Gripe of the day - What is yours?

[Bike27]

Originally Posted by Adam Ef

Was it sold as working and rideable? If it was then it is "Not fit for purpose"

I'm not convinced the H1 was ever " fit for purpose" based on what the Used Motorcycle Guide used to say about them

On the plus side Seeker, it sounds like you have a very good arrangement with the supplier and with modern oils / tyres / spark plugs / CDI units I would have thought there is plenty of scope for an H1 in 2019 to be better than new.

Back in the 80's , the A5 sized "Used Motorcycle Guide" was my bible for navigating the used bike minefield.

In a pre- internet era when even jap bikes could be rather less bulletproof the UMG was an immense help in deciding what to spend my (then) generally meagre budget on.

Their assessment of the H1 making it crystal clear that ownership of said machine was not to be entered into lightly:

"Early versions had wild power and frightening handling. KH version still dubious but a little slower and safer. Clutch, main bearings, seals, CDI and spark plugs all wear out rapidly. Okay for the odd crazed outing but forget it for everyday use...........H1B has points and carbs that need setting every 300 miles.........engine rattles even when rebored (every 15000 miles)"

(Used Motorcycle Guide Sept/Oct 1992)

It's not for nothing that Kawa 500/750 triples have a fearsome reputation.

Stick with it, you've got my respect at least

[Sir Trev]

I remember those UMG's. They said said to steer clear of the GSX250E after 30k miles but mine kept going to well over twice that without any engine issues. Won't go into the electrical ones...

[Sir Trev]

My gripe de jour is washing machines. Or more especially the way ours was plumbed in by the builders who added our extension 12 years ago. The machine is now over 25 years old and when the sockets tripped this morning for the second time I eventually worked out that the poor old thing was absolutely red hot to the touch on it's second load of the day, despite being set to 40 degrees. Seems the thermostat has gone south. So once it had cooled a bit I managed to extricate it from the recess only to find... no drain. Seems the builders simply hooked the flexi waste pipe directly to the trap spigot under the nearby sink via an extension flexi pipe routed under the cupboards. Will have to fit a better solution at a more suitable height as well as play Russian Roulette with a new machine. Bet it doesn't last 25 years like the old one!

[Seeker]

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

Will have to fit a better solution at a more suitable height as well as play Russian Roulette with a new machine. Bet it doesn't last 25 years like the old one!

When my 4 year old Bosch required new drum bearings, I had a chat with the repair guy. He told me that if it not for the insurance paying for the bearing replacement, he would have recommended that I bought a new machine.
He said modern machines are not built to last because the customer refuses to pay the price that would entail hence the use of inferior materials. He went on to say the only machine that is still well made is a Miele and they are typically twice the price of a regular machine.

[Sir Trev]

Try three times! Several Miele's are are well over £1,400 as they're basically commercial machines packed a little differently. The Samsung one we plumped for is just over a third of that price.

[Adam Ef]

Note for anyone doing a coolant change on a VFR. Do it at the same time as an oil change. I did my oil and filter change just before. One of the coolant drain bolts is just above the oil filter and you don't have a hope of getting a socket in there with the oil filter in place. Meaning you have to use a 10mm spanner, locating it in a very small space and turning it by about a 16th of a turn, removing the spanner, relocating the bolt with the spanner.. turn a 16th of a turn again etc etc. All this upside down trying to see what you're doing and it will probably (did) start chucking with rain in the middle of the process. This needs to be done twice too if you're flushing the system. Double jointed wrists and fingers to fit around the header pipes helps too.

[maviczap]

Why is it when you find something you're looking for at the right price and you've committed to purchasing it, does something similar come along at a lower price!!!

[Adam Ef]

Originally Posted by maviczap

Why is it when you find something you're looking for at the right price and you've committed to purchasing it, does something similar come along at a lower price!!!

eBay voucher code?

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by Adam Ef

Note for anyone doing a coolant change on a VFR. Do it at the same time as an oil change. I did my oil and filter change just before. One of the coolant drain bolts is just above the oil filter and you don't have a hope of getting a socket in there with the oil filter in place. Meaning you have to use a 10mm spanner, locating it in a very small space and turning it by about a 16th of a turn, removing the spanner, relocating the bolt with the spanner.. turn a 16th of a turn again etc etc. All this upside down trying to see what you're doing and it will probably (did) start chucking with rain in the middle of the process. This needs to be done twice too if you're flushing the system. Double jointed wrists and fingers to fit around the header pipes helps too.

Ratchet spanner....

[admin]

Originally Posted by Adam Ef

Note for anyone doing a coolant change on a VFR. Do it at the same time as an oil change. I did my oil and filter change just before. One of the coolant drain bolts is just above the oil filter and you don't have a hope of getting a socket in there with the oil filter in place. Meaning you have to use a 10mm spanner, locating it in a very small space and turning it by about a 16th of a turn, removing the spanner, relocating the bolt with the spanner.. turn a 16th of a turn again etc etc. All this upside down trying to see what you're doing and it will probably (did) start chucking with rain in the middle of the process. This needs to be done twice too if you're flushing the system. Double jointed wrists and fingers to fit around the header pipes helps too.

been there too. Some people don't bother removing that small coolant drain plug.

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