Messages

Well tomorrow is the day I say good by to my GTR.
Am trading her in for the MT09 Tracer and the new bike gets delivered tomorrow.
Test road one a couple of weeks ago, and feel it better suits my needs.
I love my GTR but just haven't done the long distance touring I anticipated, which was why I bought it. Most of my riding is a couple of hundred miles week end day jaunts up in the lakes/ Northumbria/ scottish borders or the dales, and for week end blasts I think the Tracer is going to be better suited. The sheer lightness and agility of the bike impressed me, and it's quite manic too 
It's with a little sadness I will say goodbye to the GTR- she brought me home from Geneva in one 850 mile stint in one day.

So it's not quite goodbye, because I enjoy this forum, and who knows, I might just return from the "darkside"   

Let me put it how I see it -

You have a bike worth thousands and you're quibbling about a few pounds for tyres ??

Tyres keep you in contact with the road and you are thinking about mixing brands and therefore unrecognisable and untested combinations, please don't do it, also I think (not 100% sure) your insurance wouldn't pay out for any claim once the assessor noticed mismatched tyres.

No I'm certainly not quibbling over a few pounds, in fact cost is not an issue. It's just that i don't see the point of swapping out a perfectly serviceable front tyre. I've been perusing the tyre thread and someone says they consulted michelin on mixing versions and they said not a problem. I don't intend to mix brands; i have Michelinn currently and would put anothe Michelin on the rear to " match" the front.
if i changed brands then I would change the pair.
My question really is what experience have people had regarding the latest tyres out there, re grip and longgevity, as mine have been on since summer 2013, and technolgy moves on .
My mate uses Maxxis tyresw and swears by them, but I don't believe they are classed as a premium brand

Hello everybody

I think it's time for a new rear tyre. I currently have  pilot road 2 fitted ( I think) to front and rear
Rear tyre has now done 6k ( along with front) and is about shot in the centre.

Whats the latest views on rubber?

Can I fit the latest PR4 to the rear and leave the 2 on the front for example

And what price do people think i should be paying?

thanks for any input

Got this warning couple of weeks ago in cold weather. Went off after half a mile. Spoke to the mechanic at my local independent about them replacing the battery when I get a new rear tyre- probably spring time- and decided will probably just have a standard valve put in. this is the only bike I've had with TPS and frankly  I don't see the point if " maintenance" of said items is made to be so difficult/ rip off price

Glad you're okay

I've still got the original bearings in mine at 60k miles.  I check them every tire change and so far they are holding up well for me, but our weather here is somewhat dryer.  I also very rarely wash the bike.

Well that's quite smt 60k compared to mine. I'll have to stop washing the bike !

Boomer- I don't use a jet wash but do hose the bike down although i've always thought I've avoided the wheel bearing areas. Maybe need to be more careful.

Just had the bike MOT'd and a oil change etc. Needed front wheel bearings replacing due to water ingress.
At only 8300 miles , four years old, I was somewhat surprised. Not expensive, a tenner per bearing I think and I wasn't charged much to fit  but I still think bearings should last longer than that. My cars done 54 k for goodness sake and hasn't needed anything but oil and brake pads

Advisory on MOT for uneven brake force so discs must be slightly warped too !!! Neverthless, I love this bike.

I'm curious what you had done for £650 .
My bike has covered only 8k, it's a 2010. I had it serviced at an independant last year, 350 quid including a pair of PR3s. I only had oil change done as it had only done 4k then- oh and that included an mot

I will have a service done this year at 8k ( bike has done that now) but will prob still only have an oil and filter change. intend to check pads myself but I may get clutch and brake fluid done. If I do i doubt it'll be any more than 150 quid.

I have been told the plug are good till at least 15k, but I'm quite a stckler regarding an annual oli and filter change, regardless of mileage

I soaked mine(upside down) for nearly two weeks, a combination of wd40, oil and some sort of ptfe spray too. Also heated it with boiling water to help free it up, by kettles of hot water over the adjuster.
It now turns smoothly fully in and out with a total of 24 clicks. It took a while, soaking and turning it over the christmas hols, but its good now. Not sure how long it will last. Didn't have this problem with my VFR or Blackbird, but then the bird has no adjustment

he is probably correct, but as the oil is so damn easy and so damn cheap to do then why not do it more frequently. Average milages in bikes are much less than cars and some bikes take several years to get to 20k. The main problem with unit failure is that the oil was not changed after break in, my kawasaki dealer failed to change it on first service !

:agree:Yes I totally agree; the oil should be changed on the first service. I bought my my bike with 1600 miles on the clock and doubt it was ever done which is why i changed it at 4k

My local independant told me final drive oil is good for 20 thousand miles and not to worry about it.
When did anyone last change the diff oil in their car? Probably never.
However I had mine changed along with the oil at 4k, as it's a five minute job , 160 ml oil , so why not.

Put 4k on her since last oil change so will have that changed at easter, but won't bother with the final drive

10mm Allen key, small squirt of ptfe lubricant, then clean disk afterwards, once a week.

Sorted.

Alan

Well I tried the 10 mm Allen key and it just turned inside the "button" so I guess they are well stuck. I will try the nut and bolt method next.
One more question though , is it advisable to use PTFE spray anywhere near the discs? I have a neighbor friend , a retired mechanic, who is adamant it doesn't matter  a jot if WD40 or other such substances get on the discs as he reckons they burn off with a couple goes of the brakes. I beg to differ with him however.....

Thanks for the quick replies folks.
Will take a quick look tonight as I need to move the bike anyway to make room for my car- saves deicing tomorrow as frost forecast again.

Maybe a daft question but how do people on here rotate their rotor bobbins to keep the discs floating.? i've sen the youtube video using a nut , bolt and washer and turning them. Is that the method? If so I will have have to obtain a suitable nut and bolt !!
I certainly can't turn or move mine by hand so i want to free them up before i get the bike back out. I don't think I have any warped discs; bike has only done 8k, 6k by  me last year, which is a high mileage for me as i always take the car at first sign of rain.
I'm sure i read about someone using a 10mm drill bit ???

Thanks for any help on this.

What's the R battery sensor?

Is that one of the batteries in the tyre pressure monitor valve things inside the wheels? seems to me theyr'e more trouble than they are worth is a two pound coin battery ens up costing hundreds!!