This happened to me a few weeks ago on a cold ride up to Dunkeld. It was one of those beautiful winter days where it was bright and sunny, but cold with frost and snow surrounding the main roads. I had just stopped by the roadside to take some snaps of an ice-covered loch but found myself stuck on a bike that wouldn’t start. Thankfully, my daughter was with me pillion and was able to bump start the bike to get us moving again.

A few miles down the road I got an engine management light on the dash and a code 46. This indicated a low battery/charging system issue. After another bump start, we continued homeward bound. Close to home, the battery went completely flat, I lost the dash and lights, but the bike kept going so we persisted. But, eventually, it died as we came to a halt at a junction, though thankfully only a couple of miles from home and not too much hassle to get family out with some jump leads, charge the bike and get me home. Then began the multi-meter fun diagnosing the faults.

The FZ6 charging system

The FZ6 charging system on a bike starts at the stator (aka generator), which turns the rotation movement of the crankshaft into an AC current via basic magnetism. This AC current is then fed into the regulator/rectifier which will turn it into a steady DC current to then charge the battery. Unfortunately, when either the stator or rectify die, they have a habit of taking out the rest in this chain. Fully discharging a lead acid battery can also cause permanent damage to it too.

Error code 46 indicated a charging system failure. The fact the battery wasn’t charging when running also indicated this. Attaching a multi-meter confirmed too little voltage when the bike was running. For the FZ6, there should be between 14.1 and 14.8V at 5k revs; I was only reading ~13.1V, not good.

Checking the FZ6 Stator

Next, I checked the stator, here you can check the resistance across the three coils within by measuring across each of the three connectors on the lead coming off it. You can do this easily by lifting up the tank and unplugging the stator lead found in the rubber boot. No need to remove the FZ6 stator from the bike for this check.

Don’t forget to touch your multi-meter probes and measure the resistance in them first, you’ll need to subtract this from any measurements to get a true reading. The FZ6 stator should measure around 3Ω on each coil, which I read (8Ω measured minus 5Ω measured across probes)

Next, switch your multimeter to measure the AC voltage, so you can check the output with the bike running by measuring each coil’s AC output compared to the ground. I couldn’t find any recommended ranges for voltage output, but 5k revs, I measured around 70V on two coils, but down on the third coil – not good. Internet hearsay reckons 70V is about the right ballpark.

Checking the FZ6 Rectifier

Next, let’s check the rectifier. As well as measuring the output voltage when the bike is running, you can remove the rectifier and perform a diode test with your multimeter. Here you confirm one-direction continuity between the input and output pins, first confirming continuity from each input to the first output pin and then confirming no continuity to the second output pin. Then you switch your leads and confirm the opposite. In my instance, this test actually passed.

Further investigation revealed some burn marks on the FZ6 rectifier connector by one pin. Not ideal, but everything was still intact and I still had good continuity on the line.

So I bit the bullet and bought a replacement FZ6 stator and rectifier to swap on. The FZ6 rectifier is an easy swap, it has a single connector plug to it and just bolts under the fuel tank hinge. Easier enough to remove with the fuel tank hinged up.

The FZ6 stator is a bit more hassle to replace. It lies bolted to the inside of the left-hand side crankcase cover, so do make sure you have a replacement gasket for later refitment. You’ll need to unplug the stator lead from the loom beneath the fuel tank and then feed the cable down to the crankcase cover so it can be removed with it. To remove the stator from the crankcase cover, you’ll need a star drive socket and a clamp or someone handy to brace the case whilst you undo the bolts, they were pretty tight with thread lock. Note how the cable is clamped down and its rubber seal where it exits the cover.

Refitting the new FZ6 stator was less straightforward as I was using a pattern part, which didn’t quite match the genuine part. It had multiple mounting bolt holes, but it would still only line up in a way that placed the output lead slightly too far away from the crankcase exit hole. I had to strip a little cable wrap off the lead and wrangle the rubber seal along the cable to give me enough slack to line the cable up well. You have to ensure the cable lays flat and behind the screw-down clamp to prevent it from fowling the rotor. All bolts need a bit of thread lock and torquing up, last thing you want is a wee bolt coming loose and sticking to the magnetic rotor. Likewise, make sure nowt has stuck to it during the disassembly… Finally, the cable requires a bit of silicone sealant to provide a waterproof seal as it exits the crankcase cover.

After plugging everything back in, it was time to retest the rectifier output voltage with the engine running again. I measured 14.1V at 5k revs, which is just on the lower bounds of acceptable. However, after a few short test rides, I was returning home with a battery still a bit low on voltage, so I stuck a new battery on too. I can only assume the whole episode had somewhat damaged the battery and it wasn’t holding as charge as it should. Cue a quick trip to local Halfords for a new Yuasa battery, which wasn’t too badly priced at £62.

I did however notice that my heated grips were still occasionally flashing up with low voltage even when riding. I have done the FZ6 headlight mod to enable the two dipped beam bulbs on this bike, which will be drawing an extra 50-60W of power. After disconnecting this mod, I had no issues. So I’ve concluded that this was pushing my charging system to the edge of what it could sustain and possibly that the pattern part stator and rectifier aren’t producing quite as much power as the genuine parts.

It can be a tough call between choosing genuine or pattern parts. But for this FZ6 charging system a genuine rectifier is £283 and a genuine stator (generator) is £414! A pattern rectifier from Tourmax cost me £54 and the stator £145, yeah a bit of a difference. It’s hard to justify £700 for genuine parts on a 15-year-old bike that’s only worth around £2k. There are companies that can recondition and rewire a stator for you, though this wasn’t a route I investigated.

