My bike has been really messed up

Got my big heavy thick lock today, it's very heavy, it is resistant to saws, drills and bolt cutters though which is good. I accidentally hit the side of my bike with the chain padlock and made a small chip, nothing much luckily and scraped the exhaust positioning the bike for the chains oh dear hehe, no damage though.

I can't get the chains round the frame but I've now got 2 disc locks on the front (1 is alarmed), a chain on the front wheel, an alarmed disc lock on the side of the bike, a croc lock on the throttle and brake, 2 chains on the back including the 12mm heavy one plus the steering lock plus GPS tracker hidden inside and the smartwater, who would wanna nick this bike now?

Got a cheap basic alarm on the way too.

 

Also, took the bike on some local A roads today, I can upshit quite well now although still think I upshift at the wrong time sometimes.

I don't like the gear lever as it has two ends and using the heel to downshift is a pain and I struggle knowing when to downshift, say I'm going 40, 50 or 60mph and then a corner or a roundabout is coming up, i go down to about 3rd gear between 40 and 50mph and then down to 2nd around 20-25mph but it still sounds funny sometimes.

I've managed to more or less cut out the accidentally pulling the throttle when shifting though, didn't jerk as much today.

 

Think you might have a little too much security on that bike lol. You are going to get really fucked off with taking all that off and then putting it back on all the time.

 

Haha yeah true but rather that than what happened a few weeks back when someone wrote off my bike trying to steal it and that bike had 2 chains, steering lock, immobiliser and disc lock alarm and that wasn't enough to put them off from trying so it's best to have many different things I think as it's more of a deterrent.

This bike will only be used maybe 1-3 times a week on average so i won't be taking it off every day.

 

I'm still having issues with the gears.

The only thing I don't like about the bike is the small thin tires, it doesn't feel stable when it's a bit windy.

I can upshift fine although, I haven't got the timings perfected yet, shame there's no rev counter.

But downshifting is a real pain, the gear lever at the back is hard to press down as it's not like other gear levers, one good thing is even if your in 3rd or 4th gear when you stop at a red light you can just kick down into first which is a neat trick.

However, I am really struggling when downshifting, i always make the bike make weird noises, it never seems smooth, I don't know whether to be in 2nd or 3rd on a corner and I'm not always sure when I need to shift down?

Any advice?

 

you are over thinking it too much, i get what you mean about down shifting though, but you will get used to it over time. i actually cant bend my ankle joint, i move my whole leg to change gear, but it doesnt stop me riding with gears. it will come to you in time, just need practice is all.
(also i still sometime mess up with gears!)

 

Thanks, I just thought I would have get it perfected by now, although I have only been on it about 5 times so far. Do you think it's a good idea to blip the throttle when downshifting or not? Or is that only for bikes that have a manual clutch?

I'm guessing gear changes are easier on a full manual bike as it has one gear lever and not one each end like mine and yours?

I went into 4th at 40mph earlier but it didn't sound right, it felt like it should have been in 3rd but when i went into 3rd it was even worse so i went back into 4th.

I've had my bike checked over by the garage today just to make sure everything is ok as obviously buying it from someone you never know if it has any hidden faults, the chain was too tight but that was adjusted and oil is spilling out as there's a o ring missing from the oil cap so i'm glad I got it checked over now otherwise I would have ran out of oil. The shop charged me next to nothing for looking at it, something like £20.

 

you dont need to blip the throotle when downshifting, only if you down shift at too high rpm..... i have 4 bikes, a scooter (auto) a C90 (semi auto with the double shift thing like yours), a VF750 (manual) and a R100GS (manual).....

 

Sounds like this lad needs a shagged c50/70 to scud about in a field for a while..if the lump in this bike is like one of them.( bullit proof).chill maximus,sub celsius. You aint gonna screw a honda up at all riding it like you are..since my early days of Legal riding back in 1976 onwards i have never known an outomatic honda blow or stop/ sieze from a bit of dodgy up down changes.. Heel toe shift levers are shit.screwed a good pair of shoes once forgetting.stick with it and dont worry about breaking anything anytime on the gear shifts...you do have a kind of clutch to take the grief of any stress that would destroy the lump if it wasnt there,and if its like the cub range of old...its got rollers in it like a variator...something to fiddle with??

 

I cannot find an O Ring anywhere for this issue with the oil to stop it from leaking out when riding, tried Ebay and looked on other spares sites. It was only serviced in Feb but the oil level was low at the bike shop yesterday.

 

Does sound a bit odd that..are you talking bout the dip stick or the drain plug or the level plug if its got one leaking.

 

The bike shop said there should be something around the dip stick that is missing and oil is spilling through the top when riding so the level has gone down quite a bit so I need to get this part a.s.a.p to stop it from happening again.

 

I think he means the seal thing that's around the screw part of the dipstick like on this picture

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/S8-HONDA-...784?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4add4a7328

 

I could Get a new dipstick out here for the price of the rubber washer you need..i think i know the bit you need ...order one from Honda if you have trouble..have you tried a plumbers shop..one of these Arkwright type places in the back if nowhere.be surprised what you find.at a pinch you could clean it all up and splurge some decent silicon round the leaky bit and see if that helps till you find a proper washer.splodge and bodge job.im not back for weeks so im no Good. If i posted it youde have it fixed before it got there.the way you was describing it..sounded like it was popping the washer and having a case breather pressure build up prob or something.

 

Just had a stupid thought and had to air it and share it.what about a rubber bung..sorted till your fixed..dumb? Answers in a quiet voice.. Got a head ache and typing hurts.

 

Got to be one in this kit that fits. If not its only $4 shipped.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/225-...Black-18-Sizes-Free-Shipping/32240131894.html

 

Thanks.

 

The fuel consumption on this bike is shocking, it only holds about £3 a tank but reading reviews made me buy it stating it can do between 100-140MPG, I'm lucky to get 40-50 MPG, the bike was inspected last week so there wasn't anything found, I seem to have to keep filling it up despite the fact it's only used now and again.

 

Short trips = bad mpg. It only holds thoses stated mpg if you do long trips at cruising speeds. If you start and stop a lot then mpg is terrible my scooter says it does 100mpg but I'm lucky to get 30mpg but I do only very short trips.