Not really motorcycle related, but definitely London related; here’s some snaps from a recent mini adventure I had up to the top of the London Shard to check out the view across London.
Thankfully, the weather was top notch and the view stunning. Could pinpoint landmarks for miles around. Tickets aren’t cheap at £25 a pop, but you won’t get a view like this anywhere else. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in town.
The clear screen on Mary’s ZZR400 was really showing its age when we bought it. It was incredibly misty, scuffed and well, just not very clear. Ideally, we’d like to swap it for a nice new screen, But in the meantime, I went at it with some Meguiars PlastX polish. This is a fancy plastic/acrylic polish with microscopic abrasive particles, designed specifically for all kinds of plastics. Perfect for lights, screens, indicators, I even used it to good effect on my turntable lid!
It’s no good against deep scratches, but it will sort out tiny scuffs and get plastic looking shiny, glossy and transparent again.
As you can see from these before-after shots, it has made quite a difference. I’m sure if I removed the screen and polished up some more it would look even better.
Over the weekend I fitted some R&G Crash Bobbins to Mary’s ZZR400. Sometimes more affectionately known as frame sliders, these lumps of hard plastic stick out from the side of the bike with the intention of stopping your precious fairing from getting scuffed or cracked should you drop your bike. Since Mary is a little on the short side and the ZZR400 is quite heavy (as it’s just a sleeved-down version of the ZZR600), we figured crash bobbins would be a prudent move.
Mary replacing the clutch lever on her Kawasaki ZZR400. Still got the skills after all these years.
Was an embarrassing drop, but thankfully very little damage, just a scuffed indicator, mirror, bust clutch lever and slightly bent bars.
It was exactly a year ago today I began my adventure in biking. One year ago I took my motorcycle theory test, the first step into getting onto two wheels. Granted I could have done CBT first, but I knew from the off I wanted a full bike license and a big bike.
Looking back, I can’t believe how fast time has flown, how much fun I’ve had, for how long I put up with the stinky, hot, crowded tube! Most definitely not looked back, (other than the odd ‘life saver’ glance over shoulder!)
My wife finally sourced herself another motorbike. After passing her test in ’98, first riding a crappy YB100, then a VT250, but sadly bikeless for the last 12 years. Now she has picked up this classic Kawasaki ZZR400 E off a good friend. It’s getting on a bit, not in perfect nick, but solid and well maintained since a recent full rebuild.
The ZZR400 is a veritable pocket rocket. Jap import, sleeved down version of the ZZR600. Great handling, plenty of beans, loads of fun from 8000 rpm up.
The seat has already been trimmed a bit, to shave a couple of centimetres off to aid Mary’s stability. Some crash bobbins are also on order to protect that precious fairing. Watch this space for more antics on this bike.
A good friend is looking for a bike upgrade and so has this old Kawasaki ZZR400 going cheap. Getting on a bit, but a good little pocket rocket, which we know has been well looked after. It’s petite enough to suit Mary’s stature perfectly. However I found it very cramped for my legs.
The wonderful people at Hoo-Rag recently sent a couple of their Bandanas in for review. Less well known here in the UK, however, the Hoo-Rag is a big product over in the US. Essentially it is a tube of material that can be worn in a multitude of different manners. As a biker, I’ve been wearing it predominantly as a neck gaiter, but of course, it need not be just for ride-outs on the motorcycle.
Hoo-What? (Why?)
The key thing about the Hoo-Rag, is it’s made from a single seamless piece of soft polyester microfiber tube. No annoying seams, or labels, just one nice stretchy, soft tube to protect your neck from the wind, cold, dust, insects and so on. Wear it around your neck, over your face, or go all ’80s rocker style and wear it as a headband or bandana. With such versatility and loads of different patterns available, there should be a Hoo-Rag to suit almost everyone. They even do one for your Dog!
Last week the Meta M357TV2 alarm and immobiliser on my Fazer started playing up. It refused to make any sound when arming and disarming, just silent flashes of indicators. When deliberately triggering the alarm it remained silent and I just got hazard lights flashing. The immobiliser did however continue to work. Then later in the week, it started to make a noise again, just extremely quietly. Very odd. Obviously I kept my lack of alarm hush hush until I had remedied the situation.
Reading up, it seems that after around 10 years the internal battery on these alarms starts to give up the ghost and causes these kinds of issues. I also came across accounts from those who left it and it deteriorated further to the extent they couldn’t disable the immobiliser – eeek!
Big sigh of relief, bike passed MOT without issue. Top stuff. Big yearly service sorted too, filters, oil, plug, brake fluid, carbs balanced etc. The Fazer is running super sweet now. Thanks to the top chaps over at Pole Position (London), very reasonable price. Really must bone up on some of the basic service items myself though.
The mileage history on the certificate is quite telling, barely 100 miles was put on the bike between 2011-2012, however I’ve clocked up 6000 since last July! Definitely not a fair weather biker, the Fazer is most certainly being used. Was advised the rear pads have only got about 2000 miles life left in them. Must not forget about them.