about £45.

O.C. I think I shall get the one you highlighted from Ebay. I can send my own unit off then to have it refurbished. Many thanks, John

Thanks for that, much appreciated. I didn't know you had a zzr1100 G :) I have had a look at Hagon shocks but theirs are for the previous model. I understand on the 2010 version the rear suspension was altered. O.C., I think for the time being I will go down the standard route. I've done 24,000 miles in 3 years, ridden in winter, going to rallies been loaded to the gunwales and the standard unit coped well. As you say there are a number on Ebay, whether I'll buy a new one depends on finance. Thanks once again.