Hello World

[NewStu]

Hi Everyone.

I thought it would be a good idea to quickly introduce myself as I'm a new boy around here.

I'm Stu, 36 year old new biker. By new I mean that I passed a week ago and I'm picking up my new toy on Saturday :). I've managed to get hold of a lovely 650s (54 plate) and I'm about as excited as it's possible to get.
Actually, coupled with the pant wetting excitement is a small degree of nervousness as I've never ridden anything like this. I learned on a Honda 500 sit up and beg (never was sure what it was), so this is quite a departure. But by this time next week I'm sure that I won't be able to get the smile off my face.

I'm Midlands based and happily married, and we have a cat.

Pleased to meet you :)

[Sid Squid]

Hi Stu, welcome to the world of SV!

You'll enjoy every minute, I guarantee it.

I have two cats, one big chunky one called errr.. Chunky and his little sister Mia.

[anna]

Welcome to the .org there are plenty in your region, go check out the locals in your regional section for ride outs.

[Speedy Claire]

Hiya and welcome NewStu... best of luck with the bike and can we have a photo of the cat please

[Daimo]

Welcome, u'll love it.

At first, you'll think "wow this is so fast." And it will be compared to a car.

But in time, you will get used to it. Enjoy the huge buzz it gives as a new rider. But remember, your not Rossi yet, you've passed your test, now spend the rest of your life learning how to ride that bit better :)

U'll love it :D

[andrewsmith]

welcome to the org

enjoy the fun of bike and keep it rubber side down

[Specialone]

Welcome matey, where abouts in the mids?
We get out a fair bit so keep an eye out in madlands section, then get yourself a dirt bike and join the mad laners :)

[NewStu]

Thanks for the warm welcome all :).

For those of you who are interested I'm in the Burton on Trent area, although I'm originally from Liverpool.

For those of you who are interested the cat is called Tabbs. I'll see what I can do about a picture.

I think that my first few weeks/months will be quite slow and steady (especially considering the time of year) but I'm sure that I'll get into the swing of things soon enough. I'll check out the local rides and if I feel that I won't show myself up too badly I may come and join some like minded nutters for a laugh.

I can't wait.

[BigBaddad]

Howdo

[minimorecambe]

Hi there :D

[robh539]

Hello and welcome, as specialone as said check out the madlanders section for what were up too. See ya around dude.

[fenjer]

Welcome. Ride safe, shiny side up and all that jazz!

:)

[-Ralph-]

Welcome. As Phil said keep your eye on the Madlanders section. I need a complete newbie on the rideouts to keep me company at the back ;-)

[Specialone]

Welcome. As Phil said keep your eye on the Madlanders section. I need a complete newbie on the rideouts to keep me company at the back ;-)

What, as well as me ???

[kaivalagi]

Hi and welcome

I passed a couple of weeks back and am a new bike rider at 35yrs...I am a slow coach right now and am in no hurry to get quicker! Bit of a granny in the corners to be fair :)

You'll love it for sure!

[Specialone]

Hi and welcome

I passed a couple of weeks back and am a new bike rider at 35yrs...I am a slow coach right now and am in no hurry to get quicker! Bit of a granny in the corners to be fair :)

You'll love it for sure!
Nothing wrong with taking things slow to begin with, many a new rider, inc me, have binned their bikes through going quicker in corners than their ability allows.

[kaivalagi]

Nothing wrong with taking things slow to begin with, many a new rider, inc me, have binned their bikes through going quicker in corners than their ability allows.

Yeah, after going wide around a tight blind bend, and thinking lucky no-one was coming the other way, I've learn't to under cook it for now...I'm also having to run in the bike which has no doubt helped

Thinking on it, I'd say anyone new to bikes, regardless of whether the bike is old or new, ought to treat it like new and watch the revs to begin with :)

[-Ralph-]

I'm 35, been riding since I was 16, though I didn't actually own a bike for 12 years, and I have the ability to get round corners quickly. I've only just learned to under-cook it, and not "for now", but from this point forwards!