Genuine FZ6 Rectifier from Fowlers

Genuine FZ6 Stator/Generator from Fowlers

Pattern ESG795 FZ6 Stator from M&P

Yuasa YT12B-BS Battery from Halfords

When evaluating FZ6 suspension upgrade options, it quickly becomes apparent one can easily spend a lot of money. When you have an old bike that’s only worth a couple of grand, it’s difficult to justify a big outlay upgrading it. After discussing suggestions from friends and other Fazer riders on various owner’s forums, two suggestions kept coming up:

• A Nitron motorcycle shock for the rear
• Race Tech Gold Valve Cartridge Emulator kit and front fork springs

So who was I to argue such tried and tested wisdom?

Nitron is a British firm, who has been designing and manufacturing quality suspension for various motorsports for the last 20 years. They have a solid reputation for producing great shocks for many budgets. Similarly, Race Tech is a Californian firm that has specialised in quality suspension upgrades and parts for all kinds of vehicles for the last 36 years.

Both Nitron and Race Tech brands I found stocked by PDQ Motorcycle Developments and in a recent sale too good to miss. Out came the credit card as I rubbed my hands in anticipation of the new toys in the post.  I opted for the basic 1-Way Sports Nitron Motorcycle Shock, which has a single damping adjuster to control rebound and compression, plus pre-load adjustment. This I managed to blag for the very reasonable price of £370; more expensive than other budget brands like Hagon (as fitted to my last Fazer) or YSS, but it promised to deliver better performance than these.

For the front, I went for the Race Tech Gold Valve Cartridge Emulator kit and fork springs. The pair of which replace my stock damping rod fork internals with a tuneable value that sits under the new fork springs to reduce harshness and inconsistency. These were a little lighter on the wallet, with the springs and emulator kit together setting me back £235 in the PDQ sale.

Getting quality suspension on your bike is just the beginning. Getting suspension setup and tailored for you, your bike, and your riding style is just as crucial. When ordering a motorcycle shock absorber you will be asked for details on your weight, whether you ride on the road or track, and if carry luggage or a pillion. PDQ then used this info to set up my Nitron shock just right for me before posting it out. This did incur a little longer lead time but was invaluable nonetheless and ensured I was good to go with shock pretty much set up right for me and my FZ6.

For the RaceTech Emulator kit, you are provided with login details for RaceTech’s huge database of more optimal settings. This allows you to correlate your bike, weight, fork details, etc to some ideal settings for the valves, best fork oil weight, and length of pre-load rods. For me and my FZ6, it suggested I use 15wt fork oil, 10mm preload and 130mm air gap.

FZ Suspension Upgrade – Fitting

Fitting a rear shock should in theory, be pretty straightforward; it is only mounted by a bolt top and bottom, however, the reality is often trickier. Firstly, you need a centre stand or a jack to lift the rear of the bike up and take the weight off the swingarm. Invariable the rear wheel and any hugger needs removing for access. If it’s been a few thousand miles and years since the shock was last removed (if ever), the lower mounting will have seen all manner of wet and dirt, so expect a tough time removing it. Our old CBF500 was a nightmare, and my FZ6 was pretty tough too even with its stock hugger.

Tip: Buy new shock mounting bolts/spacers etc before tackling the job. You invariable trash the old ones when removing an old shock

The FZ6 rear shock is secured by a bolt at the bottom but has a rod through the swingarm mount and shock lower bearing that provides the main support. This rod, as is commonly the case, was seized in place, has little to get purchase on it and there’s no access to bash it out from the other side. After trying all the lubes, anti-seize sprays, moll grips, heat etc, I had to resort to angle grinding a slot at the end of the rod to give me some purchase for a drift bar and big hammer (see right-hand pic above). I was then finally able to get the rod to rotate slightly and eventually loosen enough to remove with moll grips. Once removed, everything else was straight forward and the new Nitron shock bolted on with no hassle.

Fitting the RaceTech Gold Value Emulators is a bit more involved. The forks need removing and stripping down. The stock damping rods need holes drilling in them to allow oil to flow freely through them and thus delegate the damping to the gold values. The forks then need rebuilding with the gold values mounted on top of the damping roads and held in place by the new fork springs. They’re then filled with fresh oil leaving the correct air gap. Fresh fork seals were ordered too since the originals were a few years old even if not yet leaking. Overall, it’s a job that’s manageable by someone used to a bit of spannering who has the tools, but it does require a bit of labour. I cheated and took my bike and the RaceTech kit to my local friendly motorcycle mechanics and paid them to fit everything for me! I may have missed out on the finer detail of the install, but my bike was ready much sooner and I had the confidence everything was done just right.

The Ride

The million-dollar question, of course, is how well does the bike perform now it’s fitted with the Nitron shock and Race Tech Emulators kit? When comparing against suspension over ten years old and fork oil, almost anything is likely to feel better. So as you’d expect, there was definitely a marked improvement, the first thing I noticed was the fork upgrades reduced the dive on heavy braking which in turn gave more stability. The set-up was slightly harder than the old suspension, but still absorbed bumps well. It inspires more confidence with the bike feeling more planted in the bends as you progressively power on and out of them.

One year on from the upgrade, I’m still very happy with it and haven’t encountered any issues. To nitpick, I could moan that the pre-load adjuster tool supplied by Nitron is too big and chunky to use in the limited space of my wheel arch. Instead, I have to use a slimmer Allan key. More ideal would be the remote adjuster option, something I didn’t opt for due to the additional £200 premium it would have added to the bill.

