The past fortnight has been very busy with plenty of service and repair work coming in. We have also had notification that our MOT station equipment was ready for installation. Here is just a snapshot of some of the jobs we have completed in the past couple of weeks.

Week commencing 22.04.2024

Another CCM joined us at the beginning of the week in the shape of a CCM Spitfire RAF100. The CCM having only just over 200 miles on the clock, had not been ridden for two years.

Therefore, before any work could commence, we had to drain the tank as the fuel was very stale.

With the tank drained and a flush run through the system, we were then able to start the bike.

We then completed the CCM’s First Service and arranged an MOT.

For all your CCM Motorcycle Service, Repair and Warranty work, contact Daniel or Katy on 01243 576212 / 07899 654446 or email us at info@monomotorcycles.co.uk

BMW K1300S

On Monday a BMW K1300S was recovered to us after being assessed at another service and repair centre. The customer advised that the other service and repair centre believed the rattle the customer could hear from the engine was possibly the timing tensioner or at least top end.

At receipt when the bike was started (with the customer standing next to it), the knocking sound it made under load was clearly a bottom end sound and not a good sound!

In these cases, the simplest assessment is to drain the oil as it can tell you a lot about the status of the engine.

The first thing we noted was that the oil level indicator was so low it was almost unreadable. The dipstick was also bone dry.

Once we had started the process of draining the oil, the issue with the bike became evident. The oil had a gold/bronze sheen to it (swarf) and lumps of bronze which had sunk to the bottom. We also noted that only 1ltr of oil came out of the BMW. It should have 4ltrs.

Unfortunately, what all of this meant was that the main bearings had started to disintegrate due to a severe lack of oil in the engine.

In these cases and for a bike of this age, it was not really financially viable to strip the engine and replace the bearings (gaskets, fluids, plugs, etc also need replacing) especially as the bike also needed a front shock refurb, new tyres and an MOT.

Having looked into a few options for a lower mileage second hand engine from a breakers, with the costs of an engine, labour, gaskets and fluids it would most likely have come to more than the bike was worth.

We presented our findings and research to our customer and he decided to move the bike along and start to look for another motorcycle.

If you are uncertain of the amount of oil your motorcycle requires, please check your motorcycle manual for advice. If you are uncertain how to check if your motorcycle has enough oil in it, again use your manual or ask your local motorcycle technician to check this for you.

Running any bike with little or no oil can lead to permanent engine damage.

For all your motorcycle service or repair needs contact Daniel or Katy on 01243 576212 / 07899 654446 or email us at info@monomotorcycles.co.uk

CCM Spitfire and CCM Maverick

On Thursday we welcomed a CCM Maverick for Annual Servicing and a CCM Spitfire for Servicing and a new battery.

mono motorcycles are the approved CCM Motorcycles Service and Repair centre for the South.

Ducati Scrambler

On Friday we welcomed a Ducati Scrambler which had been literally asleep in a bedroom for the past two years.

The bike joined us for a recommission, full service and cambelts and to arrange an MOT.

The bike first had to have a tank drain as the fuel was stale, but once we flushed the system and got a battery pack on, the bike started and ran.

The battery on the bike had also failed so we had to replace this.

One of the key elements of replacing the cambelts on any Ducati is marking up the cam timing as the cams have to be at a specific point in the camshaft.

Week commencing 29.04.2024

Monday was a day of extremes at mono motorcycles.

First thing we welcomed a KTM 1290 Superduke for Annual Servicing.

Next up we welcomed a Yamaha MT-09 for replacement handle bars. Despite the bars supplied by the customer being genuine Yamaha parts and pre-drilled, the drill holes were in the wrong place for the switchgear. Therefore, they had to be drilled again to ensure the switchgear and bar risers worked together.

Next up we welcomed possibly the smallest motorcycle we have ever worked on, the Honda Z50 Mini Trail.

The customer had recently re-sprayed the frame and when he put the bike back together it wouldn’t start.

Oaklie checked it had spark and turned over. Then he checked the valve clearances and found the exhaust valve was too tight. He adjusted it and then he sprayed carb cleaner down the back of the carb and the little bike spluttered into life. We then adjusted the timing to help the bike run more smoothly.

KTM Superduke GT and Suzuki GSX125

Another little and large day today. This morning we welcomed a KTM Superduke 1290 GT for annual servicing and fitting of front and rear brake pads.

We also welcomed a Suzuki GSX125 for annual servicing and a new chain and sprocket kit.

BMW GS 1250 Adventure

Another day of extremes at mono motorcycles.

On Wednesday we welcomed the giant BMW GS 1250 Adventure for a full suite of Denali spotlights and registration plate lights.

We are waiting on the Denali CANSmart to allow the system to connect to the CANBus system without upsetting the bike.

By contrast we also welcomed a Honda Ruckus also known as a Honda Zoomer. With a road clearance of only a couple of inches, it is a very small bike by comparison to the GS.

The Zoomer arrived with some play in the forks, a carb fault and the speedo not working.

The carb fault was rectified by the top of the carb being fitted on the right way round (it was on backwards) and the air intake being replaced and having a bolt attached to the end. The forks are going to have all new internals and with the front end off the bike we can then see why the speedo cable has been pulled so taught.

Friday 3^rd May – CCM Spitfire, Yamaha Tenere, Yamaha MT-07, Lexmoto Tempest, BMW R1200 GS.

Friday was a little busy!
Daniel started the day fitting a new set of spotlights to a BMW R1200 GS using the Healtech Thunderbox to sort the CAN network.
At the same time Oaklie made a start on his first service for a Lexmoto Tempest.
Oaklie then moved on to the Interim Service for a Yamaha Tenere World Raid, while Daniel completed the BMW.
As Oaklie started his third service of the day on a Yamaha MT-07, Daniel had finished the BMW and then put our latest CCM spitfire up on the ramp.

The Spitfire was with us for servicing and the latest map updates. As the Spitfire has been sat for a while, the battery was completely dead and the fuel had gone stale. The battery was recharged and the fuel drained and a flush put through the system.

WE ARE HIRING!

Motorcycle Workshop Assistant (Part time)

Do you love motorcycles? Are you passionate about motorcycles and the motorcycling world? Are you looking for your first experience of working in the motorcycle industry? Are you a student currently studying Level 1 / 2 or 3 Motorcycle Maintenance? Then we may have the opportunity for you!

We are looking for an enthusiastic, responsible, and organised part-time Workshop Assistant to support the smooth running of the mono motorcycles workshop.

MOT Tester – Class 1 and 2 (part time)

We are looking for fully qualified MOT Tester to support our MOT test centre which is opening soon.

Full details about our current vacancies and how to apply can be found on our website.

Recruitment

Price increase.

No one likes a price increase, however due to increasing costs we have had to take the difficult decision to raise our hourly rate to £60 + VAT from 1st May 2024.

Thank you for all of your continued support of mono motorcycles

We are now fully booked for May 2024! If you know your service is due from June onwards or you require repair work, we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.

T: 01243 576212 / 07899 654446

E: info@monomotorcycles.co.uk