[Ed]

Welcome Stu. You'll love it:D You'll need a passout from Mrs and one from the cat. I have a Mrs and a Miss and two mogs so I have to save up passouts and then when the moons of Saturn coincide I can go out:rolleyes:

[zobers]

Hello!! You're not too far from me, I'm in Ashby. :)

[NewStu]

@zobers - I've seen a few 650's around so maybe one of them was you :).

I just need to ask one quick question to the collective - The one thing that I'm worried about the most with regards to owning a bike is the day to day up keep of it. I've had a quick search on the forum for any maintainence tips and tricks, but I've not found exactly what I'm looking for.

It's things like - what should I check everyday / week / month. If I decide to mothball it over the winter what's the best way to store it......

I'm not after a huge list of things in this thread, but if someone could either point me to the thread that I've missed (feel free to call me names if that's the case), or if there is a useful website out there I'd be very thankful.

Cheers Guys.

[Geodude]

Howdoo and welcome :)

[kaivalagi]

I just need to ask one quick question to the collective - The one thing that I'm worried about the most with regards to owning a bike is the day to day up keep of it. I've had a quick search on the forum for any maintainence tips and tricks, but I've not found exactly what I'm looking for.

It's things like - what should I check everyday / week / month. If I decide to mothball it over the winter what's the best way to store it......

I'm not after a huge list of things in this thread, but if someone could either point me to the thread that I've missed (feel free to call me names if that's the case), or if there is a useful website out there I'd be very thankful.

Cheers Guys.

I'm new to all this too, here's my take thus far...

Service manual first off, read through it all...there should be a table in it somewhere showing what things to inspect/sort out based on mileage etc.

Checking chain lube/oil level/brake fluid level and tyre pressure regularly makes sense.

Also treat your bike to some ACF-50 treatment too, it will protect it from rust this time of year. I made the mistake of buying FS365 to then discover ACF-50 is much better at protection...I'll be cleaning and retreating my bike with ACF-50 at the weekend fingers crossed...this should keep most areas protected throughout the winter from what I've read

If there is a thread I'd like to know also :)

[-Ralph-]

If I decide to mothball it over the winter what's the best way to store it.....

hi folks - after what seems like ages getting all the info together, i thought id post an idiots guide to winter storage.

have just sucessfully completed it myself, and im useless with spanners, so thought id post this to help fellow un-mechanical folks. please feel free to add or comment! many thanks to the owners manual, google and fellow SVer Ebee for the info.

STEP ONE - wash the bike. try get in all the nooks and crannies - dont forget the underside of the engine, on the inside of swingarm and the suspension bits and bobs underneath the rear shock - its usually caked with rubbish.

STEP TWO - fill tank to the brim with petrol. add some petrol stabiliser - i found this stuff difficult to find so i ordered STA-BIL of ebay. cost 6 squid incl shipping. the full tank and stabiliser keep the moisture/tank rust at bay as well as keep the petrol from turning to jelly. run the engine for a few mins to get the stabilser in the injectors/carbs. whilst your at the garage - check the tyre pressures.

STA-BIL not necessary over 1 winter, but I used it when storing a bike for a year. Personally I'd put the bike on paddock stands and drop the tyre pressures.


STEP THREE - you need access to the spark plug holes for this. to get to the front one, you need to undo the top bolt on the rad (just above the forks- it also holds a plastic flap) and the lower bolt on the right side of the rad. now the rad can move forward - get in there with the spark plug wrench supplied with the toolkit. remove the plug and put one tablespoon of engine oil down the spark plug hole. replace the spark plug and cap. to get to the rear plug you need to lift the tank - quite easy really. remove the front seat and the allen bolts at the front of the tank (near the headstock) the tank lifts forward. remove the plug and put oil down that hole too. put it all back together and crank the engine a few times. i did this by putting it in 6th gear and rolling the bike forward. the spark plugs are a bit fiddly to get out, but not too bad.