Setup wise, I’m still running with that recommended by RaceTech and PDQ based on details I initially gave. The RaceTech emulators have a lot of scope for tuning and I would probably get a better setup with the help of an expert suspension tuning firm who can tailor everything perfectly for me. Something that is definitely on my to-do list. However, tuning the Race Tech Gold Valves does require removing the top fork caps, pulling out the springs and then fishing out the valves. There are no easily accessible adjusters to hand.

In the past, I rented for a few days a big Yamaha Super Tenere with full active Öhlins suspension, and this Nitron-Race Tech upgrade to my FZ6 is definitely not in that league of ride quality, but then I’ve spent a fraction of what such an Öhlins set up would cost! And therein lies my conclusion, this Nitron shock and Race Tech Emulator kit combo offer a respectable upgrade at a reasonable price that one can more easily justify for a lower value bike. Well worth considering if you want a modest upgrade or just want to sort out an old bike with tired suspension.

Check out suspension goods at PDQ Motorcycle Developments here. Blag15% off in their winter sale with discount code WINTER15.

Leather Motorcycle Jacket Maintenance Time!

The Tru-Tension leather cleaner and conditioner products come as a two-step set; first the cleaner to remove dirt and grime, then second the protector/conditioner to keep your leather supple, strong and water-resistant. Both come in 400ml bottles and typically sell for £10 each. Not the cheapest but let’s see how they perform, but then if you want your leathers to protect your skin, you should protect your leathers well.

To really test these Tru-Tension products, I dug out my black and white Alpinestars GP-Pro motorbike jacket, the white panels of which were looking pretty grimey and not that white anymore!

Have you been putting off your leather motorcycle jacket maintenance? Read on to see how the Tru-Tension products perform.

Tru-Tension Leather Cleaner

The cleaner comes in a trigger action spray bottle, which squirts a wide mist onto your leathers.  Like many of the Tru-Tension products, the smell really takes your notice at first – a lovely fruity aroma. The liquid is thin enough to run and seep into all the little creases and seams of the leathers to work its magic on those hard to get to places. Next, you rub in a circular manner with a dry cloth to work out all the gunk. I found it helped to lift the leather from beneath to open up all the deeper creases to rub the cleaner in and lift the crud out.

The cleaner liquid running off the leather was pretty brown, clearly lifting a lot of dirt. Even after just the cleaner, the leather looks a lot better, with some of its original shine restored.

Tru-Tension Leather Protect

The second step is to apply the leather protector and conditioner. This is a thick creamy liquid that comes in a squirty bottle, which you apply liberally, wipe in with a dry cloth, then buff up to achieve a nice sheen on the leather. Again, it has a pleasing fruity aroma that remains with your gear after you finish.

After application, my leather jacket had a good shine regained some suppleness. It should additionally offer a little water resistance too, useful if you happen to get caught out in the rain unexpectantly.

Conclusion

The Tru-Tension motorcycle leather cleaner and restorer are good products which I haven’t been able to fault. They’re perhaps not the cheapest on the market, but certainly not silly money. The 400 ml bottles should last you around 6-8 garments, depending on how liberal you are.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Buy direct and find out more info about the Tru-Tension Leather Cleaner and Leather Protect on their website.

→ Additionally, there’s a lot of stuff mentioned here that would make great biker gifts and motorcycle Christmas presents or stocking fillers. So, take note if you know a biker and are stuck for gift ideas.

Maintain, Clean and Waterproof Your Gear

The winter months are the ideal time to catch up on those maintenance chores, to give your motorcycle gear some TLC.

1. Treat your leathers to some cleaner and conditioner or leather wax. I bet they’ve got loads of dried on bugs and other dirt picked up from the summer rides. So, give them a clean off and rub them down with some treatment to keep them nice a supple ready for next year. Check out our Nikwax Leather Care Kit review.

2. 

   Textiles waterproof motorcycle clothing also needs regular care too. If your bike is stored away or you’re doing minimal riding, now is an ideal time to wash your textiles and re-waterproof them. Nikwax does some great products for this. Generally, this is a case of removing all armour, two washes on a delicate machine cycle, first with cleaner, then a second to reapply waterproofing.

3. When was the last time you gave the inside of your helmet a clean? Ewww! Spend a winter evening investigating how the inner lining can be removed for washing. I can also recommend the Muc-Off Helmet Cleaning foam, which you simply fill your lid with to remove the dirt and odours and leave it with a lovely fresh smell.
4. Whilst at it, why not give your gloves and boots a clean and apply some waterproof spray and/or leather conditioner. Again Nikwax is your friend here and the Muc-Off helmet cleaning foam is great on boots too.

Chill to Some Motorcycle Films & Documentaries

Through those long dark nights when there’s naff all decent on the telly, why not stick on some videos of great motorcycle adventures. Great viewing and might even kick off some ideas of adventures of your own for next year.

