Well, what can we say; it’s certainly been a busy week here at mono motorcycles!

Monday Morning –

First up on the ramp on Monday, we welcomed back our regular customers BMW F800GT for it’s annual service. Brake fluid change & diagnostic Global Scan’s are included in all our service packages.

Monday Afternoon –

We are catching up with some of the projects which joined us during the lockdown period & on Monday afternoon, Daniel was back on the Honda XL100 which the owner wants to convert from 6v to 12v.

When the XL first joined us, it didn’t have as spark. It had been running before, but when it joined us, it simply would not get going.

Now the XL has a spark & Daniel has been able to get 12v from the charging system; the next phase is to open the loom & make sure everything works, change all of the bulbs to 12v, then the battery & then ensure the system is still charging at 12v.

Tuesday Morning –

First up on the ramp this morning we welcomed a Yamaha R6 with a failing original META alarm.

Once Daniel was able to remove the alarm safely, he then set about re-wiring the indicators as they had developed a fault due to the wiring of the original alarm.

The R6 had not been ridden for a year, but had clearly been kept somewhere dry, as when Daniel turned the key, the R6 burst into life (albeit with some smoke, due to what looks like ACF50 on the frame & having sat for a year)

Tuesday Morning –

Next up on the ramp today (it’s a busy one!) we welcomed a Moto Guzzi V11 Le Mans as a non start. Our customer had been working on the bike & the wiring loom had become damaged & the bike would not not start.

Daniel spent some time removing faulty components & although the battery was completely dead once a new battery was fitted, the Guzzi sputtered into life.
Daniel then bypassed the side stand switch as it is apparently an issue with this make & model, but did not bypass the clutch switch, as this would confuse the ECU.

In transit one of the fork seals on the Guzzi started to leak so badly it poured over the front wheel. Next phase is to replace the fork seals & arrange an MOT.

Tuesday Afternoon –

We have been working on the Suzuki TS50 ER & this afternoon we’ve had some new tyres fitted, but are still waiting on the shocks to arrive. Daniel also thinks the exhaust is slightly blocked. A little finishing & the TS will be on it’s way home.

The second Suzuki up on the ramp this afternoon was Katy’s SV650 ‘Ziggy’ who was having the rear foot pegs refitted & the hugger to get it ready for an MOT.

Wednesday Morning –

First up on the ramp this morning, we completed the works on the Triumph Street Triple. We have been diagnosing a service light issue, which manifested itself as a fault code relating to the oxygen sensor in the exhaust.

Under investigation, Daniel found a bypass plug had been added to the oxygen sensor plug, which had clearly failed. Daniel has now removed the plugin & then re-diagnosed to assess if this has rectified the issue. The plugin removal did not solve the issue & as the bike was also fitted with a power commander, it has now been booked to go on a rolling road & be re-mapped, as the map currently in the bike is confusing the signals.

Furthermore, the new Fork Seal tools was put through its paces & the Street Triple now does not have leaking fork seals (Note: We only use genuine fork seals, unless our customers provide their own)

Wednesday Afternoon –

Back up on the ramp this afternoon was the Kawasaki ZZR600. The ZZR was running on 2 cylinders when it came into the workshop. Having been advised that the carbs had been cleaned elsewhere, Daniel found that the plug caps were not on & this would have added to the running issues. Daniel balanced the carbs based on the fact that they had been cleaned & the ZZR was back to running on 4 cylinders.

However, on it’s test ride Daniel noticed a flat spot at low revs. This could be down to a HT lead breaking down, some unforeseen debris in the fuel pipes, dirty fuel, another blocked jet etc, etc.

Therefore, to ensure the ZZR is running correctly, we have booked it back in & today & Daniel began taking the carbs apart himself & began fully cleaning, ultrasonically cleaning, blowing out the jets, rebuilding & replacing the carbs. Daniel will replace the fuel filter prior to running the ZZR & he will be making up some new HT leads.

Carburation issues cannot be rushed & by their very nature need care & attention. Carbs also need to be cleaned carefully & meticulously, with adjustments, often times re-adjustments needed, balancing & test rides to get carbs set up correctly.

Sometimes carbs need new parts, seals, jets, air screws, floats & even after all of this effort; sometimes dirty fuel caught in pipes, debris lurking in unforeseen corners, can still make it’s way back inside them.

It only takes one pin size jet hole to be blocked, for the fuelling to become ever so slightly off & unless you are relying on jet cleaner being added to your fuel & hoping it will clear them; the process of stripping/cleaning can sometimes be required again.

Thursday Morning –

We welcomed a stunning S1000rr for an Annual Service & fluid change.

Thursday Afternoon –

As we continue to work our way through some of the projects we received during lockdown, Daniel came back to the lovely Malanca on Thursday afternoon.

The Malanca came to mono motorcycles in pieces, in several boxes & with no instructions of how to put it back together. Having been taken apart by another motorcycle technician, Daniel was already at a disadvantage, added to by the fact these gorgeous little scooters are extremely rare, with only 3 known of in the UK.

Never to shy away from a challenge Daniel has already managed to put the engine back together, not without some too-ing & fro-ing & this afternoon he was trying to get the Malanca into a rolling chassis.

Challenge No1 – How do you fit inner tubes & tyres with –
a) A broken tyre machine (they are too small anyway)?
b) No specific tools to tackle such small wheels?
How you fit teeny tyres is with some ingenuity, a vice, some cardboard to protect the paint, some spoons & your hands!

Challenge No2 – The brakes need to be assembled, but having retrieved them from their bubble wrap we can now see that moving components have been powder coated over.
We’ll get there in the end

Friday morning –

Up on the ramp this morning we welcomed a simply gorgeous Triumph Bonneville Bobber 1200 HT to the mono motorcycles workshop.
The Bobber joined us today for a replacement rear light & indicator upgrades.

All of the wiring & the plugs for the rear lights are buried inside the battery box up, hence having to remove the rear wheel & hugger to gain access. Once completed our customer was really pleased at the difference the new rear light cluster made to her Bobber.

We pride ourselves on our customer service & work tirelessly to support everyone. However, we do not have a crystal ball & therefore, if anyone has a query or a question about our work; we would really hope they would talk to us in the first instance, to let us help & find a solution.

This year has been difficult for all of us, but we do ask that people would not take their frustrations out on us. We work tirelessly to provide an excellent service to everyone & we continue to do so during what are very challenging times.

We both work very hard, we have a packed diary & we are, at time of going to press, currently booking from Monday 21^st September. Therefore, please could we ask that you are not rude or abusive towards us as we are really hard working, kind & supportive people, who will always try to help. Thank you. All the best, Daniel & Katy

Join us on Sunday 2nd August for our virtual breakfast club & catch up! (Postponed from 26th July) Grab a cuppa & join us live on our Facebook page 10.00am – 10.30am

For all your motorcycling needs please do contact Daniel or Katy on T; 01243 576212 / 07899 654446 E: monomotorcycles@gmail.com or contact us through our contact page.