Not necessary for Winter storage. The point of it is to coat the cylinders in oil. It's a long term storage thing.


STEP FOUR- Drain the engine of oil and add new oil right to the top of the filler cap. the bugger is quite big - it took almost 11 litres of oil!! no need to change the filter at this point. Also adjust and lube the chain.

Again not necessary for Winter storage. The point of it is if the engine is top full of oil, condensation can't form inside, but it's really for much longer term storage. I'd just run the engine for a few minutes in the spring, then change the oil & filter and run the engine again up to operating temperature.

STEP FIVE - Remove the battery - on a pointy its under the seat - remember to disconnect the NEGATIVE terminal first. store the battery somewhere safe. ive got mine hooked up to an optimate charger - 35 squid from J&S - seems to work very well.

You don't need to remove it from the bike, just leave the seat off and connect up an Optimate.

STEP SIX - By now the bike should be completely dry - wax the bodywork - i used colour magic - comes up a treat. it also protects the paintwork. I sprayed the rubber and vinyl with silicone spray for protection. Finally i sprayed all exposed alloy and metal with ACF50. i sprayed the engine casing, all the bits behind the frame, the frame itself - basically - all the parts that are not bodywork!! :) (ive heard that suzukis dissolve you see) - remember to keep it off the brakes!!!! this stuff is very good at keeping the worts of the decay at bay. also on the advice of ebee i sprayed some down the fuel overspill pipe - its under the fuel cap - it runs all the way down underneath the bike and is known to rust and basically ruin the tank. spray some down and you should see it drip out the bottom.

The principal is good, but ACF50 is a barrier to prevent moisture and salt getting to your bike when riding in winter, if the bike is spotlessly clean and in a garage not getting ridden you don't need ACF50. Any water dispersant will do such as FS365 or WD40.

STEP SEVEN - store the bike!

provided you have all the bits and a few tools this should take you no more than 3 to 4 hours depending on how well you clean the bike :)

well, this is probably not a complete guide, but i think it covers most aspects. hope it helps anyone who needs to store their SV. Obviously please feel free to add or comment.

I think this guy thought "Winter" was going to last for years, but it is quite a comprehensive post if not entirely necessary/scientific in places. Does that help? The best thing you can do if storing your bike is to store it somewhere dry. If you have an integral garage this will be better than a detached garage, which will be better than a wooden shed. If you have an integral garage with some low wattage thermostatic heating set just to keep the place above 5-10 degrees and dry, then much of the above will be unnecessary over 1 winter TBH.

If you are going to ride the bike through winter the ACF50 vs FS365 argument, depends upon how often you are going to wash the bike. ACF50 is not necessarily "better". If you are going to wash the bike after every ride, then use FS365. If you are going to wash it a few times over the whole winter, use ACF50 and just let the dirt build up on top of it.

[NewStu]

That's brilliant. Thanks guys.

I'll take all and any advice gladly. It's good to know that there is a nice bunch of people out there willing to help out a complete stranger. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :D.

[Ed]

NooStoo, keep an eye on the oil level. There have been a number of engine failures cos peeps let the oil run dry. No I'm not one of them:rolleyes:

[Stu]

Welcome NewStu, meet the old Stu :D

I also passed when I was 36 - You'll have a great time here & on your bike

[kaivalagi]

It's good to know that there is a nice bunch of people out there willing to help out a complete stranger. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :D.

Get used to it, that's biking all over IMO after just a few weeks experience, this forum bombards you with that "no one is a stranger" community spirit :thumbsup:

[zobers]

@zobers - I've seen a few 650's around so maybe one of them was you :).

Probably not me. Like most of the org lot, I don't ride an SV anymore, haven't had one for a year now. :) Look out for a kawasaki green zx6r with a, pink helmet wearing, lady on it! Give us a nod and I'm sure I'll wave back.