• Long Way Around/Up/Down/Shake-It-All-About: No Introduction is needed here, why not check out Ewen McGregor and Charley Boorman’s latest adventure on ‘leccy HD’s through South America on AppleTV (the lot is ready to binge on a month’s free trial now). Or relive their prior adventures on Amazon Prime and see how things have changed.
• Mondo Enduro/Mondo Sahara/Terra Circa: Spearheaded by the infamous Austin Vince and possibly one of the first motorcycle adventures to film their shenanigans. Well worth watching again and a must-watch if you’ve never seen them. If only to compare the very different approach these pioneers took, unlike today’s expectation you need a huge GS with oodles of kit.
• Classic motorcycle films: We all love the classics, whether you’ve seen them before or not, they’re great viewing. You might find some on Netflix/Amazon etc, but otherwise, you can pick up many on disc pretty cheap these days. My suggestions are:
  • Easy Rider – 1969 classic with Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson dropping out of mainstream culture as they ride across the US to Mardi Gras.
  • On Any Sunday – Famously including Steve McQueen, this documentary tells the story of free-spiriting motocross racers in the early ’70s.
  • Closer to the Edge – A documentary that gets under the skin of the Isle of Man TT road race and the racers brave enough to tackle it.
  • The Motorcycle Diaries – Classic adaption of Ernesto Guevara’s memoirs as he rode an old Norton up through South America with his best friend Alberto Granado. A journey that exposed great inequality and poverty that shaped Che Guevara’s later revolutionary stance.
  • The Wild One – Marlon Brando leads a rebel motorcycle gang in this 1953 classic. Initially banned in the UK for fear of copycat gang violence, today it is more exemplary of how motorcyclists were perceived by a conservative society.
• YouTube Adventurers: of which there are countless, but I can certainly recommend binging your way through ItchyBoots, Lyndon Poskitt, The Arktic Rider, Steph Jeavons and Shaw2Shore to name a few.
• Twist of the Wrist II: Alternatively, you may wish to dig out some instructional videos on how to ride better. Twist of the Wrist II by Keith Code (of California Superbike School fame), is certainly one of the most well-known videos. Packed full of great advice, if not the most succinct. Now available on Amazon Prime Video.

For the Motorcycle Book Worms

Other of you may prefer to chill out with your head in a book, perhaps with some good tunes in the background and a little glass of your favourite tipple. Alternatively, you could play audiobooks whilst you veg out on your favourite easy chair.

• The Autobiographies: Plenty out there on all your favourite biking hero’s, from the likes of Guy Martin, Michael Dunlop, Ian Hutchinson, Carl Fogarty etc. Dunno about you, but I’ve seemed to have collected several on the bookshelf from past presents and from various shows, but still haven’t read them all yet!
• If adventures in foreign lands are your thing, then do check out these motorcycle books:
  • Jupiter’s Travels – Ted Simon, a ’70s journo entertaining narrative of his travels across six continents on a Triumph T100
  • Lone Rider – Elspeth Beard, the memoirs of a solo journey of 23-year pioneer Elspath travelling the globe in 1982.
  • The Street Riding Years – Chris Scott, tells the tale of an ’80s dispatch rider in London, with a few excursions further afield.
  • Do also check out books by Ted Bishop, Lois Pryce, Zoë Cano.
• Zen: For those wanting some deeper, I can highly recommend Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M Pirsig. A multilayer book about a father and son’s motorcycle journey of introspection, dealing with mental illness and debating the divide between Eastern and Western philosophies when searching for Quality. An unforgettable read that is both insightful and enlightening.

Project Bike Time

Whether you’re restoring a classic, building a custom or preparing a track day weapon, the winter months are an ideal time to catch up on those big tasks in the build. If you have garage space to work on a project bike, crank up the heater and get on with the jobs you’ve been delaying.

If you only have a single bike, the winter months when it won’t be ridden much are an ideal time to do those big jobs or upgrades you’ve been putting off. Stripping it down and taking the time to do a proper job, without the pressure of wanting to ride it in a couple of day’s time. Be it valve checks, carb fettling, repainting engines, tidying up electrics or just fitting new kit and flashy upgrades.

→ Note: be wary of any spray painting tasks, you’ll never get good results in a cold damp garage.

Without the time pressures of getting the bike on the road, now is also the perfect time to send parts to professionals to work on. For example frames to the powder coaters, bling for re-chroming, carbs for ultrasonic cleaners, wheels for refurbishing etc.

Of course, do be careful what new project bikes you bid on eBay on those dark nights after a few drinks. You don’t want to wake up in the morning to find you’ve bitten off more than you can chew or committed yourself to a lemon!

Plug Your Motorcycle Trickle Charger In!

Lastly, don’t forget to put your bike(s) on a trickle charge if you don’t intend to run them for more than 2-4 weeks. Especially if you have an immobiliser or alarm that will drain the battery. Batteries left to go flat will have their overall lifespan reduced, a trickle charger will not only ensure it stays charged but also maintain good long-term health of a battery.

Motorcycle trickle chargers start from about £30 at SportsBikeShop with the Oxford Oximiser and TecMate Optimate being the most popular.

Do also check out our other tips on long-term or winter motorcycle storage.

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What’s your plan for the winter? What biking antics can you recommend we all watch or read about? What are your winter maintenance or storage tips?

Looking for Motorcycle tyres in London? A new garage has just opened up which should definitely be on your list of places to check out. Two Tyres recently opened in August 2020 selling motorcycle tyres online or fitted at their bricks’n’mortar shop near Oval in South London. Formed by Ben (original founder of the VisorDown website) along with Chris (one of the founders of FWR – another reputable shop for motorcycle tyres in London) and Deano (another ex-FWR mechanic). Between them, they have plenty of experience of the real-world mechanical, customer service and shop running side, in conjunction with the online and marketing side.

I visited Two Tyres a couple of weeks after it opened to fit a fresh pair of Metzeler RoadTec 01 SE tyres on my Yamaha FZ6, check out their new facilities and grab a quick interview with Ben.

Read on to find out more and blag yourself a discount code for Two Tyres.

