BMW, Triumph, Aprilia, Ducati, Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda at mono motorcycles
When we came into January 2023 the diary looked a little sparse. When we took a look around this week we realised we are actually rather full, with 14 bikes in the mono motorcycles workshop. It’s been a busy start to 2023!
Monday 16th Jan 23
So, it begins! Today was the very beginning of a full nut & bolt, ground up restoration & rebuild of a 1989 Suzuki GSXR750 Slingshot.
The GSXR has had one owner from new. Unfortunately, many years ago the bike was involved in an accident & has pretty much resided in boxes for the better part of 20 years.
The bike arrived to us on its wheels & the engine (having been rebuilt elsewhere some time ago) in situ.
We have now commenced what will be a considerably lengthy process of bringing the GSXR750 back to its original glory.
The process will be recorded along the way & we will be videoing the build & uploading to the mono motorcycles YouTube channel.
Here’s a link to Part 1 – Frame strip down.
Tuesday 17th Jan 23
Today we welcomed a stunning all original & un-restored Honda CB750 Four 1977 with genuine 4000 miles on the clock.
The CB750 joined us for servicing, safety checks, optimate lead fitting & having a fuel stabiliser added to the tank prior to being returned to winter storage.
Thursday 19th Jan 23
Daniel started the process of stripping the Suzuki GSXR 750 Slingshot engine down today. The engine had been fully rebuilt previously, but as part of the restoration the engine is being stripped again to enable it to be vapour blasted & cerakoted by Hi-Spec Coatings & Vapour Blasting
To ensure every single part is meticulously taken care of, every component has been allocated it’s own bag and box. Parts which are in multiples or sets, have been lock-wired together and the gears from the gearbox have been carefully wrapped in paper.
Friday 20th Jan 23
It was track bike day at the mono motorcycles workshop on Friday 20th Jan.
The Ducati 848 track bike was serviced in the morning and had it’s cambelts changed.
The Triumph Daytona 675 track bike was then up on the ramp in the afternoon. The 675 joined us because it would only crank and not fire. Under investigation, it needed a replacement crank sensor and the customer decided to go for a genuine stator (crank sensor is attached)
Last up on the Friday we welcomed an Aprilia RSV4 track bike which joined us for fluid changes and fitting of a quick action throttle.
If you are looking for support in getting your bike track season ready, then please do contact Daniel or Katy on 01243 576212 / 07899 654446 or email us at info@monomotorcycles.co.uk
Monday 23rd Jan 23
The Aprilia RSV4 service was completed and the quick action throttle fitted.
Daniel and Oaklie then set about Starting the Service on the BMW R850R. The first stumbling block was that whoever fitted the oil filter previously had put it on so tight, it would not release.
Daniel also had a Yamaha YZ85 up on the ramp (having had to pressure wash 2 inches of mud off it before we started work on it) The YZ85 was in for an oil change and kick start fault assessment.
In this case, the clip on the kick start had disappeared. When Daniel changed the gearbox oil, he found the clip inside! He also turned the throttle round the right way, as somehow the owner had the brake and throttle back to front.
In amongst this, Daniel was ordering parts, speaking with customers and getting GSXR parts ready for cerakote.
Thursday 26th Jan 23
We welcomed a BMW R1150R to the workshop today which would only crank when the handlebars were turned to the left.
Under investigation, Daniel found that where a cable tie had been tied around the outer covering of the wiring; it had snapped the ignition wire. As the wire was held inside the outer tubing it was still making a connection when the handlebars turned to the left, but if the handlebars turned to the right, the wire breakage lost the connection.
Having stripped the wire, re-soldered and heatshrunk the entire wire to protect it; Daniel then removed a lot of the broken up out sheathing and replaced to make it safer and neater.
Friday 27th Jan 23
The BMW K75 we have been assisting with rectifying faults with, has returned. This time, the customer noted on it’s maiden voyage that the oil light was flickering. When we rode it to the MOT station and back only a couple of weeks ago, it wasn’t flickering.
Under investigation it appeared that the oil pressure was dropping. However, once the oil was dropped, the fault became instantly clear. With the oil looking like very thick chocolate milkshake, we knew we had a water/oil mix issue.
When we rang our customer to advise of our findings, he advised that another establishment had recently fitted the water pump. However, based on the scoring on the drive gear, it had not been fitted correctly. Furthermore, the mechanical seal does not seem to have been fitted correctly either.
With both of these components not having been fitted correctly, once the bike had been ridden for a few more miles, the water had begun to mix with the oil and the oil pressure seemed to drop. Luckily, our customer does have another K75 engine, so we are hoping that at least the drive gear is intact, as we imagine these components new are on the pricey side.
Basic Motorcycle Safety & Maintenance Sessions.
Our first session being run on Saturday 4th February is now fully booked. Due to the popularity of the session, we are advertising a second session on Saturday 11th March.
Events
Saturday 4th March 2023 Spring Open Morning at mono motorcycles
Join us to discuss your service, repair or wiring needs for 2023 & beyond at the mono motorcycles workshop New Barn Offices, Funtington, PO18 9DA
Coffee & Tea £1.00
Sunday 23rd April 2023 Breakfast Club is back!
Join us for a hearty breakfast, catch up with friends, or drop in for a pit-stop!
Location: mono motorcycles, Row C, Unit 4-5 New Barn Offices, Funtington, Chichester, PO18 9DA
Sunday 18th June 2023 mono motorcycles Custom & Classic Bike Show 2023
Our second Custom & Classic Bike Show is already planned for Sunday 18th June 2023. We are already taking registrations for motorcycles in a variety of categories:
2023 Categories:
Best in Show, Best Paint, Best Custom, Best Cafe Racer, Best Bobber, Best flat tracker/scrambler, Best Modern Classic (any fully restored modern classic 1970-1999), Mini Mayhem (Fully restored classic or custom under 200cc), Best eBike Custom (fully electric motorcycle)
Register your bike by sending an email to info@monomotorcycles.co.uk with a description of the bike, at least 4 photographs of the front, sides & rear & which category you wish to enter.
We are also looking for an eclectic selection of trade for the show & therefore if you or anyone you know is interested in bringing your business to the show, please do contact Katy in the first instance by emailing info@monomotorcycles.co.uk for more information
Check out our Facebook & Instagram feeds for regular updates
As always for all your motorcycling needs, please do contact Daniel or Katy on T: 01243 576212 / 07899 654446 or contact us through our contact page.