Recent content by colinlinz

You will find this recommendation is widely accepted these days. The warming up idea came from old carby technology, where the engine just wouldn't run well until the choke was off. These days with EFI tech this isn't true. The other factor is the multigrade oils and lower in general viscosities...

It's easy to do so these days. Sometimes we get caught up in having to get the best, rather than just riding and making the most of what we have. To be realistic, even crap bikes today can be ridden pretty quickly. In 2005 I took my 1978 Ducati 900GTS on a track day. It's only mods being...

Sorry Toasted Blue, but it doesn't; well not until you have topped your suspension out at ride height. It is true to say that as you compress a spring, it will build more resistance to compression. e.g. a .8kgmm spring will increase its resistance to load by .8kg every 1mm of compression. This...

The pre-load won't make it any softer or harder, just lift the unloaded bike up higher or lower. It allows you to compensate for times that you may have extra load like a pillion or luggage. With the pre-load wound up correctly, when you and the extra luggage or passenger are on, the bike won't...

The first service has never been free here in Australia (with motorcycles). Really, it isn't anywhere. The cost will just be built in at the sale time. It isn't just an oil and filter change, by rights, the throttle plates should be checked for synchronisation. It isn't hard, but the tubes do...

Do you mean the throttle bodies/plates? Yes they do from time to time. The fuel injectors can checked for balance too. They should all flow the same, or close to the same amount.

With the fuse out, it should just act like a normal brake system; but the abs light will be on, and a fault code will be stored. You possibly could use the front sensor as the reference for both wheels, but I don't know how the ecu would react, as I guess it would expect to see differing wheel...

I did get a price, but it is on my work laptop. I'll try and find it tomorrow.

Yes, its not nice. I hate that my bike has had to have work done it. I guess shit happens. All manufactures have their hiccups. On the bonus side, Yamaha acted quickly and are fixing the problem. I've seen some manufactures argue the point and insist that there is nothing wrong with some...

By way of example. These forks have compression damping in one leg, and rebound in the other. https://www.ohlins.eu/en/motorcycle/Front-Fork-Road-Track-FGRT-218--4985/

The odd leg design isn't bad. I lot of high end stuff has been of that design. The fault, if you like, is in spring rates and damping. The springs are soft for hard usage. The damping valve bodies are restrictive and not as refined. Double the price of the bike, and I'm sure Yamaha would have...

They said it would take them an hour and half. I don't know what they did with the oil. I'm guessing they would need to, as I understand they need to remove the clutch.

Manufacturers are also pushing service intervals out as a result of governments starting to push for less environmental impact from servicing. Modern manufacturing techniques and lubrication have allowed them to do this and still produce great products. There are engines coming out shortly that...

I've just had mine done at the dealers this morning. I rang them earlier in the week. They hadn't heard of it, but checked with Yamaha and booked me in for today. All good now.

Yes, probably right. A while ago, I had an apprentice in my class from a very remote area on the northern most tip of Australia. He used to have to take a boat, and three airplanes trips to get to college. He would come twice a year for three weeks at a time, over a three period. To top it off...