Edit: Two Tyres have now grown and moved to larger premises at: Unit 1, Peterboat Close, Greenwich, SE10 0PX

Two Tyres – Motorcycle Tyres London

Two Tyres is located in the old Oval Motorcycle Centre (OMC) premises (Edit: Two Tyres have since moved! See above), where they have ramps to work on two bikes, storage to keep around 500 motorcycle tyres in stock and a waiting room to relax whilst your bike is being worked on. It’s great to see a bike garage with a decent waiting room – no more standing around on the street waiting for work to be done. Although not completely finished at the time of my visit, Two Tyres will offer a comfy place to put your feet up, charge your devices, a desk to work at, a TV and mags to keep you entertained and refreshments. Something that’s a definite advantage over many other bike garages in London.

Definitely saves the hassle of ringing up in office hours to find out if the tyres in the size you need are in stock.

Another key advantage Two Tyres offers is their high-quality website, clearly highlighting the years of experience Ben has in the online and digital marketing domain. As a biker, the site will show you bang-up-to-date stock levels and prices of what’s available, whereupon you can order motorcycle tyres online for delivery or head into the shop for fitting. Definitely saves the hassle of ringing up in office hours to find out if the tyres in the size you need are in stock.

A third area Two Tyres are hoping to stand out on is customer service. Now, of course, walking in with a journalistic hat on, they’re going to take good care of me (and they did). But I have had much work done on my bikes over past years at FWR which Chris previously joint managed and Deano worked at. Thus, I have every trust they will continue to deliver top-notch service in this new venture of theirs and provide some healthy competition to other shops doing motorcycle tyres London.

The excellent guys at Two Tyres have offered a handy discount code you can quote to blag yourself some cash off.

Discount code: BBA

This will blag you £10 off any order of motorcycle tyres online over £100; or quote the code in the shop to get £20 off motorcycle tyres fitted.

An Interview with Ben from Two Tyres

BBA: Tell us about your history and the key highlights

Ben: At the age of 17 I just wanted to chat with other bikers and learn about motorbike stuff. Motorcycle News (MCN) didn’t have any forum, so I developed my own website and forum, put the MCN logo on it and wrote to MCN, explaining how it would be a great way to chat rather than wait each week for the paper. I just got a letter back with a takedown notice and a threat they’d sue! It was a bit of a shock at 17, but I thought there was still something in it, so I set up Visor Down in 2000. Things got traction and then it went massive as you know.

I just got a letter back with a take down notice and threat they’d sue! – a bit of a shock at 17

I sold VisorDown to a media company in 2006, who I worked with until 2012. We bought Two Wheels Only magazine, which we turned into VisorDown print, however, we knew that the days were numbered for print and so it became the first online-only motorcycle magazine in the UK. I then left VisorDown to work with some other publishers and do other things. Now VisorDown is run by Crash who do things very differently and have ditched the forums, which I think is bizarre. Nonetheless, the VisorDown journey was great, I really enjoyed it.

BBA: How did Two Tyres start?

Ben: Recently I’ve been running a digital marketing agency called the Content Works, working with e-commerce and bricks and mortar companies, driving traffic to their websites and forming a marketing plan. However, they would never quite do what I suggested, either cutting corners or didn’t have the time. After seeing the mistakes they were making, I wanted to do it myself with my own company, in the real world (not digital) to see if I could get it right. I just wanted a new challenge.

But the actual real-world stuff, managing stock etc. I’ve never done any of that. That’s when Chris left FWR and approached me with a website and we discussed whether to do it solely online or start a shop. We came to the conclusion that I could drive traffic to the shop and we could probably offer better customer service than anyone else in London. By running an online site and shop, they’d work hand-in-hand, working much better than just one or the other. After looking at the old OMC location, we thought it would be perfect, a smallish place you can fill and be flat-out busy

BBA: How will you make Two Tyres stand out?

Ben: Customer service. We’ve got the waiting room, that’ll be a great place to come and relax with a coffee machine and all those things. I think that differentiates us from most places. Sure you’ve got BMW Park Lane & Battersea down the road with a nicer showroom, but we will be easily £100 a pair of tyres cheaper than those guys. We’ve got a really good website that has all the stock, so if it’s on the website, we’ve got it or can get it the next day.

Our USP is ultimately our focus on doing tyres and other fast fit servicing so you will be able to get in, get the job done and get out. Reliably providing a good customer service experience every time.

BBA: How do you feel Corona Virus will affect your business?

Ben: My gut feeling is we’ll go back to somewhere near where we were in 2021. Although a lot of people can work remotely, loads of people I’ve chatted to have said:

“it was great at the start and I’m more productive, but now my two year old is coming in wanting to play. Boundaries have been lost, at five o’clock you’d put work down and went home, but now we’re still working later on.”

So I think commuting will come back. I also think more people will get on bikes because of Corona. As soon as we’ve got that jab or whatever that is going to solve it, I think we’ll pretty much get back to where we were. So I’m not thinking we’re going to be the biggest sort of tyre shop, I don’t think we will. I think there are some really good guys out there and they’re very well-established and will keep on doing really well. I think we’ll find our niche, our market, and the kind of people that will come.

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Do check out Two Tyres, they look set to make a big impact on the London market with their refreshing new outlook and for motorcycle tyres online across the UK with their excellent website.

Edit: Two Tyres have now grown and moved to larger premises at: Unit 1, Peterboat Close, Greenwich, SE10 0PX

Grab yourself a discount at Two Tyres with this code:

Discount code: BBA

This will blag you £10 off any order of motorcycle tyres online over £100; or quote the code in the shop to get £20 off motorcycle tyres fitted.

Historic Motorcycle MOT Exemption

As of May 2018 historic motorcycles over 40 years old are exempt from MOT tests and vehicle tax. You will however need to apply for the ‘historic tax class’ – more details on the Gov.uk site. But note you can still be fined and get 3 points if your motorbike is not in a road worthy condition.

Covid19 Lockdown MOT Extension

Note there were MOT test date extensions brought in due to the Covid19 lockdown, don’t get caught out now this extension period is over:

• MOT’s expiring on or after 30th March and before 1st August, get a six-month extension
• MOT’s expiring on or after 1st August are due as normal

MOT Failure Statistics

Recently the Dept. for Transport (DfT) released MOT data for 2019, which provides for some interesting stats:

1. 83% of motorcycles & scooters pass first time, compared to 67% of cars and light vehicles (up to 3,000 Kg)
2. Across all vehicles types, 7% ‘Pass with Rectification’ – that is, after minor fixes at the test station within 1 hour
3. 10% of motorcycles fail their MOT test, verses 25% of cars & light vehicles

Clearly, motorcycles are less likely to encounter an MOT test failure compared to other vehicles. In this article we will look at what the most common failure reasons are and if they could have been spotted before hand, thus compiling a motorcycle MOT checklist you can follow.

Motorcycle lamps and reflectors – 39%

The vast majority of failure reasons are lamps and reflectors at a whopping 39%. Issues that fall into this category will be:

• Light bulbs – easily checked beforehand and often easy to replace cheaply yourself.
• Broken brake light – often be as simple as blown bulbs, brake switches needing a blast of contact cleaner spray or minor adjustment of brake switch (common for rear brake pedal).
• White light leaking from broken coloured lenses – which you may be able to glue or replace easily yourself.
• Missing rear reflector – very common if you’ve fitted a third party tail tidy. Just get a little stick on red reflector for your number plate.

Posher LED lights that aren’t working could be a more complex electrical fault however.

Motorcycle Brakes – 17.5%

The next most common MOT failure reason is brakes, causing 17.5% or failures. Obviously brakes are pretty crucial, so it’s important they’re in good working order. You should at very least be aware of how to inspect your brake pads and discs for wear, even if you don’t service them yourself so you can book into a garage prior to your MOT.

• Check brake pad wear by inspecting the thickness of material between the disc and the metal backs of the pads. The minimum safe thickness varies between manufacturers, but is typically around 1.5 – 2 mm.
• Inspect brake fluid levels, if they’ve dropped you either have a leak or your brake pads a likely worn down.
• Check your brake discs. They should be smooth with no scouring or ripples on the surface, there shouldn’t be an excessive lip at the edges and a minimum thickness (checked with a vernier).
• MOT stations will test the effectiveness of your brakes using specialist test equipment, not something you can replicate at home. But you can just roll the bike forward and test the brakes can bring it to a prompt halt as a rough indication.

Motorcycle structure and attachments – 10%

This catch all category covers the bike frame, exhaust system, fuel system and transmission. DfT data doesn’t provide much breakdown, but it doesn’t take a genius to guess the common failures here.

• An overly loud or non road legal exhaust will certainly raise eye brows at the test station. Make sure your can is not marked ‘NOT FOR ROAD USE’, ‘TRACK USE ONLY’ or similar words.
• Check your chain is not worn or loose. Check sprockets are not worn down or teeth hooked.
• On older bikes check for any frame corrosion that could compromise the strength of the frame.

Motorcycle suspension – 9.5%

When it comes to motorcycle suspension, there’s very little quick and easy maintenance work anyone can do. However, you can easily identify one of the most common failures – leaking fork seals. Simply wipe the fork stanchions (the shiny chrome bits) down with a dry cloth, hold the front brake on and bounce the front up and down, then check if any oil has leaked up from the seals onto the stanchions. If so, then book yourself in for a fork service, parts are often cheap (£10-20 each) and expect around 2 hours labour.

Motorcycle tyres – 9%

I’m actually surprised tyres are not a more common failure reason, but only 9% of MOT failures are due to bad tyres. I guess most of us already pay a good deal of attention to our tyres, certainly makes sense since they’re so crucial in keeping us stuck to the road and being one of the most often replaced consumables on a motorbike. Nonetheless, inspect your tyres as part of your motorcycle MOT checklist:

• Check there is sufficient tread left, minimum of 1mm, for the middle 3/4 of the tyre width for entire circumference
  • Most tyres have markers in the treads (see photo), indicating how low the surrounding rubber can wear down before they should be replaced
• Check there’s not excessive squaring off of tyres
• Check there’s no bulges, cracks or other damage
• Check air pressures are correct

Motorcycle steering – 5%

Just 5% of motorcycle MOT failures are due to steering faults, which will likely be down to the following reasons:

• Handlebars not rotating freely, for example hindered by badly routed cables and hoses, or they foul the tank or fairing. Check you can rotate them lock to lock unhindered.
• Worn head race bearings, that feel notchy when rotated or have excessive free play. Check the bars rotate smoothly when the front wheel is off the ground. Parts are generally cheap, but are a bit involved to fit, so have a word with your local garage.
• Wheels out of alignment, however beyond checking the rear wheel chain adjusters are on the same marker, this one is tricky to confirm without specialist equipment.

Identification of the vehicle – 5%

We’ve all heard about the seemingly ‘picky’ MOT tester who doesn’t like small number plates. Say what you will about aesthetics etc, if your bike is wearing a mini number plate or it’s tucked away under the tail and obscured, you’re just asking for an MOT failure (and plenty of Police attention too).

If you do have a legal size number plate, as part of your motorcycle MOT checklist do inspect it for any damage, delamination or discolouring.

Motorcycle audible warning (Horn) – 3.5%

A very easy one to check, your horn should be loud enough for other road users to hear and be a single continuous sound, multi-tone horns are a fail. There is no upper limit on horn loudness, so feel free to install a super loud air horn like the Denali SoundBomb to wake up the MOT tester!

Motorcycle MOT Checklist Conclusion

By following the above MOT checks you should be able to spot the most common failure reasons and be aware of motorcycle MOT requirements before you take you bike to the test station. Thus, hopefully you can then either resolve any issue yourself or get your bike booked into a garage before you fail an MOT. No point paying a garage over the odds to fix something simple like a light bulb when you can do it yourself for a couple of quid.

That said, the majority of the above motorcycle MOT checks are items you should be checking regularly as part of your POWDERS motorcycle pre-ride checks. If you’re doing this, then you shouldn’t have many MOT surprises anyway.

Source: Department of Transport – Anonymised MOT tests and results

Chinese Honda CBF500 Replica Speedo Clocks

The replica speedo clocks casing arrived after a couple of weeks direct from China, thankfully marked accordingly to avoid being hit by VAT, customs duty and any extortionate handling fees. Nice one. I also ordered a bunch of genuine mounting bolts and grommets from Fowlers that I was missing as these were only a few quid. Call me pedantic, but I can’t stand a bike splattered with crappy random bolts, it just causes agro on future jobs. I also picked up a £2 Honda wings emblem to stick on the new clocks for the finishing touch.

First impressions of the speedometer casing were good, but with this sort of stuff it’s only when you try to fit and line everything up do you find out whether you’ve got a far Eastern lemon or a half-decent bargain.

The eBay listing was for a CB900F 2002-2007, which shares the same clock casing as the CBF500 2003-2008.

I dismantled the old clocks and slotted the speedometer and tachometer electronics and dials into the replacement motorcycle clocks. Generally the fit was good, but a spot of filing was required where the two odometer buttons mount to ensure they sat well. I also found a couple of the screw holes hadn’t been drilled. No biggie, just a 5-10 min job to tidy up these loose ends. The loom needed plugging in before the rear chrome effect half of the case can be bolted on, and thus the rear cover assembly had to be lined up and carefully fitted in situ on the bike. The trickiest past was the final slotting of the clocks into the mounts and underneath the top yoke ready to be bolted down, which needed some careful prising to line all mounts up.

Cosmetically, the mock chrome of the plastic case looks very reasonable. The lenses on the clocks are clear and offer good visibility, though I have seen some steaming up inside on cold days. Robustness wise, it’s only been on the bike 3 months, but is holding up well and seems sturdy enough.

Replica Honda Instrument Cluster Casing Verdict

For £25 delivered, you can’t really argue with the price. Quality-wise, it’s not bad at all really, well worth the money. Some minor tweaks were needed when fitting, but no big deal, however the steaming up of dials is a definite downer. So, if you’ve battered your instrument cases and are in need of some cheap replacement motorcycle clocks these are well worth checking out.

Rating: 4.5/5

Recently I stumbled across a simple mod that promised to improve the heavy FZ6 clutch, which entails swapping on the lower clutch push lever from an MT07. This is the lever at the lower end of the clutch cable protruding from the clutch case cover. The MT07 push lever is slightly longer and so affords greater leverage, and thus lightens the clutch action.

To remove the lever:

1. Loosen the clutch cable to gain some free play; this can be done at the clutch lever (winding it all the way in) and half way along the cable (awkwardly tucked under left hand side of air box).
2. Prise up the tab on the push lever and then slide out the clutch cable from it.
3. Pop off the retaining circlip on top of the lever, then slide off the push lever with the spring beneath.

Do make sure your toolbox has a pair of ‘outer circlip pliers’ for this job, otherwise you’ll just be setting yourself up for frustration and probably end up scratching paint on the clutch case…

Refitting the MT07 push lever is pretty much the reverse, but you need care in aligning the lever. Do also stick with the FZ6 spring, the MT07 one does not fit.

1. First turn the push lever axle protruding from the case fully clockwise (it only has around 90° of play)
2. Slide on the spring (it only fits one way up)
3. Slide on the MT07 push lever, so that it is pointing towards back of bike. The original lever has a dot on it that lines up with a small arrow on clutch case, but not the MT07 lever doesn’t. Nonetheless, compare the two and you’ll see how to align it the same. You’ll need to manually push the spring back to slot the end of it over the lever.
4. Slide on the washer and then the affix the circlip.
5. Attach the clutch cable and adjust slack (lever free play should be 10-15mm)

If you finish with almost no resistance at the clutch lever and it not springing back, then your lower push lever is not aligned correctly. When aligned, you will not be able to turn the lower push lever any further clockwise by hand, but when the cable is attached you will via the clutch lever. The biggest faff is lifting the tank and removing the air box to access the clutch cable adjusters hidden underneath it…

Did it work? Yes, it certainly lightened the clutch quite noticeably, making riding a lot more relaxed. The clutch bite position is still quite far out (when keeping free play in spec), with only slight difference in that regard. Some have warned of cable rubbing due to different angle, but I’ve not encountered any issues in this regard. Either way, definitely a mod worth doing and not too much costly.

The part you need is: 1WS-16340-00 (“PUSH LEVER ASSY”). Should set you back around £23-25 new, but you may find it cheaper second hand. Buy from Fowlers UK here.

References:

Full credit goes to this forum thread, which has more details and I definitely recommend reading too:

• https://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-mods/57952-clutch-slave-lever.html

This weekends chore was brake maintenance on the FZ6. Having only acquired the bike in the Autumn, it was unclear when the brake fluid was last changed, and being 13 years old, the original rubber brake hose, although visually OK, were likely past their best. The rubber hoses can degrade over many years exposure to the elements, which can lead to slight bulging when pumping the brake lever and thus reducing the final pressure applied to the brake pistons and pads onto the discs. Whereas braided hoses being built around a stainless steel mesh braid are more study, will not bulge or degrade in the same way and have a longer lifespan.

I picked up these Hel Performance braided hose at the recent MCN Carole Nash London motorcycle show for the very reasonable discounted price of £69. This was a ‘race’ line setup for two front calipers and the single rear caliper. The ‘race’ line arrangement is basically two independent lines direct from the front brake lever master cylinder to each caliper. As opposed to one line down to one caliper then a loop over mudguard to other caliper, or a setup with a T-junction halfway down.

Whilst at it, I gave the calipers a good clean and scrub, lubed the pistons with some red rubber grease and fitted fresh pads, EBC HH sintered pads for the front and organic pads for the rear. This pad compound choice gives more bite on the front for hard braking, whilst not being too aggressive on the rear that would only be too eager to lock up.

On the FZ6 the bleeding of brake fluid is a doddle, I’ve no ABS and no linked front-rear brakes. The ‘race’ line hose setup also helps too. I do however find the cheap one-way valve bleeding hoses rubbish, never had any success with them. So I always go old school with a simple hose with one end on caliper bleed valve, the other submerged in a jar of fluid. I then in a synchronised manner, pump lever in, open bleed value, watch air bubbles flow out, close bleed value, release brake lever. Then repeat on each caliper until no more air bubbles flow. Just keep topping up the fluid reservoir to avoid it running try and sucking air in.

Safety Tip: As with any work on the brakes, always pump them lots before hitting the road, to ensure the pads are right up against the discs ready to stop you.

On the road the brakes felt much better, stronger and tighter. Of course having changed out the old pads, manky old fluid and old rubber hose at some, it’s not easy to pinpoint what made the most difference. The only minor complaint I have with the Hel kit is that the bolts aren’t flanged, so the sprocket covers the entire bolt head and copper washer beneath. Thus when torqued up, the copper compression washer expands out jamming it in the sprocket, which can make it a pain to remove the torque wrench and sprocket. A minor niggle and once you’ve done it once you can avoid be careful placement of the sprocket.

Find out more details of Hel Performance brake hoses here.

The Repair Kit

The motorbike puncture repair kit I have here contains rubbery strands and a large needle-like tool to thread them onto, for inserting into the hole in your tyre. Other variations exist, but they generally all share the same principle of shoving something rubbery into the hole to plug it. You should also pack pliers for pulling screws out, a knife for cutting the rubber strands and some CO2 canisters for inflating your tyre afterwards.

Many kits you buy come with a practical and decent-looking little bag, however the above fit the awkward space under the seat of my FZ6 alongside the under-seat exhaust… eBay is the cheapest place to buy your CO2 canisters (about £10-12 for ten).

Buy a Gear Gremlin Tyre Repair Kit from SportsBikeShop

The Accused

The offending screw. In this instance, the tyre hadn’t actually deflated, but as the screw is worn down and moves about, it could start losing air at any time.

The Repair Procedure

Now I’ll walk you through fixing motorcycle punctures using your roadside repair kit.

Using the pliers the screw is prised out, at which point the tyre will likely deflate. If not, double-check if there is air leakage by dabbing a spot of spit on the hole to see if it bubbles. You may get lucky and the hole is not deep enough to cause a puncture.

Some kits come with a tool to rough up the sides of the hole to afford better grip on the plug. If you have this tool shove it in and out a couple of times. It’s always worth confirming there’s no other debris still in the hole.

Next, we take one of the rubbery strands and thread it onto our needle-like tool. Pull it through (use pliers if needed) until the needle is halfway along the strand.

Poke the needle tool into the puncture hole. If your bike is on the centre stand, pop it into gear or onto the side stand to stop the wheel rotating as you try to press the needle in.

Push in until there are only a couple of centimetres of rubber strands left sticking out.

Slowly pull the needle tool out, until a couple of centimetres of strands threaded on the needle are sticking out. You’re aiming to keep a loop of rubber strands within the tyre and a little exposed on the outside.

Use your knife to cut the strands from the needle, leaving the strands threaded into the tyre.

Finally, curl up the exposed strands into a ball. Hopefully, your tyre is now plugged.

Inflate the tyre back up. CO2 canisters are great when out away from home or any nearby garages. Ensure the inflator valve is closed (big yellow thumb screw), and screw the canister in, puncturing it open in the process. Screw onto your tyre valve, then open the inflator valve (big yellow thumb screw) to release the air into the tyre. Remove or close the inflator valve before unscrewing the canister to avoid letting all the air back out! 2-3 canisters are usually enough to get a rear wheel rideable to a garage to correctly inflate to the required pressure. Mind the gas canisters get very cold when suddenly deflated.

After the first canister has gone in, you should be able to confirm if your plug worked. Dab spit on the repair or listen carefully to confirm it’s not leaking air. Large holes may need multiple strands or larger plugs.

The Permanent Repair

Do note any plug shoved into the tyre from the outside is just a temporary repair, recommended for no more than 50 miles and no faster than 50 mph. Get yourself to a garage for a proper permanent repair, usually, a mushroom plug glued to the inside of the tyre which cannot work its way out. This permanent repair should only set you back £25-30 (possibly less if you remove the wheel yourself) and should last the lifetime of the tyre and be safe for normal riding (perhaps not ideal for a track day though).

Buy a Gear Gremlin Tyre Repair Kit from SportsBikeShop